Undergraduate Catalog

Advanced Standing

Lewis & Clark College grants semester credit for Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) examinations as listed below.

Lewis & Clark College will also consider the following types of advanced standing coursework for evaluation and potential credit award: British A Level (GCE-A), Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), French Baccalauréat, or other similar international examination. Official documentation should be submitted to the Office of the Registrar for review.

The following criteria govern the awarding and application of Advanced Standing credit of any type:

  • The maximum number of Advanced Standing credits (of any type) that can be applied to the degree is limited to 32. Preference will be given to those examinations with L&C course equivalencies. 
  • Credit may be applied to a departmental major only as specified in the AP and IB charts below. For GCE-A, CAPE, French Baccalauréat, or other international examination, application to the major will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
  • Official advanced standing results must be received in the Office of the Registrar within one year from the date of initial matriculation to be eligible for credit.

Advanced Placement (AP)

Lewis & Clark grants 4 semester credits for Advanced Placement (AP) scores of 4 or 5 for the examinations listed below, except for Calculus BC, which is granted 8 semester credits. No more than 8 credits for Calculus AB and BC will be awarded.

AP Course Equivalencies

May be used to satisfy major/minor degree requirements; students are not eligible to earn credit for both the AP exam and the corresponding equivalent L&C course.

EXAM EXAM SCORE EQUIVALENCY
AP Art History 5 Equivalent to ART 100.
AP Biology 5 Equivalent to one nonlab biology elective and satisfies the natural sciences General Education requirement.
AP Chemistry 4 Equivalent to CHEM 110; only 4 credits awarded; placement into CHEM 120.
AP Chemistry 5 Equivalent to CHEM 120; only 4 credits awarded; placement into CHEM 210.
AP Calculus AB 4 or 5 Equivalent to MATH 131; math placement exam waived.
AP Calculus BC 4 or 5 Equivalent to MATH 131 and MATH 132; math placement exam waived.
AP Calculus BC, AB subscore 4 or 5 Equivalent to MATH 131; math placement exam waived.
AP Computer Science A 5 Equivalent to CS 171.
AP Music Theory 4 or 5 Equivalent to MUS 100; no equivalencies for aural or nonaural subscores.
AP Physics C: Mechanics 5 Equivalent to PHYS 151; only 4 credits awarded.
AP Psychology 4 or 5 Equivalent to PSY 100.
AP Statistics 4 or 5 Equivalent to PSY 200.
AP Elective Credit

Applies toward the total 128 credits required for graduation; may not be used to satisfy major/minor requirement.

EXAM EXAM SCORE NOTES
AP Art History 4
AP Studio Art: 2-D Design 4 or 5
AP Studio Art: 3-D Design 4 or 5
AP Studio Art: Drawing 4 or 5
AP Biology 4
AP Comparative Government and Politics 4 or 5
AP Computer Science A 4
AP Computer Science Principles 4 or 5
AP English Language and Composition 4 or 5
AP English Literature and Composition 4 or 5
AP Environmental Science 4 or 5
AP European History 4 or 5
AP Human Geography 4 or 5
AP Language and Culture (Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish) 4 or 5 Students with AP credit in a language other than English are required to take a placement exam.
AP Latin 4 or 5 Students with AP credit in a language other than English are required to take a placement exam.
AP Literature and Culture (Spanish) 4 or 5 Students with AP credit in a language other than English are required to take a placement exam.
AP Macroeconomics 4 or 5
AP Microeconomics 4 or 5
AP Physics 1 4 or 5
AP Physics 2 4 or 5
AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism 4 or 5
AP Physics C: Mechanics 4
AP United States Government and Politics 4 or 5
AP United States History 4 or 5
AP World History 4 or 5

International Baccalaureate (IB)

Lewis & Clark College grants 4 semester credits for International Baccalaureate HL (Higher Level) scores of 5 and 8 semester credits for scores of 6 or 7 earned on the examinations listed below.

IB Course Equivalencies

May be used to satisfy major/minor degree requirements; students are not eligible to earn credit for both the IB exam and the corresponding equivalent L&C course.

EXAM EXAM SCORE EQUIVALENCY
IB Biology 7 Equivalent to one nonlab biology elective and satisfies the natural sciences General Education requirement; only 4 credits awarded.
IB Chemistry 5 Equivalent to CHEM 110; only 4 credits awarded; placement into CHEM 120.
IB Chemistry 6 or 7 Equivalent to CHEM 110 and CHEM 120; only 8 credits awarded; placement into CHEM 210.
IB Mathematics HL 5, 6, or 7 Equivalent to MATH 131; math placement exam waived.
IB Mathematics Analysis and Approaches HL 5, 6, or 7 Equivalent to MATH 131.
IB Mathematics: Applications and Approaches HL 5, 6, or 7 Equivalent to MATH 131.
IB Physics 7 Equivalent to PHYS 151.
IB Psychology 5, 6, or 7 Equivalent to PSY 100.
IB Elective Credit

Applies toward the total 128 credits required for graduation; may not be used to satisfy major/minor requirement.

EXAM EXAM SCORE NOTES
IB Biology 5 or 6
IB Classical Languages 5, 6, or 7 Students with IB credit in a language other than English are required to take a placement exam.
IB Dance 5, 6, or 7
IB Economics 5, 6, or 7
IB Film 5, 6, or 7
IB Further Mathematics 5, 6, or 7
IB Geography 5, 6, or 7
IB History 5, 6, or 7
IB Language A 5, 6, or 7 Students with IB credit in a language other than English are required to take a placement exam.
IB Language B 5, 6, or 7 Students with IB credit in a language other than English are required to take a placement exam.
IB Music 5, 6, or 7
IB Philosophy 5, 6, or 7
IB Physics 5 or 6
IB Social & Cultural Anthropology 5, 6, or 7
IB Theatre 5, 6, or 7
IB Visual Arts 5, 6, or 7

Credit by Examination

Lewis & Clark College does not offer credit by examination. Credit is not granted for College-Level Examination Program (CLEP), life experience, or credit by examination from other colleges.