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Undergraduate Admission

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Applications for admission and supporting documents should now be admitted at least 20 days prior to the date of registration. (Note that students who wish to be considered for scholarships must complete the application process by November 1 for the following spring semester and May 1 for the following fall semester.) Applications received after this date may result in late registration. Both in-state and out-of-state students must submit a $35 non-refundable application fee before the application can be processed. Mississippi State University may void enrollment if an original transcript is not received, if a student is not eligible for readmission to any college formerly attended, or if any document is fraudulent or altered.

Mississippi State University neither awards credit nor accepts transfer college credit based solely on ACT, SAT, or other comparable tests commonly administered to high school students primarily for college admissions purposes. Documents and other proof that students have met the university entrance requirements are kept on file in the Student Services Office.

Transfer Students

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In general, applicants to Mississippi State University-Meridian Campus must have completed at least 60 credit hours of college work at a regionally accredited institution of higher education, to include the following:

To be eligible for admission, transfer students should have earned a 2.0 overall GPA (as computed by Mississippi State University) on all courses attempted at all regionally accredited institutions of higher learning attended. Official transcripts from all institutions attended must be submitted.

Although a transfer applicant may meet general admission requirements to the University, this does not guarantee that he/she will meet the requirements for a specific major. Applicants should contact the appropriate academic division for additional requirements.

Special Non-Degree Classification

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An applicant who is twenty-one (21) years old and who does not have 54 semester hours of college credit may apply to the Office of Student Services for admission under the Special Non-Degree (SND) student category. Students in this category will be advised by and schedule classes through their designated academic divisions. Applicants must demonstrate adequate preparation for the courses they plan to schedule. SND students may schedule a maximum of 12 semester hours during a regular term and three semester hours during a five-week summer term. To change to degree-seeking status, students should satisfactorily complete 12 semester hours with a "C" or better average in core courses that are applicable to a degree at MSU. Students wishing to gain reclassification for a traditional major should discuss this during their initial meeting with one of the professional academic advisors in the appropriate academic division. For students admitted to a degree program, a maximum of 18 semester hours of credit earned while in the SND classification may be counted toward a baccalaureate degree, pending approval by the dean of the college or school from which the degree is sought.

Degree seeking applicants with previous college attendance must meet regular transfer student requirements and, therefore, may not apply for admission under the Special Non-Degree option.

Non-Degree seeking applicants with previous college attendance who do not meet regular transfer requirements may be allowed to schedule courses for self improvement and/or professional development. Applicants should file a letter of intent with the Office of Student Services.

Transfer Credits

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Credits transferred from regionally accredited institutions are reproduced on the permanent records of Mississippi State University. Credits earned at another institution while on disciplinary suspension or dismissal may never be transferred or posted to the Mississippi State University record. In the case of students receiving VA benefits, enrollment certificates submitted to the Veterans Administration will reflect proper credit for previous education and training. This is done as a convenience for the student in providing him/her with an accurate consolidated record of his/her entire college career. This action is evidence that the credits are considered valid. Validity, however, is not to be confused with acceptability or applicability.

Transfer hours earned at another regionally accredited institution will be accepted. To meet graduation requirements, a transfer student must have an overall C (2.00) average, calculated by the method currently in use at Mississippi State University, on all hours scheduled and rescheduled at all institutions attended, including Mississippi State University. Excess quality-points earned at other institutions cannot be used to offset any deficiencies at Mississippi State.

Acceptance of junior or community college work is limited to one-half the total requirement for graduation in a given curriculum. The last half of the total hours applied toward graduation must be earned in a senior college.

Applicability of transfer work depends upon the equivalence of transfer credits with the requirements of a particular curriculum. Applicability varies from curriculum to curriculum, not only for transfer students from other institutions but for students transferring from one school or curriculum to another within Mississippi State University-Meridian Campus. In either case, the maximum number of applicable credits is the number of accepted credits. Applicability is determined by the dean of the college or school to which one is admitted.

Non-traditional credits awarded by another college or university will be evaluated in terms of current policy at Mississippi State University. Unless the basis for awarding the credit is readily identifiable, no credit will be allowed until such time as the student, through the awarding institution, can establish the credibility of the work. Credits for ACT, SAT, CLEP General, or other comparable tests will not be accepted as transfer credit.

Admission Process for International Students

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*Note: A form certifying your vaccination for measles and rubella is required before you can register for classes.

TOEFL Requirement:

All undergraduate international students must submit an acceptable score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The university minimum is 525 for paper-based tests or 195 for computer-based tests, but many departments have established higher requirements for their own students. TOEFL scores must be no more than two years old and must be verifiable. Completion of intensive English training or English composition courses at a U.S. college does not waive the TOEFL requirement. Only students who are citizens of Australia, Bahamas, Canada, England, Guyana, and New Zealand are automatically exempt from this requirement. Citizens of South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, and Swaziland are only exempt if English is listed as the first language on the Senior Certificate.

Transfer Admission Requirements:

Option A: Two years of successful study at a foreign university and appropriate TOEFL score.

Option B: Appropriate TOEFL score and 54 semester hours of transferable credit from a regionally accredited U.S. college, with a quality-point average of 2.00/4.00 or higher, as evaluated by Mississippi State University, including all of the following credits:

Transfer Credit from Foreign Universities:

The Office of Admissions certifies appropriate transfer credit from foreign universities. These courses are recorded on the Mississippi State University permanent record with the grade of S, rather than with letter grades. However, these courses are treated as graded courses (rather than pass-fail courses) in satisfying degree requirements. The student’s dean has the discretion to apply this transfer credit toward degree requirements or to reject any or all of it, just as with domestic students. Students may be asked to supply course descriptions, syllabi, tests, or other documentation to the dean or department to justify the applicability of a transferred course toward a particular degree requirement.

English as a Second Language Course:

Courses in English as a Second Language (ESL) are considered developmental and are not transferable. They may not be used to satisfy any of the requirements for admission listed above. English courses taken at universities in non-English-speaking countries are considered to be ESL courses unless specific documentation is provided that literature, rather than language acquisition, was the primary focus of the course.

Deadlines for Submission of Materials:

International students who are already in the United States should submit all required materials for admission at least two months prior to the date of expected enrollment. Students who are outside the United States should apply at least four months in advance of enrollment. Undergraduate international application forms, required declaration of financial support forms, and additional information are available http://www.admissions.msstate.edu/international/apply.

Admission Process for Teacher Education

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The College of Education is responsible for all teacher education at Mississippi State University. All students who expect to qualify to teach must be formally admitted to the teacher education program. For specific information, see the Division of Education Web page.

Last Updated: 4/29/08