Mar 19, 2024  
2013-2014 General Catalog (Summer, Fall 2013) 
    
2013-2014 General Catalog (Summer, Fall 2013) ARCHIVED CATALOG: To search archives, MUST use search box to left. Current catalog: catalog.usu.edu.

International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO)


The IBO is a nonprofit educational foundation based in Geneva, Switzerland. It grew out of international schools’ efforts to establish a common curriculum and university entry credential. The schools were also motivated by an idealistic vision. They hoped that critical thinking and exposure to a variety of points of view would encourage intercultural understanding by young people. They concentrated on the last two years of school before university studies in order to build a curriculum that would lead to what they called a “baccalaureate,” administered in any country and recognized by universities everywhere.

USU recognizes the International Baccalaureate program. Students who enter with International Baccalaureate credit are awarded admission to the Honors Program. Students who present an International Baccalaureate diploma will be awarded a maximum of 30 credits. These credits will waive the appropriate Breadth and Communications Literacy requirements, but students will still be required to complete the Quantitative Literacy and Computer and Information Literacy requirements, unless their individual scores on IB exams waive those requirements. Each student’s transcript will be evaluated individually, based on the courses he or she has completed.

Students who have not completed the International Baccalaureate diploma may receive 3 or more credits for scores of 4 to 7 on standard- or higher-level exams (as shown below), up to a maximum of 30 credits.

Individual departments and/or colleges may specify the exact courses required to fill their requirements and may require more than the minimum General Education requirements. Some departments and colleges require specific  coursework for General Education, which the IBO exams may not satisfy.

If, prior to (or after) taking an IBO examination, a student receives credit (including AP credit) for any coursework equivalent to the subject matter of an IBO examination, the credits earned for the course will be deducted from the credits awarded for the examination.

Other institutions have policies differing from those of USU regarding IBO scores and credits granted for those scores. For transfer students with less than an associate degree, IBO credit posted to another institution’s transcript is reevaluated based on USU’s standard.

International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) Credit Allocation

IBO Test Score1 Credits USU Credit Awarded
Biology  4-7 SL  3 3 (BLS) credits
Biology  4-7 HL  6 3 (BLS) credits + 3 elective credits
Business & Management  4-7 SL  3 3 elective credits
Business & Management  4-7 HL  6 6 elective credits
Chemistry  4-5 HL  6 CHEM 1110  (BPS) (4) + 2 elective credits2 or CHEM 1210  (4) + 2 (BPS) credits2
Computer Science  4-7 SL  3 CS 1030  (DSC/QI) (3)
Computer Science  4-7 HL  3 CS 1030  (DSC/QI) (3)
Economics  4-7 SL  3 ECN 1500  (BAI) (3)
Economics  4-7 HL  6 ECN 1500  (BAI) (3) +APEC 2010 /ECN 2010  (BSS) (3)
English A1  4-7 SL  3 3 (CL1) credits
English A1  4-7 HL  6 3 (CL1) credits + 3 (CL2) credits
French B  4-7 SL  8 FREN 1010  (4) + FREN 1020  (4)
French B  5-7 HL  8 FREN 2010  (4) + FREN 2020  (4)
Geography  5-7 HL  6 GEOG 1000  (BPS) (3) + GEOG 1400  (BSS) (3)
German  4-7 SL  8 GERM 1010  (4) + GERM 1020  (4)
German  5-7 HL  8 GERM 2010  (4) + GERM 2020  (4)
History—European  5-7 HL  6 3 (BHU) credits + 3 elective credits
History—Islamic  5-7 HL  6 3 (BHU) credits + 3 elective credits
History of the Americas  5-7 HL  6 3 (BHU) credits + 3 elective credits
Mathematics  4-7 HL  6 MATH 1210  (QL) (4) + 2 elective credits
Music  4-7 SL  3 MUSC 1010  (BCA) (3)
Music  4-7 HL  3 MUSC 1010  (BCA) (3)
Philosophy  4-7 SL  3 PHIL 1000  (BHU) (3)
Philosophy  4-7 HL  3 PHIL 1000  (BHU) (3)
Physics  4-7 SL  3 3 (BPS) credits
Physics  4 HL  4 PHYS 2120  (BPS) (4) or PHYS 2210  (QI) (4)
Physics  5-7 HL  8 PHYS 2120  (BPS) (4) + PHYS 2210  (QI) (4)
Psychology  4-7 SL  3 PSY 1010  (BSS) (3)
Psychology  4-7 HL  6 PSY 1010  (BSS) (3) + 3 elective credits
Social & Cultural Anthropology  5-7 HL  3 ANTH 1010  (BSS) (3) + 3 elective credits
Spanish  4-7 SL  8 SPAN 1010  (4) + SPAN 1020  (4)
Spanish  5-7 HL  8 SPAN 2010  (4) + SPAN 2020  (4)
Theatre Arts  5-7 HL  6 THEA 1013  (BCA) (3) + THEA 1713  (3)
Visual Arts  4-7 SL  3 3 (BCA) credits
Visual Arts  4-7 HL  3 3 (BCA) credits
1Standard-level scores are followed by SL. Higher-level scores are followed by HL. If no standard-level score is shown for a particular test, then no USU credits are granted for a standard-level score in that area.
2The student or advisor may choose the CHEM 1110  or CHEM 1210  track, according to what best suits the student’s major.