AP, IB, and Transfer Credit

Students who matriculated beginning in Fall 2017 receive automatic credit for AP Physics; no additional steps are needed for these students to have AP coursework noted on their transcript.  For students who matriculated prior to Fall 2017, please email physics.sso@umich.edu

To receive credit for International Baccalaureate (IB) examinations, an official transcript of examination grades must be officially sent by the IB Office (Maryland, Geneva, or London) directly to the UM Office of Undergraduate Admissions. 

Students planning to major or minor in a Physics undergraduate program should speak to an advisor about the use of AP or IB credit and whether it is permitted within their course of study. 

The Physics Department evaluates transfer credit for current, matriculated UM students. If you would like to transfer courses from another institution, please refer to the Online Transfer Credit Database. The courses listed on the database are pre-approved and will appear on your UM transcript once the course is completed and an official transcript is submitted to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions showing the official course grade. No additional steps are needed.  

For Completed Courses:

If you have completed a course for which you received departmental credit and would like to have it evaluated for specific class equivalency, please fill out the Physics Transfer Credit Evaluation Form. The form will require you to submit basic information about yourself, the course, and then upload a course syllabus along with any other supporting documents helpful to the consideration process (i.e. lecture slides, exams, a research paper, etc.). The submitted form and documents will be sent to our faculty evaluators. Evaluations take up to ten (10) business days. If approved for credit, the department will submit a request to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions to award the credit for the coursework taken; the student will be copied on this email as confirmation of approval. If denied credit, the student will receive an explanation as to why from our faculty evaluators. 

For Pre-Approvals:

If you are seeking pre-approval for a specific course, please make an appointment with a faculty advisor. When you come to the appointment be sure to have any kind of supporting documentation, such as a detailed syllabus, that might be useful to the faculty member in determining equivalency.

For Blanket Approvals:

If you are an administrator representing an academic unit or program and are seeking blanket approval for students who might take a course through your program, please email Physics Student Services at physics.sso@umich.edu and include the institution, course name, a copy of a syllabus, and any additional supporting documentation.

Other Helpful Information:

LSA Students:

• Please note that due to the unique focus of PHYSICS 135 and 150 as well as PHYSICS 235 and 250, there are not many equivalents.
• All physics transfer credits follow the general College of LSA Transfer Credit Guidelines. 

Non-LSA Students:

• Consult with your School/College to discuss any unique rules or processes they have to requesting or using transfer credit to meet graduation requirements. 

Students Majoring or Minoring in a Physics Undergraduate Program: 

• Physics majors must complete a minimum of 15-credits at the 300-level or above in residence. 
• Interdisciplinary Physics majors must complete a minimum of 12-credits in residence. 
• Physics minors must complete a minimum of 9-credits in residence. 

The use of transfer credit towards any program in Physics is subject to advisor approval. Students hoping to use transfer credit to complete either prerequisite or required coursework towards a major or minor should schedule an advising appointment. 

Students who have questions about the Physics transfer credit process can email physics.sso@umich.edu for help.