Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) exam scores must be sent directly to the CU Boulder Office of Admissions by the testing agency. AP and IB credit will be automatically applied to your degree requirements where applicable, but it is important for you to know what credit you have earned in order to register for the appropriate first-year courses.

Check the AP/IB Equivalency Charts to determine if your exam scores will earn CU Boulder credit. Once processed, your earned credits will also appear in your Transfer Credit Report in Buff Portal.

Make note of the CU Boulder Course Equivalent, which will determine whether the credits will apply toward your EVEN degree requirements.  See the block diagrams in the EVEN Advising Guide for more information about degree requirements.

AP/IB credit equivalent to the following courses will be applied toward required courses:

  • CHEM 1113/1114
  • CSCI 1300
  • MATH 1300 (replaces APPM 1350)
  • MATH 2300 (replaces APPM 1360)
  • PHYS 1110
  • PHYS 1120

AP/IB credit equivalent to the following courses will be applied toward humanities and social science (HSS) electives, up to a maximum of 9 credits at the lower-division (1000-2999) level and 6 credits at the upper-division (3000-4999) level:

  • ECON 2010
  • ECON 2020
  • ENGL 1500
  • GEOG 1992
  • HIST 1020
  • HIST 1025
  • MUEL 1832
  • MUEL 2752
  • PSCI 1101
  • PSCI 2012
  • PSYC 1001
  • SPAN 3000
  • Foreign language courses numbered 1000-2999

AP/IB credit that cannot be used toward required courses or HSS electives may be used to fulfill free electives.

Many students who earn AP/IB credit in a foundational area (calculus, physics, etc.) still choose to enroll in that course at CU Boulder in order to achieve a more solid background in the subject area. We encourage you to consider this option if you don’t feel entirely comfortable with the subject matter and are concerned about your ability to do well in subsequent courses that build upon the material. The course you enroll in at CU Boulder will replace the AP/IB credit if you choose this option.