<p>I'm majoring in management and minoring in french. Everything is going excellent and I'm on track to graduate a semester early (next December). The only problem is 8 natural sciences credit hours that I forgot to calculate in which throw off my entire plan. I took I.B. Biology and A.P. Chem in high school and I'm sick of science. Is there any way to graduate without taking any natural science courses? Is there a letter I can write to someone to request that these requirements be overridden for my circumstances? I've discussed the issue with my academic adviser, but I know there is always a way that they don't mention either to lack of knowledge or the fact they are not suppose to advertise such information. Can anyone help me?</p>
<p>There are 2 ways colleges deal with the high school advanced study like yours. </p>
<p>One way is to give you credit for the courses already completed. This is called ‘placing out’. You might have had to sort this out earlier in your degree though. </p>
<p>Sometimes, they use this higher level study, not for free credit but to place you in a higher level class sequence than usual. This would backfire on you.</p>
<p>I’d suggest that you approach someone higher up to get it clarified in writing. Or ask your adviser to push for clarification. There usually is some sort of written procedure to go through. </p>
<p>If they don’t accept your IB credits you could just do the basic lab courses. If you’ve
done similar work before it’ll be easy A’s. Summer school might be an option should you need to make up the 8 credits. </p>
<p>Otherwise, you’ve just had an unpleasant life lesson. Never assume that something will be done on time by others. Get on top of it yourself and keep pushing it through until it’s done (politely, of course).</p>
<p>I hope you’ll be able to get it sorted and graduate on time. Good luck!</p>
<p>Agree that AP, IB should have been sorted out earlier at enrollment if your school awards credit for those courses, but that process doesn’t always work perfectly. Just finished going through some work trying to get D credit for one of her AP courses for which credit was improperly calculated and then denied. Advisors and other students told her “It doesn’t matter. You don’t need those credits anyway.” But I figured, now, while she is freshman, is the time to get the credit and who knows if it might help with something later.The registrar is the office to handle that. </p>
<p>At D’s university they accept CLEP exam credit for all exams except science. But policies may vary. You could study to take those tests if your school accepts science CLEP. There is always a page on university website that details these ‘credit by examination’ policies. Also D’s school has ‘comprehensive exams’ and ‘proficiency exams’ that one can arrange to fulfill requirements, but this is more trouble and has to go through depts to be OKed and instructors prepare special exams for the course you apply to test out of.</p>
<p>Last possibility is if your school has a policy where you can arrange to take class from somewhere else and transfer credit. You arrange in advance. They look at syllabus and determine if course is one they will accept and if it fulfills gen ed. Then you could look for online or community college options that you could take next summer that way.</p>
<p>I assume that at least one of these science courses has lab requirement, as that is typical for gen eds? That could be a sticking point if the AP/IB doesn’t work. They may demand actual lab experience to fulfill the requirement and then taking an actual hands on class at community college or elsewhere that they would accept would be only option. Not always easy to find courses like that in summer.Good luck.</p>
<p>You said you took IB and AP science in HS. Did you earn the scores needed for those to count towards the requirement at your university? Were those scores sent, but just not showing up on your transcript? In this case have the scores resent to the registrar.</p>
<p>Does your university offer students the option of credit by examination? Meaning can you pay for the credits and take the exam so you do not need to take the class (assuming you earn the scores needed). This might not save you the tuition, but could allow you to be done without another semester on campus.</p>
<p>If you did not earn the needed scores on AP or IB exams, and your school does not offer the other option you will likely have to take the required classes. Possibly you can go part time in the spring and only take those requirements? Maybe you could walk in December and take those credits online?</p>
<p>You are not likely to find much success with a letter stating that you would like to graduate in December, but have not completed your degree requirements, and would like those requirements to be waived. However, check with the Dean of your academic major and of the general education program at your school to see what your options may be.</p>
<p>Good luck. :-)</p>