Admission

General Admission Policies

The admissions policy of West Georgia is designed to admit students who will have a reasonable chance of success and who seemingly will profit from the educational program of the University. A student is considered for admission without regard to race, creed, sex, marital status, or national origin. Application forms may be obtained from the Admissions Office and are available from many high school guidance counselors. An admission application also can be found at www.westga.edu. For information on specific categories of admission, contact the Admissions Office at West Georgia. For additional admission requirements regarding specific majors, consult the particular department area of this catalog.

Every applicant must submit a formal application to the Admissions Office along with a $40 non-refundable application fee. (Georgia residents 62 years of age or older are not required to pay the application fee.)

June 1 is the fall semester application and document submission deadline date. Deadline date for spring semester is November 15 and summer semester is May 15. The Admissions Office operates a rolling admission program; in other words, applications are processed and students are accepted on a revolving, continuing schedule. As soon as all items required in support of a student’s application are received, the application is evaluated and the student is notified of a decision regarding admission. All required items must be received before a student will be allowed to register for classes.

The University may require the applicant to visit the campus for an interview, to supply further biographical information, or to take psychological, achievement, or aptitude tests before being accepted or rejected. The applicant will be notified of any such requirements. Students entering any unit of the University System of Georgia are required to provide official documentation of immunization prior to registration.

Acceptance or denial of each application is determined by the Director of Admissions, subject to the right of appeal as outlined by the University and as provided in the Bylaws of the Board of Regents of the University System. Information outlining the appeals procedure may be obtained from the Admissions Office or from the Student Handbook. An applicant should contact the Office of Admissions regarding details of the appeals procedure.

Admissions files of those who apply and do not enroll are kept in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions for 12 calendar months. An applicant may update the semester for which he/she is applying within 12 months by calling the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Applicants who apply and do not enroll may update their initial application one time. After one update, an additional application and fee will be required.

Students furnishing the University with false, incomplete, or misleading information relating to their application or academic record will be subject to rejection or dismissal.

Immunization Requirements: The policy, implementation, guidelines, and the chart of required immunizations can be found at http://www.usg.edu/student_affairs/immun/.

Undergraduate Application and Document Deadline Dates

University Admission Standards

It is recommended that prospective applicants to West Georgia contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office for specific requirements well in advance of their entrance date. Admission standards are subject to review and change.

Beginning Freshman

A freshman applicant is one who has not previously attended a regionally accredited college or university and/or has not yet graduated from high school. Freshman admission is based on standardized test scores, such as the SAT or ACT, high school grade point average (HSGPA) in college preparatory subjects, College Preparatory Curriculum (CPC)/Required High School Curriculum (RHSC) courses only, and Freshman Index (FI).

Students must have completed CPC/RHSC requirements as outlined in the second item in the following list.

1. High school graduation with a college preparatory/required high school curriculum diploma is required for admission as a beginning freshman. Both completion of the University System’s College Preparatory Curriculum (CPC)/Required High School Curriculum (RHSC) and graduation must be from a high school accredited by (a) a regional accrediting association such as the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), (b) The Georgia Accrediting Commission, (c) Georgia Private School Accrediting Council, or (d) a public school regulated by a school system and state department of education. A student applying while in high school should have a transcript of work through the junior year sent to the Admissions Office at the time of application.
2. The University System of Georgia requires completion of a College Preparatory Curriculum/Required High School Curriculum for admission. Freshmen and transfer freshmen applicants must complete the following coursework to be admitted to the University:

*Students graduating earlier than 2012 only need 3 units of science. For more details regarding the Required High School Curriculum (RHSC), visit: http://www.westga.edu/rhsc/

3. Each freshman applicant must submit scores earned on the SAT or ACT. Information regarding these tests may be obtained from any high school guidance office or any institution in the University System of Georgia. A freshman applicant cannot be accepted until the scores are received.
4. Minimum SAT/ACT score requirements for freshman or transfer freshman admission

It is the policy of the Office of Admissions to take a student’s best Critical Reading/Reading/English and best Math score should the student take the SAT or ACT more than once; however, SAT scores and ACT scores cannot be “mixed” in determining admission eligibility.

  5.   In addition to the minimum test score requirement, a minimum Freshman Index of 2120 is required for any level of freshman or transfer freshman admission.

  6.   Students whose index falls between 2000-2119 may be eligible for conditional admission and attendance in Ignite, UWG’s Summer Transition Program.

  7.   A high school senior who is earning college credit in a joint enrollment program while completing the senior year should apply to West Georgia as a beginning freshman but should indicate enrollment in a joint enrollment program on the application for admission. West Georgia will grant transfer credit for this work under the following conditions: (1) Work must be earned through an accredited college. (2) Individual courses must meet the normal guidelines for acceptability (see Transfer Student section).

Transfer Student

A transfer applicant is one who has been enrolled in any regionally accredited college or university. All previous college attendance must be reported at the time of application. Those who have earned fewer than 45 quarter hours/30 semester hours of transferable work or the equivalent will be asked to comply with both freshman and transfer requirements for admission (see freshman requirements for additional details).

A transfer applicant should request the registrar of each college or university he or she has attended to send a transcript to the Office of Admissions. Credits from one former institution appearing on the transcript of another institution can neither be officially evaluated for admission nor accepted for credit until a transcript has been received from the institution originating the credit.

Transfer students will be considered for admission on the basis of their previous college records:

1. They must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 in all transferable college work attempted (non-traditional transfer students with greater than 45 quarter hours/30 semester hours of transferable work may be considered with a lower GPA on a case-by-case basis in order to determine their ability to be successful).
2. Students not meeting the minimum GPA requirement may be admitted if they hold an associate degree in a college transfer program from an accredited college and if they have not attempted any college coursework since completing the associate degree.
3. Students must be in good social and academic standing at their former institutions. Students who have been away from high school for less than five years must have completed all RHSC deficiencies and/or Learning Support requirements prior to being admissible and show both English and math proficiency through course credit. Students who have been away from high school for greater than five years may prove proficiency in English, Reading, and Math either through placement testing, valid SAT/ACT scores (less than seven years old), or completion of college coursework. Transfer students from an out-of-state institution may also prove proficiency via the placement test on a case by case basis. Please contact the Admissions Office for further policy details.
4. Admission acceptance by the Office of Admission does not guarantee admission to a specific program or department.

Transfers from Technical College System of Georgia Colleges:

The Board of Regents and the Technical College System of Georgia have entered into an Articulation Agreement. The agreement states that course credits for basic skills courses in English and mathematics with common course content will be transferable between schools in the University System of Georgia and COC-accredited institutions in the Technical College System of Georgia. Comparable placement and exit test results will be honored between the two systems as well. The transfer agreement is effective for students from COC-accredited Technical College System of Georgia institutions who have taken ENG 191 and/or MAT 190 or 191 since January 2002, and who meet the minimum test score requirements for exemption from developmental studies, or successfully complete and meet the minimum test score requirements for exit from developmental studies English and/or mathematics. Courses other than those approved for the mini-core agreement will be evaluated on an individual basis for possible transfer credit. In order to be eligible for transfer credit, students must have earned satisfactory scores on either placement or exit tests.  Students with minimum old SAT Critical Reading 430; RSAT Reading Section 24 (ACT 17) + SAT Math 410; RSAT Math 450 (ACT 17) + high school diploma/GED and four years of college prep English, Algebra I and II, and Geometry, and a college prep math higher than Algebra II will be exempt from placement testing. Exit from Learning Support at a COC-accredited TCSG institution will be honored if the student has a record of meeting the TCSG minimum test score requirement for exit at UWG within the past year.

Students who apply for undergraduate admission and have attended a non-accredited institution will be requested to provide an official transcript from that institution. Credit will be determined by the respective academic departments.

For questions concerning transfer credit equivalency, see Transfer Credit Evaluation Policy.

Transient Student

A student who has taken work in a college or university may apply for the privilege of temporary registration. Such a student is one who expects to return to the college or university in which he or she was previously enrolled. The normal application procedure consists of filing an application form with a $40 non-refundable fee for each semester of transient study. The dean or registrar of the college where the student has been enrolled must give written approval for the student to attend West Georgia.
The following policies shall govern the admission of a transient student:
An applicant will be accepted as a transient student only when it appears that the applicant’s previous academic work is of satisfactory quality. A student must not be under suspension or exclusion from the previous institution.

1. Enrollment as a transient student is limited to one semester. Exceptions may be made by special permission of the Admissions Office and with special approval of the dean of the institution from which the student comes. Application for readmission as a transient student for the second semester must be submitted to the Office of Admissions by the semester application and document deadline date.
2. Transient approval for a second consecutive term will be considered only when evidence is submitted to the Office of Admissions that the applicant meets full transfer admission requirements.
3. Transient students desiring to continue as transfer students must apply through the Admissions Office by the semester application and document deadline date and satisfactorily complete the transfer requirements listed above.
4. Since a university’s primary obligation is to its regularly enrolled students, West Georgia will consider the acceptance of transient students only when their acceptance will cause no hardship or inconvenience to the institution or its regularly enrolled students.
5. Transient students are not eligible for financial assistance (grants, loans, HOPE scholarship, etc.) through the University of West Georgia. Transient students must make financial assistance arrangements with their “home” institution.
6. Transient students who are not seeking a UWG degree register on the first day of on-time/open registration.

Unclassified Student

All applicants who hold baccalaureate degrees and are seeking to take additional undergraduate courses should apply for admission through the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

Students accepted by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions as unclassified/post-baccalaureate are only required to show academic proof of a degree for admittance but are not eligible for financial aid consideration. Unclassified students are eligible to begin registering for courses three days prior to the start of each semester. A student admitted as Unclassified, and who wishes to seek an undergraduate degree from UWG, must reapply for transfer admission to the Undergraduate Office of Admissions and must meet University transfer admission requirements. The undergraduate transfer application and transcripts from each college attended must be received by the announced application and document deadline date.

Auditor

Auditors are students who enroll as observers or listeners only. They are regarded as official visitors and are eligible to begin registering for courses three days prior to the start of each semester. An application form must be submitted to the Office of Admissions (including a $40 non-refundable fee) prior to the application deadline date of the semester for which they plan to enroll. Auditors who do not stay continuously enrolled must reapply each term they wish to be an auditor. The minimum requirement for participation as an auditor is verification of graduation from an accredited high school or the possession of a GED certificate. Credit is not awarded for audit and no grade other than V (symbol for audit) is given. Auditors pay the regular fees for enrollment. Students are prohibited from receiving credit for courses for which they were registered as auditors unless the course is repeated for credit.

Enrollment of Persons 62 Years of Age or Older

Georgia residents 62 years of age or older may enroll as regular students in courses offered for resident credit on a space available basis without payment of fees, except for supplies, technology, laboratory, or shop fees. Space available will be determined by the institution. Students enrolled for credit that elect to participate in the campus health program, student activities program, or to use the parking facilities may be required to pay the appropriate fees. They must be residents of Georgia, 62 years of age or older at the time of registration, and they must present a birth certificate or comparable written documentation of age. A Certificate of Immunization is also required.

Such applicants must meet all University System and institutional admission requirements including high school graduation, SAT or ACT scores, and Learning Support enrollment exemption, when applicable, if they wish to enroll for credit. They will have all usual student and institutional records maintained and must meet all system, institutional, and legislated degree requirements, such as History and Constitution Instruction or Exams, if they are degree-seeking students.

Applicants who wish to enroll under this program should file an application for admission but should not pay the $40 application fee. They should write across the top of the application form Georgia resident 62 years of age or older and should submit proof of age and Georgia residency (GA driver’s license or other official document showing age and residency). Other requirements for admission as listed elsewhere in the Admission section of the catalog apply.

Readmission of Former UWG Student

Students who were previously enrolled, but have not been in attendance for three semesters, and students who have been academically suspended for one year or dismissed must apply for readmission with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at least three weeks before the semester for which they are applying begins. Students who have attended another college or university since last attending West Georgia must submit official transcripts from each institution attended. If the student desires to live in a university residence hall, he or she must submit a housing application with the required deposit to the Housing and Residence Life Office.

Readmission of UWG candidates for graduation or those who have recently graduated

Student records are marked inactive for the term immediately following their scheduled graduation. Currently enrolled students who are candidates for an upcoming graduation or students who have recently graduated must complete a readmission application to enroll in courses for the next or future terms. During the readmission application process, the student will be given the option of selecting to return as a degree seeking (second degree) or non-degree seeking (professional development) student.

Once the readmission application is processed, the student will need to meet with an academic advisor to be able to register for an upcoming semester. Students who are not currently enrolled will be able to register during the open registration period once they have been accepted and met with an academic advisor. See Registrar Calendar inside the SCOOP for registration dates.

Admission of Home Schooled Students

Applicants Who Have Completed an Accredited Home School Program

Applicants completing an approved, accredited home school program need onl