Indiana College Core & CAP - University of Southern Indiana

What is it?

The Indiana College Core (ICC) Certificate consists of 30 semester hours of general education credit taken from six competency areas. The ICC certificate must be awarded by a public college or university.

View the list of CAP courses and AP equivalents that count toward USI's ICC certificate.

Students must complete at least 3 credit hours from each of the 6 competency areas, accounting for 18 credit hours. Another 12 credit hours are required to be selected from the Ways of Knowing competency areas.

Foundational Intellectual Skills	Ways of Knowing
Quantitative Reasoning	Humanistic and Artistic
Speaking and Listening	Scientific
Written Communication	Social and Behavioral

Completion of the ICC permits transfer of all 30 hours to other public institutions in Indiana and counts as satisfying the ICC equivalent at the receiving institution.

Several non-public institutions within Indiana also accept the ICC. A full list is available at https://mycollegecore.org/about/who-accepts-it/

To see if your high school offers the ICC, or to help you plan how you might earn the ICC, visit the My College Core Planning Tool.

How does it help me?

Depending on your major, you might get through college a little faster. Or you could take advantage of new opportunities like study abroad, internships, or a double major to make yourself stand out in the job market.

Being a USI student comes with a lot of benefits, and earning the ICC can make your experience even better. These are just some of the examples of what you can take advantage of after earning the ICC.

Interested in studying abroad? Check out the Center for International Programs Study Abroad website to see the different programs and scholarships offered to USI students.
Being an Honors student at USI comes with a lot of perks. Go to the Honors Program website to learn more.
USI's Career Services and Internships department helps students find internships, develop resumes and interview skills, and much more.
Interested in earning a double major? Look through this list of USI's majors and minors to see all the choices USI offers.
USI offers a lot of scholarships. Visit the Scholarships and Financial Aid page to see the options. There are several scholarships that are available to Indiana residents only.

The Indiana Commission for Higher Education also offers students career discovery resources on their Learn More Indiana page.

What else should I consider?

My College Plans

Indiana's public colleges/universities are required to accept the ICC. Independent or private colleges and universities will have their own transfer policies and may not accept all hours. The ICC is not guaranteed to fully replace a university’s general education requirements, so there may still be some general education courses you will be required to take at your chosen university. If you are considering USI, our advisors are here to help you plan all your dual credit and AP experiences; select the "Get Advising Help" button at the bottom of the page.

My Future Major

If you’re sure of your future college major, reach out to an advisor to see how earning the ICC impacts the rest of your college experience. You may be able to double major, study abroad, or complete an internship, but be prepared to start college in higher level courses. If you’re not sure of your major and you earn the ICC, you’ll have one more year to declare and stick to a major after arriving on campus. Completing the ICC without a clear idea of your intended major can mean you have less time to explore after you arrive on a college campus.

My High School Experience

Completing 30 credit hours of college coursework while in high school may require sacrifices. If you're involved in sports, music, theatre, and/or have a job, consider how much time you have to dedicate to your coursework. Dual credit grades are recorded on a permanent college transcript, so be sure to give yourself enough time to plan and study.

My Academic Preparation

If high school coursework is a struggle for you, consider trying one dual credit course to see how you do. You may be surprised to find that a fresh challenge is invigorating! It's also good to know that high school students who complete the ICC are more likely to attend college. Even if the ICC is not right for you right now, just know that earning any dual credit while in high school can help prepare you for the academic rigor required in university courses and give you the confidence to pursue higher education.

My Future Career

The ICC can help prepare you for your future career by making you a well-rounded individual and pointing you toward a more specific career path. Visit USI’s Career Services and Internships page to see their resources available to students to assist them in their career search. For example, they have a What Can I Do With This Major? link that gives a breakdown of different USI majors and their career paths.

My Finances

Depending on your college plans, the ICC may benefit you financially since dual credit through USI is available at no cost. Be aware that every dual credit course you complete, or even attempt, as well as college credit hours acquired through successful AP exams, count toward your financial aid limit. We strongly recommend you contact an advisor at the university you plan to attend so you can see if the ICC is a good financial decision for you.

What if I can't do this or it's not available at my high school?

It's perfectly fine. Plenty of research shows that one or two college courses help students feel more prepared for college. You can still explore your college major options and future career choices - and just enjoy high school!

What if I just finished high school and was on track to earn the ICC? What next?

Your next steps are: make sure all final dual credit grades are posted on each college or university's transcript; through that institution, request official transcripts be sent to USI; make sure you've requested all AP scores be sent to USI and understand it will be early July before those arrive. Your certificate will be formally awarded on your USI transcript by early August. If you matriculate to USI, it will be here waiting for you. Otherwise, learn how to send your USI transcript to your final college/university. This checklist is a good reminder of all your next steps!

USI is approved to award the ICC certificate through dual credit. Work with USI’s ICC advisor, Tim Fitzgibbon, to determine if the ICC is right for you.

Mr. Tim Fitzgibbon, 812-465-1606, Univ_Div@usi.edu