Admissions

Chicago State University admits academically qualified students on the basis of individual merit and without regard to race, color, national origin, creed, sex, or physical disability. For information regarding graduate admission requirements and graduate course listings, reference the Graduate Catalog, or call the Office of Graduate Studies at 773-995-2404, or visit the office in Room 101, Cook Administration Building.

Applying for Admission

General admission is granted three times a year for fall, summer and spring semester. Undergraduate admission applications can be submitted online via the Chicago State University website (www.csu.edu). New incoming first-time freshmen can also submit an application via Common App (www.commonapp.org) Paper applications are no longer accepted.

Applicants are encouraged to complete the application by the priority review dates for an early decision and merit scholarship opportunities.

Application processing deadlines:

Fall - March 15th
Spring - November 15th
Summer Session 1 -May 1st
Summer Session 2 - June 1st

Regular admission applicants will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis for admissions, availability for merit scholarships and financial aid.

Items Required for Admission

Admissions documents required to complete an application must be submitted electronically to the Office of Admissions at ug-admissions@csu.edu or via the Common App for freshman applicants (www.commonapp.org) or via mail to: Chicago State University, Office of Undergraduate Admissions, 9501 S. King Drive, Chicago, IL 60628. Documents not sent directly to the Office of Admissions will not be considered official. Official transcripts are required for all schools attended.

Undergraduate Freshman Student Admission

Requirements

To be granted admission to Chicago State University, a prospective freshman student must submit an application via the common app (www.commonapp.org) or via the school website (www.csu.edu). To complete the application, a prospective student must submit the requirements listed below by category.

Freshmen Applicants

Applicants who are currently in high school or have earned a high school diploma, or a General Education Development (GED) certificate, or a home-schooled program and never attended college, along with transfer freshmen with fewer than 24 credits or 36 quarter hours of earned college credit must submit the following requirements to complete the admission application:

• Official High School transcript, or GED test results, or home-schooled portfolio
• The submission of ACT or SAT scores is optional for applicants
• Letter of Recommendation completed by a teacher, school counselor, mentor, coach, or employer
• The $25 non-refundable application fee or Fee Waiver Request Form
• Applicants who have a GPA of at least 2.50 on a 4.00 scale, are eligible for full admittance to CSU.
• Applicants who have a GPA between 2.0 and 2.49 on a 4.00 scale will be conditionally admitted and must interview with the Director of Success U to be considered for full admissions decision.

Applicants with a high school diploma must meet the following subject requirements: 4 years of English, 3 years of Math, 3 years of Social Studies, 3 years of Science and 2 years of foreign language, music, vocational education or art.

Applicants with a GED certificate or Home schooled must meet a minimum ACT composite of 18 or SAT composite of 960 for regular admission.

Note: CSU is test-optional which means applicants are not required to submit test scores. Students who are interested in sending standardized test scores can request ACT or SAT official scores to be sent to Chicago State University - code 0992 by contacting the agencies at: ACT at www.act.org or via phone at 319-337-1313 or SAT at www.collegeboard.org or via phone at 609-771-7600.

Undergraduate Transfer Student Admission Requirements

To be granted admission to Chicago State University, a prospective transfer student must submit an application via the school website at (www.csu.edu). To complete the application, a prospective student must submit the requirements listed below by category. To be considered a transfer student, all post-secondary coursework must be completed at a regionally accredited institution of higher education with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale.

Transfer Applicants

Applicants who have earned an Associate degree or have more than 24 semester hours or 36 quarter hours of earned college level coursework must submit the following requirements to complete the admission application:

• Official College transcript (s) from each college or university attended
• The $25 non-refundable application fee or Fee Waiver Request Form***

Transfer Freshman Applicants

Applicants who have earned less than 24 semester hours or 36 quarter hours of earned college level coursework must also meet freshman requirements and submit the following to complete the admission application:

• Official College transcript (s) from each college or university attended
• Official High School transcript, or GED test results, or home-schooled portfolio
• The $25 non-refundable application fee or Fee Waiver Request Form***
• Optional: Official ACT or SAT scores

Second Degree Applicants

Applicants who have earned a Bachelor degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education must submit the following requirements to complete the admission application:

• Official College transcript (s) from each college or university attended
• The $25 non-refundable application fee or Fee Waiver Request Form***

Non-Traditional Applicants

A non-traditional applicant is a new undergraduate applicant who is over the age of 24 and seeks admission with no previous college level experience or has fewer than 24 semester hours or 36 quarter hours of earned college level course-work.

Applicants with fewer than 24 semester hours or 36 quarter hours of earned college level coursework must also meet freshman admission requirements and submit the following:

• An official high school transcript indicating date of graduation or a GED score report.
• Optional: Official ACT or SAT scores

Undergraduate-at-Large Admission Requirements

Undergraduates-at-large are individuals who are not seeking a degree at Chicago State University and are in need of taking a credit-bearing course. Students may complete up to 30 semester hours as an undergraduate-at-large.

Undergraduate students may attend the university as at-large in either of the following categories:

• Individuals who attend or attended a regionally accredited college or university and who can demonstrate good academic standing at the last institution attended; or
• Individuals who wish to enroll as part of a special program or a cooperative agreement between the university and another institution.

To be considered an Undergraduate-at-Large student, a prospective applicant must download the Undergraduate-at-Large application via the school website at (www.csu.edu) and submit the following requirements:

• Verification of good academic standing (2.0 on a 4.0 scale) at the last college/university attended (official or unofficial transcript, last grade statement showing cumulative GPA or letter from the registrar or dean of the college).
• The $25 non-refundable application fee or Fee Waiver Request Form***

NOTE: Undergraduate-at-large students are not eligible for financial aid or merit scholarship and will not receive an evaluation of previous college credit.

High School Dual-Enrollment Admission Requirements

Dually enrolled high school students are high-achieving high school students in the third or fourth year of education who desire an opportunity to earn college credits while completing high school.

Students may register for and attend classes at the university. Participating students may register for one lower-division course per semester or summer term. To be considered a dually enrolled high school student, a prospective applicant must submit the online application via the school website at (www.csu.edu) and submit the following requirements:

• High School transcript demonstrating good standing
• Letter of consent from a school counselor
• The $25 non-refundable application fee or Fee Waiver Request Form***

The admissions committee will review these requests for approval and notify the student of acceptance.

International Applicants

International applicants are individuals who are not a citizen or permanent resident of the United States. International students must submit supplemental information in addition to meeting the academic standards for admission.

International applicants must submit the following:

• Originals or true copies of all secondary and post-secondary educational records. All documents in languages other than English must be accompanied by a certified translation from a National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) [www.naces.org] approved credential evaluation company. All documents from institutions outside the United States must be accompanied by an evaluation from a NACES approved organization.
• Official English language proficiency scores (IELTS, TOEFL, PTE-A, or iTEP). The applicant can receive a waiver of the English language proficiency requirement if the applicant has received a degree from a high school, college, or university in the United States or a country where English is a primary and foundational language as well as the language of instruction for that degree. The list of accepted countries includes: Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Canada (except Quebec), England, Ghana, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, New Zealand, Nigeria, Scotland, South Africa, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, US territories (US Virgin Islands, Guam, Micronesia), and Wales.
• Completed application for admission
• The $30 non-refundable application fee or Fee Waiver Request Form***

Deadline dates: Application deadline dates are the same as U.S. citizen and permanent resident applicants.

English Language Proficiency Policy for International Applicants

International applicants who do not have a degree from a high school, college, or university in the United States or a country where English is a primary and foundational language as well as the language of instruction for that degree must submit proof of English language proficiency. The accepted English language proficiency exams are Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English Language Testing System (IELTS), Pearson Test of English - Academic (PTE-A), and International Test of English Proficiency - Academic Plus (iTEP). The date of the exam for the score used must be within two years of the student’s application date.

*Including MyBest Score

International applicants who meet one of the criteria below may waive the English language proficiency requirement:

• Applicant has completed a minimum of 24 semester credit hours or 36 quarter hours of earned credit from an accredited U.S. college or university.
• Applicant has a degree from a high school, college, or university in the United States or a country where English is a primary and foundational language as well as the language of instruction for that degree may waive the English language proficiency requirement. The list of accepted countries includes: Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Canada (except Quebec), England, Ghana, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, New Zealand, Nigeria, Scotland, South Africa, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, US territories (US Virgin Islands, Guam, Micronesia), and Wales.

Note: Freshmen international applicants can only waive the English language proficiency requirement if they are submitting a satisfactory SAT or ACT score with their application. ACT composite of 18 or SAT composite of 960.

Freshmen Applicants

International applicants who are currently in high school or have earned a high school diploma and have never attended college must submit the following:

• Originals or true copies of all secondary educational records. (All documents in languages other than English must be accompanied by a certified translation from a NACES approved credential evaluation company. All documents from institutions outside the United States must be accompanied by an evaluation from a NACES approved organization). Applicants must meet a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.50 on a 4.0 scale
• Proof of English language proficiency (TOEFL, IELTS, PTE-A, or iTEP)
• Letter of Recommendation**
• The $30 non-refundable application fee or Fee Waiver Request Form***
• Optional: If submitted under the Test-optional policy, official ACT or SAT scores - must meet a minimum ACT composite of 18 or SAT composite of 960.

Transfer Applicants

A transfer international applicant is an individual who has earned an associate degree or who has completed more than 24 semester hours or 36 quarter hours of earned credit from a college or university. International transfer applicants must submit the following:

• Originals or true copies of all post-secondary educational records. (All documents in languages other than English must be accompanied by a certified translation from a NACES approved credential evaluation company. All documents from institutions outside the United States must be accompanied by an evaluation from a NACES approved organization). Applicants must meet a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale
• Proof of English language proficiency (TOEFL, IELTS, PTE-A, or iTEP)
• The $30 non-refundable application fee or Fee Waiver Request Form***

NOTE: International transfer applicants that do not meet the minimum of 24 semester hours or 36 quarter hours completed at a college or university will be considered an international transfer freshman applicant. In addition to the transfer applicant requirements, these transfer freshman applicants would also need to submit:

• Original or true copies of all secondary educational records. (All documents in languages other than English must be accompanied by a certified translation from a NACES approved credential evaluation company. All documents from institutions outside the United States must be accompanied by an evaluation from a NACES approved organization).
• Optional: If submitted under the Test-optional policy, official ACT or SAT scores - must meet a minimum ACT composite of 18 or SAT composite of 960.

Readmit Applicants (Returning Students)

Chicago State University students who do not enroll for two consecutive years must be readmitted. Former undergraduate students of CSU who were in good academic standing at the time of withdrawal and who wish to reenter after an absence of two or more years must submit the following to the Office of Records and Registration, Cook Administration Building, Room 128:

• Completed and signed application for readmission;
• Official transcripts from all colleges and/or universities attended during absence from CSU.

Deadline dates: fall semester, August 1; spring semester, December 1; summer session, May 1. Applications received after the deadline date will be processed for the following semester.

NOTE: Readmitted students must meet the degree requirements applicable to their program of study for the term in which they are readmitted. To change degree programs, students must contact their readmitted department and complete a change of major form.

Success U Program

The Success U Program is an admission pathway designed to assist students gain the skills needed to strengthen their academic performance during the first year of college and to be fully prepared to transition into the program they aspire to pursue. Applicants with a high school GPA between 2.0 and 2.49 are automatically considered for this program. Success U is for students who have had no prior college experience. International undergraduate students also do not qualify for entrance into the Success U program. The program requires the student complete an information session, interview, and participate in and complete a support program. A final admission decision is sent to the student in writing. Students in the Success U program must complete a Freshman Seminar 1500 and 1501 during their first year before being transferred to their major department.

For more information about the program, call (773) 995-2478. Success U is located in the Office of Academic Support in the Student Union, Room 158.

International Baccalaureate, Advanced Placement and CLEP Credit Policy

Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) and College Level Examination Program (CLEP) credit are accepted for credit at Chicago State University up to a maximum of total transfer credit policy. Also refer to the Transfer Credit and Transfer Student Policy sections of this catalog.

Some programs offered through the College of Arts and Sciences accept credit for IB (International Baccalaureate) courses and/or AP (Advanced Placement) exams if they meet specific criteria as listed. Students who want to know if their AP or IB credit will be accepted should contact the Office of Evaluations in Room ADM 128 or contact their academic advisor.

Official transcripts from IB, AP and CLEP are required to determine the number of credits that will be accepted and their course equivalencies. Official transcripts indicating the completion of IB coursework and/or official copies of AP exam scores from the College Board need to be submitted in order to receive college-level credit.

Please submit all official copies to:

Office of the Registrar ADM
128 Chicago State University
9501 S. King Dr.
Chicago, IL 60628

Transfer Credit and Transfer Student Policy

Chicago State University will accept a maximum of 66 semester credit hours from a two-year college or a maximum of 88 semester credit hours from a four-year institution. Transfer credit applied to meet the University General Education Requirements will be accepted with a “D” grade. Courses with a grade of “D” may not be used as prerequisites for a required course in the major.

Foreign Language Policies for Transfer and Freshmen Students

All students must demonstrate a level of proficiency in a single language other than English in order to be eligible for graduation. Returning students who have been out for two or more long terms are also subject to the language requirement. This requirement may be satisfied by any of the following means:

• Complete 6 hours of a single foreign language at Chicago State University. (Courses excluded from satisfaction of the requirement are AF L 1100  and RUSS 1200 .)
• Transfer 5 or more semester hours of a single foreign language from another college or university with a grade of C or better in each course.
• Transfer 2 or more semester hours of a single foreign language from another college or university with a grade of C or better and take an additional course in the same foreign language to give the equivalent of two semesters of a single foreign language.
• Pass AP or CLEP examinations for the equivalent of two semesters of a single foreign language.
• Pass any other examination acceptable to the Foreign Language and Literature Department.
• Have completed secondary education in a country where English is not the native language, provided the student received instruction in a language other than English.

Transfer Students with AA or AS Degrees

• Students who transfer to Chicago State University with an Associate of Arts (AA) or an Associate of Science (AS) degree will be deemed to have completed all university general education requirements, including those university requirements that exceed the Illinois General Education Core Curriculum. However, this policy will not override the requirements of any college, department, program, or major.
• Students who transfer to Chicago State University without an Associate of Arts (AA) or an Associate of Science (AS) degree, but with 75 or more credit hours and have completed the Illinois GECC requirements before transferring, will be deemed to have completed all university general education requirements, including those university requirements that exceed the Illinois General Education Core Curriculum. However, this policy will not override the requirements of any college, department, program, or major.
• Students who transfer to Chicago State University with an Associate of Arts (AA) or an Associate of Science (AS) degree will not be required to take proficiency examinations in English and Mathematics. However, if individual courses in specific majors require a passing score on a proficiency examination as a prerequisite, all students, including transfer students, must satisfy the prerequisite by taking the proficiency examination.

Evaluation of Credit

• Every effort will be given to provide transfer students with an evaluation of credits that will apply to their major prior to registration their first semester at Chicago State University. Official evaluations, however, will not be prepared from unofficial documents. Any delay in submitting official transcripts may adversely affect financial aid, acceptance of transfer credit, and advising.
• The university accepts credit from regionally accredited institutions for college-level classes that are baccalaureate oriented and are similar in content to CSU courses. Transfer courses will be evaluated on an individual basis to determine how credit meets Chicago State University’s graduation requirements and the requirements of the respective college, department, and program option. Transfer credit applied to meet the University General Education Requirements will be accepted with a “D” grade. Courses with a grade of “D” may not be used as prerequisites for a required course in the major. Students who have a combination of two- and four-year colleges may transfer a maximum of 88 hours. Developmental, remedial, vocational, study skills, college survival practicum, ESL, and other similar courses do not transfer.
• The university recognizes that students may acquire knowledge through means other than formal college-level courses. Therefore, a program of credit by examination has been established to award college-level credit to students who demonstrate that they have satisfied college-level course requirements. A student may earn up to a maximum of 60 credit hours by examination. Methods currently available are: (1) the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), (2) the Advanced Placement (AP) Program, (3) credit for military training, and (4) university administered and/or constructed proficiency examinations.
• Chicago State University will award college credit to adult learners enrolled in non-traditional studies programs based on the American Council on Education (ACE) Credit Recommendation’s National Guide to Educational Credit for Training Programs. This credit is subject to the general policies governing transfer credits and departmental policies. Students offering ACE-approved credits enrolled in traditional programs will also be considered on an individual basis following departmental and university guidelines and policies governing acceptance of transfer credits.
• All course work can be viewed in CSU X-PRESS approximately three weeks after submission of official transcripts. Transcripts for evaluation received during peak periods may require additional to be evaluated.

Illinois Articulation Initiative

• Chicago State University is a participant in the Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI), a statewide agreement that allows transfer of the completed Illinois General Education Core Curriculum between participating institutions. Completion of the transferable General Education Core Curriculum or completion of an AA or AS degree at any participating college or university in Illinois assures transferring students that university general education requirements for the bachelor’s degree have been satisfied. Students who have completed 75 or more hours from a combination of two-year and four-year institutions and who have completed the Illinois General Education Core Curriculum are considered to have completed their general education requirements. The Illinois Articulation Initiative also includes recommended freshman-level and sophomore-level courses for specific majors. Major courses are identified for disciplines in art, biology, business, chemistry, computer science, criminal justice, early childhood education, English, history, mathematics, political science, psychology, sociology, and theater arts. Students should always consult with an academic advisor when planning to transfer, and read about the Illinois Articulation Initiative at www.itransfer.org.