phone: 919-684-6217 | email: advising@duke.edu | advising.duke.edu
There are no placement tests at Duke; instead, many departments offer placement guidelines. In general, placement issues for first-semester students are most important for mathematics, chemistry and foreign language. Students who place themselves in a course that is above or below their level may be required to withdraw from the class during the first week.
You can find links to all departmental placement pages at advising.duke.edu/students/incoming/course-placement
Links to all language department websites can be found at trinity.duke.edu/languages. Starting language study in your first semester is not necessary to fulfill the FL requirement and many students delay their study of a language.
If you have completed college-level work before enrolling at Duke be sure to go to advising.duke.edu/incoming/course-placement to ensure you are placed in the correct courses.
To determine your placement for many Duke classes—particularly science, math, economics and language classes—Duke considers coursework and examinations completed prior to matriculation. There are three types of pre-college work that are recognized:
- Advanced Placement exams (AP)
- International Placement Credit exams (IPC)
- Pre-matriculation courses (PMC, i.e., college courses taken during high school)
Each of these is handled a little differently. While each type of credit earned prior to Duke may count towards the 34 credit requirement, and can be used for placement purposes, pre-college work does not receive AOK or MOI course codes, or fulfill Trinity general education requirements.
AP EXAMS AND CREDIT
If Duke has received notification from the college board, all course equivalents for your Duke recognized AP exams will be listed in DukeHub under Academics/ Test Scores, and on your Duke transcript. Depending on the academic department, these Duke course equivalents can fulfill prerequisites or place you out of lower-level courses.
The most important thing to remember about AP credit is that your AP scores must be transmitted directly from AP Services/College Board to the Office of the University Registrar; you should request that all your scores be sent, regardless of when you took the course. AP scores included with your admissions application are not official score reports and will not result in any credit. To send your AP scores to Duke, visit APscore.org and use Duke’s CEEB code of 5156.
Your AP scores and credits should be posted in DukeHub by the end of the first week of July, before registration begins. Look to see if your AP scores have been added to your record. If they are not there, the most likely reason is that Duke didn’t receive your score report from the College Board, and you will need to have it sent. Until scores are posted, you will not be able to enroll in a course for which the AP credit is an enforced prerequisite.
The table on the following page lists the AP exams Duke recognizes, scores required for corresponding Duke course equivalents, and placement guidelines.
AP EXAM | SCORE | DUKE CREDIT | ELIGIBLE TO TAKE |
---|---|---|---|
Arts: Art History | 5 | ARTHIST 20 | 200-400 level courses |
Arts: Studio Art: 2-D Design | 5 | ARTSVIS 21 | Advanced level courses |
Arts: Studio Art: 3-D Design | 5 | ARTSVIS 21 | Advanced level courses |
Arts: Studio Art: Drawing | 5 | ARTSVIS 21 | Advanced level courses |
Biology | 4 | BIOLOGY 20 (a) | BIOLOGY 201L or 202L (Fall and Spring) |
Biology | 5 | BIOLOGY 21 | BIOLOGY 203L (Spring only) or BIOLOGY 201L (Fall and Spring) |
Chemistry | 4 | CHEM 20 (b) | CHEM 110DL (Fall Term Only) or 101DL (All Terms) |
Chemistry | 5 | CHEM 21 (b) | CHEM 201DL.002 or 110DL (Fall Term Only), 201DL or 101DL (All Terms) |
Chinese: Language and Culture | 4 / 5 | CHINESE 203 | 204 or 200-400 level courses depending on placement score |
Computer Science: Principles | 5 | COMPSCI 20 | Any Computer Science Course |
Computer Science: A | 4 / 5 | COMPSCI 101L | COMPSCI 201 (A&S only, No Pratt Credit) |
Economics: Microeconomics | 4 / 5 | ECON 21 | ECON 101; ECOND 201D if a student has credit for both ECON 21 and 22 |
Economics: Macroeconomics | 4 / 5 | ECON 22 | ECON 101; ECOND 201D if a student has credit for both ECON 21 and 22 |
English: Literature & Composition | 4 / 5 | ENGLISH 20 | Any course except English 20 |
English: Language & Composition | 4 / 5 | ENGLISH 22 | Any course except ENGLISH 22 |
Environmental Science | 4 / 5 | ENVIRON 20 | ENVIRON 201 |
French: Language & Culture | 5 | FRENCH 204 | Any 300 level FL course |
German: Language & Culture | 4 | GERMAN 29 | GERMAN 204 or 305S |
German: Language & Culture | 5 | GERMAN 29 | GERMAN 305S or above |
History: World | 4 / 5 | HISTORY 21 | Any course. One AP History Credit may count towards the major requirement. |
History: United States | 4 / 5 | HISTORY 23 & 24 | Any course. One AP History Credit may count towards the major requirement. |
History: European | 4 / 5 | HISTORY 25 & 26 | Any course. One AP History Credit may count towards the major requirement. |
Human Geography | No Credit | N/A | N/A |
Italian: Language & Culture | 4 | ITALIAN 204 | ITALIAN 301 |
Italian: Language & Culture | 5 | ITALIAN 204 | Any 300 level course |
Japanese: Language & Culture | 4 / 5 | JAPANESE 203 | JAPANESE 204 or 305 depending on placement score |
Latin | 4/5 | LATIN 25 | LATIN 204 or 300 level course |
Math: Calculus AB | 5 | Math 21 | MATH 122L (Fall) of 112L (Spring) |
Math: Calculus BC | 4 | MATH 21 (c) | MATH 122L (Fall) or 112L (Spring) |
Math: Calculus BC | 5 | MATH 21 & 22 (c) | MATH 221, 212 or 202 |
Music: Theory | 4 / 5 | MUSIC 161-1 | Any course except MUSIC 161-1 |
Physics C: Mechanics | 4 / 5 | PHYSICS 25 (d) | Consult department |
Physics C: Electricity & Magnetism | 4 / 5 | PHYSICS 26 (d) | Consult department |
Physics 1 & 2: Algebra-Based | No Credit | N/A | Consult department |
Pol Sci: United States Government & Politics | 4 / 5 | POLSCI 20 | Any 200-400 level course |
Pol Sci: Comparative Government & Politics | 4 / 5 | POLSCI 21 | Any 200-400 level course |
Psychology | 5 | PSY 11 | Any course. AP cannot be used towards major requirements |
Spanish: Language & Culture | 5 | SPANISH 204 | Any 300 level course |
Spanish: Literature & Culture | 4 / 5 | SPANISH 204 | Any 300 level course |
Statistics | 5 | STA 20 (e) | STA 101, 102, or 199 (A&S only, No Pratt Credit) |
AP EXAM NOTES AND UPDATED INFORMATION
INTERNATIONAL PLACEMENT CREDIT (IPC)
Duke University also recognizes various international standardized examinations and grants a limited amount of elective credit and placement in advanced courses for students whose performance in these examinations meets required standards. These credits can be awarded only in those subject areas for which there is an AP exam offered domestically. Only original documents, not copies, are accepted. Have the scores of your examinations sent directly to the Office of the University Registrar or bring your official certificates with you and present them to the Registrar’s office when you arrive. For questions or concerns, contact registrar@duke.edu. If you have questions about the use of IPC for placement into Duke courses, contact the Academic Advising Center. Scores needed to earn Duke credit for International Placement exams are listed below.
Examination | Score |
---|---|
International Baccalaureate | 6 or 7 on the higher level |
Austria Matura Certificate Exam | 1 or 2 |
British, Hong Kong, Scottish, Singapore or Zimbabwe A-level (GCE) | A or B |
Cambridge Pre-U | D3 thru M3 or higher |
Caribbean Advance Proficiency Examination (CAPE) | 1 or 2 |
French Baccalauréat | 14 or higher |
Swiss Maturité | 4 or 5 |
German Abitur | 10 or higher |
All India/Delhi Senior School Certificate Exams (Class 12) | 84 or higher |
Indian School Certificate Exam (12th year) | 84 or higher |
International Advanced Level (IAL) Exam | A or B |
Higher Secondary Certificate Exam (India, 12th year) | 84 or higher |
Israeli Matriculation Certificate (5 units only) | 75 or higher |
Austria Matura Certificate Exam | 1 or 2 (Math Exam Only) |
Scottish or Zimbabwe Advance Level GCE Exam | A or B |
Victorian Certificate of Education | 38 or higher |
PRE-MATRICULATION CREDIT (PMC)
The third type of recognized pre-Duke coursework are courses taken at another college or university, including classes taken in a dual-enrollment program; however, these courses must meet a number of specific conditions. You can learn more at registrar.duke.edu/student-records-resources/transfer-credit. The Registrar’s office will evaluate your credit upon request and consult with faculty in the relevant Duke academic department. If approved, your PMC placement will be recorded in DukeHub.
