American high school diploma​ (HSD)

Disclaimer: This content is intended for general discussion purposes only and should not be taken as a legal advice. The right source to collect right Infos: https://anabin.kmk.org/anabin.htm 
 American high school diploma (HSD) Basic Requirements
It is obligatory for your High School Diploma to be acquired after continuous attendance of the classes 9 to 12  at a US High School.

if forms 9 to 12 you need you comprise a total of 16 "academic units":
- 4 units English with a minimum grade C: English IV or Honors or AP English,
- 2 units Second Language,
- 3 units Social Studies,
5 units in total Mathematics and Science:
- 2 or 3 units Mathematics with a minimum grade C: Algebra II or Trigonometry and Precalculus,
- 2 or 3 units Science with a minimum grade C: Biology, Chemistry or Physics,
- 2 academic units free to choose.
​
​​(one Unit = one Credit)

if forms 10 to 12 you need o comprise a total of 15 "academic units":
- 3 units  English with a minimum grade C: English IV or Honors or AP English,
- 2 units Second Language,
- 3 units Social Studies,
5 units in total Mathematics and Science:
- 2 or 3 units Mathematics with a minimum grade C: Algebra II or Trigonometry and Precalculus,
- 2 or 3 units Science with a minimum grade C: Biology, Chemistry or Physics,
- 2 academic units free to choose.
​
 """please note that some universities in Germany accept just Diploma with continuous attendance of the classes 9 to 12"""
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Schools located outside of the USA  that teach the US curriculum must be accredited by one of the following associations:

  1. Middle States Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS)
  2. New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)
  3. Higher Learning Commission (HLC) ab 2014. Davor: North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA)/Cognia
  4. Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC)/Cognia
  5. Southern Association of Colleges and Schools - Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS-CASI)/Cognia
  6. Accrediting Commission for Schools - Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ASC-WASC)
  7. Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) - Western Association of Schools and Colleges
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The overall grades for individual sections of study and for the entire course are calculated as follows: The "credits/hours" of each course are multiplied by the numerical value of the letter grade, which results in the "grade points" or "quality points" of the individual course. If the sum of the "grade points" or "quality points" of all courses in a study section is divided by the sum of the "credits/hours", the result is the average grade, the "grade point average" - GPA. Often at the end of the course list of each study section, the overall grade of the section with the term "term GPA" and the continuous grade of the entire course of study with the label "Cumulative or Cum GPA" are given. Also, the  "Official Transcripts of Records" must show at the End an "unweighted cum GPA". mostly written "cumGPA( unweighted )".  To be accepted in Germany your "unweighted cum GPA" should be from 3.0 and above.
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Grading System should be like: A = 4, B = 3, C = 2, D = 1, F = 0
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US High School Curriculum Eligible Courses, that shoud be in the "Official Transcripts of Records":
English:
English I (9th grade), English II (10th grade), English III (11th grade), English IV (12th grade) or English 9,10,11,12.
 or from 11 and 12:English Honors, English Literature, American Literature, English Language and Composition, AP -English.

Social Studies:​
American History, European History, US History, World History, World Societies, Geography, Government and Politics, Economics, Psychology. In the 9th grade, an introductory course in the social sciences is often offered, this is called Humanities and is also eligible for recognition

Mathematics:
Algebra I (9th grade), Geometry (10th grade), Algebra II/Trigonometry (11th grade), Pre-Calculus, AP-Calculus (12th grade)

Science:
Only the subjects of Biology, Chemistry, and Physics are considered natural sciences. In the 9th grade, the Science course is often offered as an introductory course to science. This course is also eligible for recognition. (it could be another course acceptable but that should be separately discussed with the University)

The following are excluded from recognition: Environmental Science, Forensic Science, Earth Science, Astronomy, Geology, and Health

optional academic:​
A public school subject must be proven here: e.g. Physical Education (PE), Art, Fine Arts, Music, Religious Education, etc.

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%% A GED (general equivalency diploma) issued by individual states in the US is not accepted.

%% Starting with the admission deadline for the winter semester 2019/2020, the admission options in connection with SAT and ACT do not apply any more. This means that SAT and ACT results do not lead to a better rating for admission to a German institution of higher education than the High School Diploma without additional certificates.
If not not all "academic units" specified above included:  ​The Admission for academic study in Germany is unfortunately not possible without additional proof of education!
if all "academic units" specified above are available in  your High School Diploma:  continue to the next table
​If you do not have you already studied at an accredited higher education institution
​
  • Your possibility of admission:
    Provided the Cumulative Grade Point Average (CumGPA) of your High School Diploma is at least 3.0, you qualify for general admission to a preparatory course/the assessment examination.
​
If you have at least 2 successful academic years 
  • Your possibility of admission:
    Providing your educational background fulfils the condition specified below, you qualify for direct general admission. This allows you to apply directly to a German higher education institution for academic studies in any subject area.

    Condition:
    You are required as part of your academic studies
    - to have taken “college level” courses,
    - to have taken 5 independent general education subjects, including English and a foreign language, mathematics and a natural science subject,
    - to have completed at least three subjects in three respective progressive courses.

    Your school report must furthermore show: either
    - Junior standing
    or
    - proof of 50% of the credits required for a Bachelor’s degree or
    - an Associate’s Degree in an academic programme (transfer programme) with “college level” courses.
Do you have Advanced Placement Tests? 
for Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Technology, Medicine, Pharmacy
  • Your possibility of admission:
    Providing your AP tests cover the compulsory subjects specified below, you qualify for direct subject-restricted admission. This allows you to apply directly to a German higher education institution for Mathematical subjects, Technology, Natural Sciences, Medicine or Pharmacy.

    Condition:
    The following subject areas must be covered by your AP tests with at least grade 3:
    - Mathematics (Calculus AB or BC)
    - 1 natural science subject (Biology, Chemistry or two half AP tests in Physics C)
    - 1 language (French, Spanish, Latin, German, English Literature or English Language and Composition)
    - 1 further subject (e.g. European History, American History, Computer Science or two half AP tests respectively in Macroeconomics and Microeconomics)
The AP exams must all be completed by the end of high school. Prior to this, a corresponding subject course for each AP subject must have been taken in either the 11th or 12th grade.

Explanations on AP Physics:

AP Physics C is required. This consists of two parts: Physics C: Mechanics and AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism.

The AP Physics B course, as of 2015 renamed to AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2, is not recognized.

Explanations on AP Macroeconomics and AP Microeconomics:

Both AP Macroeconomics and AP Microeconomics are required. These AP courses are each worth 0.5 credits/units and are therefore taught only over a half school year. Other AP courses are taught over a full school year and are valued at one (1.0) credit/unit.
Do you Have Advanced Placement Tests?
for Humanities, Social Sciences, Jurisprudence, Economics
​
  • Your possibility of admission:
    Providing your AP tests cover the compulsory subjects specified below, you qualify for direct subject-restricted admission. This allows you to apply directly to a German higher education institution for Humanities, Social Sciences, Jurisprudence or Economics.

    Condition:
    The following subject areas must be covered by your AP tests with at least grade 3:
    - English (English Literature or English Language and Composition)
    - 1 further foreign language (French, Spanish, Latin, German)
    - 1 mathematical/natural science subject (Calculus AB or BC, Biology, Chemistry or two half AP tests in Physics C)
    - 1 further subject (e.g. European History, American History, Computer Science or two half AP tests respectively in Macroeconomics and Microeconomics)
​The AP exams must all be completed by the end of high school. Prior to this, a corresponding subject course for each AP subject must have been taken in either the 11th or 12th grade.

If your High School Diploma does not conform to the US curriculum, then we will assess your educational certificate according to the guidelines from the "Zentralstelle für ausländisches Bildungswesen" (Central Office for Foreign Education - ZAB) to determine if you fulfil the subject-specific requirements to study in Germany.
If the requirements are met, then the following applies:
  • Successful completion of one year of studies at an accredited university qualifies you to attend the Studienkolleg (preparatory course). You may select a preparatory course in the same subject-area as your previous academic studies.
  • Successful completion of two years of studies at an accredited university qualifies you to take up a bachelor course. You may select a subject in the same subject-area as your previous academic studies.

Pls note that the correct information can be found in the anabin database of the ZAB (in german)