Board Policies
Chapter 3 - Educational Policies
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3.4 Undergraduate Admissions

Part 1. Definitions.

Admission: refers to a student's initial entrance into a Minnesota state college or university as a candidate for a certificate, diploma, or degree.

A college: is a Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) institution authorized to offer certificates, diplomas, and associate degrees.

A university: is a MnSCU institution authorized to offer degrees at the associate level and above.

An academic or career program: is a major, minor, concentration, or emphasis offered by the college or university.

An international student: is a student who is required to be registered under the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).

Part 2. Admissions. Colleges and universities shall admit students who are able to benefit from the educational offerings of an institution.

All institutions shall provide clear, accessible information to potential students regarding requirements as well as the appropriate level of academic preparation necessary for success in specific programs of study.

Admission to a college or university does not guarantee admission to a specific program. Academic, fiscal and facilities considerations may limit admission to particular programs or institutions.

Part 3. State College Admission Requirements.
Colleges are committed to open admissions with the following requirements:

The basic requirement is a high school diploma or GED certificate.
A person who has neither a high school diploma nor a GED certificate may be admitted if, at the discretion of the college, that person demonstrates potential for being a successful college student.
Admission to a college does not guarantee admission to college-level courses, as provided for in Board Policy 3.3 Assessment for College Readiness.

Part 4. State University Admission Requirements.
Admission to universities in the system shall be based on the achievement of a high school diploma and preparation standards in specific subject areas as noted below.

Subpart A. New first year students. To be considered for admission to a university as a new first year student, students shall have completed courses determined to be college preparatory in the following pattern or which provide mastery of equivalent competencies in grades 9-12.

Required Academic Core consisting of:
a. 4 years of English (including composition, literature, and speech
b. 3 years of mathematics (2 years of algebra, of which one is intermediate or advanced algebra, and 1 year of geometry)
c. 3 years of science (at least 1 year each of a biological and physical science, with all courses including significant laboratory experience)
d. 3 years of social studies (including 1 year each of geography and U.S. history)
e. 2 years of a single world language (including non-English native languages and American Sign Language)
f. One year of arts (visual arts and the performing arts of theater, music, dance and media arts)

Academic Performance Requirement. In addition to the preceding subject area requirement, new first year students shall have a rank in their high school graduating class in the top 50% or a composite score on the Enhanced ACT, the PSAT, or the SAT, at or above the 50th percentile on the national norms. Individual universities may set higher test score or class rank requirements.

Subpart B. Transfer students. Students transferring to a state university from any other college or university must have a level of academic achievement that is at least equal to the standard required for good academic standing at the transfer institution. In addition, students who did not complete the preparation requirements in high school may be admitted according to the following:

Students who have completed an Associate in Arts degree from a Minnesota community college and the world language requirement shall be judged to have met all preparation requirements.

Students who have completed the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum and the world language requirement shall be judged to have met all preparation requirements.

Students who wish to transfer from a two-year or four-year college or university shall have completed sufficient college or university credits that are judged by the receiving institutions to have satisfied all high school preparation deficiencies.

Students whose college or university credits were completed before implementation of the preparation requirements (1994) shall be reviewed individually at each university on the basis of university guidelines consistent with its mission.

Subpart C. Out of state students. The high school preparation requirements and exceptions shall apply to students who have graduated from high schools in states other than Minnesota.

Subpart D. Exceptions. Individual universities may make exceptions to the requirement set forth in subparts A and B above.

New first year students who are admitted with deficiencies shall be required to make up those deficiencies prior to classification as a sophomore.

Other students with deficiencies shall be required to make up the deficiency within the first year of enrollment. [Standard practice equates two years of high school world language instruction with one year of college-level world language instruction.]

Universities shall document the reasons for granting exceptions and maintain adequate records to determine the academic success of students admitted under these exceptions.

Part 5. Procedure. The Chancellor shall develop a system procedure to implement the provisions of Board Policy 3.4, including requirements for consistency in administering admissions processes.