The Enrollment Services Division, through the Office of the Associate Vice President for Enrollment Services, the Office of Admissions and Orientation, the Office of Financial Aid, the Office of International Services, the Office of Career Services, the International Faculty/Staff Coordinator, and Student Publicity, provides services for students from pre-enrollment through graduation. ADMISSION Applicants to the University of South Alabama are considered for admission as follows:
*Refer to the University of South Alabama Graduate School Section, for
details. Application for Admission Application Deadlines READMISSION
PROCEDURES ADMISSION POLICIES AND
DOCUMENT REQUIREMENTS All documents required for admission review (e.g., transcripts, test scores, or letters of recommendation) must be official, i.e., mailed from the home institution or testing agency directly to the Office of Admissions by the deadline. These documents become the property of the University of South Alabama. The applicant is responsible for making certain that the admission application, processing fee, and all required documents have been received by the appropriate deadline. 1. First Time Freshmen - The University does not employ a rigid formula by which admission is determined, and has no fixed requirements for secondary school courses. However, the University's experience has been that students who have pursued the following pattern of courses in high school generally achieve a level of success markedly greater than those who have not followed such a pattern: English, four units; algebra, two units; precalculus or trigonometry or other higher math, one unit; geometry, one unit; natural science, two units; American history, one unit; world history, one unit; additional academic courses in foreign languages, social studies, natural science, or mathematics, two units; non-vocational electives, three units. Students with Enhanced ACT composite scores of less than 19 (or comparable SATI) may be considered for admission to the Developmental Studies Program (see "Programs Available to the Specially Qualified Student"). Note: Students who take the SATI should contact the Office of Admissions for test score requirements for admission. Documents Required: First time freshmen must submit an official high school transcript showing grades earned and courses pursued. (A final official high school transcript showing the date of graduation is required for those who apply before the end of their senior year.) In addition, first-time freshman applicants must submit official college entrance examination scores--either the result of the ACT or the Scholastic Assessment Test (SATI: Reasoning Test). The Director of Admissions reserves the right to request the student to submit official scores of more than one administration of the ACT or SATI or from both tests (if taken) if deemed necessary. High school students should take the test in the spring of the junior year or early in their senior year so test results will reach the University in ample time for admission review. Applicants must have the scores sent directly to the University from the testing agency by listing the University's code number as a recipient when registering for the examination (ACT code is 0059; SATI code is 1880) or by completing a score request form from the testing agency. In some instances, the Director of Admissions may require the applicant to submit a recommendation from the high school counselor or principal. High school graduates must submit test scores if their semester of matriculation is within five years of high school graduation or if they have not reached the age of 23. If applying for admission five years after graduation, applicants who have not taken the ACT or SATI need not sit for the examination and may apply under the Special Freshman Admission category. 2. Freshmen with Previous Credits applicants must satisfy the requirements noted above for First-Time Freshmen Applicants and must have earned at least a 'C' average on all previous collegiate work attempted. The grade-point average is that computed by the Office of Admissions. Documents Required: Freshmen with Previous Credits applicants must submit all the documents required for First-Time Freshmen as well as an official transcript from each college attended prior to high school graduation. An evaluation of transfer credits will be completed and mailed to students prior to the semester of entry. 3. Early Admission applicants must be recommended by the high school counselor, have earned at least a B average in academic subjects, have scored at least a 25 composite on the Enhanced ACT Assessment (or comparable SATI scores), completed the junior year of high school, and be approved by the Director of Admissions. The exceptional student who has not completed the junior year of high school may be granted special admission consideration. See the Director of Admissions for further information. Documents Required: Early admission applicants must submit an official high school transcript showing grades through the junior year, official ACT or SATI scores and a letter of recommendation from the school guidance counselor. 4. Special Freshman Admission applicants who do not satisfy the requirements for traditional admission may be admitted if satisfactory evidence is provided that they have the ability to pursue successfully the courses in which they wish to enroll. Documents Required: Special freshman admission applicants must submit an official high school transcript for admission consideration. Applicants for admission as special freshman students should be high school graduates whose semester of entry to the university is at least five years since high school graduation or are at least 23 years of age. Students who did sit for ACT or SATI, even though they graduated from high school more than five years prior to the semester of entry or are at least 23 years of age, must apply as First-Time Freshmen regardless of when they graduated from high school or of their age. 5. GED First-Time Freshman applicants are granted admission based on adequate performance (minimum average score of 50) on high school level General Education Development test (GED). Documents Required: GED first time freshman applicants must submit an official copy of their General Educational Development (high school level) test results. Both Special-Freshman admission and GED First-Time Freshman students are considered degree-seeking students and are subject to all academic regulations. 6. Transfer applicants are
granted unconditional admission if they have earned a cumulative average of at least C
(2.00) on all work attempted. Under certain conditions, a student with less than the
requisite 2.00 average, who shows promise of success may be granted probationary
admission. Students who were not admissible after high school are required to complete successfully a minimum of 30 semester hours or 40 quarter hours at another institution before being considered as transfer applicants. Applicants must be eligible to attend the institution in which they were last enrolled. No credit is given for work in which the grade is below a D, for college-level General Education Development tests, or for courses evaluated as non-credit or remedial at this institution. The Director of Admissions evaluates all credits to determine the number transferable to the University of South Alabama. Such transferred credit will be applied, after evaluation, to the specific program of the student. The final program evaluation requires approval by the Dean of the College in which the student is accepted or by the Dean's designated representative. Credits transferable to the University may or may not be applicable, in whole or in part, to a specific program. Transfer students are urged to review all the requirements for a degree as given in the academic regulations section of the Bulletin. No more than a combined total of 32 semester hours of credit will be allowed for credit received through the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), Advanced Placement Program (AP), credit by examination, correspondence courses, military service, school courses, and other approved non-collegiate-sponsored programs as recommended by the American Council on Education. A maximum of (64 semester hours) may be transferred from junior college. Courses offered by this University with a course number of 300 or higher will not be accepted as a transfer from a junior college unless approved by the appropriate college dean. A transfer student from a collegiate institution not accredited by the appropriate regional association may request an evaluation of transfer credits from the student's academic dean after completing one year (32 semester hours) of work at the University of South Alabama. No degree credit will be accepted by the College of Education from any collegiate institution unless that institution has regional accreditation. The University of South Alabama does not grant credit for experiential learning. Documents Required: Transfer student applicants must make certain that official transcripts of all courses for which they have been registered at other colleges or universities are sent directly to the University from the home institution. Students must report colleges where registration was completed even though no credit was earned. Applicants who have attempted fewer than 30 semester hours or 40 quarter hours of college work must submit college transcripts and high school transcripts and ACT or SATI scores. 7. Transient students must be in good standing at the current institution and have the approval of their registrar or dean to enroll at USA. A transient student must accept full responsibility in meeting course prerequisites and having the necessary preparation to take the course or courses desired. Enrollment as a transient student in no way implies future admission as a regular student to the University of South Alabama. However, all work taken at the University of South Alabama will count toward the student's Grade Point Balance (GPB). Documents Required: Transient applicants must request the registrar or dean of the college in which they are currently enrolled to complete the University's Transient Form or write a letter of good-standing for the applicant and mail it directly to the University. Transient students must submit the University's Transient Student Form and a readmission form (available from the Registrar's Office) by the specified deadline (see "How to Apply for Readmission" under the Academic Policies and Procedures" section of the Bulletin) each semester if the student should decide to remain in transient status for more than one term. Should a transient student decide to transfer to the University of South Alabama, the student would be required to apply in the same manner as a transfer student and submit complete transcripts from each college or university attended. 8. Unclassified applicants are admissible if an official transcript showing evidence of the baccalaureate, master's or doctoral degree is received. Note that unclassified students are eligible to enroll in undergraduate courses only and are not working toward a degree. Students seeking a second undergraduate degree should apply as Transfer Students. Documents Required: Unclassified students submit an official transcript showing their earned baccalaureate, master's, or doctoral degree. 9. Audit students are admissible if a completed application for admission and the $25 application fee are submitted to the Office of Admissions by the published deadlines. No other documentation is required. Audit students pay the same tuition and fees as credit students. Audit students are not required to submit documents with their application for admission. NOTE: Transient, Unclassified and Audit Students are not eligible to be considered for financial aid since they are not enrolled in degree seeking programs. TRANSFER CREDIT FROM
JUNIOR COLLEGES Courses not generally accepted from a junior/community college may be considered for transfer credit on a selective basis. Such courses must be approved for degree credit by the student's academic dean based upon the recommendation of the appropriate department chair. University of South Alabama students at any level of progress toward a degree are restricted, in terms of junior college transfer credit, only by the first and second items above. ALABAMA ARTICULATION PROGRAM (STARS)The Alabama Articulation Program (also called STARS - STatewide Articulation Reporting System) is a computerized articulation and transfer planning system designed to inform students who attend Alabama Community Colleges about degree requirements, course equivalents, and other transfer information pertaining to specific majors at each state funded four-year institution. STARS is an efficient and effective way of providing students, counselors, and educators with accurate information upon which transfer decisions can be made. STARS is the information link between the state's public two-year and four-year institutions. The STARS database, if used properly, can prevent the loss of course credit hours, can provide direction for the scheduling of course work, and can ease the transition from one institution to another. Students who are interested in receiving a "Transfer Guide & Contract" should contact: University of South Alabama Office of Admissions, 182 Administration Building, Mobile, Alabama 36688-0002 334/460-6141 or 800/872-5247. TRANSFER CREDIT FROM MILITARY SERVICE SCHOOLSMilitary service-school courses will be evaluated with reference to the recommendation of the American Council on Education when official credentials have been presented by the student to the Office of Admissions for new students, or to the Office of the Registrar for currently enrolled or former students. Such recommendations, however, are not binding upon the University. In no instance, however, may any of the hours of credit be substituted for specific courses, but they may be substituted for electives. Students who have successfully completed basic training in the armed forces may receive four semester hours of elective credit and exemption from P.E. by presenting a DD214, DD295, a copy of a Community College of the Air Force transcript, or a certificate of training to the Office of the Registrar for currently enrolled or former students, or to the Office of Admissions for new students. The Office of Veterans Affairs is located in Room 240 of the Administration Building on the main campus of the University to facilitate veterans' programs and to provide counseling and other veterans' services. (See "Student Activities Section.") PROGRAMS AVAILABLE TO THE SPECIALLY QUALIFIED STUDENT The University of South Alabama offers a number of opportunities to the specially qualified student. Several programs enable the student to accelerate course work.
ORIENTATION FOR NEW STUDENTSOrientation provides an introduction to the academic, service, and social areas of the University of South Alabama. It is offered prior to registration, and all new students (except those who are transient, unclassified or audit-only) are required to attend. The fee charged for Orientation covers costs of materials and meals during the programs. Details are sent to new students prior to their first registration. Further information may be obtained from the Office of Admissions, Administration Building, Room 182, Mobile, AL 36688-0002, telephone (334)460-6141. INTERNATIONAL STUDENTSThe Office of International Services at the University of South Alabama provides special services and programs for non-U.S. citizens. One of the functions of the Office of International Services is the processing of applications for admission submitted by non-citizens. The following are the specific requirements needed by applicants. REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSIONApplication Deadlines All necessary documents must be received by the established deadline for the semester the student wishes to enter. Applications completed after the deadline will be considered for the following term, unless otherwise requested by the student. Outside the United States: Fall-July 10 Within the United States: Fall-August 10 All documents submitted as part of the application process become the property of the University of South Alabama and will not be copied for or released to the student or any other institution. Undergraduate Applicants
In addition the TOEFL may be substituted with the following:
b. English Proficiency Examination. All international students, regardless of TOEFL score, must sit for the English Proficiency Examination during the International Student Orientation with the following exceptions. Students holding J-1 visas and those holding baccalaureate or graduate degrees from regionally accredited United States post-secondary institutions are exempt. Permanent Residents who submit transcripts from regionally accredited United States secondary or post-secondary institutions with at least two full years of course work are also exempt. All transfer students must take the exam. Notification Students are notified of admissions decisions as soon as all required documents are received. The I-20 or IAP-66 form is mailed to students with the letter of admission. Students wishing to postpone their arrival to a later quarter must notify the Office of International Services in writing. If an I-20 or IAP-66 form has been mailed, the complete form must be returned to the University before a new form is issued. Transfer Credit from Foreign Institutions: Students transferring to the University from foreign post-secondary institutions must submit a detailed course syllabus from which to evaluate transfer credit. Advanced Placement credit is available from a number of worldwide sources; contact the Office of International Services for details. Students may secure a professional evaluation of academic credentials at their own expense. Course-by-course professional evaluation is required of transfer students accepted into the College of Education and students applying to the professional component of any program in the College of Allied Health Professions. (See the Additional Information for all International Students section below.) Graduate Applicants
Notification: Students are notified of the Graduate Dean's admission decision as soon as all required documents are received and the Graduate Dean has received a recommendation from the appropriate graduate program. The I-20 or IAP-66 form is mailed to students with the letter of admission. Students wishing to postpone their arrival to a later quarter must notify the Office of International Services in writing. Students who have previously attended USA and who did not register for the quarter in which they were accepted, but who wish to register for the same graduate program in the same academic year must update their admissions through the Office of the Registrar. First-time students who did not register for the quarter for which they were accepted but who wish to register for the same graduate program in the same academic year must submit written requests to update their applications to the Office of International Services. The address is given at the end of this section. If an I-20 or IAP-66 form has been mailed, the complete form must be returned to the University before a new form is issued. Additional Information for
all International Students Orientation: New international students are required to participate in an orientation program prior to their first quarter at the University. The orientation program welcomes students to the University, introduces them to staff and students, and familiarizes them with academic procedures and the community. Medical Insurance: The University requires all international students on non-immigrant visas to maintain medical insurance coverage. Students who do not have adequate sponsor-provided coverage must purchase the University's international student health insurance policy at registration. Address inquiries and questions to:
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