AP Music Theory credit at Maryland colleges
Every Maryland college with a published AP Music Theory credit policy — minimum score, credit hours, and the course it replaces.
Quick answer
26 of 33 Maryland colleges (79%) award credit for AP Music Theory at a score of 3. 7 require a 4 and 0 require a 5. The lowest bar in the state is a 3 at University of Maryland Global Campus (3 credit hours). 33 of these colleges link to their own policy page below. Captured July 30, 2026.
| College | Min score | Credits | Counts as | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3 | — | Policy | |
 University of Maryland-College Park College Park | 3 | 3 | MUSC 140 (DSSP) | Policy |
 Towson University Towson | 3 | 3 | MUSC 105 | Policy |
 Montgomery College Rockville | 3 | 3 | MUSC184 | Policy |
| 3 | 6 | MUSC 113, 114 | Policy | |
| 3 | 3 | MUSC 101 | Policy | |
| 3 | 6 | MUS 113 & 114 | Policy | |
| 3 | 3 | MUS 1150 | Policy | |
 Howard Community College Columbia | 3 | 3 | MUSA-100 | Policy |
 Salisbury University Salisbury | 3 | 4 | MUSC 201 | Policy |
| 3 | 3 | MUSC 101 | Policy | |
 College of Southern Maryland La Plata | 3 | 3 | Music Elective | Policy |
 Frederick Community College Frederick | 3 | 3 | MUSC 103 | Policy |
 Harford Community College Bel Air | 3 | 4 | MUS 103 | Policy |
 Stevenson University Owings Mills | 3 | 3 | Fine Art Requirement | Policy |
 Frostburg State University Frostburg | 3 | 3 | MUSC 102 | Policy |
 Hagerstown Community College Hagerstown | 3 | 3 | MUS 201 | Policy |
 University of Maryland Eastern Shore Princess Anne | 3 | 5 | MUSI 102 MUSIC THEORY AND APPL I | Policy |
 Wor-Wic Community College Salisbury | 3 | 3 | MUS 101 | Policy |
 Carroll Community College Westminster | 3 | 3 | MUSIC 105 | Policy |
 Coppin State University Baltimore | 3 | 3 | MUSC 105 | Policy |
 St. Mary's College of Maryland St. Mary's City | 3 | — | Non-Aural Subscore = 3 credits MUSC203 Aural Subscore = 1 credit MUSC201 | Policy |
 Cecil College North East | 3 | 7 | MUC 143 (H) & MUC 110 | Policy |
 University of Baltimore Baltimore | 3 | 3 | — | Policy |
 Notre Dame of Maryland University Baltimore | 3 | 3 | MUS-148 | Policy |
 Garrett College McHenry | 3 | 3 | MUS1XX MUSIC ELECTIVE | Policy |
 Loyola University Maryland Baltimore | 4 | 3 | MU 201 | Policy |
MSMS Mount St. Mary's University Emmitsburg | 4 | 3 | FAMU 100 | Policy |
 McDaniel College Westminster | 4 | 4 | Music Theory Elective | Policy |
 Maryland Institute College of Art Baltimore | 4 | — | HMST 200T Humanistic Studies Elective | Policy |
 Hood College Frederick | 4 | 3 | MUSC 101 | Policy |
 Goucher College Baltimore | 4 | 4 | — | Policy |
 Washington College Chestertown | 4 | 4 | MUS 131 | Policy |
AP Music Theory credit in other states
How we ranked this
One row per Maryland college: the lowest score that earns actual credit under the policy that applies to all students, and the largest credit award published at that score. Placement-only policies — permission to skip a course without earning credit hours — are excluded. Credit hours and course equivalents are reproduced exactly as the college published them; “—” means no value was published and we do not estimate one. A page is published for a state only when at least 8 colleges back it.
Frequently asked questions
Which Maryland colleges give credit for AP Music Theory?+
33 colleges in Maryland publish a credit-bearing policy for AP Music Theory. 26 of them (79%) award credit at a score of 3, 7 require a 4, and 0 require a 5. The full list, with credit hours and the course each exam replaces, is in the table on this page.
What is the lowest AP Music Theory score that earns credit in Maryland?+
3. University of Maryland Global Campus in Adelphi awards credit at a score of 3, worth 3 credit hours. 26 Maryland colleges in total set their bar at a 3 or lower.
Does in-state residency change AP credit in Maryland?+
No. AP credit policy is set per institution and applies to admitted students regardless of residency — residency affects tuition rate, not credit awards. What does vary is the school within a university: engineering and nursing colleges commonly set higher bars than arts and sciences. The rules shown here are the ones that apply to all students at each college.
How do I verify these Maryland AP credit policies?+
33 of the 33 colleges on this page link to their own published AP credit page in the Source column; our snapshot was taken July 30, 2026. The college's page is authoritative and can change between admission cycles, so confirm there before building a graduation plan around the credit.
Keep exploring
Data sources: Each college's own published AP / advanced-standing credit page (captured July 30, 2026) · IPEDS institution directory (names, control, location). Figures are the most recent values published in each federal dataset; cells with no published value are shown as “—” and never estimated. Education does not sell rankings or accept placement fees.