Admission to the University

UNDERGRADUATE ADMISSIONS POLICY

STATEMENT OF POLICY:

Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) is committed to equality of educational opportunity.  Admission to the university is based on merit and there is no discrimination against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or veteran status. 

Admission requirements for those entering the freshman class, for those entering with advanced undergraduate credit, for those seeking admission as unclassified or special/non-degree seeking students, and for those seeking re-admission to the university are provided. Students may be admitted at the beginning of the fall semester, spring semester or at the beginning of each summer session. Early application is advisable for any term. All requests for application forms and inquiries for information concerning undergraduate admission should be addressed to the Office of Admissions.

A $50 non-refundable application fee must accompany the completed application form. Students are encouraged to visit the university’s website at www.wssu.edu.

Admission to the Freshman Class

In selecting the freshman class, decisions are based upon the candidate’s academic record and scores on the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) of the College Entrance Examination Board or the American College Test (ACT) of the American College Testing Service. The university’s CEEB code for the SAT is 5909; the ACT code is 3178. The admissions criteria are the same for public and private school applicants. It is possible for holders of high school equivalency certificates to be given individual consideration for admission. Admission to the university does not guarantee admission to any academic program.

Academic Requirements—An official transcript showing graduation from an accredited high school or an official transcript showing that the applicant is scheduled for graduation during the current scholastic year is required. The transcript should include the courses which the applicant has completed and those in which the applicant is enrolled, the number of weeks given each subject, the grade in each course and the scholastic standing of the student in their class. The school official authorized to sign these records must sign the transcript. All transcripts received by the university become the property of the university, and are filed among its records. Transcripts cannot be forwarded or returned to the applicant.

Graduates of Cooperative Innovative High Schools (Early College)

Students graduating from a North Carolina Cooperative Innovative High School (CIHS) with an associate’s degree will have the option of being considered for admission as a freshman or as a transfer student.

WSSU will also provide written information to the student regarding the different admission requirements that accompany each option and any other relevant information that may be helpful to the student when considering which option to select.

Regulations on Minimum Requirements for Undergraduate Admission  

This regulation confirms the minimum undergraduate course requirements to be in effect at all constituent institutions of the University of North Carolina. 

I. Minimum Course Requirements (MCR) for Undergraduate Admissions 

For degree-seeking applicants for first-time undergraduate admission, the following courses will be required. 

A. MCR shall include:

Six course units* in language, including 

• four units in English emphasizing grammar, composition, and literature, and 
• two consecutive units of a language other than English. 

   

  Four course units of mathematics, in any of the following combinations: 

• common core I, II, and III, and one unit beyond common core III; 
• algebra I and II, geometry, and one unit beyond algebra II; or 
• integrated math I, II, and III, and one unit beyond integrated math III. 

   

  (The fourth unit of math affects applicants to all institutions except the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.) In some cases, students may combine math courses from the different combinations listed above to meet the requirement. It is recommended that prospective students take a mathematics course unit in the twelfth grade. 

  Three course units in science, including 

• at least one unit in a life or biological science (for example, biology), 
• at least one unit in physical science (for example, physical science, chemistry, physics), and 
• at least one laboratory course. 

   

  Two course units in social studies, including one unit in U.S. history, but an applicant who does not have the unit in U.S. history may be admitted on the condition that at least three semester hours in that subject will be passed by the end of the sophomore year. 

   

  “Course units” as defined in these requirements may include those high school-level courses taken and passed by an applicant after graduating from high school, as well as those taken while enrolled as a high school student. For some transfer students and students who graduated from high school prior to 1990, special considerations have been made.  

  Minimum Admissions Requirements (MAR) for any university within the UNC system are as follows although schools are able to define their own requirements above these minimums. 

   

  All degree-seeking applicants for first-time admission as undergraduates must have:  A. A minimum 2.5 weighted high school grade point average (GPA); and 

  B. A minimum SAT of 880 or ACT of 17. 

1. The SAT score scale on which this minimum standard is based is the sum of the critical reading and mathematics subtests, a sum that has a possible range of 400-1600. The ACT score scale on which this minimum standard is based is the average (rounded to the nearest whole number) of the four subtests, and the possible range is 1-36. 
2. The standards may be met by a “superscore,” defined as a combination of subtests from more than one administration of the same test. However, the SAT scores may not be calculated by conversion of ACT scores, or vice versa. 

   The following groups of first-time, undergraduate applicants are exempt from one or both of the MAR criteria (grade point average and test scores). 

1. Applicants who are at least 21 years old at the start of their first undergraduate term are exempt from both MAR and MCR; 
2. Applicants who have earned at least 24 transferrable credits from a regionally accredited postsecondary institution are exempt from both MAR and MCR (Undergraduate credits awarded for AP, IB, or other credit by exam may not be included as part of these 24 hours); 
3. Graduates of home schools are exempt from the minimum GPA requirement but must meet the minimum test score and MCR; 
4. Graduates of non-traditional high schools that do not have grades or operate on a scale other than that on which this admissions policy is based are exempt from the minimum

   GPA requirement but must meet the minimum test score and MCR; and 

5. Graduates of foreign high schools for which high school GPA and/or required admissions test scores are not provided, or are provided on a scale that is not comparable to the GPA scale on which this admissions policy is based, may be exempt from the MAR.

    

Transfer Admission  I. Admissions Requirements for Transfer Applicants

It is required that applicants that have attended another college/university (including 2-year, 4year, and/or junior colleges) submit an application for admission, all official transcripts for institutions of higher learning attended, and other needed documentation to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

Definitions. These definitions are intended only for UNC system data reporting purposes. 

1. An undergraduate first-time student is one who has not attended another postsecondary institution after graduating from high school. It also includes students enrolled in the fall term who attended college for the first time in the prior summer. 
2. An undergraduate transfer student is one who has attended another postsecondary institution after graduating from high school. 

    

   Admission of Transfer Students 

1. For purposes of undergraduate admission, transfer applicants who have earned at least 24 transferrable undergraduate credits from one or more regionally accredited, postsecondary institutions shall not be required to meet Minimum Admissions Requirements (MAR) and Minimum Course Requirements (MCR). 
   1. Transferrable undergraduate credit counted as part of these 24 hours shall also include: 
      1. Credit earned at foreign institutions deemed to have the equivalence of regional accreditation; equivalence of regional accreditation generally refers to recognition by the foreign country’s Ministry of Education and/or recognition by a credible organization offering credential evaluation services; and 
      2. Credit awarded for prior learning as part of military service, with the military branch designated as the transfer institution. 
   2. Undergraduate credits awarded for AP, IB, or other credit by exam shall not be included as part of these 24 hours. 
   3. Applicants under the age of 21 with fewer than 24 hours of transferrable undergraduate credit earned in a post-secondary institution must meet MAR and MCR.
2. Transfer applicants who are 21 years of age or older shall not be required to meet MAR and MCR for admissions purposes. 
3. All persons having completed a minimum of three years of active duty service will be considered transfer students in the admissions process pursuant to UNC Policy Manual, Section 700.1.1.2[R], with the branch of service functioning as the institution of transfer. Applicants in this profile shall be required to submit the high school transcript or GED, college transcript(s) (if applicable) and relevant military transcript for evaluation.
4. WSSU complies with all requirements of the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (CAA).

    

   Applicants that have been enrolled in one of the 16 University of North Carolina system schools are not required to submit a high school transcript and SAT/ACT score.  To be eligible for admission to WSSU, transfer applicants must be in good academic standing and eligible to return to the last institution which they attended.

    

II.General Guidelines for Transfer of Academic Credit

1. Equating Quarter Hours (QH) to Semester Hours (SH) for Transfer—One QH = two-thirds SH. If transfer credit comes within one-third SH of a WSSU requirement, it will be considered to have fulfilled that requirement. (Thus, a 4 QH course in biology will fulfill a 3 SH biology requirement at WSSU since 4 QH equals 2 2/3 SH. A 3 QH biology course, however, will not fulfill a 3 SH biology requirement since 3 QH equals 2 SH.) 
2. The North Carolina Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (CAA) (2007), states that “to be eligible for the transfer of credits under the CAA, the student must graduate from the community college with an Associate in Arts (AA) or Associate in Science (AS) degree or have completed the 44-hour general education core as defined … and have an overall Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale and a grade of “C” or better in all CAA courses.” Therefore, students who have met the CAA are considered to have met the general education requirements at WSSU. Students are still responsible for meeting any pre-requisite course requirements required by academic major programs at WSSU.
3. WSSU will accept courses from regionally accredited colleges and universities for which the student earned a grade of “C” or better. 
4. WSSU will transfer no more than 64 SH (96 quarter-hours) earned at two-year institutions. 
5. No more than 75% of credits toward graduation can be transferred. 
6. Courses will transfer as equivalent courses when such a course or precedent exists (course has been accepted previously as equivalent to a WSSU course).
7. Courses for which there is no equivalent course will transfer as elective credit.
8. The chairperson of the transfer student’s major or minor department will review the transcript and make the recommendation regarding appropriate credits for elective credit that could satisfy major course requirements.
9. All courses approved for transfer are listed on the WSSU record, but grades and grade point averages are not.

    

III.General Elective Credit

General rules governing transfer credit for General Elective Transfer Credit:

1. Courses taken at regionally accredited institutions which do not transfer as general education credit or equivalent credit for major and minor courses will be considered for general elective transfer credit.
2. No credit below “C” level will be accepted; grade points and averages do not transfer.
3. Transfer credit is awarded only upon receipt in the WSSU Office of the Registrar of an official transcript from the institution where the credit was earned.
4. No more than 30 credit hours can be transferred as General Elective Transfer Credit.
5. Provisional transfer credit may be granted for study at foreign institutions or U.S.

   institutions that are not regionally accredited, but must be validated by 30 semester hours of successful performance in residence at Winston-Salem State University.

    

IV.General Education Requirements

General Education at Winston-Salem State University provides the intellectual foundation for both the completion of a major program of study and learning beyond college by affording students a broad based education rooted in the Arts, Humanities and Sciences. The General Education curriculum is designed to foster the development of critical skills such as thinking, writing, and speaking while offering students the opportunity to explore the vast fields that make up the academy. 

A. The registrar will determine credits that can transfer to WSSU based on the guidelines in the section II. Students will work with their advisors to distribute the courses relative to the general education framework.

1. Transfer students are required to take or transfer approximately 60 SH of credits outside of their major program requirements. Many of the 60 SH will be used to address requirements of the general education curriculum. 
2. For transfer students who have not met the general education core curriculum requirements as defined in the CAA, general education transfer decisions will be made on a course-by-course basis.
3. Transfer students should have at least one course in each of the seven general education Areas of Knowledge – Culture and Foreign Language, History, Literature, Mathematics, Natural Science, Social and Behavioral Sciences, and The Fine Arts.
4. For transfer students with less than 60 hours of general education transfer credit, advisors will work with students to determine if there is a need, because of skill deficits, to take courses that are focused on any of the seven general education learning outcomes as part of general education before the student enters the major.  

    

   1. Developmental skills courses do not count towards the hours needed to fulfill either general education requirements or the 60 SH outside of the major requirement. Developmental skills courses are non-credit, basic skills classes for students who demonstrate skill deficiencies in writing in English, mathematics, or reading as determined by placement examinations. 
   2. Transfer students are advised to review the WSSU catalog regarding specific pre-requisite course requirements related to courses in the various major programs. Many of these courses are found in the general education curriculum at WSSU and other colleges and universities. 
   3. Students who transfer less than 30 SH are required to complete a Liberal Learning Seminar (LLS) sometime during their first year at WSSU unless they transfer into a distance learning program.

       

V.Placement Test

Placement tests are not required if students have taken developmental or college level English and/or mathematics at another accredited institution. Students who have maintained a 2.5 (C+) grade point average through 24 SH of course work at a technical college or similar institution, or a 2.0 (C) grade point average through 24 SH of work at a community, junior college; four-year college or university will not be required to take the Reading Placement Test.

(Amended admission policy approved by BOT March 20, 2015 for implementation July 1, 2015)

Admission Requirements for an Additional Baccalaureate Degree

A student that has received a bachelor’s degree from WSSU or another regionally accredited institution may earn an additional baccalaureate degree by the following means:

1. Completing a minimum of 30 additional SH at WSSU beyond the hours required for their first degree, for each subsequent degree.
2. Satisfying upper division requirements in the major field as recommended and approved by the department and approved by the department chair granting the additional degree.
3. Completing other requirements or pertinent supporting courses as approved by appropriate department chairperson or dean.

    

International Student Admission

WSSU accepts qualified students from other countries. International applicants must satisfy all requirements for admission as outlined for other students, and must have command of written and spoken English as demonstrated by test scores. In addition, prospective international students must:

1. Have all academic records, including official transcripts showing all school coursework and proof of graduation from a secondary school, translated into English and evaluated by an international academic evaluation service such as World Education Services (www.wes.org) before the records are submitted to the Office of Admissions.
2. Send official Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores to the Office of Admissions. The verbal score on the SAT I or the English score on the ACT may be used instead of the TOEFL or IELTS score.
3. Submit a certificate of financial responsibility and supporting documentation showing sufficient financial resources to be used to cover the cost of attendance. This amount must exceed the annual out-of-state budget used by the university’s Financial Aid Office.

    

   Prospective international students should submit all application materials by published deadlines for the term for which they are applying. The university’s Office of International Programs will issue the I-20 once applicants have satisfied all admission requirements. All other requests for information or questions regarding admission should be directed to the Office of Admissions.

    

    

Non-degree/Special Students

Special students are students who wish to take courses for the purpose of broadening their cultural interest or purely for their own edification; students visiting from another institution; or graduates of four-year institutions seeking certification. Interested individuals should:

1. Submit application for admission with the $50 non-refundable application fee.
2. Submit proof of high school graduation or a permission from the current institution.

    

   In order to take a course that requires a pre-requisite, appropriate transcripts showing successful completion of the pre-requisite should be submitted to the Department of Admissions. 

    

   Students admitted as non-degree seeking/special students are not eligible to receive any federal or university financial aid. Special students may be considered as degree seeking after all requirements for new freshmen or transfer admission have been met. Special students not seeking certification may enroll in and accumulate no more than 12 SH. Credits earned while enrolled as a special student will not count toward graduation until all university admissions have been met.

    

Visiting Students

Students from other colleges or universities may be admitted as visitors. Applicants from other colleges or universities must obtain prior approval from their current institution to take courses at Winston-Salem State University. High school students must provide the appropriate permissions from the high school counselor and parent/guardian.  The university assumes no responsibility for determining the student’s course selection when the credits are to be transferred elsewhere. Enrollment by permission from another institution does not obligate the university to continue the student’s enrollment at Winston-Salem State University after the expiration of the permission period.

Admission to the Summer Session

Degree seeking students who wish to start course work during the summer session must satisfy the same admission requirements that are prescribed for students entering for the first time in the fall or spring semester, including the testing requirements. Students enrolling for the summer session only as visiting students should contact the Continuing Education and Summer Sessions Office at (336) 750-2638

High School Students

Winston-Salem State University will accept, for enrollment in certain university courses, high school juniors and seniors and who have the formal endorsement of and permission from the high school counselor and parent/guardian. Enrollment is limited to one course per semester. The cost per course for which university credit is given is the same as for other students taking fewer than nine hours. Credit earned before completion of high school may be applicable to a degree program at Winston-Salem State University when the student has met all requirements for high school graduation and satisfied the requirements for admission as a freshman, or the credit can be transferred to the school of the student’s choice. Individuals wishing to enroll in university courses as indicated should proceed according to the policies of the high schools, and the high schools should contact the Winston-Salem State University Office of Admissions for application forms and further information.

Re-Admission of Former Students

When a student’s attendance is interrupted for any reason, an application for re-admission must be filed with the Office of the Registrar. If the student has attended another college or university, the student must also pay the non-refundable application fee and submit official transcripts of credit from these institutions. Special students who have not interrupted their enrollment do not need permission to take courses until they have accumulated 12 SH or completed requirements for certification.

Notification of Acceptance

Applicants are notified of action taken on their applications as soon as possible. However, final action cannot be taken until all required information is in the Office of Admissions.

Note: Any student who supplies false or misleading information or who conceals pertinent facts in order to enroll at Winston-Salem State University will be subject to immediate dismissal from the university.

Updated July 2016.