UC Berkeley EECS - AP Credit Transfer

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - Berkeley
1

<p>Hello,
Yesterday I got accepted to Berkeley EECS and I basically have nothing to do for the next 4 months. I was wondering if it will help to take AP exams?</p>

<p>I found this link,
<a href="http://www.me.berkeley.edu/StudentAffairs/Courses/AP.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.me.berkeley.edu/StudentAffairs/Courses/AP.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>It has the units for each AP exam and I believe that I need 120 units to get my degree. So will I be able to use the AP tests I take now to already start completing some of those units?</p>

<p>Also, where will these units be deducted from? I mean Cal has a requirement of 30 units of natural science, mathematics, and statistics. So if I take an AP test in Calculus BC, will I then need 25 (30-5) units of Nat. Sci, Math and Stats?</p>

<p>Also, is there anything else I can do right now to lower the burden in college?</p>

2

<p>Yes, you can use AP exams to give you units (assuming you pass them). You are correct about the scenario where you take Calculus BC.</p>

<p>To lower the burden, if you have lots of free time, I would suggest studying for and taking the following AP exams if you haven’t:</p>

<p>Physics C: Mechanics (to fulfill the Physics 7A requirement)
Biology or Chemistry (to fulfill a science requirement)
Calculus BC (to fulfill the Math 1A and 1B requirements)
English Language or Literature (to fulfill the R&C A requirement)
Psychology, Economics, or Government (to fulfill a humanities/social science requirement)</p>

<p>(Note that only two exams are allowed for passing out of the R&C and humanities/social science requirements combined.)</p>

<p>These will narrow down the number of classes you’ll have to take in college, and will probably be easier than the classes themselves, so you’ll have a bit more freedom in picking your classes. Of course, you may just want to relax right now and take the required classes in college. It’s up to you.</p>

<p>If you want to get ahead in your EECS classes, I suggest following along with this semester’s offering of CS 61A ([CS</a> 61A Spring 2013: Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs](<a href=“http://www-inst.eecs.berkeley.edu/~cs61a/sp13/]CS”>CS 61A Spring 2013: Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs)) so you know what to expect in the fall. (The equivalent for EE courses isn’t really accessible online, unfortunately.) Note that this is entirely unnecessary for doing well (I didn’t go through it beforehand and I was still able to get an A+), unless you haven’t really coded before, in which case I suggest first going through Learn Python the Hard Way ([Learn</a> Python The Hard Way](<a href=“http://learnpythonthehardway.org/]Learn”>http://learnpythonthehardway.org/)), which is a nice (despite its name) introduction to Python and programming in general.</p>

<p>(Also, if you take enough AP exams, it will eventually become easier for you to register for very popular CS classes, since some of them take EECS majors with senior standing off the waitlist before anyone else.)</p>

3

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<p>Of course! If you take AP Calculus BC test and get a 5, Berkeley will award you 8 units worth of credit so you only have 112 more units to take here.</p>

<p>Here are some helpful AP tests to take to reduce the workload in EECS. I will list them in order of importance and effect reducing your course load:

  • AP Calculus BC: definitely take it and get a 5 so you don’t have to take Math 1A and 1B
  • AP English Lang/Lit: doesn’t matter which one; take one and get at least 4 since it will reduce one of the R&C requirements
  • AP Physics C Mechanics: get a 5, and skip out of Physics 7A
  • Up to 2 humanities AP’s that are counted toward Humanities/Social Science requirement: this includes Art History, Macro or Micro Economics, World History, U.S. History, European History, U.S./Comparative Government, and Psychology.
  • AP Chem: Counted towards 11 units of natural science
  • AP Bio: Counted towards 11 units of natural science</p>

<p>This webpage pretty much has everything you need to know regarding EECS. (<a href=“http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/Programs/Notes/12-13ugradhandbook.pdf[/url]”>New Grads: As Soon As You Arrive - EECS at Berkeley)
After you take the AP exams, I would definitely spend your summer thinking about which option in EECS you would like to take.</p>

<p>Also use our undergraduate handbook for College of Engineering (<a href=“http://coe.berkeley.edu/students/COE_Announcement_2012-2013.pdf[/url]”>http://coe.berkeley.edu/students/COE_Announcement_2012-2013.pdf&lt;/a&gt;) and read it whenever you can since you find new small piece of information every time you read.</p>

4

<p>Thanks!
btw, if I take calculus BC, the units go out from my Nat. Sci, Math and Stats. requirements.
If I take English Language, where do those units go out from?</p>

<p>Also, it says on the Berkeley website that I can’t count the AP exams taken once I am enrolled. I know I haven’t enrolled yet but just to be sure, I can still count the AP credits I take right? I will be joining this fall.</p>

5

<p>If you take English Language (and get a 4 or 5), then it will go towards fulfilling your humanities and social sciences requirement, and specifically your Reading and Composition A class.</p>

<p>Yes, you’re fine as long as you take the AP exams before you start at Berkeley.</p>

6

<p>Darn it! I have already missed the deadline for registering for AP.</p>

7

<p>The AP (and IB and A-level) credit charts for the College of Engineering are here:
<a href=“http://coe.berkeley.edu/students/advising%20handbbk%2012-13.pdf[/url]”>http://coe.berkeley.edu/students/advising%20handbbk%2012-13.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>8 quarter units for AP calculus BC. That becomes 5.3 semester units, although it can fulfill Math 1A and 1B if you get a high enough score.</p>