USC Office of Articulation
Waiver of Course Prerequisites or Corequisites based on AP Exam Scores of 4 or 5
Many courses at USC have one or more prerequisite or corequisite requirements designed to ensure adequate preparation for higher level course in a prescribed sequence. If you received a score of 4 or 5 on any of the AP exams listed below, you may request permission to waive a prerequisite or corequisite for a course. You may also request permission to waive a degree requirement.
Be sure to discuss your use of this option with your academic advisor before pursuing a waiver. Waiving a prerequisite is not the same as waiving or satisfying a degree requirement. Depending on your individual circumstances (e.g. major/minor requirements, post-baccalaureate plans, scholastic strengths and weaknesses), it could be to your advantage to take a prerequisite instead of waiving it (see important note for students interested in Medical School).
In order to waive a prerequisite, the department offering the course requiring a pre- or corequisite must approve and enter a waiver in the registration system before you can sign up for their class. See the Schedule of Classes for office locations and phone numbers.
| Name of AP Examination | |
| AP Biology | Consult the Department of Biological Sciences-Undergraduate
Programs Coordinator Interested in Medical School? See the important note below** |
| AP Chemistry | Chem-105a may be waived as a prerequisite. Interested in Medical School? See the important note below** |
| AP Computer Science (A)
|
CSCI-101 may be waived as a prerequisite. |
| AP Computer Science (AB) |
CSCI-102 may be waived as a prerequisite. |
| AP Economics (Micro) | ECON-203 may be waived as a pre- or corequisite. |
| AP Economics (Macro) | ECON-205 may be waived as a pre- or corequisite. |
| AP Mathematics (AB) | MATH-125 may be waived as a pre- or corequisite. Also, students may enroll in MATH-127 rather than MATH-126- see the math department for information. Students pursuing a major in the School of Business may have MATH-118 waived as a prerequisite. Note that USC does NOT recognize the projected BC exam score. |
| AP Mathematics (BC) | With a score of 4, MATH-125 may be waived as a pre- or corequisite. Students pursuing a major in the School of Business may have MATH 118 waived as a prerequisite. *Students with a score of 3 or 4 on the BC exam may enroll in MATH-127 rather than MATH-126- see the math department. |
| AP Psychology | PSYC-100 may be waived as a prerequisite. |
**An Important Note to Students Interested in Medical School
AP results may sometimes be used to place students into a higher level course beyond a foundational course. For example, students earing a 4 or 5 on the chemistry AP exam may be placed into CHEM-105b without first enrolling in CHEM-105a (the "foundational" course). It is important that students consider carefully whether it is in their best interest to enroll in foundational courses, or use AP credit to move directly to higher level courses. For example, students planning to apply to medical school may want to enroll in foundational chemistry and biology courses, regardless of the AP credit they may have earned, in order to have these courses appear on their USC transcript for the purpose of medical school admissions. If you are a potential pre-med, please discuss this issue with your advisor.