Advanced Placement and Non-Cornell (Transfer) Credit
Advanced Placement and Advanced Standing
Advanced placement credit is college credit that students earn before they matriculate as a first-year student and that may count toward the degree and/or degree requirements as specified by the individual college at Cornell. Its primary purpose is to exempt students from introductory courses and to place them in advanced courses. Its value is that it allows students to include more advanced courses in their course of study. Some departments advise majors to develop a firm grounding in the subject area and methodology by enrolling in the introductory survey course even if they have credit. Please check the appropriate department websites, and note that if you do decide to take a course that your credit places you out of, you will forfeit that credit.
Please reference the Advanced Placement & Advanced Standing section in the courses of study for a comprehensive list of Advanced Placement Sources and credit awarded by Cornell University.
The following table summarizes English and Statistics exam credit and placement specific to the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Exam | Subject | Score | Credit & Placement Information |
|---|---|---|---|
CEEB’s AP Exams | English literature and composition OR English language and composition | 5 | Placement out of 3 credits of written expression. (Students allowed to use one test to fulfill written expression). |
CEEB’s AP Exams | Statistics (excluding BE/EE) | 5 | 4 credits. Students taking AEM 2100, BTRY 3010, BTRY 6010, PAM 2100, ILRST/STSCI 2100, ILRST 6100, PSYCH 2500, STSCI 2150, SOC 3010 or MATH 1710 or equivalent will forfeit credit. Major requirements are not included. Confirm credit with the department or faculty advisor. |
International Baccalaureate (IB) | English Literature A (HL) OR | 7 | Placement out of 3 credits of written expression. (Students allowed to use one test to fulfill written expression). |
GCE A-Level | English Literature | A*, A | Placement out of 3 credits of written expression. (Students allowed to use one test to fulfill written expression). |
GCE A-Level | Statistics (excluding BE/EE) | A*, A, or B | 4 credits. Students taking AEM 2100, BTRY 3010, BTRY 6010, PAM 2100, ILRST/STSCI 2100, ILRST 6100, PSYCH 2500, STSCI 2150, SOC 3010 or MATH 1710 or equivalent will forfeit credit. Major requirements are not included. Confirm credit with the department or faculty advisor. |
Cambridge Pre-U Exam | English | D1, D2, D3 | Placement out of 3 credits of written expression. (Students allowed to use one test to fulfill written expression). |
*Note: Effective Fall 2019, CALS students are limited to 15 non-Cornell (transfer) credits (this includes all non-Cornell (transfer) credit earned before a student's first semester in a college/university) as a first-year student from an accredited college/university. For those receiving more than 15 credits of AP coursework, you will need to inform the CALS Office of Student Services which credits you wish to accept.
Transferring Credit
The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Cornell University reserve the right to determine, in their sole discretion, whether course credit earned at other schools, either secondary or post-secondary, meet the College’s and the University’s academic standards and will, therefore, be eligible to be applied toward Cornell degree requirements.
Applicants and matriculated students should not assume that, because a particular course is taken at another accredited institution listed as a recommended course or a foundational course, will necessarily be eligible for Cornell credit.
Official transcripts may be submitted electronically to:
cals-studentservices [at] cornell.edu, or mailed to:
CALS Student Services, 140 Roberts Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853.
Non-Cornell (transfer) credit is defined as:
- Advanced Placement exam credit. To find more about AP, IB, French Baccalaureat, and GCE A-Level exams, consult the Courses of Study or the top of this page under the credit and placement table.
- Credit earned at an accredited college or university in the United States or the student’s country of permanent residence. A list of the six recognized accrediting bodies accepted by Cornell is available on the Council for Higher Education Accreditation’s website. For courses taken outside of the United States, academic coursework may be evaluated for Cornell University credit provided that the coursework is taken at the college level and recorded on official transcripts. Additionally, students who wish to transfer credit(s) from outside of the United States may be requested to submit an international credential evaluation or proof of accreditation for the institution where the coursework was completed.
- Credit earned through the Ithaca College Exchange Program.
- Credit earned through the Office of Global Learning. *CALS Exchange credits are considered Cornell credits*.
Guidelines for Current CALS Students
- The College will review external transfer credits from other regionally accredited institutions upon completion of the transfer course application form located in DUST.
- Credit will not be awarded for courses completed outside the home country in the fall or spring semester while on a leave of absence.
- A letter grade of "C" or better is required for a course to transfer though please be aware some schools and departments may stipulate a higher minimum grade.
- Transfer credit will only be awarded for courses offered by regionally accredited, degree-granting, post-secondary institutions. MOOCS and other non-degree courses are not eligible for transfer credit.
For more information visit the non-Cornell (transfer) credit section in the Courses of Study.
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