External Credit

Boston University accepts a variety of external credit, including advanced credit and dual enrollment:

• Dual Enrollment Verification for college courses completed during high school or the summer prior to BU matriculation
• Advanced Placement Examinations
• International Baccalaureate Examinations
• GCE Advanced-Level Examinations
• French Baccalaureate Examinations
• German Abitur Examinations
• Italian Maturita Examinations
• Swiss Maturity Examinations

How to submit advanced credit and/or external credit:

• Advanced Credit: You must send an official score report to Boston University to earn advanced credit. 
  • AP scores should be sent to the Admissions Office directly from CollegeBoard 
  • All other score reports should be sent to the International Admissions Office at intadmis@bu.edu
• Dual Enrollment: Verification forms should be sent to credeval@bu.edu.

FAQs to consider when registering:

• Do you expect credit related to your major? 
  • If you receive credit for a course related to your major, you may be able to register for the next level.
    • For instance, if you have credit for CAS MA 123 Calculus 1, you can register for CAS MA 124 Calculus 2. If you have credit for CAS EC 101 Intro to Microeconomics and CAS EC 102 Intro to Macroeconomics, you are eligible to register for CAS EC 201 Intermediate Microeconomics or CAS EC 202 Intermediate Macroeconomics.
• Should you still take the class(es) at BU even if you have credit for them? 
  • Some programs recommend you take courses here at BU, even if you have advanced credit for them. This is typical for biology, chemistry, and some other STEM majors as well as those on the pre-health track.
  • In these STEM-based programs, you should consider your experience and knowledge of the subject when deciding whether to repeat the course or to register for the next level. 
  • Please note: registering for a course at BU that you have also fulfilled in high school will forfeit your advanced credit; however, it also helps you build a solid and college-level foundation in your intended program of study. 
  • Please make your best guess when registering, and feel free to email your academic advisor to discuss more!
• Are you waiting for your scores to come out? 
  • If you don’t have your scores/results yet, register using your best guess of how you performed. We call this cautious optimism!
  • If you feel confident you did well on certain exams/tests, feel free to register for the next course level. 
  • If you are not sure, register for the introductory course now; when you get your scores, you can adjust your schedule if needed.
• Does my external credit fulfill the CAS language and natural science with a lab requirements? 
  • Language requirement: If the external credit is equivalent to a language 212-level course or higher, you have fulfilled the CAS language requirement. For more information on the language requirement, please see here.
  • Natural Science with a lab requirement: If the external credit is equivalent to an approved natural science course with a lab, you have fulfilled the CAS natural science requirement. You can contact your advisor for more information about approved courses.
• Does my advanced credit or dual enrollment credit fulfill Hub requirements? 
  • Some advanced credit may fulfill one Hub requirement. This is evaluated based on the exam/test and not the BU equivalent course. 
  • Please use the links above to determine which specific Hub requirement(s) you can expect to earn through your advanced credit.
  • Dual Enrollment credit and all other external credit does not fulfill Hub requirements.