Policy Number: D2.0

Policy Name: ADMISSION

The Rochester Institute of Technology bases its admissions decisions upon the academic qualifications of applicants. RIT will admit men and women, veterans and persons with disabilities, individuals of any race, creed, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, gender identity, or gender expression in compliance with all appropriate legislation. The compliance officers are the provost, Jeremy Haefner, and the senior vice president for finance and administration, James Watters. The standards for admission depend upon the particular program being considered; the underlying principle for acceptance, though, is a demonstration of ability to complete the desired program successfully.

All applications are processed through the Office of Admissions. The applicant's folder will include an RIT application, previous college or secondary school records, applicable test scores, recommendations (if required) and other documents that may support admission of the candidate. All applicants are notified of admission or rejection by the Admissions Office.

If a previously admitted and registered student has become inactive (has not completed a course in four quarters) or has withdrawn from RIT, university policy requires the student to reapply for admission.

A. UNDERGRADUATE

Admission decisions on undergraduate applicants are made by the admissions staff with appropriate consultation of the college concerned.

1. Transfer Credit:

Evaluation of transfer credit is made by the academic school or department in question and the College of Liberal Arts. Official transcripts from each college or university attended must be sent to the Office of Admissions.

Transfer credit at the undergraduate level will usually be granted for those courses completed with a grade of "C" or better in other regionally accredited colleges or universities and specific armed services course work which parallel courses in the program (including options, if any) for which the student is applying or is currently registered. However, if the program (or option) which the student finally chooses to pursue does not include any or all of the courses evaluated, they will not be credited toward requirements for a degree. RIT students who wish to take courses at other accredited institutions and receive transfer credit towards their RIT degree need to secure the prior written approval of the dean(s) of the RIT college(s) concerned in order to assure appropriateness of the course content and course level for those courses.

In the event that transfer credit is given as elective credit for courses that do not parallel any courses given at RIT, such credit will be recorded on the student's academic record.

Associate or baccalaureate degree recipients from other colleges or universities entering particular undergraduate programs of the university may be granted transfer credit in terms of a total number of credit hours without listing the individual courses. Under no circumstances can a recipient of a two-year associate's degree from another institution receive more than two years' transfer credit for that degree. However, applicable courses successfully completed beyond the associate's degree at the upper division or equivalent level may transfer to the student's intended program.

2. Credit for Advanced Placement Tests:

The university participates in the College Entrance Examination Board's Advanced Placement Program under which students may receive credit at the university for completion of Advanced Placement courses taken in a secondary school. Such students must take the CEEB's Advanced Placement Tests prior to enrollment. At the time they take these examinations, students should request that their test scores be sent directly to the Admissions Office. Decisions as to whether advanced credit can be given for these courses will depend upon the scores and upon their relevance to the student's program at the university. Generally, a score of 3 or higher is considered for credit provided the course is applicable to the student's program. If credit is approved, the title and course number of the specific course, the number of credit hours and the grade of "X" will be recorded on the student's academic record after matriculation. Students granted advanced credit are encouraged to take elective courses to enrich their programs.

3. International Undergraduate Students:

All undergraduate applicants who do not have English as their native language must achieve a minimum score of 525 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Applicants who do not achieve this score but are otherwise qualified for admission may be referred to the Academic Support Center's ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) program or to other similar programs.

B. GRADUATE

Admission decisions for graduate applicants are made by the department or college offering the program upon receipt of a completed application folder from the Office of Admissions.

1. Requirements:

The basic entry requirements for graduate degree candidates include the completion of a baccalaureate degree and whatever other evidence of the applicant's potential to complete graduate studies may be required by the particular college. Rare exceptions to the baccalaureate requirement can be made in the case of candidates who have demonstrated unusual competence in their field of specialization. For these exceptions the recommendation of the department chairperson or director and the approval of the appropriate dean and the Graduate Council are required.

Transfer credit at the graduate level may be granted for those graduate courses completed with a grade of "B" or better under the same stipulations stated above for undergraduate transfer credit. A maximum of nine credit hours in a 45-credit hour program, or 12 quarter credits in a 48 credit hour program or more, may be awarded as transfer credit from other institutions. Waived courses will be recorded for graduate students on an individual course basis. [Waived courses are those eliminated from the list of requirements that a graduate student must take to graduate. For a complete definition see the policy on "Grades" (D5.0).

Academic departments may informally advise non-matriculated students, but no formal program of study can be approved prior to admission.

The formal program is laid out by the dean's designee (department head, coordinator or program director, etc.) and is the one that must be followed by all students applying for admission or readmission in that program.

In certain cases graduate students may be admitted prior to, but conditional upon completion of the baccalaureate. Applicants should not be considered for admission prior to the start of their final year of undergraduate study. The student must present a final transcript within one quarter after first registering for a graduate program.

Graduate applicants who do not fully satisfy all admission criteria as to grades, test scores or other credentials, but do show sufficient promise to qualify for a trial period of graduate study may be admitted on probation to the university. Such students must achieve a 3.00 ("B") program grade point average by the end of their first 12 quarter credit hours of graduate study. Those students who do not meet this criterion will be suspended. Responsibility for specific requirements and maintenance of the student's appropriate status rests with the department in consultation with the Admissions Office and the Office of the Registrar.

2. International Graduate Students

The U.S. Department of Justice expects international students to prove competency in the English language prior to their acceptance to an American college or university. In keeping with this expectation, RIT graduate international students are asked to submit TOEFL test scores of 550 or above prior to admission into graduate studies.

Students who score below 550 on the TOEFL but who otherwise meet academic requirements will be referred to the Academic Support Center, ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) program or other similar language programs. They will not be admitted to academic programs until they score 550 on the TOEFL or pass the Michigan Test of English Language Proficiency administered at the Academic Support Center.

3. Readmission of Graduate Student
   
   
   
   1. Students who leave a program with a GPA of 3.0 or better (in good standing) and return to that program within two years of the time their last course was completed will be readmitted to that program upon reapplication.
   
   
   2. Students who leave a program with a GPA of 3.0 or better and return to that program more than two years after the last course was completed must meet current admission standards upon reapplication. The program of study shall be subject to review and will be rewritten. Previous waiver and/or transfer credit may be lost, and program deficiencies may need to be made up.
   
   
   3. Students who leave a program with a GPA below 3.0 must meet current admission standards upon reapplication. Readmission is based on all information, including previous graduate level work. Program requirements in effect at the time of reapplication apply. Previous waiver and/or transfer credit may be lost, and program deficiencies may need to be made up.
   
   
   4. Each college has the responsibility, upon a student's readmission, of determining which previous courses, if any, are applicable toward the degree.
   
   
   5. In all cases, students must complete the program within seven years of the date of the oldest course counted toward their program. This does not apply to prerequisites, Bridge Program courses in Computer Science, or similar requirements in other departments.

C. STUDENT CLASSIFICATION

1. Active Students

This status refers to a student who is currently in process of applying for acceptance or re-applying (from inactive or non-matriculated status) for acceptance to the university, is currently matriculated in a program of study, or is a non-matriculated student taking courses in the current quarter.

2. Inactive Students

This status refers to active students who will be classified as inactive if there is no registration activity during the quarter specified in the acceptance procedure, if the student shows no registration activity in four succeeding academic quarters (eight succeeding quarters for part-time students), if the student has graduated in a normally terminal program or if the student officially withdraws from the university.

3. Matriculated Students

This status applies to students who have been formally accepted as degree candidates through the Office of Admissions and are registered for courses.

4. Non-Matriculated Students

This status refers to students who are not candidates for a certificate, diploma or degree of the university and are taking courses for their own benefit on a space-available basis. Courses taken by students in a non-matriculated status may, or may not, be applied to a program, once admission as a degree matriculant has been attained.

5. Full-Time Students

A full-time student is a matriculated or non-matriculated student carrying 12 or more credit hours per quarter. Any student taking more than 18 credit hours per quarter must have the permission of an advisor, department head or school director. Additional tuition will be charged for more than 18 credits at the current credit hour rate.

6. Part-Time Students

A part-time student is a matriculated or non-matriculated student carrying fewer than 12 credit hours per quarter. Such students pay tuition at the current rate per quarter credit hour.

D. STUDENT CHANGE PROCESSES

1. Entry to Active Status
   
   
   1. Matriculated Students. Students gain entry to active matriculated status only through the formal admission process of the Office of Admissions.
   
   
   2. Non-Matriculated Students. New students enter active non-matriculated status by completing the non-matriculated student admission/registration process. No attempt is made to reserve classroom space for non-matriculated students. They are served on a space-available basis. [The current application fee is required of all foreign non-matriculated students, whether full- or part-time, the first time they apply. The distinction between U.S. citizens and foreign students is made because the latter require more extensive processing procedures than the former.]
   
   
2. Entry to Inactive Status

Both matriculated and non-matriculated students become inactive by default through lack of academic activity, official withdrawal, or suspension, or by graduation in a normal terminal program.

3. Re-entry into Active Status
   
   
   1. Matriculated Students. To become a matriculated active student, the individual must re-apply through the academic department. No application fee is required of those students for whom it can be demonstrated that the fee has been paid previously.
   
   
   2. Non-Matriculated Students. The student follows the prescribed admission/registration procedures for the college in which enrollment is planned.

E. PROGRAM CHANGE

Program change implies any change in an active student's program, department or college. All program changes (i.e., college, department and program) will become effective in the first six days of class in a given quarter. Changes requested after this time will be effective in the ensuing quarter. All changes must finally be processed through the Registrar's Office. The procedures are as follows:

1. Change of Program Within a Department

This type of change will be accomplished by the student in consultation with advisor, with certification by the department and with notification to the Registrar's Office on the Change of Program Application.

2. Change of Program to Another School or Department

The student initiates the application, in consultation with advisor, on a "Change of Program Application." With clearance of the "home" department (housing the student's current program), the request is forwarded to the "new" department (housing the "new" program) with the student's records. If the decision is negative, the new department notifies the student of the decision and returns the change form and records to the "home" department. If the decision is positive and a reevaluation of transfer credit is accomplished, the "new" department notifies the "home" department using one copy of the Change of Program Application, so that they may clear their records and inform the student's advisor. The "new" department keeps one copy of the Change of Program Application, assigns an advisor, and forwards the remaining copies of the Change of Program Application and the reevaluation of transfer credit to the Registrar's Office. The "new" department retains the student's records. The Registrar's Office is notified through its copy of the Change of Program Application Form.

F. LEAVE OF ABSENCE

If appropriate to the college concerned, a leave of absence may be requested by a student in preference to withdrawal from the university. A leave of absence is not to extend beyond five quarters (including summer quarter). If a student is granted a leave of absence before the end of the quarter, that quarter will count as one of the five quarters. If a longer period is requested, the student should be advised to withdraw from the university and re-apply through the Admissions Office when appropriate. A leave of absence student failing to re-register in the quarter expected will be classified as inactive.

G. ACADEMIC STANDING

An RIT student is in good academic standing and is maintaining satisfactory progress if accepted into a program of study (matriculated) and currently enrolled at this institution.

H. GUIDE TO YEAR CLASSIFICATION OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

The following guide is designed to assist in obtaining a uniform year classification through the various colleges and schools of the university. This guide will aid both the matriculated student transferring to RIT, and those who began their collegiate career at RIT, to determine how they are progressing toward their degree.

1. Year Classification determined as follows:

Quarter credit hours applied toward a degree:

4 Year Programs

0-39 quarter credit hours - Year or Phase 1

40-83 quarter credit hours - Year or Phase 2

84-127 quarter credit hours - Year or Phase 3

128 & above quarter credit hours - Year or Phase 4

5 Year Programs

0-39 quarter credit hours - Year or Phase Classification 1

40-83 quarter credit hours - Year or Phase Classification 2

84-113 quarter credit hours - Year or Phase Classification 3

114-143 quarter credit hours - Year or Phase Classification 4

144 & above quarter credit hours - Year or Phase Classification 5

NOTE: Students meeting minimum classification level requirements may need additional time to complete degree requirements.

Non-matriculated students are classified as year 0 whether they are taking undergraduate or graduate courses.

2. Exceptions

Due to the sequential nature of some programs, the following table should be substituted for the credit hour table in order to estimate progress toward a degree:

School Quarters Estimated To Earn a Degree*

12-11 - Year or Phase Classification 1

10-9-8 - Year or Phase Classification 2

7-6-5 - Year or Phase Classification 3

4-3 - Year or Phase Classification 4

*Determine the number of school quarters estimated to earn a bachelor's degree with the following formula:

Number of quarters estimated to earn a bachelor's degree

=

Total credit for degree minus Total transfer credit and/or earned credit

_______________________(divided by)

Average number of credits that can reasonably be scheduled for each quarter.

I. CREDIT BY EXAMINATION

1. External

It is the policy of the university to grant credit for satisfactory performance on various external examinations, such as CLEP or New York State Proficiency Examinations, provided such examinations cover or parallel the objectives and content of the courses for which credit is being sought, and are in advance of credit already earned in the subject matter concerned. (In order to raise a "D" grade or to remove a failure, the course must be repeated.) Undergraduate students will be eligible for receiving credit (up to a maximum of 36 quarter credit hours) only if they are matriculated students of the university.

The student is responsible for having results of the examinations forwarded to the Office of Admissions. The Office of Admissions will have the records evaluated in concert with the college concerned, and notify the student of credit granted. The course will be posted to the student's academic record with the grade of "X." Unsuccessful attempts will not be recorded.

2. RIT Credit by Examination

Matriculated students may wish to establish credit in a defined area of competence through a challenge examination process.

The student must contact the academic department responsible for the course to request approval to challenge the course by examination. If the department approves the request, then the department will specify the method by which the examination will be administered and the grade assigned. Credit by examination may not be used to raise a "D" or to remove a failure. In these cases, the course in question must be repeated. The amount of credit to be earned by challenge must be specified as part of the registration process. If the examination process is appropriate, the student will pay a fee to the bursar for each examination and receive a receipt for presentation to the professor. With this acknowledgment of payment the process can proceed.

If the student is successful, the faculty responsible will prepare a form indicating the title and course number of the specific course, the number of credit hours, and the grade of "X." The form must be signed by the head of the department responsible for the course. The form is then forwarded by that department to the registrar for posting to the student's academic record. Unsuccessful attempts will not be recorded.

J. CONTINUING EDUCATION UNIT

The Continuing Education Unit is designed to facilitate communication about continuing education from one person to another, from one institution to another, from employee to employer and from one time period to another.

Specifically the Continuing Education Unit is defined as "Ten contact hours of participation in an organized continuing education experience under responsible sponsorship, capable direction, and qualified instruction. Continuing education, for the purpose of this definition, includes all institutional and organizational learning experiences in organized formats that impart non-credit education at post-secondary levels."

Any continuing education non-credit instructional program at RIT which meets the following six criteria may be submitted for CEU approval to the provost or his or her designee:

1. The activity is a continuing education learning experience.


2. There is evidence of pre-planning which includes a written statement of objectives and/or rationale and a description of the program content and instructional methodology.


3. Content is organized and presented in sequential manner.


4. The program development and planning includes information and/or advice, which is significant to the resulting program, from any two of the following:
   
   
   1. Representation from the population to be served;
   2. RIT personnel with content expertise in the program area;
   3. Non-RIT personnel with content expertise in the program area.
   
   
5. There is a provision for registration and certification for individual participants.


6. Minimum attendance and participation requirements will be specified for each program.

No person shall be granted both degree/diploma credit and CEU's for participation in a single program although that program may be approved for both degree/diploma credit and CEU's.

K. CREDIT FOR NON-TRADITIONAL LEARNING

The evaluation of credits for non-traditional studies or learning acquired from experience should apply the same academic standard as used for traditional course evaluation. It is important that this evaluation be done at the department level by faculty who are knowledgeable in the course area. Such credit requests would normally be directed toward a specified required course or toward an existing free/professional elective in the proposed area of study. An allowed exception would be where the learning acquired would be acceptable as a free or professional elective by the department in which the student seeks admission or is currently enrolled but does not fit a specific elective presently offered. Provisions should be made to accept and evaluate both kinds of credit requests.

Credit obtained for non-traditional learning will be indicated on the student's transcript as "credit by examination," and must be assigned in advance of any credit received through registration for the indicated course.

1. Evaluation Procedure


1. Non-traditional courses - A student who has completed a defined course of study outside the normal academic sphere may apply for appropriate course credits. Entering students would provide the Admissions Office with the necessary supportive documents defining the learning acquired and this material would be forwarded to the department in the normal path that conventional transfer credits follow. The options for evaluation include the following:
   
   
   1. Awarding credits for in-plant courses using guides available from the Armed Forces and the New York State Board of Regents.
   2. Awarding credits based upon the documentation provided by the student when in-plant courses are not defined in (1).
   3. Requiring the student to take an examination in the course for which credit is sought
   4. If the course involved is in a sequence of courses, the student may be permitted to take the next course in the sequence, with credit for the previous course withheld until the student completes the second course with a grade of "C" or better. Students already in a program would follow the same procedure except that the request for credit would go directly to the department.

2. Credit for learning acquired by work experience
   
   
   1. Existing courses at RIT - When no standard course work is involved, an entering student may request credit for specific courses through learning acquired from other experiences. To assist in organizing the documentation, the student should use the form "Credit by Examination/Experience" available from the Registrar's Office.
   
   
   2. Courses not presently offered at RIT - Requests for credits in the area of "free," or "professional," electives where no existing course at RIT matches the student's experiential learning should follow the guidelines provided by the form "Credit by Examination/Experience."

   These materials would be collected by the student's department which would check them for completeness. An evaluation would be done. Again, credit would be approved or denied based upon the judgment of the department.

   Requests for such credits by students already in a program would be submitted directly to their department by the student. Awarding or denying the credit would be the judgment of the department. Whatever evaluation tools (including an examination) that are deemed necessary would be applied.

   3. Credit for learning acquired by work experience is not permissible towards a completion of a graduate degree program.
   
   
3. Additional Procedures and Requirements


1. Although the above procedure ensures that those requesting experiential learning credits are directed to the appropriate people, there is no assurance that a uniform standard of evaluation would be used throughout the departments of a college.

Therefore, each dean will establish a committee to formulate policies and standards and to review periodically experiential learning credit requests. The structure of the committee will be such that uniform treatment of these requests will occur throughout the college. When a student is denied credits, and wishes to contest the department's decision, such a request should be directed to the appropriate dean for action.

2. Students in RIT programs that include co-op as a normal part of their curriculum may not apply for credit for this work experience.


3. An applicant should be made aware that the amount of credit that can be given is limited by the university residency requirements and by limits on this type of credit that may be established by the university or by the colleges concerned.


4. The student will submit the appropriate fee to the bursar once the amount of credit to be awarded has been determined.

L. OVERLAPPING CREDIT FOR SECOND DEGREE

Careful consideration must be given to designing second associate, baccalaureate, or graduate degree programs for either current RIT students or applicants since large numbers of credits may be used to satisfy both degree requirements. The following criteria, consistent with State Education Department guidelines, should be used by advisors, department chairmen, and deans in advising students regarding work towards second degrees:

1. Careful planning of the academic requirements of both programs.


2. The second undergraduate degree must be in a different programmatic area and must require 60 quarter credit hours beyond the first baccalaureate degree or 40 quarter credit hours beyond the first associate degree. Prior approval of advisors, department heads, and the deans involved is needed.


3. At the discretion of the graduate committee in the specific degree area, 9-12 previous master's quarter credit degree hours can normally be applied toward satisfying requirements for a subsequent master's degree. The use of a given course in two different programs can be allowed only if the course which applied for credit toward the first master's degree is a required course for the second degree, and if use is made in both programs during a period not in excess of five years from the first to the last usage. In no case shall the second degree require less than the minimum 36 quarter credit hours of residency. [Where duplication of required courses causes a student to go below the 36 hour limit in the second degree program, the student would be exempted from these courses but be required to replace the credit hours with appropriately approved courses.]


4. An RIT student will remain matriculated in the original program until completed before being admitted through the Admissions Office to the second degree program.

Responsible Offices
Office of Admissions and the Academic Senate.  Inquiries can be directed to:

Academic Senate:

Staff Assistant
2106 Eastman Hall
asenate@rit.edu
(585)475-2016

Effective Date: Approved September 1958

Policy History:
Last revised April 20, 2005
Edited August 2010
Revised March 2011