Credit for Advanced Placement (AP)
Students may earn credit for AP Exams with a score of 3, 4, or 5. AP credit will be awarded towards A.A./A.S. General Education requirements and/or course credit and/or elective units for the A.A./A.S. degree as shown in the chart below. A student who receives AP credit and takes the equivalent De Anza course will have the unit credit for such duplication deducted prior to being awarded the A.A./A.S. degree.
To be awarded credit, students must submit official College Board AP Score Reports (sent directly from the College Board or in an official sealed report envelope) to Admissions & Records. For a prerequisite clearance, students may submit an unofficial copy (e.g. a PDF) of AP scores with their clearance request.
View De Anza's Meeting Prerequisites page to download the Prerequisite Clearance Form.
For California State University (CSU), see: CSU System Level AP Policy, IGETC AP Policy
Visit individual campus catalogs/bulletins for more information on how course credit
may be granted.
For University of California (UC), see: UC System Level AP Policy, IGETC AP Policy
Visit individual campus catalogs/bulletins for more information on how course credit
may be granted.
WARNING
AP policies, including course placement and course credit awarded, vary by college and university. When selecting courses for transfer, students are advised to consult with a counselor or academic adviser to review AP policies for transfer institutions as they may differ from De Anza's AP policy. Course planning solely based on De Anza's AP policy could negatively impact transfer readiness and eligibility.
Effective: Fall 2022
| AP Exam | De Anza College A.A./A.S. Credit (GE and/or course) |
Units Awarded towards A.A./A.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Art History | De Anza GE: Arts (Area C1) Course credit - ARTS 1A |
4 quarter |
| Biology | De Anza GE: Natural Sciences (Area B) Course credit - BIOL 10 |
5 quarter |
| Calculus AB(1) | De Anza GE: Critical Thinking (Area A3*) Course credit - MATH 1A |
5 quarter |
| Calculus BC(1) | De Anza GE: Critical Thinking (Area A3*) Course credit - MATH 1A and 1B |
10 quarter |
| Calculus BC/AB Subscore(1) | De Anza GE: Critical Thinking (Area A3*) Course credit - MATH 1A |
5 quarter |
| Chemistry | De Anza GE: Natural Sciences (Area B) Course credit - Score 3: CHEM 25 Score 4 or 5: CHEM 1A |
5 quarter |
| Chinese Language and Culture | De Anza GE: Humanities (Area C2) Course credit - Score 3: MAND 4 Score 4: MAND 5 Score 5: MAND 6 |
5 quarter |
| Comparative Government and Politics | De Anza GE: Social/Behavioral Sciences (Area D) No course credit |
4 quarter |
| Computer Science A | No GE credit awarded Course credit - Score 3: no course credit Score 4 or 5: CIS 22A^ or 22B^ or 35A^ or 36A^ or 36B^ or 40^ ^ By petition only - consult with the Computer Information Systems Dept. Chair. (note: course credit for AP will be awarded if the exam is accepted as a prerequisite for a higher course and that course is successfully completed) |
4.5 quarter |
| Computer Science Principles | De Anza GE: Critical Thinking (Area A3*) No course credit |
4 quarter |
| English Language and Composition(2) | De Anza GE: English Composition (Area A1) Course credit - EWRT 1A |
5 quarter |
| English Literature and Composition(2) | De Anza GE: English Composition (Areas A1) and Humanities (Area C2) Course credit - Score 3: EWRT 1A Score 4 or 5: EWRT 1A and 1B |
10 quarter |
| Environmental Science | De Anza GE: Natural Sciences (Area B)** Course credit - ESCI 1 |
5 quarter |
| European History | De Anza GE: Humanities (Area C2) OR Social/Behavioral Sciences (Area D) Course credit - HIST 6C |
4 quarter |
| French Language and Culture | De Anza GE: Humanities (Area C2) No course credit |
5 quarter |
| German Language and Culture | De Anza GE: Humanities (Area C2) Course credit - GERM 4 |
5 quarter |
| Human Geography | De Anza GE: Social/Behavioral Sciences (Area D) Course credit Score 3: no course credit Score 4 or 5: GEO 4 |
4 quarter |
| Italian Language and Culture | De Anza GE: Humanities (Area C2) No course credit |
5 quarter |
| Japanese Language and Culture | De Anza GE: Humanities (Area C2) No course credit |
5 quarter |
| Latin | De Anza GE: Humanities (Area C2) No course credit |
4 quarter |
| Macroeconomics | De Anza GE: Social/Behavioral Sciences (Area D) Course credit - Score 3: no course credit Score 4 or 5: ECON 1 |
4 quarter |
| Microeconomics | De Anza GE: Social/Behavioral Sciences (Area D) Course credit - Score 3: no course credit Score 4 or 5: ECON 2 |
4 quarter |
| Music Theory | De Anza GE: Arts (Area C1*) Course credit - MUSI 2 |
4 quarter |
| Physics 1(3) | De Anza GE: Natural Sciences (Area B) No course credit |
5 quarter |
| Physics 2(3) | De Anza GE: Natural Sciences (Area B) No course credit |
5 quarter |
| Physics C Mechanics(3) | De Anza GE: Natural Sciences (Area B) Course credit - Score 3 or 4: PHYS 2A# Score 5: PHYS 4A# #by petition only - proof of lab required. See Physics Dept. Chair |
5 quarter for PHYS 2A 6 quarter for PHYS 4A |
| Physics C Electricity/Magnetism(3) | De Anza GE: Natural Sciences (Area B) No course credit |
5 quarter |
| Psychology | De Anza GE: Social/Behavioral Sciences (Area D) Course credit - PSYC 1 |
4 quarter |
| Spanish Language and Culture | De Anza GE: Humanities (Area C2) Course credit - Score 3: SPAN 4 Score 4: SPAN 5 Score 5: SPAN 6 |
5 quarter |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | De Anza GE: Humanities (Area C2) Score 3 or 4: SPAN 5 Score 5: SPAN 6 |
5 quarter |
| Statistics | De Anza GE: Critical Thinking (Area A3) Course credit - MATH 10 |
5 quarter |
| Studio Art - 2D Design | No GE credit awarded Course credit - ARTS 8 |
4 quarter |
| Studio Art - 3D Design | No GE credit awarded No course credit |
4 quarter |
| Studio Art - Drawing | No GE credit awarded Course credit - ARTS 4A |
4 quarter |
| U.S. Government and Politics | De Anza GE: Social/Behavioral Sciences (Area D) No course credit |
4 quarter |
| U.S. History | De Anza GE: Humanities (Area C2) OR Social/Behavioral Sciences (Area D) Course credit - HIST 17C |
4 quarter |
| World History Modern | De Anza GE: Humanities (Area C2) OR Social/Behavioral Sciences (Area D) Course credit - HIST 3C |
4 quarter |
1 If a student passes more than one AP exam in Calculus, only one exam may be applied towards the A.A./A.S. degree.
2 If a student passes more than one AP exam in English, only one exam may be applied towards the A.A./A.S. degree.
3 If a student passes more than one AP exam in Physics, a maximum of eleven (11) quarter units of credit may be applied towards the A.A./A.S. degree.
* A.A./A.S. GE Area credit is based on the CCCCO Policy Change for Advanced Placement Credit Memo (AB 1985), but the corresponding De Anza course does not fulfill the A.A./A.S. GE Area requirement in the same manner.
** AP Environmental Science: Physical Science GE credit will be awarded to align with CSUGE and IGETC AP policies. Please contact the Evaluation Department (evaluationsda@fhda.edu) if ESCI 1 credit is needed for your AA/AS major requirement.