Accelerated baccalaureate

Do you know that you might already have college credit? VCU’s accelerated baccalaureate options may allow you to complete some general education requirements, freeing your schedule for more advanced classes that open new interests and challenges for you.

IB and AP tests

Examinations determining advanced placement are the International Baccalaureate examinations and the Advanced Placement tests of the College Entrance Examination Board. AP test scores of 3, 4 or 5 will be awarded from three to 10 semester credits per AP test, depending on the subject area. Credit for IB examination scores will follow in the same way. Each Higher Level subject passed with a score of 4-7 and Standard Level with a score of 5-7 will be considered for advanced standing and equivalent to the corresponding sequence of that subject. Charts detailing VCU’s policy for granting credit for both AP and IB test scores can be found in Appendices of the Undergraduate Bulletin. To ensure consistency, the College of Humanities and Sciences dean’s office will be the official credit notification point for IB and AP courses. Notification will be sent to the registrar, to you and your major department. Final determination of credit will be made after test results have been received and have been evaluated by the university. Accepted credits are counted as credits earned toward the degree, but are not used in the computation of the your VCU GPA. The School of the Arts will evaluate courses taken in music, theatre or visual arts before any credit is awarded. An IB diploma will entitle you to three credits for the “Theory of Knowledge” course.

Dual enrollment

Qualified students who have taken college-level work while still enrolled in a secondary school also may receive academic credit. Courses taken as dual enrollment courses will be treated as VCU courses or transfer credits according to the evaluation guidelines in the undergraduate bulletin.

Advanced scholars

If you are a high school academic achiever in the Richmond area who wants to take college courses, then the Advanced Scholars Program is for you. Advanced scholars earn college credit and get first-hand experience as a student at a university. To qualify for this program, you must be a second semester junior or a senior, have a combined SAT score of at least 1180, a combined PSAT score of at least 118 and maintain at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA. Additional information about the program and applications may be requested from the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.