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Undergraduate Admission - Entering Freshmen - Columbus State University

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Academics

Undergraduate Admission - Entering Freshmen

Traditional Freshman

Applicants who have graduated from high school within the last five years. All traditional applicants must meet the institutional grade point average of 2.5 and SAT minimum scores of 24 Reading and 22.5 Math Test ( 440 Critical Reading and 410 Math if taken prior to Spring 2016)  OR English 17 and Math 17 ACT. Traditional freshman must also show successful completion of the Required High School Curriculum with 17 units.

Required High School Curriculum (RHSC) The following curriculum is required for students whose high school class graduated within the previous five years and who plan to enroll in programs leading to the baccalaureate degree. The Required High School Curriculum (RHSC) requirements and graduation must be completed from a high school accredited by a regional accrediting association (such as the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools) or the Georgia Accrediting Commission or from a public school regulated by a school system and state department of education.

Students applying must present credit for seventeen (17) specified units. Students who graduate from high school prior to 2012 must present credits for sixteen (16) specified units. The 17 (16 for students who graduate prior to 2012) specified USG units are:

  1. MATHEMATICS: Four (4) units of Mathematics, including Algebra I, Algebra II, and Geometry. For students who graduate from a Georgia Public School in 2012 or later, the 4 units of Mathematics must include a course at the level of Math 3 or higher.
  2. ENGLISH: Four (4) units of English which have as their emphasis grammar and usage, literature (American, English, World), and advanced composition skills.
  3. SCIENCE: Three (3) units of science, with at least one laboratory course from the life sciences and one laboratory course from the physical sciences. Students who graduate in 2012 or later must have four (4) units of science. Georgia Public high School graduates must have at least one (1) unit of biology, one (1) unit of physical science or physics, and one (1) unit of chemistry, earth systems, environmental science, or an advanced placement science course.
  4. SOCIAL SCIENCE: Three (3) units of social science, with at least one (1) course focusing on United States studies and one (1) course focusing on world studies.
  5. FOREIGN LANGUAGE/AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE/COMPUTER SCIENCE: Two (2) units in the same foreign language emphasizing speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Two (2) units of American Sign Language or two (2) units of Computer Science emphasizing coding and programming may be used to satisfy this requirement.

Applicants who have not completed the Required High School Curriculum may satisfy this requirement by taking the appropriate SAT Subject Tests and obtaining the required scores as follows: 

  • English Writing with a minimum score of 520; and
  • English Literature with a minimum score of 530; and
  • Math Level IC with a minimum score of 500; or
  • Math Level IIC with a minimum score of 570; and
  • American History and Social Studies with a minimum score of 560; and
  • World History with a minimum score of 540; and
  • One foreign language test*; and
  • Biology with a minimum score of 520; and
  • Chemistry with a minimum score of 540; or
  • Physics with a minimum score of 590.

Students who successfully complete the above SAT Subject Tests in all required areas will be considered for admission to Columbus State University. The SAT Subject Tests are administered through the College Board. An official score report is secured by placing the Columbus State University code (5123) on the appropriate section of the SAT Subject Tests registration form.

* The CSU Department of Modern and Classical Languages will assess student competence in foreign language.

*A minimum 17 ACT Science Reasoning will also satisfy the Required High School Deficiencies in Science

Traditional Freshman Limited Admission 

Applicants who do not meet the above requirements, will be evaluated for admission for learning support (Please refer to the Learning Support Section  for further information).  To be eligible for referral to the Department of Basic Studies, applicant, or if not legally declared independent, applicant’s parent(s) or legal guardian must reside in one of the following counties in Georgia: Chattahoochee, Harris, Marion, Meriwether, Muscogee, Stewart, Talbot, Taylor, or Troup. If an applicant resides locally but their high school is located outside of one of the nine counties listed above, documentation will be required to verify domicile of the student, and if still a dependent of a parent or legal guardian, local domicile in one of these counties of the parent or legal guardian must also be verified through such methods as employer/employment verification, banking records, bills, and other applicable methods. 

The minimum admission requirements to the Department of Basic Studies are:

  • Graduated high school prior to 2012:
    • 13 academic units of the Technology / Career Preparatory Curriculum
    • 330 Critical Reading and 310 Math (or ACT English 12 and Math 14)
    • GPA of 2.0 for a College Preparatory Curriculum or a GPA of 2.2 for a Technical Preparatory Curriculum
  • Graduating high school in 2012 or later:
    • 14 Required High School Curriculum units
    • 330 Critical Reading and 310 Math (or ACT English 12 and Math 14)
    • 2.0 High School GPA

Non-Traditional Freshman

Applicants whose high school class graduated five or more years prior to the semester of application will be asked to take the ACCUPLACER exam. Non-traditional applicants may be exempt from the Accuplacer exam in English and reading if they have scored 500 or above on the Critical Reading portion of the SAT or 21 or above on the English portion of the ACT. To be exempt from taking the ACCUPLACER math exam, applicants must score 500 or above on the Math portion of the SAT or 21 or above on the Math portion of the ACT. The SAT or ACT testing date must be within 7 years of college enrollment to qualify. An official score report can be obtained by contacting the appropriate test agency (SAT: www.collegeboard.com; ACT: www.act.org). If ACCUPLACER score results indicate that additional support is needed, please see below for Admission to the Department of Basic Studies.

Applicants who either score below minimum on the SAT Critical Reading (or ACT English) or who have a CPC deficiency in English will be required to take the ACCUPLACER exam in Reading and Writeplacer. Those who either score below minimum on the SAT Math (or ACT Math) or who have a CPC deficiency in mathematics will be required to take the ACCUPLACER exam in math.

Results of the ACCUPLACER exams will determine whether or not the applicant will be admitted to Columbus State University and/or be placed into learning support courses in English, reading, or mathematics. 

  • Admission to Career Associates Program. Columbus State University offers the Associates of Applied Science in Criminal Justice. Applicants seeking admission to the career associate program are not held to CPC requirements. However, applicants must have graduated from an accredited high school and meet the regular CSU SAT/ACT score requirements. Students admitted to this program must complete all associate degree requirements before they may seek a baccalaureate degree.

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