AP, IB and CLEP Policies

Oakland University rewards students who went above and beyond in high school by granting credit and/or exemptions from certain courses for scores of 3, 4 or 5 on advanced placement examinations.

Please review the recommended program guides for a list of AP Exams that may apply to a specific degree program or to a specific general education category.

Some departments require evaluation of the exam booklet to determine how credit or exemptions will be awarded for a specific exam.

College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) credits may be used to satisfy Oakland University requirements for majors within that specific department. OU awards college credit for subject examinations passed with a score of 55 or above.   When you take a CLEP exam, you can select the institution that should receive your scores. Select Oakland University (college code: 1497) to have your scores sent here. If you don't indicate where you would like your score sent on the day of the test, you can request a transcript (for a fee).

Credit is awarded for subject examinations only if the following conditions have been met:

• You must not previously have taken more advanced work in the field of the examination.
• No credit will be granted for examinations which cover material comparable to OU courses which do not carry credit toward graduation.
  

Oakland University values the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme and its engaging and challenging curriculum that encourages critical thinking, intercultural understanding and respect. If you hold an IB certificate, credit will be awarded based on the score received in each higher level IB exam that may count toward a specific course required for graduation, general education requirements, or total credits required for graduation.

Oakland University values the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme and its engaging and challenging curriculum that encourages critical thinking, intercultural understanding and respect.

If you have earned the IB diploma, Oakland University will award general education credits according to the following rules:

1. To gain credit for a general education category, you must achieve:
   • A grade of 5 or higher for Standard Level (SL) classes
   • A grade of 4 or higher for Higher Level (HL) classes
2. You will be awarded 4 general education credits for each accepted subject area.
3. You will be awarded credit for WRT 160 for a grade of B or better on the extended essay.

If applicable, you will receive credit on a course-by-course basis according to department evaluations of IB subject areas. Otherwise, your scores will be evaluated according to the table below.

Download a flier of IB diploma equivalencies here.