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The Advanced Placement (AP) program, a service of the College Board, allows students to earn college credits while they are still in high school.

Grand Valley State University will grant credit for scores of 3, 4, or 5 on the AP tests. In order to receive credit, the student must request that the College Board send score reports to the university. When Grand Valley receives the AP scores (usually in early July), students who have earned the appropriate score will be awarded credit. Each student who earns credit will receive an evaluation indicating the credit awarded.

GVSU AP school code: 1258

Advanced Placement Exam

Passing Score

GVSU Equivalency

Credits and General Education Requirement Earned

Africana Studies

3, 4, or 5

AAA 201

3 (Foundations - Social and Behavioral Sciences and Cultures - U.S. Diversity)

AP Drawing

3, 4, or 5

ART 155

3 (Arts)

AP Research

3, 4, or 5

IDS 180

3

AP Seminar

3, 4, or 5

IDS 180

3

AP 2-D Art and Design 

3, 4, or 5

ART 150

3 (Arts)

AP 3-D Art and Design

3, 4, or 5

ART 151

3 (Arts)

Art - History

3, 4, or 5

ART 101

3 (Arts)

Biology

3

BIO 120

4 (Life Sciences with a lab)

Biology

4 or 5

BIO 120 & 121

8 (Life Sciences with a lab)

Calculus AB

3, 4 ,or 5

MTH 201

4 (Mathematical Sciences)

Calculus BC

Less than 3 and AB subscore of 3 or higher

MTH 201

4 (Mathematical Sciences)

Calculus BC

3, 4 ,or 5

MTH 201 & 202

8 (Mathematical Sciences)

Chemistry

3

CHM 109

4 (Physical Sciences with a lab)

Chemistry

4

CHM 125 & 126

4 (Physical Sciences with a lab)

Chemistry

5

CHM 125, 126, & 127

8 (Physical Sciences with a lab)

Chemistry

5

CHM 125, 126, & 127 plus 128 with review and approval of lab notebook^

9 (Physical Sciences with a lab)

Chinese Language and Culture

3

CHI 101 & 102

8

Chinese Language and Culture

4

CHI 101, 102 & 201

12

Chinese Language and Culture

5

CHI 101, 102, 201, & 202

16 (Global Perspective)

Computer Science A

3, 4, or 5

CIS 162

4

Computer Science Principles

3, 4, or 5

CIS 101

3 (Mathematical Sciences)

Economics: Macro

3, 4, or 5

ECO 210

3 (Social and Behavioral Sciences)

Economics: Micro

3, 4, or 5

ECO 211

3 (Social and Behavioral Sciences)

English Literature and Composition

3, 4, or 5

WRT 150

4 (Writing)

English Language and Composition

3, 4, or 5

WRT 150

4 (Writing)

English Literature and Composition & English Language and Composition

≥3 on both exams, 3 or 4 as highest score

WRT 150 & ENG 100

7 (Writing)

English Literature and Composition & English Language and Composition

≥3 on both exams, 5 as highest score

WRT 150 & ENG 105

7 (Writing and Philosophy & Literature)

Environmental Science

3, 4, or 5

BIO 105

3 (Life Sciences)

French Language and Culture

3

FRE 101 & 102

8

French Language and Culture

4

FRE 101,102, & 201

12

French Language and Culture

5

FRE 101,102, 201, & 202

15 (Global Perspectives)

German Language and Culture

3

GER 101 & 102

8

German Language and Culture

4

GER 101,102, & 201

12

German Language and Culture

5

GER 101,102, 201, & 202

15 (Global Perspectives)

Government & Politics: Comparative

3, 4, or 5

PLS 103

3 (Social and Behavioral Sciences, Global Perspectives)

Government & Politics: U.S. Government

3, 4, or 5

PLS 102

3 (Social and Behavioral Sciences)

History: European

3, 4, or 5

HST 102

3 (Historical Analysis, Global Perspectives)

History: U.S. 

3

HST 103

3 (Historical Analysis, U.S. Diversity)

History: U.S. 

4 or 5

HST 205 & 206

6 (Historical Analysis, U.S. Diversity)

Human Geography

3, 4, or 5

GPY 220

3 (Social and Behavioral Sciences)

Italian Language and Culture

3

ITA 101 & 102

8

Italian Language and Culture

4

ITA 101, 102, & 201

12

Italian Language and Culture

5

ITA 101, 102, 201, & 202

15 (Global Perspective)

Japanese Language and Culture

3

JPN 101 & 102

8

Japanese Language and Culture

4

JPN 101, 102, & 201

12

Japanese Language and Culture

5

JPN 101, 102, 201, & 202

16 (Global Perspective)

Latin

3

Latin general credit

3

Latin

4 or 5

LAT 201

4

Music: Theory

3, 4, or 5

MUS 130

3 (Arts)

Precalculus

3, 4, or 5

MTH 124

5 (Foundations - Mathematical Sciences)

Physics 1

3

PHY general credit

4 (Physical Sciences with a lab)

Physics 1

4 or 5

PHY 220

5 (Physical Sciences with a lab)

Physics 2

3

PHY general credit

4 (Physical Sciences with a lab)

Physics 2

4 or 5

PHY 221

5 (Physical Sciences with a lab)

Physics 1 & 2

3 on both exams

PHY general credit

5 (Physical Sciences with a lab)

Physics 1 & 2

Physics 1 score of 3, 4, or 5; 

Physics 2 score of 4 or 5

PHY 220 & PHY 221

10 (Physical Sciences with a lab)

Physics C: Mechanics

3

PHY general credit

4 (Physical Sciences with a lab)

Physics C: Mechanics

4 or 5

PHY 230

5 (Physical Sciences with a lab)

Physics C: Mechanics and Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism

3 on either exam

PHY general credit

5 (Physical Sciences with a lab)

Physics C: Mechanics and Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism

4 or 5 on both exams

PHY 230 & PHY general credit

8 (Physical Sciences with a lab)

Physics 2, Physics C: Mechanics, and Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism

4 or 5 on all exams

PHY 230 & 231

10 (Physical Sciences with a lab)

Psychology

3, 4, or 5

PSY 101

3 (Social and Behavioral Sciences)

Spanish Language and Culture

3

SPA 101 & 102

8

Spanish Language and Culture

4

SPA 101, 102, & 201

12

Spanish Language and Culture

5

SPA 101, 102, 201, & 202

15 (Global Perspectives)

Spanish Literature

3

SPA 101, 102, 201, & 202

15

Spanish Literature

4 or 5

SPA 101, 102, 201, 202, 300, & 301

21 (Global Perspectives)

Statistics

3, 4, or 5

STA 215

3 (Mathematical Sciences)

World History: Modern

3

HST 101

3 (Historical Analysis, Global Perspectives)

World History: Modern

4 or 5

HST 203 & 204

6 (Historical Analysis, Global Perspectives)

^ Must have laboratory notebook reviewed and approved by the chair of the Chemistry Department before CHM 128 credit can be awarded.

Note: Minimum scores and equivalencies are subject to change.

Page last modified August 6, 2025