International Baccalaureate (IB) Program. Sam Houston State University recognizes the International Baccalaureate program for those students who earn the IB degree. Although Sam Houston typically accepts a maximum of thirty (30) semester hours of credit through a combination of national standardized examinations and/or locally designed and administered departmental tests, students earning the IB degree are capable of earning in excess of those 30 hours (See table below).
1. General Information. Information on the International Baccalaureate Program may be obtained from high school counselors or by visiting the International Baccalaureate website at www.ibo.org.
2. Limitations. Students with the IB degree will be allowed to gain at least 24 hours or credit provided they score at least a 4 on each exam. However, it will be the student’s
responsibility to request such credit. SHSU strongly encourages students to meet with an advisor to determine how much credit will best serve their academic needs. Students should consult the table below to determine which courses will be given credit for each exam. Students who score less than a 4 will not be granted credit for that particular exam. Specific course prefixes, numbers, and semester credit hours will be awarded for acceptable scores but no grades will be awarded (except in transfer from another college or university). Credit will not be awarded for an exam if the student is enrolled in the course or has already taken the course. Students without an IB degree may earn credit for taking the exam on a case by case basis. In such cases, the various academic departments will determine what level of proficiency is needed to earn credit.3. Acceptable Scores and Credit. An official score report must be received from a beginning freshman (or any student who has not received college credit for these exams at
another college or university) before credit will be awarded. A transfer student, who has received credit for one or more AP or IB exams at another college or university, may have credit awarded at SHSU upon receipt of an official transcript from the other institution as long as the credit awarded at the other institution is transferable to SHSU.
International Baccalaureate Exams
International Baccalaureate Program
| EXAM AREA | LEVEL | SHSU COURSE EQUIVALENT |
|
| Group 1 | Level | Course Number | Hours |
| English | HL | ENG 164 and 265 | 6 |
| SL | ENG 164 | 3 | |
| Extended Essay | A or B | ENG 165 | 3 |
| Group 2 | |||
| Spanish | HL | SPN 141, 142, 263, and 264 | 14 |
| SL | SPN 141 and 142 | 8 | |
| French | HL | FRN 141, 142, 263, and 264 | 14 |
| SL | FRN 141 and 142 | 8 | |
| German | HL | GER 141, 142, 263, and 264 | 14 |
| SL | GER 141 and 142 | 8 | |
| Hindi | SL | FL 141 and 142 | 8 |
| Chinese | SL | FL 141 and 142 | 8 |
| Language A1 Self-taught | SL | FL 141 and 142 | 8 |
| Group 3 | |||
| History Europe | HL | HIS 266 and 100 | 6 |
| SL | HIS 266 | 3 | |
| History Americas | HL | HIS 163 and 164 | 6 |
| SL | HIS 163 | 3 | |
| Economics | HL | ECO 233 and 234 | 6 |
| SL | ECO 233 | 3 | |
| Psychology | HL | PSY 131 and 289 | 6 |
| SL | PSY 131 | 3 | |
| Philosophy | HL | PHL 261 | 3 |
| SL | PHL 261 | 3 | |
| Group 4 | |||
| Chemistry | HL | CHM 138, 118, 139 and 119 | 8 |
| SL | CHM 138 and 118 | 4 | |
| Biology | HL | BIO 138, 118, 139 and 119 | 8 |
| SL | BIO 134 and 114 | 4 | |
| Physics | HL | PHY 138, 118, 139, and 119 | 8 |
| SL | PHY 135 and 115 | 4 | |
| Environmental Systems | SL | GEO 133 | 3 |
| Group 5 | |||
| Mathematics | HL | MTH 142 | 4 |
| SL | MTH 164 | 3 | |
| Math Studies | SL | MTH 199 | 3 |
| Further Math | SL | MTH 163 | 3 |
| Group 6 | |||
| Visual Arts A | HL | THR 166 | 3 |
| SL | THR 166 | 3 | |
| Visual Arts B | HL | ART 160 | 3 |
| SL | ART 160 | 3 | |
| Film | |||
| ITGS | HL | SOC 381 (na) and SOC 100 | 6 |
| SL | SOC 381 (na) | 3 | |
| Music | HL | MUS 265 | 3 |
| SL | MUS 265 | 3 | |
| Computer Science | HL | CS 133 | 3 |
| SL | CS 133 | 3 | |