Honors & UW Credit Policies

AP & IB Policies and Placement Tests

Many incoming UW Honors Program students bring in some sort of college credit with them and may have questions about how those credits will impact their course choices and placement at UW. Read below for key information about credits and placement.

Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and A Levels

Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and A Level programs provide excellent preparation for university study. These credits may count toward your broader UW Areas of Inquiry requirements, electives, or Foreign Language credit and help place you accordingly in some classes. These credits, however, do not count toward completion of the Interdisciplinary Honors curriculum, and AP and IB English scores do not fulfill the UW’s English Composition requirement. Read on for information about how your AP/IB/A Level credits might impact your course of study at UW.

Advanced Placement, IB, and A Level information

For information regarding the UW’s AP/IB/A Level credit policies, please visit the links below:

Once available, you should be prepared to provide evidence of any AP or IB score reports during your A&O, even if you have sent them to the UW via College Board. The UW receives a huge number of score reports, and the matching process can take a while. Screenshots or PDF copies of your report is often enough for a department to register you for courses that require AP or IB test scores as entrance requirements.

If you are entering the UW with over 45 credits, you may have completed a large portion of your UW-wide Areas of Inquiry requirements. While we are excited to have you in the Interdisciplinary Honors Program and know it is possible to finish the Honors Core with incoming credit, we recognize students with a large number of credits coming into the UW may wish to use their time here differently. Completing Interdisciplinary Honors (a general education Honors track) is not the right fit for everyone and we want to ensure you are making an educated choice about your Honors path. Should you decide not to complete Interdisciplinary Honors, we recommend you consider Departmental Honors.

Placement Tests

The UW offers placement tests in mathematics, a number of foreign languages, chemistry, and computer programming. These tests can be used to either fulfill a requirement (placing you out of a requirement) or to place into a certain level of coursework here at the UW. In some cases, you may also be able to use AP/IB test scores to place into a class.

Please note that most introductory courses at UW do not require a placement test, so you may not be required to take any tests for registration.

Please review the placement test information available from UW Advising.

Common First-year courses and their placement processes

MATH

  • If you are interested in Accelerated Honors Calculus (MATH 134, 135, 136), you will need to speak to the Math advisers. Advisors are available via email at advising@math.washington.edu or virtual drop-in advising using Zoom.
    • This three-quarter sequence covers the material of MATH 124, 125, 126, 207, and 208.
  • You may use AP test scores as placement into various levels of the Introductory Calculus series (MATH 124, 125, 126). Review the link to find your placement.
  • You may use IB Math test scores as placement into various levels of the Introductory Calculus series (MATH 124, 125, 126). Review the link to find your placement.
  • You may take the UW Math placement test to place into the appropriate level, up to MATH 124.

CHEMISTRY

  • If you are interested in Honors Chemistry (CHEM 145, 155, 165), you will need to take the Honors Chemistry placement test, OR use an AP Chemistry score of 3, 4 or 5 OR an IB HL score of 5, 6, or 7 as placement.
  • Non-Honors General Chemistry and non-Honors Accelerated General Chemistry both require placement tests or AP/IB scores as well.
  • Please see the Chemistry Department’s website for information about all Chemistry options and the placement tests required for each.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE

  • Review the UW Foreign Language Requirement information in its entirety to determine if you are in need of a placement or proficiency exam.
  • You may be able to use an AP or IB test score to place out of the foreign language requirement or to place into the appropriate level of UW coursework here. Check the linked page to determine your placement.
  • Even if you have met your language requirement, you are welcome to continue coursework in foreign languages.

COMPUTER PROGRAMMING

UW’s Proficiency Requirements

Honors students can’t only take Honors courses, even if many of you may want to! In addition to choosing a major and completing any Areas of Inquiry requirements that your Honors coursework doesn’t fulfill, you’ll be required to complete the following requirements.

Proficiency Requirements

English Composition

All UW undergraduates must complete five credits of English composition to graduate. You can complete this requirement by taking composition through Running Start, College in the High School, or by taking a composition class at the UW. AP and IB English scores do not fulfill the English Composition requirement. There will be some Honors courses offered throughout the year that will satisfy the Composition requirement but these fill up quickly. Exploring other English Composition course options as well is recommended.

Additional Writing

Most Colleges/Schools within the UW also require that their students complete additional Writing (“W”) courses. Many Honors courses will award “W” credit, so most Interdisciplinary Honors students will complete their “W” requirement via the Honors Core. You can check with an adviser to ensure completion of this requirement by graduation.

Foreign Language

Students graduating from majors in the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Education, or the School of Social Work must fulfill the foreign language graduation requirement. None of the other colleges or schools require foreign language beyond the two high school years required for admission to the UW. Of course, a number of majors (e.g., the language majors, International Studies, etc.) require language beyond what is required for admission to the UW. For more information, please see the UW’s Foreign Language Requirement page.

Students may complete the foreign language graduation requirement by any of the following:

  • Complete the third college quarter of a language with a grade of 2.0 or higher.
  • Place into at least the fourth college quarter via placement test (see our Placement page for more about placement tests).
  • Pass a proficiency test in a language.
  • Be considered a native speaker of a language other than English.
  • Complete the third year high school level of a foreign language.

Reasoning (RSN) – Formerly Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning (QSR)

All schools and colleges of the University require a RSN / Q/SR course. Some colleges allow any course from the list; others require a particular course. Check General Education and Basic Skills Requirements of UW Schools and Colleges for the requirements of majors you are considering. Certain AP or IB credit can fulfill this requirement.

Diversity

The University of Washington requires all undergraduates to take a minimum of 5 credits, approved by the appropriate school or college, that focus on the sociocultural, political, and/or economic diversity of the human experience at local, regional, or global levels. This requirement is intended to help you develop an understanding of the complexities of living in increasingly diverse and interconnected societies. Many Honors courses will award Diversity “DIV” credit, so many Interdisciplinary Honors students will complete their “DIV” requirement via the Honors Core. You can check with an adviser to ensure completion of this requirement by graduation.

For more information about any of these general education requirements, please visit the UAA Academic Advising website.

Next: Special Course Offerings for Incoming Students