“These courses introduce high school students to collegiate-level work,” explains Mr. Phuong Nguyen, Headmaster. “It gives students the opportunity to earn college credit while still in high school, saving on college tuition.”
Courses Offered
Advanced Placement
(To increase scheduling flexibility, some AP classes are offered on a rotating basis or online.)
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Environmental Science
- Physics
- Psychology
- Pre-Calculus
- Calculus AB
- Calculus BC (also offered as dual enrollment)
- Statistics
- Computer Science A
- Drawing
- Music Theory
- English Language
- English Literature
- Government
- European History
- US History
- World History
Dual Enrollment
- Calculus
- Finite Math
What is the difference between Advanced Placement and Dual Enrollment courses?
With Advanced Placement, students take a course that is more rigorous than a typical high school course. They earn a letter grade from their St. Bernard teacher, and their transcript reflects the fact that they were enrolled in an AP class—which helps with admission to selective universities.
To qualify for college credit, the student has an additional step. At the end of the course, he or she must take a nationwide standardized test administered by the College Board. Passing this test indicates to prospective colleges and universities the student has achieved, in the eyes of the College Board, performance at the collegiate level.
It’s important to note that each university has their own unique acceptance criteria for Advanced Placement courses. For example, presuming a student passes a College Board AP test in Chemistry, some universities may give credit for that accomplishment, while others may not.
Having said that, because the test is administered by the College Board, which is well respected by universities, there is generally a good chance of credits being accepted. The College Board website has a search feature that indicates whether a course is accepted at a particular university. For example, a search of “AP Biology” paired with “University of Notre Dame” indicates Notre Dame awards eight college credits to students who score a 5 on the AP Biology exam. That represents a significant financial savings on college tuition.
In courses earmarked as Dual Enrollment, the high school student is actually enrolled for a particular class at both St. Bernard Prep and a cooperating college.
In our case, we have a cooperating agreement with Wallace State Community College in nearby Hanceville, Alabama. If a student does well in the class, he is awarded college credit from Wallace. Credits are valid there and at other colleges and universities that accept transfer credits.
Sr. Marian Davis, O.S.B., holds a Doctorate in English. She taught at St. Bernard Prep for more than a decade, and speaks of her experience of community colleges: “In my opinion, community colleges focus on teaching, rather than research and publishing. There is a focus on the student. In that light, they do an excellent job with foundational college-level work.”
St. Bernard Prep’s college and career counseling will help you select coursework that meets your career objectives, while saving money on college tuition.