Undergraduates at Yale must participate in the determination of which course level is personally appropriate. This determination is based on test scores, prior knowledge, and consultation with one’s advisor and the Director of Undergraduate Studies of the relevant department or program.
Certain academic disciplines (e.g., economics, English, languages, mathematics, music, and the natural sciences) require that students carefully consider at which course level they are prepared to engage with the subject. Placement in these subjects is determined by test scores, by consultation with departmental representatives, and by a student’s judgment of the adequacy of his or her preparation.
However, students without such scores may still enter Yale prepared to enroll directly in advanced courses. These students include, for example, native and heritage speakers, students who have studied independently, or those who have taken college courses while enrolled in high school.
Students unsure about their preparation or the level at which they should begin study in a subject may consult with the director of undergraduate studies (DUS) of the relevant program.
After determining the level of courses that their Yale placement or high school test scores suggest, students may still review placement decisions and, if necessary, modify them in consultation with the appropriate academic departments at Yale. Before the course selection period, students have an opportunity to consult with DUSes from most of Yale’s majors and programs at the First-year Curricular Fair. Students may change the level of a course if, after submitting their course schedule, they remain uncertain about placement accuracy. Students should consult the instructor and residential college dean about the steps to take in such a case.
See Yale College Programs of Study, Academic Regulations, section Q, Acceleration for a description of the use of Advanced Placement test scores in course placement and in the award of acceleration credits. For more information, be sure to consult the departmental program descriptions in the Yale College Programs of Study.
Resources for Choosing Courses at the Proper Level
