College Course Credit
English Composition I Exemption
Students who score a minimum ACT English score of 27 or an old SAT verbal score of 610 or a new SAT Reading Test score of at least 33 will be exempt from taking English 101. Official scores should be mailed to the Office of Admissions for exemption to be granted.
Credit by Examination
A student may receive credit for a course by passing a locally prepared examination and by paying appropriate fees. (See "Credit by Examination".)
Military Service/ROTC Credit
A student may receive Military Science or Aerospace Science placement credit for prior military service or Junior ROTC training. Contact the Department of Military Science or the Department of Air Force Studies for details.
The Prior Learning Assessment Center
The Prior Learning Assessment Center, housed in the Department of Integrative Studies, will serve as a central location where potential and enrolled USA students can obtain information and advising on the assessment options available for earning USA credit for prior learning. The center will also be the primary academic unit responsible for the coordination and administration of prior learning assessment by portfolio.
Advanced Placement (AP) Credit
Students participating in the Advanced Placement Program of the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) will be granted University credit as indicated below.
| AP Course | USA Course | Score | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art History | ARH 100 | 4 | 3 hrs |
| Studio Art: 2-D Design | ARS Elective | 4 | 3 hrs |
| Studio Art: 3-D Design | ARS Elective | 4 | 3 hrs |
| Studio Art-Drawing | ARS Elective | 4 | 3 hrs |
| Art History | ARH 100 | 4 | 3 hrs |
| Biology | BLY 121/BLY 121L & BLY 122/BLY 122L | 3 | 8 hrs |
| Chemistry | CH 131/CH 131L | 4 | 4 hrs |
| Chemistry | CH 131/CH 131L & CH 132/CH 132L | 5 | 8 hrs |
| Computer Science A | CSC 120 | 4 | 4 hrs |
| Computer Science Principles | CSC 108 | 3 | 3 hrs |
| Microeconomics | ECO 215 | 3 | 3 hrs |
| Macroeconomics | ECO 216 | 3 | 3 hrs |
| Language & Composition | EH 101 | 3 | 3 hrs |
| Language & Literature | EH 101 | 3 | 3hrs |
| Human Geography | GEO 114 | 3 | 3 hrs |
| World History | HY 101 | 4 | 3 hrs |
| World History | HY 101/HY 102 | 5 | 6 hrs |
| European History | HY 102 | 4 | 3 hrs |
| US History | HY 136 | 4 | 3 hrs |
| US History | HY 135/HY 136 | 5 | 6 hrs |
| Precalculus | MA 115 | 3 | 4 |
| Calculus AB | MA 125 | 3 | 4 hrs |
| Calculus BC | MA 125 and MA 126 | 3 | 8 hrs |
| Music Listen & Lit | MUL Elective | 3 | 3 hrs |
| Music Theory | MUT Elective | 3 | 3 hrs |
| Physics 1 | PH 114/PH 114L | 4 | 5 hrs |
| Physics 2 | PH 115/PH 115L | 5 | 5 hrs |
| Physics C Mechanics | PH 201/PH 201L | 4 | 4 hrs |
| Physics C Electricity & Magnetism | PH 202/PH 202L | 4 | 4 hrs |
| American Gov't | PSC 130 | 3 | 3 hrs |
| Comparative Gov't | PSC 250 | 3 | 3 hrs |
| Psychology | PSY 120 | 3 | 3 hrs |
| Statistics | ST 210 | 3 | 3 hrs |
| Chinese: | |||
| Chinese Language and Culture | LG 121 & LG 122 | 3 | 6 hrs |
| Chinese Language and Culture | LG 121, LG 122, & LG 221 | 4 | 9 hrs |
| Chinese Language and Culture | LG 121, LG 122, LG 221, & LG 222 | 5 | 12 hrs |
| French: | |||
| French Language and Culture | LG 111 & LG 112 | 3 | 6 hrs |
| French Language and Culture | LG 111, LG 112, & LG 211 | 4 | 9 hrs |
| French Language and Culture | LG 111, LG 112, LG 211, & LG 212 | 5 | 12 hrs |
| German: | |||
| German Language and Culture | LG 151 & LG 152 | 3 | 6 hrs |
| German Language and Culture | LG 151, LG 152, & LG 251 | 4 | 9 hrs |
| German Language and Culture | LG 151, LG 152, LG 251, & LG 252 | 5 | 12 hrs |
| Latin: | |||
| Latin | LG 101 & LG 102 | 3 | 6 hrs |
| Latin | LG 101, LG 102, LG 201 | 4 | 9 hrs |
| Latin | LG 101, LG 102, LG 201 & LG 202 | 5 | 12 hrs |
| Spanish: | |||
| Spanish Language and Culture | LG 131 & LG 132 | 3 | 6 hrs |
| Spanish Language and Culture | LG 131, LG 132, & LG 231 | 4 | 9 hrs |
| Spanish Language and Culture | LG 131, LG 132, LG 231, & LG 232 | 5 | 12 hrs |
International Baccalaureate Program (IB)
Students participating in the International Baccalaureate Program (IB) will be granted credit by the University of South Alabama to those who have achieved a score of "5" or higher on the International Baccalaureate Program examinations. Individual academic disciplines will determine if a higher score is required in a particular course(s). IB Credit with a grade of at least "5" will be awarded as follows:
| Title | SL/HL | Passing Score | USA Course Equivalent | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biology | SL | 5 | BLY 101, BLY 101L, BLY 102, BLY 102L | 8 |
| Biology | HL | 5 | BLY 121, BLY 121L, BLY 122, BLY 122L | 8 |
| Chemistry | SL | 5 | CH 101, CH 101L or CH 131, CH 131L | 4 |
| Chemistry | HL | 5 | CH 131, CH 131L, CH 132, CH 132L | 8 |
| Economics | SL | 6 | ECO 215, ECO 216 | 6 |
| Economics HL | HL | 4 | ECO 215 | 3 |
| Economics HL | HL | 5 | ECO 215, ECO 216 | 6 |
| Language A: Language and Literature | HL | 5-6 | EH 101 | 3 |
| Language A: Language and Literature | HL | 7 | EH 101, EH 102 | 6 |
| Geography | SL and HL | 4 | GEO 114 | 3 |
| History of the Americas | HL | 5 | HY 135 | 3 |
| History of Asia and Oceania | HL | 5 | HY 104 | 3 |
| History of Europe | HL | 5 | HY 102 | 3 |
| Information Technology in a global society | SL and HL | 5 | ISC 245 or ITE 271 | 3 |
| Arabic | ab initio SL/HL | 4 | LGS 106 | 3 |
| Arabic | SL and HL | 3 | LGS 106 | 3 |
| Arabic | SL and HL | 4 | LGS 106, LGS 107 | 6 |
| Arabic | SL and HL | 5 | LGS 106, LGS 107, LGS 206, LGS 207 | 12 |
| Chinese | ab initio SL/HL | 4 | LG 121 | 3 |
| Chinese | SL and HL | 3 | LG 121 | 3 |
| Chinese | SL and HL | 4 | LG 121, LG 122 | 6 |
| Chinese | SL and HL | 5 | LG 121, LG 122, LG 221, LG 222 | 12 |
| Classical Languages | ab initio SL/HL | 4 | LG 101 | 3 |
| Classical Languages | SL and HL | 4 | LG 101 | 3 |
| Classical Languages | SL and HL | 5 | LG 101, LG 102 | 6 |
| Classical Languages | SL and HL | 6 | LG 101, LG 102, LG 201 | 9 |
| Classical Languages | SL and HL | 7 | LG 101, LG 102, LG 201, LG 202 | 12 |
| French | ab initio SL/HL | 4 | LG 111 | 3 |
| French | SL and HL | 4 | LG 111 | 3 |
| French | SL and HL | 5 | LG 111, LG 112 | 6 |
| French | SL and Hl | 6 | LG 111, LG 112, LG 211 | 9 |
| French | SL and HL | 7 | LG 111, LG 112, LG 211, LG 212 | 12 |
| German | ab initio SL/HL | 4 | LG 151 | 3 |
| German | SL and HL | 4 | LG 151 | 3 |
| German | SL and HL | 5 | LG 151, LG 152 | 6 |
| German | SL and HL | 6 | LG 151, LG 152, LG 251 | 9 |
| German | SL and HL | 7 | LG 151, LG 152, LG 251, LG 252 | 12 |
| Hindi | ab initio SL/HL | 4 | LGS 131 | 3 |
| Hindi | SL and HL | 3 | LGS 131 | 3 |
| Italian | ab initio SL/HL | 4 | LGS 161 | 3 |
| Italian | SL and HL | 4 | LGS 161 | 3 |
| Italian | SL and HL | 5 | LGS 161, LGS 162 | 6 |
| Italian | SL and HL | 6 | LGS 161, LGS 162, LGS 261 | 9 |
| Italian | SL and HL | 7 | LGS 161, LGS 162, LGS 261, LGS 262 | 12 |
| Japanese | ab initio SL/HL | 4 | LGS 101 | 3 |
| Japanese | SL and HL | 3 | LGS 101 | 3 |
| Japanese | SL and HL | 4 | LGS 101, LGS 102 | 6 |
| Japanese | SL and HL | 5 | LGS 101, LGS 102, LGS 201, LGS 202 | 12 |
| Korean | ab initio SL/HL | 4 | LGS 171 | 3 |
| Korean | SL and HL | 3 | LGS 171 | 3 |
| Korean | SL and HL | 4 | LGS 171, LGS 172 | 6 |
| Korean | SL and HL | 5 | LGS 171, LGS 172, LGS 271, LGS 272 | 12 |
| Modern Greek | ab initio SL/HL | 4 | LGS 141 | 3 |
| Modern Greek | SL and HL | 4 | LGS 141 | 3 |
| Modern Greek | SL and HL | 5 | LGS 141, LGS 142 | 6 |
| Modern Greek | SL and Hl | 6 | LGS 141, LGS 142, LGS 241 | 9 |
| Modern Greek | SL and HL | 7 | LGS 141, LGS 142, LGS 241, LGS 242 | 12 |
| Portuguese | ab initio SL/HL | 4 | LGS 181 | 3 |
| Portuguese | SL and HL | 4 | LGS 181 | 3 |
| Portuguese | SL and HL | 5 | LGS 181, LGS 182 | 6 |
| Portuguese | SL and HL | 6 | LGS 181, LGS 182, LGS 281 | 9 |
| Portuguese | SL and HL | 7 | LGS 181, LGS 182, LGS 281, LGS 282 | 12 |
| Russian | ab initio SL/HL, SL and HL | 4 | LG 171 | 3 |
| Russian | ab initio SL/HL, SL and HL | 5 | LG 171, LG 172 | 6 |
| Russian | ab initio SL/HL, SL and HL | 6 | LG 171, LG 172, LG 271 | 9 |
| Russian | ab initio SL/HL, SL and HL | 7 | LG 171, LG 172, LG 271, LG 272 | 12 |
| Spanish | ab initio SL/HL | 4 | LG 131 | 3 |
| Spanish | SL | 4 | LG 131 | 3 |
| Spanish | SL | 5 | LG 131, LG 132 | 6 |
| Spanish | SL | 6 | LG 131, LG 132, LG 231 | 6 |
| Spanish | HL | 5 | LG 131, LG 132 | 6 |
| Spanish | HL | 6 | LG 131, LG 132, LG 231 | 9 |
| Spanish | HL | 7 | LG 131, LG 132, LG 231, LG 232 | 12 |
| Mathematical Studies | SL | 4 | MA 110 | 3 |
| Mathematics: Applications & Interpretation | SL and HL | 4 | MA 112 | 3 |
| Mathematics: Analysis & Approaches | SL and HL | 4-5 | MA 115 | 4 |
| Mathematics: Analysis & Approaches | SL and HL | 6 | MA 125 | 4 |
| Music | SL | 5 | MUL 101 | 3 |
| Music | HL | 5 | MUL 235 | 2 |
| Philosophy | SL and HL | 5 | PHL 110 | 3 |
| Physics | SL and HL | 5 | PH 104 | 4 |
| Psychology | SL and HL | 5 | PSY 120 | 3 |
| Social and Cultural Anthropology | SL and HL | 5 | AN 100 | 3 |
| Theatre | SL and HL | 4 | DRA 110 | 3 |
CLEP
A student can receive up to 25% of the total credits required for the degree from the General Examinations and certain Subject Examinations of the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) as shown below. Official CLEP scores mailed directly from the CLEP division of the Educational Testing Service are required before credit will be awarded.
| CLEP Exam USA Credit Awarded | Hours Awarded | CLEP Score Required |
|---|---|---|
| American Government PSC 130 |
3 hrs | 50 |
| General Biology BLY 121/BLY 122 |
8 hrs | 50 |
| Calculus MA 125 |
4 hrs | 60 |
| Precalculus MA 115 |
4 hrs | 50 |
| General Chemistry CH 131/CH 132 |
8 hrs | 50 |
| Into to Psychology PSY 120 |
3 hrs | 50 |
| Financial Accounting ACC 211 |
3 hrs | 50 |
| Intro to Business Law BUS 265 |
3 hrs | 50 |
| Into to Macroeconomics ECO 216 |
3 hrs | 50 |
| Intro to Microeconomics ECO 215 |
3 hrs | 50 |
| Intro to Marketing MKT 320 |
3 hrs | 50 |
| Intro to Sociology SY 109 |
3 hrs | 50 |
| Human Growth and Development PSY 250 |
3 hrs | 50 |
| U.S. History I: Early Colonizations to 1877 HY 135 |
3 hrs | 50 |
| US History II: 1865 to Present HY 136 |
3 hrs | 50 |
| Western Civilization I: Ancient Near East to 1648 HY 101 |
3 hrs | 50 |
| Western Civilization II: 1648 to Present HY 102 |
3 hrs | 50 |
| College Composition EH 101/EH 102 |
6 hrs | 50 |
| Humanities-General Fine Arts and Lit Elect |
6 hrs | 50 |
| College Mathematics Math Electives |
8 hrs | 50 |
| Natural Sciences-General Bio & Nat Science Elect |
8 hrs | 50 |
| Social Science & History Soc Science & Hist Elect |
6 hrs | 50 |
| French | 6 hrs | 50-58 |
| LG 111 and LG 112 LG 111, LG 112, and LG 211 |
9 hrs | 59+ |
| German | 6 hrs | 50-59 |
| LG 151 and LG 152 LG 111, LG 112, and LG 211 |
9 hrs | |
| Spanish | 6 hrs | 50-62 |
| LG 131 and LG 132 LG 131, LG 132, and LG 231 |
9 hrs | 63+ |
Computer Science CLEP credit is awarded based on USA departmental recommendations. The University reserves the right to change the CLEP minimum scores and credit awarded based on recommendations by the College Board and University research.