Credit by Examination
Not more than 25 percent of any curriculum may be earned by College-Level Examination Program (CLEP), evaluated military service credits, tutorial, extension courses, and advanced placement exams (a maximum of 20% of the total degree hours can be correspondence courses). Evaluated military service credits are classified as extension work. Correspondence courses must be approved by the dean before being taken by students in residence. Mississippi State University serves as an open testing center for both the General and Subject Examinations.
a. Advanced Placement Examinations.
Students entering Mississippi State University for the first time are allowed credit on the advanced placement examination administered by the College Entrance Examination Board. Grades of Satisfactory (S) appear on the transcript for courses in which advanced placement credit is earned. These courses do not affect grade-point averages. Applicability of such credit to a specific degree is to be determined by the appropriate dean. The following table provides the details on how credit is presently assigned in the various subject areas by the deans.
| AP Examination | Score | Hours | Related Course |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. ART HISTORY | 3 | 3 | ART 1013 |
| 2. BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE (no lab credit) | 3 | 3 | BIO 1023 |
| 4 | 6 or 7 | BIO 1123 and BIO 1134 | |
| 5 | 8 | BIO 1134 and BIO 1144 | |
| 3. CHEMISTRY | 3 | 3 | CH 1213 |
| 4 or 5 | 6 | CH 1213 and CH 1223 | |
| 4. COMPUTER SCIENCE | |||
| A Exam | 3, 4, or 5 | 4 | CSE 1284 |
| 5. COMPUTER SCIENCE PRINCIPLES | 3, 4, or 5 | 3 | Computer Science Free Elective |
| 6. ECONOMICS | |||
| Macroeconomics | 3 | 3 | EC 2113 |
| Microeconomics | 3 | 3 | EC 2123 |
| 7. ENGLISH | |||
| Language & Comp. | 3 | 3 | EN 1103 |
| Language & Comp. | 4 or 5 | 6 | EN 1103 and EN 1113 |
| Literature & Comp. | 3 | 3 | EN 1103 |
| Literature & Comp. | 4 or 5 | 6 | EN 1103 and EN 1113 |
| 8. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE | 3 | 3 | ENS 2103 |
| 9. FRENCH | |||
| Language and Culture | 3 | 3 | FLF 1113 |
| Language and Culture | 4 | 6 | FLF 1113 and FLF 1123 |
| Language | 5 | 9 | FLF 1113, FLF 1123, and FLF 2133 |
| Culture | 5 | 9 | FLF 1113, FLF 1123, and FLF 2133 |
| 10. GERMAN | |||
| Language and Culture | 3 | 3 | FLG 1113 |
| Language and Culture | 4 | 6 | FLG 1113 and FLG 1123 |
| Language | 5 | 9 | FLG 1113, FLG 1123, and FLG 2133 |
| Culture | 5 | 9 | FLG 1113, FLG 1123, and FLG 2133 |
| 11. GOVERNMENT and POLITICS | |||
| Comparative | 3 | 3 | PS 1513 |
| United States | 3 | 3 | PS 1113 |
| 12. HISTORY | |||
| American | 3 | 3 | HI 1063 |
| 4 or 5 | 6 | HI 1063 and HI 1073 | |
| European | 3 | 3 | HI 1213 |
| 4 or 5 | 6 | HI 1213 and HI 1223 | |
| World | 3 | 3 | HI 1163 |
| 4 or 5 | 6 | HI 1163 and HI 1173 | |
| 13. HUMAN GEOGRAPHY | 3 | 3 | GR 2013 |
| 14. LATIN | 3 | 6 | FLL 1113 and FLL 1123 |
| 4 | 6 | FLL 1123 and FLL 2133 | |
| 5 | 6 | FLL 2133 and FLL 2143 | |
| 15. MATHEMATICS | |||
| AB Exam | 3, 4 or 5 | 3 | MA 1713 |
| BC Exam | 3 | 3 | MA 1713 |
| 4 or 5 | 6 | MA 1713 and MA 1723 | |
| 16. STATISTICS | 3 | 3 | ST 2113 |
| 17. PHYSICS (no lab credit) | |||
| CI Exam - MECH | 3 | 3 | PH 1113 |
| 4 or 5 | 3 | PH 2213 | |
| CII Exam - E & M | 3 | 3 | PH 1133 |
| 4 or 5 | 3 | PH 1133 or PH 2223 | |
| 18. PHYSICS I | 3, 4, or 5 | 3 | PH 1113 |
| 19. PHYSICS II | 3, 4, or 5 | 3 | PH 1123 |
| 20. PSYCHOLOGY | 3 | 3 | PSY 1013 |
| 21. SPANISH | |||
| Language and Culture | 3 | 3 | FLS 1113 |
| Language and Culture | 4 | 6 | FLS 1113 and FLS 1123 |
| Language and Culture | 5 | 9 | FLS 1113, FLS 1123, and FLS 2133 |
| Literature and Culture | 5 | 9 | FLS 1113, FLS 1123, and FLS 2133 |
| 22. MUSIC | 3 | 3 | MU 1213 |
As more high schools develop Advanced Placement courses, Mississippi State University will consider their inclusion in this listing for credit.
b. College-Level Examination Program (CLEP).
Academic credit on the Subject Examinations is awarded to students who are enrolled at the University and who make a scaled score of 50 or above (see exceptions below). Credit is neither awarded nor accepted for transfer credit for the General Examinations. Credit is considered the same as extension credit and is subject to the same limitations. The applicability of credit toward degree requirements is determined by the dean and/or department head concerned. At present, the only courses for which credit may be obtained through the CLEP Program are these:
| ACC 2013 | Principles of Financial Accounting | 3 |
| BIS 1012 | Introduction to Business Information Systems | 2 |
| BIO 1023 | Plants and Humans (requires score of 50-59) | 3 |
| BIO 1123 & BIO 1134 | Animal Biology and Biology I (requires score of 60-69) | 7 |
| BIO 1134 & BIO 1144 | Biology I and Biology II (requires score of 70-80) | 8 |
| CH 1213 | Chemistry I | 3 |
| CH 1223 | Chemistry II | 3 |
| EC 2113 | Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 |
| EC 2123 | Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
| EPY 2513 | Human Growth and Development | 3 |
| EPY 3503 | Principles of Educational Psychology | 3 |
| FLF 1113 | French I (score of 53 or above) | 3 |
| FLF 1123 | French II (score of 53 or above) | 3 |
| FLG 1113 | German I (score of 53 or above) | 3 |
| FLG 1123 | German II (score of 53 or above) | 3 |
| FLS 1113 | Spanish I (score of 53 or above) | 3 |
| FLS 1123 | Spanish II (score of 53 or above) | 3 |
| HI 1063 | Early U.S. History | 3 |
| HI 1073 | Modern U.S. History | 3 |
| HI 1213 | Early Western World | 3 |
| HI 1223 | Modern Western World | 3 |
| MA 1313 | College Algebra | 3 |
| MA 1453 | Precalculus with Graphing Calculators | 3 |
| MA 1713 & MA 1723 | Calculus I and Calculus II | 6 |
| MKT 3013 | Principles of Marketing (Will no longer be accepted beginning Fall 2020) | 3 |
| PS 1113 | American Government | 3 |
| PSY 1013 | General Psychology | 3 |
| SO 1003 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
For further information about CLEP and a form for application to take the tests, please write to: Computer Based Testing, P.O. Box 9747, Mississippi State, MS 39762, or call (662) 325-6610.
c. The International Baccalaureate.
The International Baccalaureate program is a comprehensive and rigorous two-year curriculum, leading to examinations, for students between sixteen and nineteen years of age. To accommodate differences among cultures regarding academic standards, it is a deliberate compromise between the specialization required in some national systems and the breadth preferred in others. The general objectives of the IB are to provide students with a balanced education; to facilitate geographic and cultural mobility; and to promote international understanding through a shared academic experience. The student who satisfies its demands demonstrates a strong commitment to learning, both in terms of the mastery of subject content and in the development of the skills and discipline necessary for success in a competitive world.
All IB Diplomas candidates are required to offer one subject from each of the groups. At least three and not more than four of the six subjects are taken at the Higher level, the others at the Subsidiary level. Each examined subject is graded on a scale of 1 (minimum) to 7 (maximum). The award of the Diploma requires a minimum total of 24 points and the satisfactory completion of three additional requirements: the Extended Essay of some 4000 words, which provides the first experience of the independent research paper; a course entitled Theory of Knowledge (ToK), which explores the relationships among the various disciplines and ensures that students engage in critical reflection and analysis of the knowledge acquired within and beyond the classroom; the compulsory participation in Creativity, Action, and Service (CAS) extracurricular and community-service activities. Bonus points may be awarded for the exceptional essay or performance in Theory of Knowledge.
Mississippi State University recognizes the IB Program. Credit will be considered for the higher level subject examinations with scores of 5, 6 or 7 pending approval of the various colleges, schools and major departments of the university. Some subject areas may consider a score of 4.
Mississippi State University awards credit in the following areas:
| IB Credit | Score/Level Required | Credit to Award |
|---|---|---|
| ENGLISH | 5, 6, or 7 HIGHER LEVEL | EN 1103 and EN 1113 |
| CHEMISTRY | 5, 6, or 7 HIGHER LEVEL | CH 1213 and CH 1223 |
| HISTORY | ||
| American | 6 STANDARD LEVEL | HI 1063 |
| 4 HIGHER LEVEL | HI 1063 | |
| 5 or 6 HIGHER LEVEL | HI 1063 and HI 1073 | |
| Asian | 6 STANDARD LEVEL | HI 1313 |
| 4 HIGHER LEVEL | HI 1313 | |
| 5 or 6 HIGHER LEVEL | HI 1313 and HI 1323 | |
| European | 6 STANDARD LEVEL | HI 1213 |
| 4 HIGHER LEVEL | HI 1213 | |
| 5 or 6 HIGHER LEVEL | HI 1213 and HI 1223 | |
| Islamic | 4 HIGHER LEVEL | HI 1163 |
| 5 OR 6 HIGHER LEVEL | HI 1163 and HI 1173 | |
| BIOLOGY | 4 STANDARD LEVEL | BIO 1023 or BIO 1123 |
| 5, 6, or 7 STANDARD LEVEL | BIO 1023 and BIO 1123 | |
| 6 HIGHER LEVEL | BIO 1134 | |
| 7 HIGHER LEVEL | BIO 1134 and BIO 1144 | |
| PHYSICS | 5 HIGHER LEVEL | PH 1113 |
| 6 HIGHER LEVEL | PH 1113 and PH 1123 or PH 2213 | |
| 7 HIGHER LEVEL | waiver for PH 1113 and credit for PH 1123 and PH 1133 or PH 2213 and PH 2223 | |
| ECONOMICS | 5, 6, or 7 HIGHER LEVEL | EC 2113 and EC 2123 |
| PSYCHOLOGY | 5, 6, or 7 HIGHER LEVEL | PSY 1013 |
| SPANISH | 4 HIGHER LEVEL | FLS 1113 and FLS 1123 |
| 5, 6, or 7 HIGHER LEVEL | FLS 2133 and FLS 2143 | |
| LATIN | 4 HIGHER LEVEL | FLL 1113 and FLL 1123 |
| 5, 6, or 7 HIGHER LEVEL | FLL 2133 and FLL 2143 | |
| FRENCH | 4 HIGHER LEVEL | FLF 1113 and FLF 1123 |
| 5, 6, or 7 HIGHER LEVEL | FLF 2133 and FLF 2143 | |
| GERMAN | 4 HIGHER LEVEL | FLG 1113 and FLG 1123 |
| 5, 6, or 7 HIGHER LEVEL | FLG 2133 and FLG 2143 |
A final official IB transcript will be sent by the International Baccalaureate North America (IBNA) regional office following the grade awarding and upon the request of the student. The document will indicate the level of the subjects, the grade awarded in each, the total point score and the completion of the additional Diploma requirements. Results are available in late July for May session candidates.
e. Cambridge International
Students entering Mississippi State University for the first time may be granted credit for examinations administered by Cambridge International. Courses taken as part of the AS level or A level curricula will be considered. Grades of Satisfactory (S) appear on the transcript for courses in which Cambridge credit is earned. These courses do not affect grade-point averages. Applicability of such credit to a specific degree is to be determined by the appropriate dean. Contact the Office of the Registrar for details on how credit is presently assigned in the various subject areas.