Overview

Depending on the scores received, credits toward the bachelor's degree can be earned by examination (AP, CLEP or IB). In the SDSU Online Catalog under University Policies, the Academic Credit Through Examination section provides tables with the number of units and SDSU courses that students will receive credit, based on their score for each type of exam.

Which AP Exams and Scores Meet First-Year Requirements?

This page lists which exams and scores can meet Prep for the Major, English Composition, American Institutions, and GE Foundations Humanities. For psychology prep for the major classes, 3 exams are relevant: AP psychology exam with a score of 3 or higher is equivalent to PSY 101, AP stats exam score of 3 or higher is equivalent to STAT 250*, and AP biology score of 3 or higher is equivalent to BIOL 100.

*(Students with AP stats/STAT 250 credit should take PSY 281 to complete the PSY prep for major statistics requirement, they should not take PSY 280).

How Do I Check if AP Credits Appear on My Degree Evaluation?

If you have already asked for your scores to be sent to SDSU, check your Degree Evaluation (through my.SDSU) to see if they have been received. Look under the Academic Coursework section near the bottom of the degree evaluation. If all are there, great. If not, read on:

What if AP Scores/Credits Do Not Appear on My Degree Evaluation?

Information on when AP scores are sent to schools from College Board (for free before deadline or for a fee, whether standard or rush processing) as well as an inactive period between late June and early July when orders can be placed but scores are not sent until the period ends (i.e., after early-July).

Note that the College Board AP reporting system will indicate when scores were sent, but it cannot track when they are received by a school. As long as their system indicates that scores were sent, it is best to wait for them to show up on your degree evaluation—which is typically in July if placed early enough but may not be until the beginning of Fall term. If you need the AP credit to clear a prerequisite—e.g., AP PSY score of 3+ for PSY 101 prerequisite for PSY 230, see the section below regarding registration glitches.

If you are concerned that your scores were not sent by College board or IB, you should contact the company directly. Advanced Placement (AP) and CLEP Exam Scores are handled through College Board whereas International Baccalaureate information can be found on ibo.org.

Registration Glitch for PSY Classes Due to AP or Transfer Credit

Even if the degree evaluation reflects college credit for an AP score, there are sometimes glitches in my.SDSU when trying to register for a class for which AP, CLEP, or IB exam scores are used to satisfy a prerequisite. If this occurs, either email or make an appointment with the advising office for the department offering the class for which registration was blocked. They will let you know their policy and procedure in such cases.

For psychology classes, if you passed the AP PSY exam with a score of 3 or higher, it can be used to meet the PSY 101 prerequisite for PSY 211, 230, 260, or 280, but the registration system may not recognize it automatically. You should contact the Psychology Advising Office for help (psychology.advising.sdsu@sdsu.edu).

Note that if your scores have not yet been received or processed, most departments will require that you wait until the AP scores appear to see if they cause a registration issue before intervening.