Earning Credit While In High School

Oregon State University welcomes and encourages students to earn college credit prior to enrolling at OSU.  It is important, however, to understand how OSU accepts credit earned through the variety of ways that college credit is offered to students while they are in high school.

Educational experiences that provide high school students with the opportunity to earn college credit while in high school are known in Oregon as “accelerated learning” programs.

The state of Oregon defines these “accelerated learning” opportunities according to the definitions below.

Oregon State accepts credit earned through Dual Credit, Sponsored Dual Credit, AP, IB, and Expanded Options.  Oregon State accepts credit earned through Assessment Based Learning differently, on a course-by-course basis based on evaluation by our faculty.

Forms of Accelerated Learning in Oregon

Dual Credit

In Dual Credit courses, the high school teacher who teaches the course is qualified to act as a proxy faculty member for the college or university offering the credit. These courses, offered at high schools, are sufficiently similar to the college or university course so as to describe the student as “taking a course” from the postsecondary institution.

Sponsored Dual C​redit

In Sponsored Dual C​redit courses, a high school teacher partners with a sponsoring faculty member at a college or university to offer the course. ​These courses, offered at high schools, are sufficiently similar to the college or university course so as to describe the student as “taking a course” from the postsecondary institution.

Example:  College Now

​Assessment Based Learning Credit

In Assessment Based Learning Credit, students do not enroll in a college course, but they are provided an opportunity to earn college credit by demonstrating that they have achieved a college or university course’s learning outcomes.

Example:  Willamette Promise courses

Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs

Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs are offered by high schools across the state.

Expanded Options programs

Expanded Options programs established by school districts provide opportunities for qualified students to take courses at eligible postsecondary institutions.