Advanced Placement (AP) Credit
CSUN grants credit toward its undergraduate degrees for successful completion of examinations of the Advanced Placement Program of the College Board. Generally, credit is granted based on the year the exam is taken.
Students should have their official AP course transcripts and test scores sent to the Office of Admissions as part of their application for university admission. To report test scores, use the CSUN school code 4707.
The following table lists the required AP test scores, units of credit allowed, and CSUN General Education (GE) application. Any CSUN courses considered equivalent to some AP examinations are also shown. Note that course equivalencies often cannot be accepted for students majoring in the AP examination subject area.
| Examination | Score | Units Awarded | CSUN Course Equivalent (Do not enroll in these courses) |
GE Application |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| African American Studies | 3,4,5 | 6 units | AFRS 252 | 3 units in CSUN Section F Comparative Cultural Studies |
| Art: History | 3,4,5 | 6 units | ART 110 | 3 units in Area 3A Arts and 3 units in Area 3B Humanities |
| Art: Studio Drawing | 3,4,5 | 3 units | No Equivalency | 3 units in Area 3A Arts |
| Art: 2D Design Portfolio | 3,4,5 | 3 units | No Equivalency | 3 units in Area 3A Arts |
| Art: 3D Design Portfolio | 3,4,5 | 3 units | ART 141 | 3 units in Area 3A Arts |
| Biology | 3,4,5 | 6 units | BIOL 101/L or Consult Biology Dept. if another course is required in major | 3 units in Area 5B Biological Science and 1 unit in Area 5C Science Laboratory Activity |
| Chemistry | 3 | 6 units | No Equivalency | 3 units in Area 5A Physical Science and 1 unit in Area 5C Science Laboratory Activity |
| Chemistry | 4,5 | 6 units | CHEM 101/101D/101L | 3 units in Area 5A Physical Science and 1 unit in Area 5C Science Laboratory Activity |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 3,4,5 | 6 units | No Equivalency | 6 units in CSUN Section F Comparative Cultural Studies |
| Computer Science A | 3 | 6 units | Consult Computer Science Chair | No GE Placement (Meets the Campus Requirement in Lifelong Learning) |
| Computer Science A | 4,5 | 6 units | COMP 110/110L | No GE Placement (Meets the Campus Requirement in Lifelong Learning) |
| Computer Science Principles | 3,4,5 | 6 units | No Equivalency | 3 units in Basic Skills Area 2 Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning |
| Economics, Macro | 3,4,5 | 3 units | ECON 161 | 3 units in Area 4 Social and Behavioral Sciences |
| Economics, Micro | 3,4,5 | 3 units | ECON 160 | 3 units in Area 4 Social and Behavioral Sciences |
| English Language and Composition |
3,4,5 | 6 units | ENGL 115 | 3 units in Basic Skills Area 1A English Composition (Written Communication); exempt from lower division writing skills requirement |
| English Literature and Composition1 |
3,4,5 | 6 units | ENGL 255 | 3 units in Basic Skills Area 1A English Composition (Written Communication) and 3 units in Area 3B Humanities; exempt from lower division writing skills requirement |
| Environmental Science | 3,4,5 | 4 units | No Equivalency | 3 units in Area 5A Physical Science and 1 unit in Area 5C Science Laboratory Activity |
| European History | 3,4,5 | 6 units | HIST 150 and 151 | 3 units in Area 3B Humanities and 3 units in Area 4 Social and Behavioral Sciences |
| French Language and Culture | 3,4,5 | 6 units | Consult MCLL Chair | 6 units in CSUN Section F Comparative Cultural Studies |
| German Language and Culture | 3,4,5 | 6 units | Consult MCLL Chair | 6 units in CSUN Section F Comparative Cultural Studies |
| Human Geography | 3,4,5 | 3 units | GEOG 107 | 3 units in Area 4 Social and Behavioral Sciences |
| Italian Language and Culture |
3,4,5 | 6 units | Consult MCLL Chair | 6 units in CSUN Section F Comparative Cultural Studies |
| Japanese Language and Culture |
3,4,5 | 6 units | JAPN 201 and 202 | 6 units in CSUN Section F Comparative Cultural Studies |
| Latin | 3,4,5 | 6 units | Consult MCLL Chair | 6 units in CSUN Section F Comparative Cultural Studies |
| Government and Politics: United States |
3,4,5 | 6 units | Consult Political Science Chair | 3 units in Area 4 Social and Behavioral Sciences and 3 units in 4A U.S. Constitution requirement (Take POLS 490CA to satisfy 4B California government requirement) |
| Government and Politics: Comparative |
3,4,5 | 6 units | POLS 156 | 3 units in Area 4 Social and Behavioral Sciences |
| Math: Calculus AB2 | 3 | 3 units | MATH 103 or Consult Math Dept. if another course is required in major |
3 units in Basic Skills Area 2 Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning |
| Math: Calculus AB2 | 4,5 | 5 units | MATH 150A | 5 units in Basic Skills Area 2 Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning |
| Math: Calculus AB+BC2 | 4,5 | 10 units | MATH 150A and 150B | 5 units in Basic Skills Area 2 Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning |
| Math: Calculus BC2 | 3,4 | 6 units | MATH 150A | 5 units in Basic Skills Area 2 Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning |
| Math: Calculus BC2 | 5 | 10 units | MATH 150A and MATH 150B | 5 units in Basic Skills Area 2 Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning |
| Math: Calculus BC/ AB Subscore2 |
3 | 3 units | MATH 103 or Consult Math Dept. if other coursework is required in major |
3 units in Basic Skills Area 2 Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning |
| Math: Calculus BC/ AB Subscore2 |
4,5 | 5 units | MATH 150A | 5 units in Basic Skills Area 2 Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning |
| Music: Theory | 3,4,5 | 6 units | No Equivalency | 3 units in 3A Arts |
| Physics 13 | 3,4,5 | 4 units | PHYS 100A/100AL | 3 units in Area 5A Physical Science and 1 unit in Area 5C Science Laboratory Activity |
| Physics 23 | 3,4,5 | 4 units | PHYS 100B/100BL | 3 units in Area 5A Physical Science and 1 unit in Area 5C Science Laboratory Activity |
| Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism3 | 3,4,5 | 4 units | PHYS 220B/220BL | 3 units in Area 5A Physical Science and 1 unit in Area 5C Science Laboratory Activity |
| Physics C: Mechanics3 | 3,4,5 | 4 units | PHYS 220A/220AL | 3 units in Area 5A Physical Science and 1 unit in Area 5C Science Laboratory Activity |
| Precalculus | 3 | 3 units | MATH 102 | 3 units in Basic Skills Area 2 Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning |
| Precalculus4 | 4,5 | 6 units | MATH 102 and MATH 105 | 3 units in Basic Skills Area 2 Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning |
| Psychology | 3,4,5 | 3 units | PSY 150 | 3 units in Area 4 Social and Behavioral Sciences |
| AP Seminar | 3,4,5 | 3 units | No Equivalency | No GE Placement |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 3 | 8 units | SPAN 101 and 102 | 6 units in CSUN Section F Comparative Cultural Studies |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 4 | 11 units | SPAN 101, 102 and 220A | 6 units in CSUN Section F Comparative Cultural Studies |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 5 | 14 units | SPAN 101, 102, 220A and 220B | 6 units in CSUN Section F Comparative Cultural Studies |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 3 | 8 units | SPAN 101 and 102 | 6 units in CSUN Section F Comparative Cultural Studies |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 4 | 11 units | SPAN 101, 102 and 220A | 6 units in CSUN Section F Comparative Cultural Studies |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 5 | 14 units | SPAN 101, 102, 220A and 220B | 6 units in CSUN Section F Comparative Cultural Studies |
| Statistics | 3,4,5 | 4 units | MATH 140 | 4 units in Basic Skills Area 2 Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning |
| U.S. History | 3,4,5 | 6 units | HIST 270 and 271 | 3 units in Area 3B Humanities and 3 units in Area 4 Social and Behavioral Sciences and meets the Campus Requirement in U.S. History |
| World History: Modern | 3,4,5 | 3 units | No Equivalency | 3 units in Area 3B Humanities or Area 4 Social and Behavioral Sciences |
Footnotes:
1Students with credit for AP English Literature and Composition should not take ENGL 115 or equivalent course.
2Maximum of 10 units allowed for completion of both Mathematics Calculus AB and BC examinations.
3Maximum of 8 units allowed for completion of Physics examinations.
4Business, Economics and CIT majors may substitute MATH 105AP for MATH 103.