Advanced Placement

Foreign Languages Advanced Placement Credits

The School of Languages, Cultures, and Race (SLCR) welcomes students with previous knowledge of Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Russian, and Spanish.

In collaboration with the Office of Admissions and the Office of the Registrar, the School has established an award process of advanced placement credits for prior knowledge of a foreign language. For example, students who place in a higher level course such as Japanese 203 in their first course at WSU, and receive a grade of B or better, earn credits for Japanese 101 and Japanese 102.

Credits earned through AP and/or CLEP, are subject to the lower division credit limitations (e.g., a maximum of 8 credits).

How to Earn Departmental Advanced Placement Credits

Students may earn up to 8 Advanced Placement Credits (APC) by placing into their first foreign language course at WSU above 101 and getting a “B” or better. The initial course must be the first course taken in that language at WSU.

Advanced Placement Courses earned through the SLCR are not assigned a letter grade, they are assigned an “S” grade for satisfactory, and do not configure into the WSU gpa (grade point average).

FOR EXAMPLE:

• Take FREN 102 (Second Semester French) & get a B or better
  • Earn 4 credits for 102 PLUS 4 AP credits for FREN 101
    TOTAL 8 credits
• Take GER 203 (Third Semester German) & get a B or better
  • Earn 4 credits for 203 PLUS 4 AP credits for GER 102
    PLUS 4 AP credits for GER 101
    TOTAL 12 credits
• Take CHIN 204 (Fourth Semester Chinese) & get a B or better
  • Earn 4 credits for 204 PLUS 4 AP credits for CHIN 203
    PLUS 4 AP credits for CHIN 102
    TOTAL 12 credits
• Take SPAN 407 (Fourth Semester Spanish) & get a B or better
  • Earn 3 credits for 307 PLUS 1 AP credit for SPAN 305
    PLUS 4 AP credits for SPAN 204
    TOTAL 12 credits

College Board Advanced Placement (AP) Examination

These exams, designed and administered by the College Entrance Examination Board, must be taken prior to enrollment in college and require a minimum score for advanced placement credit(s) to be granted.

For information about AP equivalencies visit the WSU Admissions AP Credit Chart.

College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

The College Level Examination Program exams can be taken before or after enrollment at a university, and requires a minimum score for credit to be granted.

For information about CLEP equivalencies visit the WSU Admissions CLEP Credit Table.

IB Credit Chart

WSU awards a minimum of three semester credits for each higher level (HL) International Baccalaureate (IB) exam passed with a grade of 5 or better. Standard level (SL) exams are not evaluated for credit.

For information about IB equivalencies visit the WSU Admissions IB Credit Chart.

IB Credit Chart

Challenge Examinations

In rare cases, with the consent of the instructor, students may be allowed to challenge one graded language course (up to a maximum of 4 credits) through examination.

This challenge exam will approximate a cumulative final exam for the course in question, and may include oral, written, listening and reading comprehension components.

A grade of “C” or better is required for a student to pass from 101 to 102, 102 to 203, and 203 to 204 in all languages. Courses graded by S/F (including 105, 205, and 305) may not be challenged.

Please see the SLCR office for more information to challenge a course: Thompson Hall 110, 509-335-4135.