Cal-GETC
As of fall 2025, all UC and CSU campuses have adopted the new Cal-GETC sequence as a replacement for IGETC and CSU GE Breadth. While De Anza will continue to support those older GE patterns for students who have catalog rights to use them, students are encouraged to follow the new Cal-GETC sequence.
Credit for Advanced Placement (AP)
Students may earn credit for AP Exams with a score of 3, 4, or 5. AP credit will be applied to A.A./A.S. General Education requirements, course credit and elective units for the A.A./A.S. degree as shown in the chart below. A student who receives AP credit and takes the equivalent De Anza course will have the unit credit for such duplication deducted prior to being awarded an A.A./A.S. degree.
To be awarded credit, students must submit official College Board AP Score Reports (sent directly from the College Board or in an official sealed report envelope) to the Admissions and Records Office.
Receiving Credit
All AP scores must be ordered through College Board and sent directly to De Anza to receive credit. AP scores can take between 1 and 3 weeks to arrive once ordered from College Board.
- Please contact us after they are sent and this time period has passed.
For a prerequisite clearance, students may submit an unofficial copy (e.g., a PDF document) of their AP scores with their clearance request. View De Anza's Meeting Prerequisites page. No credit will be awarded when clearing prerequisites as this form is only for registration purposes.
For California State University (CSU), be sure to check
- CSU System Level AP Policy
- Cal-GETC Standards
- Individual campus catalogs and bulletins for more information on how course credit may be granted.
For University of California (UC), be sure to check
- UC System Level AP Policy
- Cal-GETC Standards
- Individual campus catalogs and bulletins for more information on how course credit may be granted.
Please Note
AP policies, including course placement and course credit awarded, vary by college and university. When selecting courses for transfer, students are advised to consult with a counselor or academic adviser to review AP policies for transfer institutions as they may differ from De Anza's AP policy. Course planning solely based on De Anza's AP policy could affect your transfer readiness and eligibility.
Effective: Fall 2022
| AP Exam | De Anza College A.A./A.S. Credit (GE and/or course) |
Units Awarded towards A.A./A.S. |
|---|---|---|
| African American Studies | No GE credit awarded De Anza Elective Credit |
4 quarter |
| Art History | De Anza GE: Arts (Area 3) Course credit - ARTS 1A |
4 quarter |
| Biology | De Anza GE: Natural Sciences (Area 5) Course credit - BIOL 10 |
5 quarter |
| Calculus AB(1) | De Anza GE: Critical Thinking (Area 1B*) Course credit - MATH 1A |
5 quarter |
| Calculus BC(1) | De Anza GE: Critical Thinking (Area 1B*) Course credit - MATH 1A and 1B |
10 quarter |
| Calculus BC/AB Subscore(1) | De Anza GE: Critical Thinking (Area 1B*) Course credit - MATH 1A |
5 quarter |
| Chemistry | De Anza GE: Natural Sciences (Area 5) Course credit - Score 3: CHEM 25 Score 4 or 5: CHEM 1A |
5 quarter |
| Chinese Language and Culture | De Anza GE: Humanities (Area 3) Course credit - Score 3: MAND 4 Score 4: MAND 5 Score 5: MAND 6 |
5 quarter |
| Comparative Government and Politics | De Anza GE: Social/Behavioral Sciences (Area 4) No course credit |
4 quarter |
| Computer Science A | No GE credit awarded Course credit - Score 3: no course credit Score 4 or 5: CIS 22A^ or 22B^ or 35A^ or 36A^ or 36B^ or 40^ ^ By petition only - consult with the Computer Information Systems Dept. Chair. (note: course credit for AP will be awarded if the exam is accepted as a prerequisite for a higher course and that course is successfully completed) |
4.5 quarter |
| Computer Science Principles | De Anza GE: Critical Thinking (Area 1B*) No course credit |
4 quarter |
| English Language and Composition(2) | De Anza GE: English Composition (Area 1A) Course credit - ENGL C1000 |
5 quarter |
| English Literature and Composition(2) | De Anza GE: English Composition (Areas 1A) and Humanities (Area 3) Course credit - Score 3: ENGL C1000 Score 4 or 5: ENGL C1000 and EWRT 1B |
10 quarter |
| Environmental Science | De Anza GE: Natural Sciences (Area 5)** Course credit - ESCI 1 |
5 quarter |
| European History | De Anza GE: Humanities (Area 3) OR Social/Behavioral Sciences (Area 4) Course credit- HIST 6C |
4 quarter |
| French Language and Culture | De Anza GE: Humanities (Area 3) No course credit |
5 quarter |
| German Language and Culture | De Anza GE: Humanities (Area 3) Course credit - GERM 4 |
5 quarter |
| Human Geography | De Anza GE: Social/Behavioral Sciences (Area 4) Course credit Score 3: no course credit Score 4 or 5: GEO 4 |
4 quarter |
| Italian Language and Culture | De Anza GE: Humanities (Area 3) No course credit |
5 quarter |
| Japanese Language and Culture | De Anza GE: Humanities (Area 3) No course credit |
5 quarter |
| Latin | De Anza GE: Humanities (Area 3) No course credit |
4 quarter |
| Macroeconomics | De Anza GE: Social/Behavioral Sciences (Area 4) Course credit - Score 3: no course credit Score 4 or 5: ECON 1 |
4 quarter |
| Microeconomics | De Anza GE: Social/Behavioral Sciences (Area 4) Course credit- Score 3: no course credit Score 4 or 5: ECON 2 |
4 quarter |
| Music Theory | De Anza GE: Arts (Area 3*) Course credit- MUSI 2 |
4 quarter |
| Physics 1(3) | De Anza GE: Natural Sciences (Area 5) No course credit |
5 quarter |
| Physics 2(3) | De Anza GE: Natural Sciences (Area 5) No course credit |
5 quarter |
| Physics C Mechanics(3) | De Anza GE: Natural Sciences (Area 5) Course credit - Score 3 or 4: PHYS 2A# Score 5: PHYS 4A# #by petition only - proof of lab required. See Physics Dept. Chair |
5 quarter for PHYS 2A 6 quarter for PHYS 4A |
| Physics C Electricity/Magnetism(3) | De Anza GE: Natural Sciences (Area 5) No course credit |
5 quarter |
| Psychology | De Anza GE: Social/Behavioral Sciences (Area 4) Course credit- PSYC C1000 |
4 quarter |
| Spanish Language and Culture | De Anza GE: Humanities (Area 3) Course credit - Score 3: SPAN 4 Score 4: SPAN 5 Score 5: SPAN 6 |
5 quarter |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | De Anza GE: Humanities (Area 3) Score 3 or 4: SPAN 5 Score 5: SPAN 6 |
5 quarter |
| Statistics | De Anza GE: Critical Thinking (Area 1B) Course credit - STAT C1000 |
5 quarter |
| Studio Art - 2D Design | No GE credit awarded Course credit - ARTS 8 |
4 quarter |
| Studio Art - 3D Design | No GE credit awarded No course credit |
4 quarter |
| Studio Art - Drawing | No GE credit awarded Course credit- ARTS 4A |
4 quarter |
| U.S. Government and Politics | De Anza GE: Social/Behavioral Sciences (Area 4) No course credit |
4 quarter |
| U.S. History | De Anza GE: Humanities (Area 3) OR Social/Behavioral Sciences (Area 4) Course credit - HIST 17C |
4 quarter |
| World History Modern | De Anza GE: Humanities (Area 3) OR Social/Behavioral Sciences (Area 4) Course credit - HIST 3C |
4 quarter |
1 If a student passes more than one AP exam in Calculus, only one exam may be applied towards the A.A./A.S. degree.
2 If a student passes more than one AP exam in English, only one exam may be applied towards the A.A./A.S. degree.
3 If a student passes more than one AP exam in Physics, a maximum of eleven (11) quarter units of credit may be applied towards the A.A./A.S. degree.
* A.A./A.S. GE Area credit is based on the CCCCO Policy Change for Advanced Placement Credit Memo (AB 1985), but the corresponding De Anza course does not fulfill the A.A./A.S. GE Area requirement in the same manner.
** AP Environmental Science: Physical Science GE credit will be awarded to align with Cal-GETC AP policies. Please contact the Evaluation Department (evaluationsda@fhda.edu) if ESCI 1 credit is needed for your AA/AS major requirement.