Transfer Admission Requirements

Applicants to Southern Polytechnic State University who have been previously enrolled at a college or university will be considered for admission under the following policies:

(a) applicants must have completed and exited all required remedial courses at their previous institution.
(b) applicants with less than 30 hours of transferable college credit will be required to meet freshman admissions requirements.
(c) applicants must have a minimum college GPA of 2.00. Applicants for transfer admission must submit the following to the Admissions Office by the application deadline date for the semester in which the applicant plans to enroll: (a) an application for admission,
(b) an official transcript sent directly from each college the applicant has attended, regardless of the applicant's wishes concerning transfer credit,
(c) an official high school transcript sent directly from the high school and official SAT or ACT scores, if required by the Admissions Office, and
(d) the certificate of immunization.  Transfer Credit
Students participating in the University System of Georgia Core Curriculum Program at system institutions may transfer to Southern Polytechnic State University with little or no loss of credit. In addition, pre-engineering technology curricula are available at several University System of Georgia colleges. A student graduating from these curricula or a student graduating from any ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) accredited associate degree program may transfer to Southern Polytechnic State University with little or no loss of credit provided the student does not change majors.

The basic policy regarding the acceptance of courses by transfer is to allow credit for college level courses completed with a grade of "C" or better in accredited programs provided the courses correspond in time and content to courses offered at Southern Polytechnic State University. Transfer credit will not be allowed for courses completed at another institution that have been failed at Southern Polytechnic State University. An official transcript, requested by the student, must be on file in the Office of Admissions before credit will be awarded.

A grade of "D" is acceptable for Core Curriculum courses taken from a University System of Georgia institution with the exception of ENGL 1101, MATH 1111, and MATH 1113 which require a grade of "C". Students completing U.S. History or American Government out-of-state must complete HIST 2911 with a grade of "C" or better to receive transfer credit for HIST 2111 or 2112, or POLS 1101.

The specific credit for work completed at other institutions is recommended by the appropriate department head and approved for transfer by the Director of Admissions. The total amount of recommended credit shall not exceed that allowed by the Director of Admissions. Allowance of transfer credit by the Director of Admissions does not mean necessarily that all approved credit will be applied toward a specific Southern Polytechnic State University degree. The amount of transfer credit that may be applied toward a degree will be indicated and controlled by an evaluation of transfer credit prepared in the Office of Admissions.

Southern Polytechnic State University reserves the right to test the proficiency of any student in coursework transferred from another institution when such coursework was not taken as part of the University System of Georgia Core Curriculum Program. Therefore, Southern Polytechnic State University reserves the right to disallow transfer credit in such coursework if the student cannot demonstrate acceptable proficiency.

The total amount of transfer credit acceptable to Southern Polytechnic State University is subject to the university's regulations related to the residency requirements applicable to the degree sought.

 
Additional Transfer Guidelines
Provided that native and transfer students are treated equally, institutions may impose additional reasonable expectations such as a grade of "C" in English Composition.

For students who transfer after completing the core curriculum at a System institution, receiving institutions may require that these students complete the requirements as specified for native students; however, the total number of hours required of the transfer student for the baccalaureate degree shall not exceed the number of hours required of native students for the same major field.
 
Transient Students
Transient students are those students attending Southern Polytechnic State University for a limited period of time, usually one semester, and who are expected to return to their previous college at the beginning of the next semester. Transient credit earned at Southern Polytechnic State University may not be applied toward the residency requirement.

A transient applicant must submit to the Admissions Office (1) an application, (2) a transient letter from the Registrar of his or her college, and (3) a certificate of immunization. A transient letter is good for one semester only.

It is the responsibility of the transient applicant to determine from his or her previous college the course he or she should take on the SPSU campus.

Although not required by the Admissions Office, a transient applicant should obtain a copy of his or her previous college work for the use of his or her SPSU faculty advisor.

The application, transient letter, and the certificate of immunization must be in the Admissions Office at least 10 working days before the registration date of the semester in which the student plans to attend as a transient student.
 
Audit Students
Persons not seeking a degree from Southern Polytechnic State University yet wishing to gain knowledge from courses taught here may apply for admission as audit students.

An audit student is required to file an application form and submit official proof of graduation or official copy of scores on the GED test as well as a certificate of immunization. An auditor will receive grades of "V" and will not receive transferable credits. In order to become a regular student, auditors must meet regular entrance requirements. An audit student may not change to regular student status after beginning a course as an auditor. The audit grade "V", may never be used as a basis for gaining credit in any course.

Audit applications, required credentials, and the certificate of immunization must be in the Admissions Office at least 10 working days before the registration date of the semester in which the student plans to attend.
 
International Students
All international applicants are required to submit the following data to the Admissions Office (All papers must be in the Admissions Office at least three months before the registration date of the semester in which the student plans to enroll.):

(a) an application for admission including a social security number,
(b) an official transcript (translated into English) of all formal education previously undertaken by the student,
(c) official scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL),
(d) an affidavit indicating financial security, and
(e) the certificate of immunization.  To be accepted for admission, international applicants must be at least 18 years old, must be in the top section of their class, and must have high grades on the examinations by the Ministry of Education or a similar agency where national examinations are available. International students may be required to take the Collegiate Placement Exams for admission screening purposes. A minimum total score of 550 and a score of 50 in each area of the TOEFL is required.

All international students are expected to have medical insurance coverage.
 
Non-Traditional or Adult Students
Applicants who have not attended high school or college within the previous five years and have earned fewer than 15 transferable semester hours of college credit are not required to take the SAT or ACT; however, all other admission requirements must be met. These students will be required to take the Collegiate Placement Examination prior to admission for admission screening purposes. Applicants must submit official evidence of graduation from an accredited secondary school or a GED certificate which satisfies the minimum score requirement of the State of Georgia.
 
Other Admission Requirements
Reserved to every institution of the University System of Georgia is the right to require any applicant for admission to take appropriate intelligence and aptitude tests in order that the institution may have information bearing on the applicant's ability to pursue successfully the program of study for which the applicant wishes to enroll and to reject any applicant who fails to meet such tests satisfactorily.
 
Special Students
Special students and all other students of classifications not covered in these policies shall be expected to meet all admission requirements prescribed by Southern Polytechnic State University.
 
Students Sixty-two Years of Age or Older
Citizens of the State of Georgia who are 62 years of age or older may attend Southern Polytechnic State University without payment of fees, except for supplies and laboratory or shop fees, when space is available in a course scheduled for resident credit.

To be eligible for participation under this amendment to the Georgia Constitution, such persons:

(a) must present a birth certificate or other comparable written documentation of age to the Registrar at the time of registration,
(b) must meet all University System and Southern Polytechnic State University admission requirements,
(c) will have all usual student and institutional records maintained, and
(d) must meet all University System, Southern Polytechnic State University, and legislated degree requirements if they are degree-seeking students.  Readmission
Students who have an absence of two or more consecutive semesters of matriculation at Southern Polytechnic State University and who are not academically suspended must be approved by the Admissions Office for readmission before being eligible for registration. An application for readmission, together with any pertinent supporting information, must be submitted to the Admissions Office by the same semester deadline dates as required by new students. A student who has been academically suspended must seek reinstatement before being eligible for registration. Please refer to Reinstatement under Academic Regulations. Students granted readmission must re-enter the same academic department in which they were last enrolled.

In addition, students who were granted admission for only one semester as transients must be approved for readmission by the Admissions Office and submit an updated transient letter indicating continued good standing at the home institution before they will be permitted to register for a subsequent semester or a future semester.

 
Registration Procedures

Eligibility
Registration for classes is held on the first day of the term. Students who have received an official letter of acceptance or readmission to Southern Polytechnic State University and returning students not on suspension or dismissal may register. Classes begin the day following registration.

An applicant will not be approved for academic advisement and/or registration until formally accepted by the Director of Admissions nor will he or she be permitted to attend classes until registration has been completed.
 
Drop/Add and Late Registration
Students may amend their class schedules and/or late register during the drop/add period. Changes to the class schedule made during the Registration-Drop/Add period remove or add courses to the student's schedule with no academic penalty.
 
Student Course Schedule
Upon completion of registration or a change of registration, students can print a copy of their schedule of courses. This schedule serves as the student's proof of course registration should questions arise. Students should keep the schedule as part of their permanent records.
 
Registration Bulletin
Detailed information and instructions concerning registration may be found in the registration bulletin. Students are urged to become knowledgeable of, and to follow, these instructions explicitly. It should be understood that any deviation from the prescribed procedure may result in unnecessary delays in registration or errors in the resulting schedule.
 
Registration Errors
It is the student's responsibility to follow the proper procedures for registration or changes to registration and to verify that his or her schedule of classes is correct. The Office of the Registrar cannot be held responsible for errors resulting from the student's failure to execute the proper procedure or verify his or her own schedule. Any problems experienced at registration or as a result of registration should be reported immediately to the Registrar.
 
Matriculation
Enrollment for the term is not complete until the student has properly completed registration and paid all fees. Registration for students not paying fees by the date specified in the registration bulletin will be canceled for non-payment.