Southern Methodist University AP credit

What each AP score earns at Southern Methodist University for 2024-25: 35 exams, credit shown in semester hours. Always confirm with the school before you plan your schedule.

Rules that apply to every exam

The Common Curriculum allows first-year students to satisfy up to three Breadths with AP, IB, or other test or transfer credit.
Students may not receive credit for an AP exam, an IB exam, and a college course covering the same subject; the equivalency is awarded only once.
Students may decline all or part of their test credit in favor of taking the equivalent credit at SMU. Declining is irrevocable.
Test credit granted by SMU is not resident credit and does not count toward the 60 resident hours required for an SMU degree.
The testing agency must send official AP scores to the University Registrar. Scores should be submitted no later than the end of the first term of enrollment.
Credit is granted only for exams taken while in high school. Scores are evaluated under articulation policies in effect for the matriculation term.
The Physics Department does not award placement credit for labs.

AP exam	Score	Credit	Courses
AP African American Studies	4+	3	ETST 10XXSatisfies Human Diversity (HD) P&E.
AP Art and Design	4+	3	ASDR 1300/ASPH/ASPT 1300 (student's choice)Satisfies Creativity and Aesthetics (CA) Breadth.
AP Art History	4+	6	ARHS 1303, ARHS 1304Satisfies Historical Contexts (HC) Breadth.
AP Biology	4+	4	BIOL 1302/BIOL 1102Satisfies Exploring Science (ES) Breadth.
AP Calculus AB	4+	3	MATH 1337Satisfies Quantitative Reasoning (QR) Foundation.
AP Calculus BC	4+	6	MATH 1338Satisfies Quantitative Reasoning (QR) Foundation.
	3	3	MATH 1337Only if AB sub-score is 4. Satisfies Quantitative Reasoning (QR) Foundation.
AP Chemistry	5	4	CHEM 1303/CHEM 1113Satisfies Exploring Science (ES) Breadth.
AP Chinese Language and Culture	5	—	1401, 1402Credit for 1401 and 1402, and placement in the 4th term course; credit for 3rd term course upon successful completion of 4th term course with grade of C- or above. Encouraged to take the departmental placement assessment.
	4	—	1401, 1402Credit for 1401 and 1402, and placement in the 3rd term course. Encouraged to take the departmental placement assessment, which may qualify a student for higher placement and additional credit.
	3	—	—Required to take the departmental placement exam. Upon completion of the course with grade of C- or above, retroactive credit for preceding beginning (and intermediate, if applicable) courses.
AP Comparative Government and Politics	4+	3	PLSC 1340Satisfies Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS) Breadth and Civics and Individual Ethics (CIE) P&E.
AP Computer Science A	4+	3	CS 1341
AP Computer Science Principles	4+	3	CS 10XX
AP English Language and Composition	4+	6	WRTR 10XX, WRTR 10YYListed as English Language/C or Literature/C; no Common Curriculum requirement satisfied.
AP English Literature and Composition	4+	6	WRTR 10XX, WRTR 10YYListed as English Language/C or Literature/C; no Common Curriculum requirement satisfied.
AP Environmental Science	4+	3	GEOL 1315Satisfies Exploring Science (ES) Breadth.
AP European History	4+	6	HIST 20XX, HIST 20YYSatisfies Historical Contexts (HC) Breadth.
AP French Language and Culture	4+	—	—No credit details printed in policy table.
AP German Language and Culture	4+	—	—No credit details printed in policy table.
AP Human Geography	4+	3	HUM 10XX
AP Italian Language and Culture	4+	—	—No credit details printed in policy table.
AP Japanese Language and Culture	4+	—	—No credit details printed in policy table.
AP Latin	4+	—	—No credit details printed in policy table.
AP Macroeconomics	4+	3	ECO 1312Satisfies Quantitative Applications (QA) P&E.
AP Microeconomics	4+	3	ECO 1311Satisfies Quantitative Applications (QA) P&E.
AP Music Theory	4+	3	MUTH 10XX
AP Physics 1	4+	3	SCI 10XXSatisfies Exploring Science (ES) Breadth.
AP Physics 2	4+	3	SCI 10YYSatisfies Exploring Science (ES) Breadth.
AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism	4+	3	PHYS 1304Satisfies Quantitative Applications (QA) P&E and Exploring Science (ES) Breadth.
AP Physics C: Mechanics	4+	3	PHYS 1303Satisfies Quantitative Applications (QA) P&E and Exploring Science (ES) Breadth.
AP Precalculus	4+	3	MATH 1304
AP Psychology	4+	3	PSYC 1300Satisfies Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS) Breadth.
AP Spanish Language and Culture	4+	—	—No credit details printed in policy table.
AP Statistics	4+	3	STAT 2331Satisfies Quantitative Reasoning (QR) Foundation.
AP United States Government and Politics	4+	3	PLSC 1320Satisfies Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS) Breadth and Civics and Individual Ethics (CIE) P&E.
AP United States History	4+	6	HIST 20XX, HIST 20YYSatisfies Historical Contexts (HC) Breadth.
AP World History: Modern	4+	3	HUM 10YYSatisfies Historical Contexts (HC) Breadth.