PLU Advance Credit Policies
In addition to the following policies, PLU gives Advance Placement Courses (AP), Honors Courses, and Accelerated Courses special status when calculating the admissions GPA. Each class successfully completed in these categories is weighted and may positively impact the admissions GPA.
Advance Placement (AP)
- Students who have completed advanced placement tests with appropriate scores receive credit.
- Credit is awarded only for scores of 4 or 5, except for Calculus, which requires a score of 3 or higher, and physics (B or C), which requires a score of 5.
- Credit is applied to specific General University Requirements or elective credit depending on the test category.
- Please refer to the back page for type of credit awarded for each test.
| AP Subject | Credit | PLU Equivalent | Credit | Elective/GUR Credit |
| Art History | 4 or 5 | ARTD 180 | 4 | GUR |
| Studio Art | 4 or 5 | None | 4 | GUR |
| Biology | 4 or 5 | BIOL 111 | 4 | GUR |
| Chemistry | 4 or 5 | CHEM 120 | 4 | GUR * |
| Computer Science A | 4 or 5 | CSCE 144 | 4 | GUR ** |
| Computer Science AB | 4 or 5 | CSCE 144 & 270 | 8 | GUR *** |
| Economics: Macro and Micro | 4 or 5 | ECON 151 & 152 | 8 | GUR |
| Economics: Macro or Micro | 4 or 5 | None | 4 | Elective |
| English Literature | 4 or 5 | None | 4 | Elective |
| English Writing | 4 or 5 | None | 4 | Elective |
| Environmental Science with lab | 4 or 5 | ENVT 104 | 4 | GUR |
| Environmental Science without lab | 4 or 5 | ENVT 100 | 4 | GUR |
| Government and Politics: US | 4 or 5 | POLS 151 | 4 | GUR |
| Government/Politics Comp | 4 or 5 | None | 4 | GUR |
| History, American | 4 or 5 | None | 4 | Elective |
| History, European | 4 or 5 | None | 4 | Elective |
| History, World | 4 or 5 | None/HIST 215 | 4 | Elective/GUR |
| Languages | 4 or 5 | None | 4 | See below **** |
| Mathematics AB | 3, 4 or 5 | MATH 151 | 4 | GUR |
| Mathematics BC | 3, 4 or 5 | MATH 151, MATH 151 & MaTH 152 |
4, 8 | GUR, GUR |
| Music | 4 or 5 | MUSI 101 | 4 | GUR |
| Physics B | 4 or 5 | PHYS 125 or 153 | 4 | GUR***** |
| Physics C | 4 or 5 | PHYS 153 | 4 | GUR |
| Psychology | 4 or 5 | PSYC 101 | 4 | GUR ****** |
| Statistics | 4 or 5 | STAT 231 | 4 | GUR ******* |
If you have tested for an AP class that is not listed, the PLU Registrar’s Office will review the course individually.
- Credit is contingent upon completing a more advanced chemistry course.
- If CSCE 270 is completed with a C or better
- If CSCE 238 is completed with a C or better
- On completion (with a C or better) of the course into which they are placed by PLU’s placement system, student may receive four advanced placement credits. AP credit is not awarded for 100-level courses.
- Upon successful completion of PHYS 126 or PHYS 154
- Upon successful completion of PHYS 154
- May not be used to fulfill the statistics requirement for degrees in psychology, sociology, social work or minors.
Running Start
- Accepted students who have completed courses under the Washington State Running Start Program are awarded transfer credit. Such courses must be described in the catalog of an accredited Washington State Community College, must be posted on an official transcript and post a grade of a C- or higher.
- Running Start students entering the university the fall after receiving their HS diploma are considered “freshmen with advanced standing.” This allows them to receive college credit before entry to PLU, while maintaining access to financial aid and scholarships available only to freshmen.
- Associate of Arts (AA) degrees earned through Running Start are evaluated the same as any AA degree from Washington State Community Colleges. Although students are considered “freshmen with advanced standing” for admissions and financial aid purposes, they are granted junior academic status.
- Students entering with a direct transfer AA have fulfilled all General University Requirements, with the exception of one religious studies course and one Perspectives on Diversity course. Running Start students must still satisfy entrance requirements in mathematics and foreign language, and the College of Arts & Sciences requirement if pursuing a BA or BS.
International Baccalaureate Program (IB)
- PLU awards 30 semester hours of credit for completion of the IB Diploma
- These 30 credits satisfy specific General University Requirements (GURs): Fine Arts, Literature, Philosophy (if higher level Philosophy is included in the IB Diploma), Social Sciences (line 1 & 2), Natural Science/Computer Science/Mathematics, Science and Scientific Method, and Mathematical Reasoning.
- IB diploma students are not obligated to the Freshman Experience Program requirements, but they must complete the University Writing Requirement as outlined in the University Catalog, as well as the GURs not listed above.
- Students who do not receive the full IB Diploma are granted 5 semester hours of credit for each higher-level examination with a grade of 4 or higher. Credit awarded in this manner will be matched to the appropriate GUR(s) from the requirements listed above.
Other College Credit Programs
- Students who have completed other college courses while in high school may be awarded credit at PLU. The courses must be listed in the official college catalog, be a part of the regular college curriculum of a regionally accredited college or university, and post a grade of a C- or higher.
College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
- Students are permitted, within limits, to obtain credit by examination in lieu of regular enrollment in a class.
- No more than 30 hours may be counted toward graduation from the CLEP examination or any other examination.
- For information on obtaining credit by examination, see the official PLU catalog.
Pacific Lutheran University reserves the right to make decisions on an individual basis. These policies are accurate at the time of printing.
