AP Music Theory credit at Tennessee colleges
Every Tennessee college with a published AP Music Theory credit policy — minimum score, credit hours, and the course it replaces.
Quick answer
23 of 32 Tennessee colleges (72%) award credit for AP Music Theory at a score of 3. 9 require a 4 and 0 require a 5. The lowest bar in the state is a 3 at Middle Tennessee State University (3 credit hours). 32 of these colleges link to their own policy page below. Captured July 30, 2026.
| College | Min score | Credits | Counts as | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro | 3 | 3 | MUTH 1000 | Policy |
 University of Memphis Memphis | 3 | 2 | MUTC 1001 | Policy |
 The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Chattanooga | 3 | 3 | MUS 1060 | Policy |
 East Tennessee State University Johnson City | 3 | 4 | MUSC 1100 | Policy |
 Austin Peay State University Clarksville | 3 | 3 | MUS 1057 | Policy |
 Tennessee State University Nashville | 3 | 2 | MUSC 1010 | Policy |
 Pellissippi State Community College Knoxville | 3 | 3 | MUS 1057 | Policy |
| 3 | 3 | MUS 1057 | Policy | |
CSCC Chattanooga State Community College Chattanooga | 3 | 3 | MUS1057 | Policy |
MSCC Motlow State Community College Tullahoma | 3 | 3 | 3 hours Elective Credit | Policy |
 Columbia State Community College Columbia | 3 | 3 | MUS 1057 | Policy |
 Roane State Community College Harriman | 3 | 3 | MUS 1057 | Policy |
 Southern Adventist University Collegedale | 3 | — | — | Policy |
| 3 | 3 | — | Policy | |
CSCC Cleveland State Community College Cleveland | 3 | 3 | MUS 1057 | Policy |
 Dyersburg State Community College Dyersburg | 3 | 3 | MUS 1057 Music Theory I | Policy |
 Trevecca Nazarene University Nashville | 3 | — | with a score of 3 = MUS-2010 Theory I (3 credits) with a score of 4 or 5 = MUS-2010 Theory I and MUS-2020 Theory II (total credits 6) | Policy |
 Union University Jackson | 3 | 3 | MUS 109 | Policy |
 Freed-Hardeman University Henderson | 3 | 5 | MUS201, MUS101 | Policy |
 Tusculum University Greeneville | 3 | 3 | — | Policy |
| 3 | 3 | MUS Elective | Policy | |
MU Milligan University Milligan | 3 | 3 | MUSC 143 (3 credits) | Policy |
 Johnson University Knoxville | 3 | 3 | "A" Competency Course or A “4” for the aural skills sub score is equivalent to MUSC 1131 Music Theory Lab I (1 credit). A “5” for the aural skills sub score is equivalent to both MUSC 1131 Music Theory Lab I (1 credit) and MUSC 1241 Music Theory Lab II (1 credit). A “4” for the written skills sub score is equivalent to MUSC 1111 Music Theory I (3 credits). A “5” for the written skills sub score is equivalent to MUSC 1111 Music Theory I (3 credits) and MUSC 1221 Music Theory II (3 credits). | Policy |
 Lipscomb University Nashville | 4 | 4 | MU 1111, MU 1133 | Policy |
 Lee University Cleveland | 4 | 4 | MUST-111 (3 hrs) & MUST-112 (1 hr) | Policy |
 Rhodes College Memphis | 4 | 4 | Music 105 | Policy |
 The University of the South Sewanee | 4 | 4 | — | Policy |
 Carson-Newman University Jefferson City | 4 | 3 | Music111 | Policy |
 Maryville College Maryville | 4 | 3 | MUS 101 | Policy |
 King University Bristol | 4 | 4 | MUSC 1020 | Policy |
 Bryan College-Dayton Dayton | 4 | 3 | MUS 121 | Policy |
 Visible Music College Memphis | 4 | 3 | — | Policy |
AP Music Theory credit in other states
How we ranked this
One row per Tennessee 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 Tennessee colleges give credit for AP Music Theory?+
32 colleges in Tennessee publish a credit-bearing policy for AP Music Theory. 23 of them (72%) award credit at a score of 3, 9 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 Tennessee?+
3. Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro awards credit at a score of 3, worth 3 credit hours, counting as MUTH 1000. 23 Tennessee colleges in total set their bar at a 3 or lower.
Does in-state residency change AP credit in Tennessee?+
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 Tennessee AP credit policies?+
32 of the 32 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.