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Undergraduate Admission Requirements

POLICY STATEMENT

This policy lists the requirements a student must meet for admission for undergraduate study.

DEFINITIONS

None

PROCEDURES and RESPONSIBILITIES

Admission Requirement for Entering Freshman

The Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) has the authority to establish minimum standards of achievement as a prerequisite for entrance into any of the institutions under its jurisdiction. Full admission will be granted to students who:

Complete the College Preparatory Curriculum* (CPC) with a minimum 3.20 GPA; or
Complete the CPC with a minimum 2.5 GPA and score and at least 16 on the ACT (at least 860 on the SAT); or
Complete the CPC with a class rank in the upper 50% and score at least 16 on the ACT (at least 860 on the SAT); or
Complete the CPC with a minimum 2.0 GPA and score at least 18 on the ACT (at least 940 on the SAT); or
Satisfy the NCAA Division I standards for student athletes who are “full-qualifiers” or “academic redshirts.”

* College Preparatory Curriculum – Required 16 1/2 units

English: (4 Carnegie Units) Course must require substantial communication skills.

Mathematics: (3 Carnegie Units and 4 Carnegie Units beginning with students entering in Fall 2022) Algebra I or its equivalent, Math higher than Algebra I (2 units).

Science: (3 Carnegie Units) Biology I or its equivalent, Science higher than Biology I (2 units).

Social Studies: (3 Carnegie Units and 3.5 Carnegie Units beginning with students entering in Fall 2022) United States History, World History, U.S. Government (1/2 unit), Economics (1/2 unit), or Introduction to World Geography (1/2 unit).

Arts: (1 Carnegie Unit) Includes any one Carnegie unit (or two ½ units) of visual and performing arts course(s) meeting the requirements for high school graduation.

Advanced Electives: (2 Carnegie Units)

Option 1: Foreign Language I and II
Option 2 Foreign Language I and Advanced World Geography
Option 3 Any combination of English, Mathematics higher than Algebra I, Science higher than Biology I, Advanced Elective category, any AP course, any IB course

Technology: (1/2 Carnegie Unit) A course that emphasized the use of technology as a productivity tool. Instruction should include utilizing various forms of technology to create, collaborate, organize and publish information. The application of technology as a productivity tool, rather than specific hardware and/or software packages should be the focus of the course.

* College Preparatory Curriculum – Recommended to enhance preparedness 19 ½ units

English (4 Carnegie Units): Compensatory Reading and Compensatory Writing may not be included.

Mathematics: (4 Carnegie Units) Algebra I or its equivalent, Math higher than Algebra I (3 units).

Science: (4 Carnegie Units) Biology I or its equivalent, Science higher than Biology I (3 units).

Social Studies: (4 Carnegie Units) United States History, World History, U.S. Government (1/2 unit), Economics (1/2 unit), Introduction to World Geography (1/2 unit), MS Studies (or state/local government course in any other state).

Arts: (1 Carnegie Unit) Includes any one Carnegie unit (or two ½ units) of visual and performing arts course(s) meeting the requirements for high school graduation.

Advanced Electives: (2 Carnegie Units)

Option 1 Foreign Language I and II
Option 2 Foreign Language I and Advanced World Geography
Option 3 Any combination of English, Mathematics higher than Algebra I, Science higher than Biology I, Advanced Elective category, any AP course, any IB course

College Preparatory Curriculum Notes:

Pre-High School Units: Courses taken prior to high school will be accepted for admission provided the course earns Carnegie credit and the content is the same as the high school course.

Substitutions: Advance Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses can be substituted for each requirement in the College Preparatory Curriculum.

Course Acceptance: A course may not be used to satisfy more than one requirement.

The Required and Recommended College Preparatory Curricula (CPC) are approved by the IHL Board of Trustees, and the IHL Office of Academic and Student Affairs maintains a complete list of courses that can be used to satisfy the CPC requirements. See www.mississippi.edu/admissions/.

Intermediate Course Requirements

The Board of Trustees of the Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL Board) for the State of Mississippi has mandated the following modifications to the admissions policy:

All entering students admitted under Board Policy 602 enrolled at an Institution of Higher Learning university will be required to successfully complete specific college preparatory course work during their first semester of college if they fall under one of the following categories:

ACT Mathematics subtest score of 19 or less will be required to take Intermediate Mathematics. Students with a minimum ACT Mathematics subtest score of 15 who have completed the MS Department of Education approved mathematics transitional course with a grade of “80” or higher will not be required to take Intermediate Mathematics and should be enrolled in a college-level mathematics course during their first semester of enrollment.
ACT English subtest score of 16 or less will be required to take Intermediate English. Students with a minimum ACT English subtest score of 15 who have completed the MS Department of Education approved literacy transitional course with a grade of “80” or higher will not be required to take Intermediate English and should be enrolled in a college-level English course during their first semester of enrollment.
ACT Reading subtest score of 16 or less will be required to take Intermediate Reading. Students taking Intermediate Reading should not be permitted to take reading-intensive courses, such as History. Students with a minimum ACT Reading subtest score of 15 who have completed the MS Department of Education approved literacy transitional course with a grade of “80” or higher will not be required to take Intermediate Reading.
Students taking two or more intermediate courses must enroll in the year-long Academic Support Program or some other IHL recognized intervention strategy to promote success in the courses in which they are not fully prepared, according to ACT subtest scores and will not be permitted to take more than 17 semester hours

Intermediate courses may be delivered through a co-requisite model coupled with a credit bearing gateway course.

Applicants without a diploma from a regionally accredited high school; or home school students: international students

Applicants who have completed high school from a school that does not hold regional accreditation must submit the following:
1. Transcripts reflecting academic performance
2. ACT or SAT scores
Home-schooled applicants must submit the following:
1. Home-school transcripts or portfolio summarizing home school education
2. ACT or SAT scores
Applicants who have not completed high school must submit the following:
1. Qualifying scores on the General Education Development (GED) Test
2. ACT or SAT scores
3. Any transcripts reflecting academic performance in high school

International applicants who have completed an international or foreign high school may be admitted in another admissions category or must submit one of the following:
1. Transcripts reflecting academic performance or a secondary school leaving form
2. ACT or SAT scores

Applicants may be required to appear for an on-campus interview.

Admission Required Documents

High School Transcript– Official high school transcript after graduation. A 6-semester unofficial transcript may be accepted for provisional, early admission.

Test Scores- Delta State’s college code for the ACT is 2190 and the SAT college code is 1163. The Advanced Placement Program (AP) school code is 1163. The correct code for Delta State must be listed on the registration form so all test scores will be received properly.

Potential students who have been granted a test waiver from ACT or SAT should email a copy of their receipt prior to completing the application for admission. The order number from the testing agency will be used to create a one-time use discount code for the prospective student that qualifies to receive a code. Promo codes are limited to one per student and valid on the undergraduate application.

Immunization Records– Proof of (2) immunizations for measles, mumps and rubella is required of all students, unless exempt because of (1) actual or suspected, pre-planned pregnancy, (2) medical contraindication or (3) birth prior to 1957.

Proof of Immunization– A. Measles, Mumps, and Rubella Proof of immunization of measles, mumps, and rubella is required (two doses of the MMR vaccine) of all students, unless exempt because of (a) actual or suspected pregnancy (measles or rubella vaccines are not required for females who are pregnant; if pregnancy is suspected, a valid certificate of medical exception from a health provider is required until pregnancy is resolved), (b) medical contraindication, or (c) birth prior to 1957. Temporary waivers may be granted for students enrolled in distance learning courses and/or programs where their time on campus is limited to a minimum number of hours as determined by the admitting IHL institution. (BT Minutes, 2/2009; 3/2010; 11/2010)

HEPATITIS B Proof of hepatitis B vaccination is required for students who are involved in health education programs that cause them to be potentially exposed to blood or other bodily fluids. (BT Minutes, 1/93; 1/98; 2/2009; 3/2010) C.TUBER CULOSIS Proof of test screening for tuberculosis by chest x-ray and interferon gamma release assays (IGRA) performed in the United States prior to the start of classes is required for all international students. (BT Minutes, 1/93; 1/98; 2/2009; 3/2010; 2016)

Admission Requirements for Transfer Students

Any student who was not eligible for regular admission and who has not successfully completed the Summer Developmental Program must attend an accredited institution of higher education other than those under the governance of the Board of Trustees and must attain a “C” average (2.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale, as calculated by the admitting IHL institution) in the following 30 transferable semester credit hours to be eligible to transfer to an IHL institution:

6 semester hours English Composition
3 semester hours College Algebra, Quantitative Reasoning, or higher level mathematics
6 semester hours Natural Science
9 semester hours Humanities and Fine Arts
6 semester hours of Social or Behavioral Sciences

All other transfer admission students are subject to the requirements outlined in IHL Board Policy 602 Freshman Admission Requirements.

Transfer admission for students who have earned an Associate Degree

Any student who has earned an Associate of Arts degree from a regionally accredited institution with a minimum 2.00 GPA (as calculated by the admitting institution) is eligible for admission.
Any student who has earned other Associate level degrees from a regionally accredited institution with a minimum 2.00 GPA (as calculated by the admitting institution) in a transferable area, as defined by the admitting institution, may be eligible.

Application Fee

Delta State University charges a non-refundable fee each time an undergraduate application is submitted for admission. Applicants are required to submit payment via credit/debit card in order for the admission application to be processed.

Cancelled Test Scores

Should the testing agency cancel official test scores for tests used to make admission decisions described in this policy, the university will take the following action:

If classes have begun and the student is currently enrolled, the cancelled score/s will be removed from Banner and Recruit. Future course pre-requisites will not be met using the cancelled score. Scholarship awards will be adjusted accordingly upon receipt of cancelation notice. The student will remain enrolled because he/she met admission requirements and was admitted in good faith prior to the test score cancelation; however, the need for intermediate coursework will be evaluated.

If classes have not begun, the cancelled score/s will be removed from Banner and Recruit and scholarship offers will be adjusted accordingly. The student may be asked to sit for a national test, residual ACT or Accuplacer depending on the date of test score cancellation and the highest valid score on file.

Applicants Twenty-One Years of Age or Over

An applicant who is at least twenty‐one (21) years old and does not meet the regular freshman admission requirements may apply for admission as a non‐degree seeking student. Non‐degree seeking students may enroll in a maximum of twelve (12) semester hours during a regular term, six (6) semester hours during a five‐week summer term, or equivalent hours for alternate terms as determined by the admitting institution. To transition from non‐degree‐seeking to degree‐seeking status, students must satisfactorily complete twelve (12) hours with a “C” or better average in the general education core. Once admitted to a degree program, a maximum of eighteen (18) semester hours credit earned as a non‐degree‐seeking student may be applied toward a baccalaureate degree if approved by the dean of the college or school from which the degree is sought.

Responsible Office and/or Policy Owner: Academic Affairs