International Baccalaureate (IB) Credit
The Desert Community College District may award International Baccalaureate Examination (IB) credit toward a Certificate or Associate Degree, or for CSU GE or IGETC Transfer Certification to those who attain an appropriate score on Higher Level (HL) Exams. If you are intending to transfer to a four-year institution, you should consult with a counselor or the individual institution regarding its IB credit policy.
College of the Desert cannot certify the IB English A: Literature for CSU GE Area A2 or IGETC Area 1A. You have the option to submit the official IB score report directly to the CSU/UC campus, at the time of admission, for evaluation of credit towards a GE area not included in the system wide GE approved list.
A score of 5, 6, or 7 on Higher Level exams is required to grant credit for IGETC and CSU GE Breadth Certification (exception: a score of 4 on the following IB subjects is considered a passing score for CSU GE Breadth Certification: Language A HL, Language B HL, Mathematics HL, and Theatre HL). An acceptable IB score for IGETC or CSU GE Breadth equates to either 3 semester or 4 quarter units for certification purposes.
If you have earned credit from an IB exam, you should not enroll in a comparable college course because credit will not be granted for both. (CSU may grant additional units for eligibility for admission.) If you wish to apply for IB credit, you should: (1) Submit an official IB transcript to Admissions & Records; (2) Review IB scores with a counselor. For more information visit calstate.policystat.com.
| International Baccalaureate Examination (IB) | Passing Score | Minimum Semester Credits Earned1 | Semester Credits Toward GE Breadth | IGETC | American Institutions and/or GE Breadth Area2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biology HL | 5 | 6 CSU/5.3 UC | 3 | 5B | B2 |
| Chemistry HL | 5 | 6 CSU/5.3 UC | 3 | 5A | B1 |
| Economics HL | 5 | 6 CSU/5.3 UC | 3 | 4 | D |
| Geography HL | 5 | 6 CSU/5.3 UC | 3 | 4 | D |
| History (any region) HL | 5 | 6 CSU/5.3 UC | 3 | 3B or 4 | C2 or D |
| Language A: Literature (any language, except English) HL | 4 CSU/5 IGETC | 6 CSU/5.3 UC | 3 | 3B + 6A | C2 |
| Language A: Language and Literature (any language, except English) HL | 4 CSU/5 IGETC | 6 CSU/5.3 UC | 3 | 3B + 6A | C2 |
| Language A: Literature (any language) HL | 4 CSU/5 IGETC | 6 CSU/5.3 UC | 3 | 3B | C2 |
| Language A: Language and Literature (any language) HL | 4 CSU/5 IGETC | 6 CSU/5.3 UC | 3 | 3B | C2 |
| Language B (any language) HL | 4 CSU/5 IGETC | 6 CSU/5.3 UC | 0 | 6a | n/a |
| Mathematics HL: Analysis and Approaches | 4 CSU/ 5 IGETC | 6 CSU/ 5.3 UC | 3 | 2A | B4 |
| Mathematics HL: Applications and Interpretation | 4 | 6 (CSU only) | 3 | n/a | B4 |
| Physics HL | 5 | 6 CSU/5.3 UC | 3 | 5A | B1 |
| Psychology HL | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 | D |
| Theater HL | 4 CSU/5 IGETC | 6 CSU/5.3 UC | 3 | 3A | C1 |
- 1
These units count toward eligibility for admission. The units may not all apply toward certification of the corresponding GE Breadth area. See Executive Orders 1036 and 1100 for details.
- 2
Areas of GE Breadth (A1 through E) are defined in Executive Order 1100. Areas of American Institutions (US-1 through US-3) are set forth in Sections IA and IB of EO 1061, and at assist.org.
Note: College of the Desert does not have comparable courses for all courses listed above.
