Admissions

Kennesaw State University welcomes applications from all qualified students regardless of race, sex, sexual orientation, age, religion, disability, or national origin. Admission to Kennesaw State is based on a number of factors depending upon your admission type of entry and previous educational experience. The University’s admission requirements have been developed in accordance with the rules and regulations of the KSU faculty and the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia (BOR 4.2. BOR Academic Affairs Handbook 3.2).  It is the responsibility of the potential applicant to review admission standards in advance to determine the likelihood of eligibility.

Applicant credentials must indicate a reasonable chance of successful completion of academic work at Kennesaw State University. Admission decisions are based on an applicant’s previous record of appropriate academic preparation, academic performance, test scores, personal qualities and experience.

It may become necessary to request additional testing for a more accurate assessment of an applicant’s ability to succeed, to qualify for study at the university level, or for placement. If an application file is not completed in time for such testing to be scheduled prior to registration, it may be necessary to defer the application to a future semester.

If an applicant fails to enroll for the term of application, a new application and application processing fee must be submitted. After twelve months, all documents are purged and destroyed and the entire application process, including credentials, must be repeated.  Approval for admission is valid only for the term specified at the time of acceptance and does not imply that approval will be granted for a term not specified. Prior to enrollment, any changes in an applicant’s record due to completion of additional course work will necessitate a new review of the application file.

Right of Refusal

An applicant’s case will be reviewed to ensure the applicant meets the above noted satisfactory academic performance, good character, and good conduct requirements of an applicant:  (a) is on probation, suspension, expulsion, or any other type of academic warning at any previously attended institution, (b) is ineligible to enroll at any previously attended institution, (c) is currently charged with, or has been found guilty of, any violation of academic honesty, honor code, or conduct regulations of a previously attended institution, (d) left a previous institution while there were pending charges of any violation of academic honesty, honor code, or conduct regulations, (e) is currently charged with or has been found guilty of any violation of a federal, state, or municipal law, regulation or ordinance other than minor traffic violations, including offenses for which any type of first offender status has been granted, (f) has ever entered a plea of guilty, no contest, nolo contendere, or an Alford plea, or has otherwise accepted responsibility for the commission of a crime, (g) has received any type of discharge from military service other than honorable discharge. If, after a letter of acceptance has been issued, information comes to light that shows an applicant did not meet all admission requirements, or an applicant’s application contained omissions or misrepresentations, the applicants offer of admission will be automatically revoked. If this information comes to light after the student has enrolled, the applicant’s enrollment at Kennesaw State University will automatically be terminated and earned credit may be revoked.

Prior to enrollment, any changes in a student’s record will necessitate a new review of the application. Any omissions or misrepresentations on a student’s application for admission will automatically invalidate consideration by, acceptance to, and continuation at Kennesaw State University.

Admission Sequence

Admission to the University is primary and is a sequential prerequisite to any other program admission or departmental or athletic scholarship award.

Admission to Kennesaw State University as an undergraduate student does not automatically admit the individual to teacher education, nursing, business, engineering or other programs with internal admission criteria. Separate application processes are required for formal admission to such professional programs, and those admission decisions are often made after a prescribed amount of course work has been completed with satisfactory grades by the applicant. Details of program level admission requirements can be found in the section of this catalog that outlines degree program requirements.

Admission Procedures and Deadlines

Applications for admission and all required credentials (such as transcripts and test scores) must be submitted by established deadlines. New applications received after the deadline dates will be processed for the following term. Application deadlines are available on the KSU Office of Undergraduate Admissions website and on the KSU academic calendar.  All application deadlines are subject to change. Unless otherwise noted for a specific category of applicant, the application file for admission is complete and ready for review when the Office of Undergraduate Admissions has received the following:

• A completed Undergraduate Application for Admission to Kennesaw State University submitted online with a nonrefundable fee
• Official scores on all required college entrance tests (typically SAT or ACT; some applicants may also be required to have SAT II subject test scores, TOEFL scores, or placement test scores). All test scores must be sent from the testing service to KSU
• Official high school and college transcripts mailed directly from those institutions to KSU

The University reserves the right to withdraw admission, prior to or following enrollment, if the student has falsified application materials or otherwise demonstrated ineligibility as determined by the standards of the University or Board of Regents.

KSU does not discriminate on the basis of an individual’s disability and is committed to providing students with full and equal enjoyment of services, facilities and goods on campus as required by law.

Upon acceptance and prior to enrollment, any student with a documented disability or special need must notify the University of any required accommodations.  Please contact the Office of Student Disability Services in the Student Development Center at 470.578.6443.

Admission from High School

Applicants who have graduated from a high school meeting criteria of the University System of Georgia will be considered for admission based on the Required High School Curriculum, SAT/ACT scores, and the high school academic grade point average.

Required High School Curriculum

The Required High School Curriculum (RHSC) is a key factor considered in freshman admissions decisions. Completion of the University System of Georgia’s RHSC requirements at a regionally accredited or USG recognized high school is expected of most successful traditional freshman applicants.

Office of Undergraduate Admissions recalculates the applicant’s academic HSGPA using only acceptable academic units (RHSC) while excluding other high school courses such as physical education, vocational courses, ROTC, driver’s education, etc. from the recalculation.  All repeated RHSC courses are calculated in the GPA. This GPA is calculated using a 4-point scale. AP and IB classes are not weighted differently.

Freshman Admission Standards

Freshmen are recent high school graduates who will be attending college for the first time.  KSU’s minimum requirements for admission as a freshman include the following:

• Graduation from one of the following:
  • A regionally accredited high school
  • A high school accredited by the Georgia Accreditation Commission
  • A high school accredited by an approved University System of Georgia agency
  • A public school under the authority of the State Department of Education
• Completion of the 17 required RHSC units.
• High School academic GPA of at least a 2.5
• All minimum SAT or ACT scores as follow:

A freshman applicant may apply as early as the end of his or her junior year in high school. After the receipt of all required documents, (juniors should include their planned senior year subjects on their high school transcript), the Office of Undergraduate Admissions will notify the applicant of his or her admission status.

Transfer students with 30 semester hours of transferable college credit, satisfying RHSC requirements elsewhere in the University System, will be recognized as having met those requirements at Kennesaw State University upon admission and evaluation of transcripts.

Alternatives for Home School Applicants and Others

Kennesaw State recognizes the choice and rights of a family to home educate their children. However, some home-educated applicants bear the burden of demonstrating through proper documentation that they meet all of the standard requirements for regular or limited freshman admission.

Home school applicants are defined as completing a high school program of study that is not from a regionally accredited or University System recognized high school and those who have not satisfactorily completed the prescribed Carnegie units of the Required High School Curriculum in a manner acceptable to the University System.

Nevertheless, the University System of Georgia permits home educated applicants to be considered if they demonstrate sufficient Required High School Curriculum preparedness on appropriate standardized subject matter tests.  The portfolio review approach for handling exceptions for home school students waives the high school graduation requirement, the academic HSGPA requirement, and the Carnegie unit requirements of the Required High School Curriculum. These waivers are in exchange for satisfactory performance on additional standardized testing, which validates college preparedness and demonstrates a satisfactory comprehensive high school academic experience. The applicant must meet or exceed the required minimum freshmen average scores on the SAT I or ACT. 

Prospective home school applicants are encouraged to contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at least six months prior to the planned date of entry to obtain information and direction as to how to pursue these alternatives and exceptions for admission. Refer to the Home Educated Students website for the current accepted freshman average test scores and for information regarding portfolio procedures and standardized test options.

Honors Opportunities and Early Entry Options

Honors Opportunities for First Year Students

Honors Opportunities are available for students who have recently graduated from high school, are entering Kennesaw State as first-year students, have a high school grade point average of 3.5 or better in their academic courses, and have made a composite score of 1150 or better on the Critical Reading and Math sections of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT).  (The equivalent composite ACT score of 25 or higher, is also accepted.)  (See the Honors Program catalog section under University Studies.)

Dual Enrollment Honors Program (DEHP)

The admission deadline for DEHP is typically mid-January. For the current deadline, admissions instructions, and additional program information, visit www.kennesaw.edu/dehp/ or contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. 

Rising high school juniors and seniors are eligible for the Dual Enrollment Honors Program if they earn:

Cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better in their core academic course work (not electives) and are on track to complete the Required High School Curriculum AND

Composite score of 1100 on the SAT, with minimum subparts of 530 critical reading and 530 math; or an ACT composite score minimum of 24 with subpart minimums of 23 English and 22 math.

To be admitted to DEHP, students must submit an online application and application processing fee, official SAT or ACT score report sent directly from the testing agency, high school transcript, and consent form signed by a parent and a high school counselor. Prior to registration, accepted students are required to attend a mandatory KSU advising session and a summer orientation program specifically for DEHP. Students and parents must also sign a Policy Statement acknowledging their understanding of the academic and behavioral conduct policies of the program. Students are accepted into the program as Fall semester entrants only.  A KSU GPA of 2.0 is required to continue in the program for Spring semester.

Advanced Placement Opportunities

Kennesaw State University welcomes students who have pursued accelerated academic course work while in high school or through recognized national standardized programs. Such programs include College Board’s Advance Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), College Level Subject Examination Program (CLEP), and Defense Activity for Nontraditional Educational Support (DANTES).

Students may receive college credit for certain courses based on scores received in the above tests.  The criteria for credit awarded under these testing programs are available on the Transfer Evaluation Services website.

CLEP exams are administered nationally through Educational Testing Service (ETS) testing centers or through the University’s Student Success Services for currently enrolled students only. AP tests are given at many high schools throughout the country and qualified applicants are advised to take these tests in the spring of their senior year in high school. CLEP, IB, DANTES and AP credits do not count toward the KSU residency requirement or grade point average.

Students demonstrating satisfactory evidence of acquired knowledge from prior learning may receive course credit and hours by a departmental examination for advanced standing. Requests for institutional advanced standing examinations should be initiated with the academic department chair responsible for the course in question and must be approved by the Registrar.

Admission from Other Colleges

Transfer applicants for admission are students who have earned college credit elsewhere at regionally accredited collegiate institutions, and wish to transfer to KSU in order to continue their collegiate studies.

KSU’s Office of the Registrar conducts transfer evaluations and accepts transfer credit only from such accredited institutions, only in courses comparable to KSU courses or in subject fields appropriate for KSU degrees, only when the grades earned are sufficient for the transfer courses to meet KSU degree requirements, and only when the GPA for all acceptable transfer courses is 2.0 or higher.

Transfer students must make arrangements with each college previously attended, whether credit was completed or not, to have a complete official transcript forwarded to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at Kennesaw State University. 

Official transcripts are required, regardless of the applicant’s wishes concerning transfer credit or financial holds, and must be mailed directly from the sending institution to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.  Transcripts must be issued within six months of the application submission.

Transfer students’ records will be evaluated in the same manner as Kennesaw State University resident students. Transfer students must have completed 30 semester hours of transferable credit with a 2.0 cumulative GPA or above and be in good academic standing at their most recent college. Transfer applicants who have been academically dismissed from their previous institution may not enter Kennesaw State until they are fully eligible to return to their former institution, have attained good academic standing, and have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0.

Students transferring from another institution in the University System of Georgia must have satisfied any and all learning support requirements before being admitted to KSU. Transferring students who took physical education hours at one institution will not be required to duplicate those hours at KSU. However, students who took an orientation course at another institution may be required to take the KSU 1101 orientation course. All admission application deadlines cited earlier apply to transfer applicants. All of the required documents cited earlier for a complete application file apply to transfer applicants with the following exceptions:

• High school transcripts are not required for applicants with 30 or more earned semester hours of acceptable transfer credit. (However, all college and university transcripts are required)
• SAT or ACT scores are not required for applicants with 30 or more earned semester hours of acceptable transfer credit

Transfer Freshman Admission Standards

Applicants with fewer than 30 semester hours of acceptable transfer credit must meet the same admission requirements as recent high school graduates attending college for the first time.  Also, an official transcript from each college previously attended indicating the applicant is in good academic standing must be sent directly from the sending institution to KSU’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

Evaluation of Courses for Transfer Credit

Transfer credit is awarded in accordance with the policies of the University System of Georgia, accrediting agencies, and KSU. Transfer Evaluation Services functions as the liaison between acceptance to the university and academic advising by awarding transfer credit and applying relevant credit to the degree program. For further details regarding the transfer evaluation policy, visit the Transfer Evaluation Services website.

Eligibility for Military Transfer Credits

Transfer credit will be awarded from official AARTS, SMART, or Coast Guard transcripts utilizing ACE Guidelines. Military training and experience with a credit recommendation at the lower-division and upper-division baccalaureate degree category level is evaluated. For further details regarding Military Transfer Credits, visit the Transfer Evaluation Services website.

Special Admission Categories

In addition to traditional freshmen and transfer applicants, KSU also has a number of special admission categories.

Nontraditional-Adult Learners-Freshmen Admission Standards

Adult learners with 30 semester hours of transferrable prior college credit may qualify for transfer status.  Nontraditional adult learners are those students who:

• Have graduated from high school at least five years ago or whose high school class graduated at least five years ago
• Hold a high school diploma from an accredited or approved secondary school or a GED certificate which satisfies the minimum requirements of the State of Georgia
• Have earned fewer than 30 transferable semester hours of college credit
• Adheres to Board of Regents COMPASS testing and remediation policy

Applicants eligible for review in this category are exempt from the SAT/ACT and Required High School Curriculum requirements.  However, nontraditional students applying in this category will be required to take the COMPASS examination. Minimum scores are required for admission.  If the applicant meets the minimum COMPASS scores for admissions, test results may place the applicant in the Learning Support program for extra non-degree course work in English and mathematics skills. As an alternative, non-traditional freshmen who have, within the past seven (7) years, posted SAT scores of at least 500 in both Verbal/Critical Reading and Mathematics or ACT scores of at least 21 on both English and Mathematics may provide an official score report from the testing service to exempt COMPASS testing.  Support and academic services for adult learners are available through the Office of Adult Learner Programs.  

International Student Admission Standards

International students should apply through the Office of Global Admissions. Application processing and other United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) procedures will be handled from this office.

Kennesaw State University supports international education and the philosophy that cross-cultural understanding is vital for creating mutual respect, appreciation and understanding of diversity. The presence of international students fosters cultural exchanges, which are beneficial to the student body and to the community at large.

International students may enroll in any program of study offered at Kennesaw State University. In addition, there are on campus apartment complexes where an international student can make arrangements for living accommodations. For information, visit the Housing and Residence Life website.

Students are responsible for their own transportation needs. There is limited county bus service to the campus.

KSU has no designated financial assistance for international students. All international applicants must pay nonresident fees unless the individual receives one of the nonresident fee waivers available to international students through the Office of Global Admissions. As per USCIS regulations international applicants must present documented evidence that they have sufficient funds to meet their educational and living expenses.

All international students requesting admission to Kennesaw State University must submit the following credentials at least one semester prior to the semester of enrollment:

• A completed Undergraduate Application for Admission to Kennesaw State University submitted online with a nonrefundable application processing fee
• Sworn affidavit of support from the applicant’s financial sponsor
• A letter from the sponsor’s bank showing that funds (in U.S. dollars) are available for one year of support
• Official or certified true copies of all high school and/or college/university records with a certified English translation. International students are required to have an official evaluation of credentials done by an outside agency at the student’s expense. International applicants may contact NACES at www.naces.org/members.htm to select an accredited credential evaluation service. Official transcripts and evaluations must be mailed directly from the sending institution or hand delivered in sealed college envelope. A KSU evaluation of credits will not occur until satisfactory documents are on file. It is up to the academic department as to which credits will actually apply to the degree program
• International students from non-English speaking countries must meet English proficiency requirements by meeting one of the following minimums: 
  • TOEFL Internet Based Exam score of 79
  • TOEFL Paper Based Exam score of 550
  • TOEFL Computer Based Exam score of 213
  • IELTS score of 6.5
  • Completion of the first two levels of English Composition college level courses with a “C” or higher at an accredited American institution
  • Completion through Level Six of the Kennesaw State University Intensive English Program
• Official scores on the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT), or American College Test (ACT);
• A valid Certificate of Immunization required upon enrollment, must be submitted to the KSU Office of the Registrar. Requirements are listed on their website at registrar.kennesaw.edu/documents/forms/immunization_form.pdf
• All international students must purchase medical insurance made available through Kennesaw State University.

To be eligible to register and remain in compliance with the Student Exchange and Visitor Information System (SEVIS), international students must have a current valid F1 visa status. An I-20 Form will be issued only upon the student’s full acceptance into the University.

In order to maintain F-1 status with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), international students with a student visa are required to be full-time students (minimum 12 semester hours) for spring and fall semesters, excluding summer term (unless it is the student’s first term of enrollment at KSU). The University is required to notify the USCIS whenever a student’s course load drops below 12 semester hours.

Upon arriving at Kennesaw State University, all international students are required to visit the Office of Global Admissions and have their passports, I-20 ID, and Arrival-Departure Record copied and placed in their student file. This procedure facilitates the replacement of a lost Arrival-Departure Record and is required by the USCIS.

International transfer students from other educational institutions in the United States who are applying to Kennesaw State University are also required to have their passports, I-20 ID copy and Arrival-Departure Record copied before enrollment.

Transient Students

A student who has been enrolled in another college or university and who expects to return to that college or university may apply for temporary (one term) admission and registration at Kennesaw State University as a transient student. Transients must have all documents filed by the deadline to be considered for admission. In fairness to its degree-seeking students and because of limitations on available space, KSU must give its regular students higher priority for registration than transient students. Transient students have no guarantee that space will be available in the classes they seek.

In addition to completing an online application for admission, which includes paying the non-refundable application fee, a prospective transient student must present

• A transient letter from the Registrar of his or her college (good for the semester of application only)
• The transient letter must indicate that the applicant is in good academic standing

It is the responsibility of the transient applicant to determine (with assistance from his or her home college) the course(s) he or she should take on the KSU campus.

Enrollment as a transient student at KSU is limited to one semester. Transient students wishing to continue at KSU beyond the initial semester of entry must reapply for admission and present a new written statement of good academic standing and permission from the previous institution’s Registrar by the deadline for the term they wish to re-enroll. Transient students desiring to continue as transfer students must reapply for admission as a transfer student through the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and furnish all required documents and transcripts by the published deadline. For purpose of admission or readmission as a transient student, the summer term will be treated as a semester.  Transient status is not intended as an alternative to meeting admission standards as a degree-seeking student. Credits earned at KSU will not be considered when a transient student applies to become a transfer student to Kennesaw State University.

Non-Degree Students

Applicants, who already hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution and wish to take courses for personal enrichment, may apply as non-degree seeking students. Non-degree seeking students can only take courses for which they are eligible. 

This non-degree category exists for those eligible students who have previously earned a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution and who wish to enroll in undergraduate courses for personal or professional reasons. Students applying for non-degree status must submit an online application for admission, which includes payment of the non-refundable application processing fee, and an official transcript from the institution that awarded the initial degree (meeting all deadlines).

Non-degree students do not qualify for financial aid, do not receive a transfer evaluation of previous coursework and are not considered degree-seeking students.

Non-degree students who later wish to pursue another undergraduate degree at KSU must meet all pertinent transfer admission requirements and deadlines and complete an application for readmission to change status from non-degree to degree seeking.

Audit Students

Audit applicants must have graduated from high school or hold a GED.  To be admitted as an auditor, the individual must complete an online application for admission, which includes payment of the nonrefundable application-processing fee; and provide an official high school transcript reflecting date of graduation, an equivalency (GED) or official transcript from an accredited college or university showing credits earned. These requirements must be submitted prior to the published deadline for the term they wish to enroll.

Audit students attend classes and may participate in course assignments but are not graded and do not receive degree credit for completing the audited courses. Students are not permitted to receive retroactive credit at any future date for their participation in a course as an auditor nor change from an audit to a credit status while enrolled in a course. In determining the student’s load for fee computation, audited courses are counted at full value. A student wishing to change his/her classification from an auditor to a degree-seeking student must reapply for admission for a future term in the appropriate category and meet all pertinent requirements and deadlines.

Audited courses do not qualify for educational benefits or financial assistance under the social security laws, veterans and other federal and state programs.

Online Learners

Kennesaw State University offers fully online degree programs, certificate programs, hybrid online programs and a large selection of courses in online and mixed-model versions. Designed and taught by KSU faculty, distance learning at KSU offers high quality degree options with distance learning convenience and flexibility.  For more information, visit learnonline.kennesaw.edu/.

Students Sixty-two Years of Age or Older

Citizens of the State of Georgia who are 62 years of age or older may attend Kennesaw State University without payment of fees (except for application fee, 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:

Must present a birth certificate or other comparable written documentation of age to the Bursar’s Office at the time of registration
Must meet all University System and Kennesaw State University admission requirements and deadlines
Must meet all University System, Kennesaw State University, and legislated degree requirements if they are degree-seeking students

Certificate Seeking Students

Certificate applicants must meet admission requirements for their student type.

 
Immunizations

Prior to registration, a valid Certificate of Immunization is required to be on file in the KSU Office of the Registrar. The immunization form may be found at registrar.kennesaw.edu/documents/forms/immunization_form.pdf. Mail immunization forms to the KSU Immunization Services, Office of the Registrar, 585 Cobb Avenue NW, MD 0116, Kennesaw, GA 30144 or fax to 470-578-9097 or email to: immunizationsvc@kennesaw.edu.

Readmission

After taking or attempting an undergraduate course for the second time, students will not be allowed to re-enroll in that class without the permission of the department chair or his/her designee. It is the sole discretion of the department chair/designee to decide if and when a student will be allowed to enroll in a class that they have taken/attempted twice. There is no obligation on the part of the chair to allow a student to enroll in a course after the student’s second attempt to take the course. This limitation is in place regardless of previous grades including grades of “W or “WF”. The standing exception to this policy is for courses described in the KSU undergraduate catalog as being repeatable for credit.

Students who wish to participate in the Academic Fresh Start program must contact the Office of the Registrar to complete the Academic Fresh Start Request Form. The request must be submitted within three semesters after re-enrollment or one calendar year, whichever comes first. A student can be granted Academic Fresh Start status only one time. Once granted, the petition for Academic Fresh Start cannot be rescinded.
 

Lawful Presence Verification

The Board of Regents (BOR) of the University System of Georgia has implemented a policy requiring University System Institutions to verify the lawful presence in the United States of all admitted students entering Kennesaw State University who are seeking in-state (resident) tuition status. BOR Policy 4.3.4 states: “University System institution shall verify the lawful presence in the United States of every successfully admitted person applying for resident tuition status (in-state tuition).

For information regarding this requirement and how it can be satisfied, visit kennesaw.edu/enrollmentservices/lawfulpresence.html.

Resources

Appeals

Formal appeals of the University’s admission decision for undergraduate applicants may be filed with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, attention: Admission Appeals Committee.  Applicants considering appeal of an ineligible admission decision must first seek advice from a KSU Admissions Counselor. If the Committee approves the appeal, the student may be admitted under a probation status and/or required to complete some prescribed conditions. Additional information regarding probation status may be found in the Academic Advisement and Academic Policies section. For additional instructions or information on the appeals process, contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

KSU Admissions Online

Visit KSU’s home page at: www.kennesaw.edu and select Enrollment Services to find links to offices within Enrollment Services.

From the admissions website, a student can submit an application or check the status of his/her application.  Take advantage of the online services including:

• Schedule a campus visit
• Review standards for admission to KSU
• The Q/A Ask feature
• Learn about the admissions office
• Check the status of an application
• Check on application deadlines for a particular term
• Check on current tuition costs
• Request information about KSU
• View the most recent university catalog

It is the responsibility of the student to review admission standards in advance to determine the likelihood of eligibility.