<p>It seems like a student should accept the UA course credit for all of their AP credits. Is there a downside to this theory?</p>
<p>differing opinions on this when it comes to your major, debate on this board re: AP Calc if in Engineering and other similar situations. I say start with talking to your UA major advisor about it and go from there. DS took all his credits (incl. AP Calc.) and it was the best decision for him.</p>
<p>Thank you AL34. My DD will be an engineering major. One of my concerns was for AP Calculus. She did well on the AB test last year. This year she is in Calculus BC with good grades. </p>
<p>I followed last year’s thread on whether or not to accept the calculus credit/s but couldn’t figure out an answer for my DD. We will contact an advisor at Bama Bound. Or should we contact someone sooner? </p>
<p>Thank you.</p>
<p>My son, who is a math major, says that one of his biggest regrets at Alabama was that he did not trust himself and make the jump to Calculus III when he first got there. A friend of his feels the same way. He got a 5 on the BC as a HS sophomore, but he worried that he had been a couple of years removed from the course and thought he might have forgotten things. So he elected to audit calculus his first semester. In all honesty, he had not forgotten the material. That said, when you get to Bama Bound, speak with an advisor about which math to take.</p>
<p>*It seems like a student should accept the UA course credit for all of their AP credits. Is there a downside to this theory? *</p>
<p>My kids used all of their AP Credits…Calculus, Chemistry, Biology, US History, English, Euro History and Gov (their school only offers 7 APs). They did not have a problem at all by “moving on” to the next level. </p>
<p>However, if you feel that your high school AP class was not strong and/or you didn’t score well on your AP exams, then you might want to retake the class IF that class is important to your major. I wouldn’t bother retaking a Frosh Comp or a history class, even if my score was a 3.</p>
<p>Word to the pre-med majors… Most med schools will not accept AP Credits in lieu of their requirements for admission. Therefore, you can either retake the courses, OR…you can take the “next level up” courses. If you’re going to use your AP sciences, be sure that the “next level” courses include a lab.</p>
<p>I know that momreads recommends talking to an advisor, but in reality, the advisors are rather trained to recommend re-taking the courses…simply because some kids just didn’t have that strong of high school instruction. So, if you are certain that you got a strong foundation, then feel free to move on.</p>
<p>Can I piggyback on this thread and ask about AP foreign lang credit? Does a passing score on the test satisfy the requirement for a science major?</p>
<p>^^^
Yes, it does. AP credits for languages count for everything…even credit in the language major.</p>
<p>Another cool thing. My kids’ school didn’t have AP languages, so my younger son opted to take the placement test for Spanish. He tested at the highest level, so when he then took a 300 level class, he was given credit for 103, 201, and 202 as well. Good deal!</p>
<p>Older son didn’t want to do the placement test (he didn’t have a native speaker teacher like my younger son), so he took Spanish 103 instead…after completion, that counts for 2 FL classes. </p>
<p>SEA_Tide did a cool thing…He took the CLEP test for French and got lots of credits that way. He said that it’s easier than the AP exam.</p>
<p>Thanks, mom2ck. Just to clarify, are you saying that a passing score on the AP exam means that my DD would not need to take any more classes at UA? She wasn’t even planning to take the exam, because she’ll be just getting home from an exchange trip to England. She doesn’t think there will be much studying going on. But her teacher has told her she should get at least a 3 on the test. If the payoff is to not have to take any more language, she should probably take a crack at it.</p>
<p>No APs for us, since we home school. But what about SAT IIs? Will they do the trick? E.g., if a kid gets a certain score on the Math II SAT II, and he / she is planning a humanities major anyway, and he/she has already taken calculus in high school…can he/she opt out of certain requirements? (No biggie either way…just wondering.)</p>
<p>I know that, for Latin, UA administers an exam, and the results determine your placement. Sounds like a great idea to me!</p>
<p>DH wants DS to keep taking Latin till Doomsday, but I’m not sure DS shares that perspective, LOL.</p>
<p>BTW–if a kid minors in classics (Latin and Greek), I assume that also satisfies the foreign-language requirement…?</p>
<p>LadyDianeski, UA doesn’t give credit for scores on the ACT or SAT. They do give credit for CLEP, AP, IB, and DANTES. There was no mention of SAT-II’s. There is also a limit of 45 hours. I wonder if it includes dual-enrolled courses?</p>
<p>I don’t think the limit includes “dual enrolled” credits. </p>
<p>SAT II’s don’t give you credit. You can do CLEP exams if you want. Or, ask a local high school if your child can take AP exams there…you’d have to give them notice so exams could be ordered.</p>
<p>*Just to clarify, are you saying that a passing score on the AP exam means that my DD would not need to take any more classes at UA? *</p>
<p>Are you asking about AP languages?</p>
<p>For instance…AP Spanish Literature</p>
<p>Spanish Literature score needed 3 SP 101 and SP 102 **8 credits **FL/HU Core Req’t</p>
<p>8 credits is for 2 classes…101 and 102</p>
<p>**
However**, I don’t know which FL AP class(es) your D is taking…</p>
<p>[University</a> of Alabama Undergraduate Catalog 2010-12](<a href=“http://catalogs.ua.edu/catalog10/500401.html#ap]University”>Page Not Found | The University of Alabama)</p>
<p>If your child is only taking the “language” and not the “literature” exam…then that only gives credit for 1 class…the 101 version</p>
<p>I don’t know what your child’s science major is. For some, taking a class that fulfills the “C” requirement also works (like statistics…which is recommended for pre-med majors).</p>
<p>What I don’t know is…can you “split” the req’t…say, get credit for 1 FL class and get credit for 1 C class??? Will that fulfill the below req’t? It looks like it’s 2 of one OR 2 of the another…but I’m not sure. </p>
<p>6 semester hours of one of the following:
6 semester hours in courses that are approved for the computer (C) designation. These courses either substantially integrate the application of appropriate software or require writing computer programs. Students must make extensive use of the computer as a condition for passing the course. Courses approved for the (C) designation assume that students have a working knowledge of the computer.
or</p>
<p>2 semesters in one foreign language (FL). A grade of “C” or better must be earned in the first-semester course of the two-semester sequence that fulfills the requirement before the student will be allowed to enroll in the second semester course. Students with two or more high-school units of a foreign language will be assigned to foreign language courses by the foreign language advisors on the basis of placement test scores. Students placed into FR 103, SP 103, or intermediate courses (FR 201, SP 201) will satisfy this requirement in one semester.
Note: These 6 hours are in addition to the requirements for humanities or mathematics.</p>
<p>^^^ So, if you’re a math major, you have a req’t for 2 “C” classes, and those can’t count for the above…so you have to either take more C classes or take FL classes (or have AP credit)</p>
<p>*BTW–if a kid minors in classics (Latin and Greek), I assume that also satisfies the foreign-language requirement…? *</p>
<p>It doesn’t look like you can count them for both (that’s pretty typical for all schools). So, if Classics requires - say 6 credits of Greek, if you take more than that or take another language, those will count. But, I would contact Classics dept for clarification.</p>
<p>Also, if your child has taken Greek and/or Latin, then he needs to do the placement test to get “extra credits”</p>
<p><a href=“http://bama.ua.edu/~mlc/classics/gt_la.htm[/url]”>http://bama.ua.edu/~mlc/classics/gt_la.htm</a></p>
<p>If a student places in LA 202 (second year, second semester) and attains a grade of “C” or above in this 3-credit course, he or she can petition to receive 6 (yes, SIX) additional credit hours (three credits for LA 102 and three more credits for LA 201). These additional six hours with a grade of “PASS” count toward their degree! </p>
<p>if a student places in a 300- or 400-level class and earns a grade of “C” or better in that class, he or she may petition to receive an additional 9 hours of Latin credit with a grade of “PASS”! (3 credits of LA 102, 3 credits of LA 201, 3 credits of LA 202)! These additional nine hours count toward their degree! </p>
<p>So, it would seem that your son could easily rack up some extra FL credits this way.</p>
<p>Overall, UA has very generous policies for AP/IB/CLEP/DANTES credit and transfer credit.</p>
<p>Dual enrollment classes do not count towards the 45 credit limit for AP/IB/CLEP/DANTES credit. Unlike many schools, UA considers dual enrollment credit to be the same as any other credit earned at another university, while still considering those students who took dual enrollment to be freshmen for admissions purposes.</p>
<p>CLEP tests were very popular in the 1970’s, but are now mainly taken by military personnel. Most of the testing centers are on military bases, but those wishing to take CLEP exams can get clearance to go on base and take the test(s) quite easily. I highly recommend taking CLEP exams as they are a quick way to get college credit, are offered very frequently, and are multiple choice, computer-based exams.</p>
<p>As for retaking classes in which one has already earned credit by passing the AP test, I do not suggest retaking such classes. Use the time to take more advanced classes and/or electives.</p>
<p>Gee, this is complicated! DD is taking AP German and plans to major in biology. She has no interest in foreign language, and will only do so if it is required.</p>
<p>Thank you m2ck and Sea_Tide. I’m glad to hear about the dual-enrolled courses. We will look into the CLEP courses to see if those would work for my DD.</p>
<p>*Gee, this is complicated! DD is taking AP German and plans to major in biology. She has no interest in foreign language, and will only do so if it is required. *</p>
<p>For AP German…</p>
<p>German³ score 3 **GN 103 **4 credits FL/HU
German³ 4 score GN 103 and GN 201 8 credits FL/HU
German³ 5 score GN 103, GN 201 and GN 202 10 credits FL/HU </p>
<p>I would contact the German Dept and ask about this…It looks like with a “3” on the exam, your D would get credit for GN 103…For other languages, that is credit for 2 FL classes (a combo of 101 and 102). But, I don’t know if it works that way for German.</p>
<p>GN 103 Accelerated Elementary German. 4 hours.</p>
<p>Intensive, accelerated study of first and second semester German language curriculum. Class meets five times a week.</p>
<p>Junie…</p>
<p>I just got off the phone with Bama Registrar. They verified that if you get credit for German 103, that takes care of BOTH FL req’ts. You still will only get 4 credits, but it will fulfill the 2 req’d FL classes. My older son did this with Spanish 103.</p>
<p>The registrars office was surprised that the Undergrad book did not make this clear for German 103 like it is for Spanish and French 103. </p>
<p>Again, you’ll only get 4 credits, but it will count for both semesters.</p>
<p>If you want this assurance in writing, they said to contact Modern Languages.</p>
<p>Thanks for clearing that up, mom2ck! Seriously, you should be on the UA payroll. Now DD will have incentive to do some studying while she’s in England.</p>
<p>*BTW–if a kid minors in classics (Latin and Greek), I assume that also satisfies the foreign-language requirement…? *</p>
<p>LadyDi…when I read this earlier, I misread it to say “major”. I think for a minor, it will fulfill the req’t.</p>