<p>I have a couple of questions about AP credit at NU. Please let me know if this has already been asked or if I could find it on another thread . . . Thanks!</p>
<p>So . . .</p>
<p>a.) In the Medill handbook, they say that if you get a 5 on the Calc BC exam, they award credit of two units, Math 220 and Math 224. Does a "unit" equal a course for an entire quarter? Or is is only a certain amount of hours? How does that work?</p>
<p>b.) Also, I've heard that Weinberg only allows you to use 2 AP scores to fulfill distribution requirements. Does the same apply to Medill? (I assume it does, but I just want to make sure.) </p>
<p>And . . . if you can only apply 2 AP credits toward distrib requirements, what happens if I end up using my history and math credits, but at the same time, I earn a 5 on the Maco Econ exam. But since I technically can't use that credit, does that mean I have to re-take an intro to econ course to fulfill the econ distrib requirement? Even though I passed the AP exam?</p>
<p>I'm just a little confused. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!</p>
<p>NU doesn't have credit hours, just units of credit. 1 class = 1 unit.</p>
<p>Medill doesn't have at all the same distro requirements as Weinberg so you will have to consult the handbook.</p>
<p>In Weinberg, you can only use 2 APs to fulfill distros, but if you got multiple 5s you can pick and choose which APs to count towards distros. I BELIEVE if you have extra 5s (as in Econ), then you can get credit for having taken the class (and therefore will not have to repeat the intro classes), but whereas actually taking Intro Micro would have fulfilled an Area 3 distro, you will still have to complete the Area 3 distro through other classes. I am not sure if the 5 serves only as placement, or if you actually get a credit simply applied towards your electives.</p>
<p>so if i got, say, a 5 in BC calc- then that fulfills one of my 2 required math units? it doesn't just bump me up to a higher math class (but i would still have to take 2)?</p>
<p>All I heard is you can't just come to NU carrying bunch of AP credits and expect to take only, say, 33 classes (instead of the regular 45) at NU and graduate. It was allowed when I was in school.</p>
<p>I don't know how Medill works, but Weinberg works as follows: You can only use 2 AP Credits as distros. However, you can use al of your AP Credits for placement. Therefore, if you got a 5 BC (or AB, for that matter) you place out of the first two math classes (220 & 224), so you can continue the math track with the next course, 230, if you want.
As for Weinberg, you have to take 2 courses in each of six Areas (math, science, social studies, history, philsophy, and english). You can use credit for any courses you want, but you can use them in the same area. For example, you can take credit for two math courses or two english courses, so you need to take at least one course in every Area.
Hope all of this helps.</p>
<p>Ok so for Weinberg the previous post was kind of confusing....so lets say i get a 5 on biology, 5 on english, and a 5 on calc bc....i can only use two of these tests for credit (say bio and english) and then the other (calc) for placement in higher classes?</p>
<p>Yea, I figured it would come across as confusing...</p>
<p>If you got a 5 on bio, english, and BC, you could use 2 COURSES to fulfill distros. BC, for example, places you out of 2 math courses. Since they are in the same Area (Area 1 or 2, I don't quite remember), you can only get distro credit for one. You could only use one course credit for a distro for Bio. Same thing for English. However, you can only use two total course credits for distro.
Short version: regardless of how many AP course credits you get for distros, you can only use one course in two areas.</p>
<p>As for actual course credit and placement, I believe you can use as many AP Credits as possible. What I have said earlier is ONLY ABOUT DISTROS.</p>
<p>i think what he's trying to say is you can only use two AP scores to fulfill distribution requirements, but they can not be in the same distribution area.</p>
<p>ie: if you get a 5 on the AP BC Calc, a 5 on AP AB calc, and a 5 on AP English, you could not apply both your 5s in calc to what is called the "formal studies" area, you can only apply one: you still have to take at least one class in every distribution area.</p>
<p>So in this case you would have to use ONE of your math scores and your English score for distribution requirements.</p>
<p>Your other math score would still place you out of any prerequisite classes though.</p>
<p>I think what was confusing was that he was using the word "can" in his post (#6) and not the word he should have been using: "can't"</p>
<p>Thank you for all the helpful replies! I found this in the Medill handbook:</p>
<p>"Medill is allowing up to 12 AP credits to be counted toward distribution requirements or electives. They can not count toward journalism electives, the Social Science Concentration, the Elective Concentration, or your Global and Diverse Cultures Requirements."</p>
<p>So, when they say "counted toward distribution requirements," I'm assuming they mean you can get credit for up to 12 courses, (as opposed to just higher placement without actual credit), right?</p>
<p>yeah, distribution requirements mean like you have to take two literature and classics classes, two formal studies classes (math,etc), two history classes, etc.</p>
<p>ok, so hypothetically, how does a 5 on the foreign language work? im taking spanish language and if i get a 5, is that one whole distro requirement fulfilled? can i still use one other ap test score of 5 to fulfill another distro? the foreign language credit is only thing confusing me.</p>
<p>yeah it's not a distro, you need to prove competency through year 2 for a weinberg major and uh.. i think medill is one year? either way, a 5 on the AP test should exempt you from any language requirement.</p>
<p>As for Spanish: If you get a 5, then you place out of the 2 years of required classes for Spanish for Weinberg (I don't know how many courses Medill makes you take, but I do know that Comm requires 4 quarters). If you get a 4, you are placed into Spanish 102-3, which is the only course you'll have to take.
To complete Weinberg's Spanish requirement, you must take/place out of 102-3. The whole curriculum starts at 101-1. 101-1,101-2,101-3 is a 3 quarter sequence that is "first-year spanish". 102-1,102-2,102-3 is also a 3 quarter sequence that is "second-year spanish".
If you so choose, you could take 115-1,115-2 which is a 2 quarter sequence that covers all of the material of the 3 101 courses at an accelerated pace. After this, you still have to go through the 102 sequence.
And, as stated earlier, using APs for Spanish credit does not count as a distro.</p>