Advanced Credits
For dates, deadlines, and to apply, please visit our Application Information page.
Previously Completed College Courses
All courses taken at a college and university are considered for transfer credit.
Generally speaking, transfer credit is considered for courses equivalent to or similar in content to courses offered at Suffolk University.
Credit is awarded based on a variety of criteria.
Advanced Credits
Advanced Placement AP Examinations
Suffolk University awards credit for most advanced placement examinations where a score of 3, 4, or 5 is awarded. This chart outlines the required scores and equivalencies effective for Spring 2020 applicants.
| Exam | Score | Credit | Suffolk University Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES | 4,5 | 4 | BLKST 100 |
| ART HISTORY | 4,5 | 4 | ARH 101 |
| BIOLOGY | 4,5 | 4 | BIO 111, L111 |
| CALCULUS AB | 4,5 | 4 | MATH 165 |
| CALCULUS BC | 4,5 | 8 | MATH 165, MATH 166 |
| CHEMISTRY | 4,5 | 6 | CHEM 111, CHEM 112 |
| CHINESE LANGUAGE | 3 | 4 | CHIN 101 |
| CHINESE LANGUAGE | 4, 5 | 4 | LANG ELECTIVE |
| COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT & POLITICS | 3,4,5 | 4 | POLS 281 |
| COMPUTER SCIENCE A | 3,4,5 | 4 | COMP SCI ELECTIVE |
| COMPUTER SCIENCE PRINCIPLES | 3,4,5 | 4 | COMP SCI ELECTIVE |
| ENGLISH LANGUAGE & COMPOSITION | 4 | 4 | WRI 101 |
| ENGLISH LANGUAGE & COMPOSITION | 5 | 8 | WRI 101, WRI 102 |
| ENGLISH LITERATURE & COMPOSITION | 4,5 | 4 | ENG 130 |
| ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE | 3,4,5 | 3 | SCI ELECTIVE |
| EUROPEAN HISTORY | 4,5 | 8 | HST 101, HST 102 |
| FRENCH LANGUAGE | 3 | 4 | FR 101 |
| FRENCH LANGUAGE | 4, 5 | 4 | FR 201 |
| GERMAN LANGUAGE | 3 | 4 | GER 101 |
| GERMAN LANGUAGE | 4, 5 | 4 | LANG ELECTIVE |
| HUMAN GEOGRAPHY | 3,4,5 | 4 | FREE ELECTIVE |
| ITALIAN LANGUAGE | 3 | 4 | ITAL 101 |
| ITALIAN LANGUAGE | 4, 5 | 4 | LANG ELECTIVE |
| JAPANESE LANGUAGE | 3 | 4 | JPN 101 |
| JAPANESE LANGUAGE | 4, 5 | 4 | LANG ELECTIVE |
| LATIN | 4,5 | 4 | LANG ELECTIVE |
| MACROECONOMICS | 3,4,5 | 3 | EC 102 |
| MICROECONOMICS | 3,4,5 | 3 | EC 101 |
| MUSIC THEORY | 3,4,5 | 4 | FREE ELECTIVE |
| PHYSICS 1 | 3,4,5 | 3 | PHYS 111 |
| PHYSICS 2 | 3,4,5 | 3 | PHYS 112 |
| PHYSICS C: ELECTRICITY & MAGNETISM | 3,4,5 | 3 | PHYS 152 |
| PHYSICS C: MECHANICS | 3,4,5 | 3 | PHYS 151 |
| PRECALCULUS | 4,5 | 4 | MATH 121 |
| PSYCHOLOGY | 4,5 | 4 | PSYCH 114 |
| SPANISH LANGUAGE | 3 | 4 | SPAN 101 |
| SPANISH LANGUAGE | 4 | 4 | SPAN 201 |
| SPANISH LANGUAGE | 5 | 4 | SPAN 202 |
| SPANISH LITERATURE | 4,5 | 4 | SPAN 290 |
| STATISTICS | 4,5 | 4 | STATS 250 |
| STUDIO ART 2D DESIGN | 4 | 3 | FREE ELECTIVE |
| STUDIO ART 2D DESIGN | 5 | 3 | ADFS 166 |
| STUDIO ART 3D DESIGN | 4,5 | 3 | ADFS 152 |
| STUDIO ART DRAWING | 4,5 | 3 | ADFS 101 |
| US GOVERNMENT & POLITICS | 3,4,5 | 4 | POLS 110 |
| US HISTORY | 4,5 | 8 | HST 181, HST 182 |
| WORLD HISTORY | 4,5 | 8 | HST 121, HST 122 |
International Baccalaureate (IB) Examinations
Suffolk University awards credit for International Baccalaureate examinations. FOR ADVANCE CREDIT: official Higher Level (HL) exams with a score of 4 or higher are eligible. Official Standard Level (SL) exams with a score of 5 or higher are eligible. Please refer to the IB Advance Credit chart below for equivalencies. Sophomore standing may be possible for full IB Diploma recipients.
| Exam | Score | Credit | Suffolk University Equivalent |
| AMHARIC HIGHER LEVEL | 4 | 4 | MLANG REQ - LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT |
| AMHARIC STANDARD LEVEL | 5 | 4 | MLANG REQ - LANGUAGE REQURIEMENT |
| ARABIC HIGHER LEVEL | 4 | 4 | MLANG REQ - LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT |
| ARABIC STANDARD LEVEL | 4 | 4 | MLANG REQ - LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT |
| BENGALI HIGHER LEVEL | 4 | 4 | MLANG REQ - LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT |
| BENGALI STANDARD LEVEL | 5 | 4 | MLANG REQ - LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT |
| BIOLOGY HIGHER LEVEL | 4 | 8 |
BIO 111 - Introduction to the Cell, |
| BIOLOGY STANDARD LEVEL | 5 | 4 | BIO 111 - Introduction to the Cell BIO L111 - Intro to the Cell Laboratory |
| BUSINESS MANAGEMENT LEVEL | 4 | 3 | SBS 101 - Business Foundations: Navigating the Fast-Paced Business Landscape |
| BUSINESS MANAGEMENT STANDARD LEVEL | 5 | 3 | SBS 101 - Business Foundations: Navigating the Fast-Paced Business Landscape |
| CHEMISTRY HIGHER LEVEL | 4 | 8 | CHEM 111 - General Chemistry I, CHEM L111 - General Chemistry Lab I CHEM 112 - General Chemistry II, CHEM L112 - General Chemistry Lab II |
| CHEMISTRY STANDARD LEVEL | 5 | 4 | CHEM 111 - General Chemistry I, CHEM L111 - General Chemistry Lab I |
| CHINESE HIGHER LEVEL | 4 | 8 | CHIN 101 - Elementary Chinese I, CHIN 102 - Elementary Chinese II |
| CHINESE STANDARD LEVEL | 5 | 4 | CHIN 101 - Elementary Chinese I |
| COMPUTER SCIENCE HIGHER LEVEL | 4 | 8 | CMPSC F131 - Computer Science I, CMPSC F132 - Computer Science II |
| COMPUTER SCIENCE STANDARD LEVEL | 5 | 4 | CMPSC ELEC - COMPUTER SCIENCE ELECTIVE |
| DANCE HIGHER LEVEL | 4 | 4 | CAS VPATH - Used to Fulfill Vpath |
| DANCE STANDARD LEVEL | 5 | 4 | CAS VPATH - Used to Fulfill Vpath |
| DESIGN TECHNOLOGY HIGHER LEVEL | 4 | 4 | CAS VPATH - Used to Fulfill Vpath |
| DESIGN TECHNOLOGY STANDARD LEVEL | 5 | 4 | CAS VPATH - Used to Fulfill Vpath |
| ECONOMICS HIGHER LEVEL | 4 | 6 | EC 101 - Applied Microeconomics, EC 102 - Global Macroeconomics |
| ECONOMICS STANDARD LEVEL | 5 | 4 | EC 101 - Applied Microeconomics |
| ENGLISH A HIGHER LEVEL | 4 | 8 | WRI 101 - First-Year Writing I, WRI 102 - First-Year Writing II |
| ENGLISH A STANDARD LEVEL | 5 | 4 | WRI 101 - First-Year Writing I |
| ENGLISH B HIGHER LEVEL | 4 | 4 | WRI 101 - First-Year Writing I, WRI 102 - First-Year Writing II |
| ENGLISH B STANDARD LEVEL | 5 | 4 |
WRI 101 - First-Year Writing I |
| ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS AND SOCIETIES HIGHER LEVEL |
4 | 4 | SCI 103 - Environmental Science, SCI L103 - Environmental Science Lab |
| ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS AND SOCIETIES STANDARD LEVEL |
5 | 4 | SCI 103 - Environmental Science, SCI L103 - Environmental Science Lab |
| FILM HIGHER LEVEL | 4 | 4 | CJN 227 - Film & Society |
| FILM STANDARD LEVEL | 5 | 4 | CJN 465 - Film and Society |
| FRENCH HIGHER LEVEL | 4 | 8 | FR 101 - Elementary French I, FR 102 - Elementary French II |
| FRENCH STANDARD LEVEL | 5 | 4 | FR 101 - Elementary French I |
| GEOGRAPHY STANDARD LEVEL | 5 | 4 | FREE ELEC - Free Elective |
| GERMAN HIGHER LEVEL | 4 | 4 | MLANG REQ - LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT |
| GERMAN STANDARD LEVEL | 5 | 4 | MLANG REQ - LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT |
| GLOBAL POLITICS HIGHER LEVEL | 4 | 4 | SIH REQ - MEETS REQUIREMENT/NO COMP CRSE |
| GLOBAL POLITICS STANDARD LEVEL | 5 | 4 | SIH REQ - MEETS REQUIREMENT/NO COMP CRSE |
| GREEK HIGHER LEVEL | 4 | 4 | MLANG REQ - LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT |
| GREEK STANDARD LEVEL | 5 | 4 | MLANG REQ - LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT |
| HINDI HIGHER LEVEL | 4 | 4 | MLANG REQ - LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT |
| HINDI STANDARD LEVEL | 5 | 4 | MLANG REQ - LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT |
| HISTORY HIGHER LEVEL | 4 | 8 | HST 121 - World History I, HST 122 - World History II |
| HISTORY STANDARD LEVEL | 4 | 4 | HST 121 - World History I |
| HISTORY OF AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST HIGHER LEVEL |
4 | 4 | HST ELEC - HISTORY ELECTIVE |
| HISTORY OF AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST STANDARD LEVEL |
5 | 4 | HST ELEC - HISTORY ELECTIVE |
| HISTORY OF ASIA AND OCEANIA HIGHER LEVEL |
4 | 4 | HST ELEC - HISTORY ELECTIVE |
| HISTORY OF ASIA AND OCEANIA STANDARD LEVEL |
5 | 4 | HST ELEC - HISTORY ELECTIVE |
| HISTORY OF EUROPE HIGHER LEVEL | 4 | 4 | HST ELEC - HISTORY ELECTIVE |
| HISTORY OF EUROPE STANDARD LEVEL | 5 | 4 | HST ELEC - HISTORY ELECTIVE |
| HISTORY OF THE AMERICAS HIGHER LEVEL | 4 | 4 | HST ELEC - HISTORY ELECTIVE |
| HISTORY OF THE AMERICAS STANDARD LEVEL |
5 | 4 | HST ELEC - HISTORY ELECTIVE |
| INDONESIAN HIGHER LEVEL | 4 | 4 | MLANG REQ - LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT |
| INDONESIAN STANDARD LEVEL | 5 | 4 | MLANG REQ - LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT |
| INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN A GLOBAL SOCIETY HIGHER LEVEL |
5 | 4 | FREE ELEC - Free Elective |
| INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN A GLOBAL SOCIETY STANDARD LEVEL |
4 | 4 | FREE ELEC - Free Elective |
| INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE GEOGRAPHY HIGHER LEVEL |
4 | 4 | FREE ELEC - Free Elective |
| ITALIAN HIGHER LEVEL | 4 | 8 | ITAL 101 - Elementary Italian I, ITAL 102 - Elementary Italian II |
| ITALIAN STANDARD LEVEL | 5 | 4 | ITAL 101 - Elementary Italian I |
| JAPENSE STANDARD LEVEL | 5 | 4 | JPN ELEC - Japanese Elective |
| KHMER HIGHER LEVEL | 4 | 4 | MLANG REQ - LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT |
| KHMER STANDARD LEVEL | 5 | 4 | MLANG REQ - LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT |
| LATIN HIGHER LEVEL | 4 | 4 | MLANG REQ - LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT |
| LATIN STANDARD LEVEL | 5 | 4 | MLANG REQ - LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT |
| MANDARIN HIGHER LEVEL | 4 | 8 | CHIN 101 - Elementary Chinese I, CHIN 102 - Elementary Chinese II |
| MANDARIN STANDARD LEVEL | 5 | 4 | CHIN 101 - Elementary Chinese I |
| MATHEMATICAL HIGHER LEVEL | 4 | 8 | MATH 165 - Calculus I, MATH 166 - Calculus II |
| MATHEMATICAL STANDARD LEVEL | 5 | 4 | MATH 128 - Math for the Modern World |
| MATHEMATICAL STUDIES HIGHER LEVEL | 4 | 4 | MATH 128 - Math for the Modern World |
| MATHEMATICAL STUDIES STANDARD LEVEL | 5 | 4 | MATH 128 - Math for the Modern World |
| MUSIC HIGHER LEVEL | 4 | 4 | CAS VPATH - Used to Fulfill Vpath |
| MUSIC STANDARD LEVEL | 5 | 4 | CAS VPATH - Used to Fulfill Vpath |
| NORWEGIAN HIGHER LEVEL | 4 | 4 | MLANG REQ - LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT |
| PHILOSOPHY HIGHER LEVEL | 4 | 4 | PHIL 115 - Introduction to Philosophy |
| PHILOSOPHY STANDARD LEVEL | 5 | 4 | PHIL 115 - Introduction to Philosophy |
| PHYSICS HIGHER LEVEL | 4 | 8 | PHYS 111 - College Physics I, PHYS L111 - College Physics Lab I PHYS 112 - College Physics II, PHYS L112 - College Physics Lab II |
| PHYSICS STANDARD LEVEL | 5 | 4 | PHYS 111 - College Physics I, PHYS L111 - College Physics Lab I |
| PORTUGUESE HIGHER LEVEL | 4 | 4 | MLANG REQ - LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT |
| PORTUGUESE STANDARD LEVEL | 5 | 4 | MLANG REQ - LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT |
| PSYCHOLOGY HIGHER LEVEL | 4 | 4 | PSYCH 114 - General Psychology |
| PSYCHOLOGY STANDARD LEVEL | 5 | 4 | PSYCH 114 - General Psychology |
| RUSSIAN HIGHER LEVEL | 4 | 4 | MLANG REQ - LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT |
| RUSSIAN STANDARD LEVEL | 5 | 4 | MLANG REQ - LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT |
| SOCIAL AND CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY HIGHER LEVEL |
4 | 4 | CAS PERSP - Cas Diversity Req |
| SOCIAL AND CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY STANDARD LEVEL |
5 | 4 | CAS PERSP - Cas Diversity Req |
| SPANISH HIGHER LEVEL | 4 | 8 | SPAN 201 - Intermediate Spanish I; SPAN 202 - Intermediate Spanish II |
| SPANISH STANDARD LEVEL | 5 | 4 | SPAN 201 - Intermediate Spanish I |
| SPORTS EXERCISE AND HEALTH SCIENCE HIGHER LEVEL |
4 | 4 | SCI ELEC - Science Elective; SCIT LREQ - Meets Requirement/No Comp Lab |
| SPORTS EXERCISE AND HEALTH SCIENCE STANDARD LEVEL |
5 | 4 | SCIT REQ - Meets Requirement/No Comp Crse, SCIT LREQ - Meets Requirement/No Comp Lab |
| THEATRE HIGHER LEVEL | 4 | 4 | THETR 225 - Intro to Theatre Arts |
| THEATRE STANDARD LEVEL | 5 | 4 | THETR 225 - Intro to Theatre Arts |
| TURKISH HIGHER LEVEL | 4 | 4 | MLANG REQ - LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT |
| TURKISH STANDARD LEVEL | 5 | 4 | MLANG REQ - LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT |
| VIETNAMESE HIGHER LEVEL | 4 | 4 | MLANG REQ - LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT |
| VIETNAMESE STANDARD LEVEL | 5 | 4 | MLANG REQ - LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT |
| VISUAL ARTS HIGHER LEVEL | 4 | 6 | ADFS 101 - Found. Drawing I, ADFS 102 - Found. Drawing II |
| VISUAL ARTS STANARD LEVEL | 5 | 4 | ADFS 101 - Found. Drawing I |
French Baccalaureate Examinations
Four semester hours may be awarded, with a coefficient of 4, for courses completed with a grade of 11 or higher. Eight semester hours may be awarded, with a coefficient of 5, for courses completed with a grade of 11 or higher.
GCE Advanced Level Examinations
Credit may be awarded for subjects with grades of C or higher.
German Abitur Examinations
Students who have subjects with passes of 7 or higher may be eligible for credit.
Italian Maturita Examinations
Credit may be awarded for subjects with a grade of 6 or higher.
Military Courses
Undergraduate applicants who have completed military courses should have an official Joint Service Transcript (JST) sent to Suffolk University for review by the Office of Undergraduate Admission.
Transfer credit will be considered for courses which have American Council on Education (ACE) credit recommendations and will apply to the curriculum at Suffolk. If you are approved for credit, a transfer credit evaluation will be available on the applicant portal.
College Level Examination Program CLEP
A maximum of 32 semester hours of credit may be awarded for CLEP examinations. Of these 32 credits, a maximum of 16 semester hours may be general examinations, and a maximum of 16 semester hours may be subject examinations. The minimum CLEP score required to receive credit is at the 50th percentile.
CLEP tests taken prior to initial enrollment are reviewed by the Admission Office. CLEP tests taken by current Suffolk University students are reviewed by the Registrar’s Office. For current Suffolk University students, CLEP will not be awarded in the senior year and must be taken prior to your last 30 hours at the University.
The Center for Learning and Academic Success offers CLEP tests to both Suffolk and non-Suffolk students.
| CLEP Examination | Semester Hours | Suffolk Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| American Government | 4 | Gvt 110 |
| American Literature | 8 | Eng 217 & Eng 218 |
| Analyzing & Interpreting Literature | 8 | Free Electives |
| Biology | 6* | Bio 101 & Bio 102 |
| Calculus | 4 | Math 165 |
| Chemistry | 6* | Chem 111 & Chem 112 |
| College Algebra | 4 | Math 104 |
| College Mathematics | 8 | Math 130 & Math Elective |
| College Composition | 8 | Wri 101 & Wri 102 |
| English Literature | 8 | Eng 213 + Eng 214 |
| History of the United States I | 4 | Hst 181 |
| Humanities | 8 | Free Elective |
| Intro to Educational Psychology | 4 | Educ 202 |
| Intro to Macroeconomics | 4 | Econ 102 |
| Intro to Microeconomics | 4 | Econ 101 |
| Introductory Psychology | 4 | Psych 114 |
| Introductory Sociology | 4 | Soc 113 |
| Social Sciences & History | 8 | Free Electives |
| *These CLEP exams do not include credit for labs. | ||