Admissions

High School Students: Students admitted to UCM are expected to have completed a 24-unit Missouri core curriculum requirement, have a minimum 2.00 high school grade point average, and either have a 21 or higher on the ACT (or SAT equivalent) or an admissions index score of at least 100. Students applying under UCM’s test-optional criteria are required to have a 2.75 GPA or greater.  The admissions index score is obtained by combining high school class percentile rank and the national percentile rank of the ACT score.  UCM superscores ACT and SAT scores, meaning that the highest subscore from all official ACT or SAT tests will be combined to calculate a new, super composite score.  The ACT superscore is the average of the highest math, science, reading, and English subscores. The SAT superscore is calculated using the highest math score and the highest evidence-based reading and writing (EBRW) score from all SAT attempts. Applicants who do not meet regular admissions requirements, or UCM’s test-optional requirements, will be considered on an individual basis. All admitted students will be assessed for the purpose of placement in reading, writing, and math courses which will provide an appropriate challenge for their level of preparedness, and enhance their opportunity for success.

Test-Optional Admissions: UCM offers students the ability to be granted admission without the requirement of submitting ACT scores with their application. To be eligible for test-optional admission consideration, students must have a minimum of a 2.75 GPA following the 6th semester of their high school career. Students may elect to take the ACT for additional scholarship consideration if admitted test-optional, but an ACT score is not required for admission or attending UCM.

Superscore: The University of Central Missouri will superscore students’ ACT scores. This means if a student takes the ACT more than once, the highest subscores are pulled from each test to make a new superscore.  This method will be used for admission to the university, placement in reading/writing/math courses, and for the merit-based Red & Black Scholarship.  High school students have until the June ACT of their senior year to take advantage of this. Students will need to provide all updated ACT scores to the UCM Admissions office before classes begin in order for the calculation to be made on their behalf.

Students who meet the following criteria are considered academically prepared for the opportunities available at Central Missouri: at least 24 units of college preparatory work, including these courses:

1. Four units of English with an emphasis on writing skills
2. Three units of mathematics (Algebra I and beyond)
3. Three units of science (one must be a laboratory course in biology, physics, or chemistry)
4. Three units of social science
5. One unit of fine arts
6. Three additional academic units including practical arts (1), physical education (1), health education (1/2) and personal finance (1/2)
7. Seven units of electives (2 units of a single foreign language are strongly recommended)

GED/HiSET Applicants: General Education Development (GED) test scores may be used as a basis for admission to the university. Beginning in 2014, the test to establish high school equivalency is the HiSET. (For more information see GED Applications and HiSet Applications, on this page below.)

From Other Colleges and Universities: Students who are in good academic standing (minimum 2.00) at other regionally accredited colleges and universities may apply for admission and transfer appropriate credit. Students are required to provide UCM with official copies of transcripts from all prior colleges and universities attended. Failure to disclose a transcript may result in dismissal from UCM. (See Transfer Credit  in the Types of Credits  section.)

International Applicants: All international students interested in applying to UCM must do so directly through the Graduate and International Student Services (GISS) office (660-543-4092, WDE 1800). (See International Student Admissions .) Students covered under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) should apply for admission through the Office of Undergraduate Admissions (660-543-4290, WDE 1400).

How to Apply

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions (660-543-4290, WDE 1400) must receive all admission applications and supporting documents (such as official transcripts) prior to the first day of class.  Transcripts are considered official when they are sent directly from the sending school via mail (in a sealed envelope), fax, email, or approved electronic service such as the National Student Clearinghouse, Parchment, or eScript.  Official transcripts must be sent from all prior institutions attended.  Failure to disclose a transcript may result in dismissal from UCM.

During High School:

Graduating high school students who wish to enter the University of Central Missouri should apply for admission early in their senior year so that the admission process may be completed well in advance of enrollment. Each student should submit the following credentials to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions:

1. A completed application for admission
2. An official high school transcript mailed or sent electronically directly from the high school to the university Office of Undergraduate Admissions
3. American College Test (ACT)/SAT scores, including subscores and composite. Students applying for UCM’s test-optional admissions are not required to submit ACT scores for admission.
4. $30 application fee
5. If applicable, official transcripts from any colleges or universities where dual credit coursework was completed.

Admissions will make a decision based upon the 6th, 7th, or 8th (final) semester high school transcript and will permit enrollment for one semester. However, freshmen must provide a final high school transcript before being permitted to enroll in subsequent semesters.

UCM Advantage Program: The UCM Advantage Program provides a unique opportunity to freshmen students who demonstrate promise but do not meet traditional admission criteria.  This program provides students the experience of attending a four-year university with the individualized support needed to succeed.  These students are provided one-on-one success coaching with peers in the Success Advising Center, as well as meeting often with their Student Success Advisor.  For more information about the program contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions (660-543-4290, WDE 1400) or visit https://www.ucmo.edu/current-students/student-services/success-advising/ucm-advantage/.

After High School: Other students who have graduated from high school but have not attended a college/university should apply as early as possible. They should submit an application, $30 application fee, and a final high school transcript. Those applying within two years of high school graduation must also submit ACT or SAT scores, unless applying for UCM’s test-optional admission.

GED Applications: Applicants should submit a completed application, $30 application fee, and official GED test results. A score of 2250 is required for admission. A score of 225 is required for students who took the GED prior to 2002. An ACT score of 21 is required for students who would have graduated from high school in the past two academic years. Students not meeting these requirements will have their applications reviewed on an individual basis.

HiSET Applications:  Applicants should submit a completed application, $30 application fee, and official HiSET test results. A minimum score of 75 is required with scores of 15 in each of the five subtests. An ACT score of 21 is required for students who have graduated from high school in the past two academic years. Students not meeting these requirements will have their applications reviewed on an individual basis.

From Other Colleges and Universities:  

Students who wish to transfer to Central Missouri from other regionally accredited colleges and universities should (1) submit a completed application form with $30 application fee and (2) arrange to have an official transcript sent to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions from each college or university previously attended. Post-baccalaureate students can be admitted after submitting a transcript showing an earned bachelor’s degree, although all other transcripts must arrive before classes begin. Students from other colleges and universities who do not have an earned bachelor’s degree must submit all transcripts before application processing begins. Failure to disclose a transcript may result in dismissal from UCM. Transfer students with less than 24 hours of earned, accepted, post-high school college credit must also submit an official high school transcript.  If high school graduation occurred or should have occurred within the past two academic years official ACT scores must also be submitted.

UCM posts and accepts all transfer grades (A-F) from official transcripts received by regionally accredited institutions. All course work will be posted under the UCM academic term that corresponds with the academic term at the transfer institution.  These grades are counted in a student’s cumulative GPA and are taken into consideration for academic standing calculations. “W” grades (withdrawals) are not posted to the UCM transcript and developmental or remedial work is evaluated on an individual basis. Students who have testing credit (CLEP, AP, IB, etc.) applied to another school’s transcript must submit original test scores to UCM’s Testing Services Office (660-543-4919, HUM 216) for credit consideration at UCM. UCM’s repeat policy, not the repeat policy of the transfer institution, will be applied to any course repeats.  See details of the Repeat Enrollment in Courses  policy in this catalog.

Admission requires students to be in good standing and to have a minimum grade point average of 2.00 (C).  Any student who does not have a transfer GPA of 2.00 may be granted admission on academic probation. Central Missouri’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions will make an admission decision upon receipt of unofficial university transcript(s) and will permit enrollment for one semester. However, transfer students must provide the Office of Undergraduate Admissions (660-543-4290, WDE 1400) with final official transcript(s) from each university attended before being permitted to enroll in subsequent semesters. If transcripts are not submitted to UCM before subsequent semesters enrollment period opens, students will not be allowed to enroll until official transcripts are received, and processed, by Admissions.

Academic Renewal:

An academic renewal program is available for students who wish to exclude prior transfer work from their UCM record.  This program is available only to new undergraduate transfer students and applies to domestic undergraduate transfer work.  To qualify for this program, a student must not have been enrolled at any college or university for the previous six regular semesters (fall and spring) preceding application for admission.  The following requirements apply to this program:

• Students may utilize the benefits of academic renewal once.  
• Students who use the academic renewal program for transfer credits may not later/also use the program towards UCM credits.  Students who have previously used the academic renewal program for UCM credits may not later/also apply the program to transfer credits.
• Once the academic renewal has been implemented, it cannot be rescinded.
• Coursework will be excluded by academic term, as determined by UCM credit acceptance procedures.  All attempted credit from the selected terms will be excluded, including any earned credit.
• Coursework excluded does remain on the academic transcript, but does not count in the grade point average. 
• Any prior earned credit that is excluded will need to be repeated to count towards a degree requirement or if needed as a prerequisite course for enrollment in future courses.
• Academic renewal will not change “student type” (how a student is classified at UCM).
• A new transfer student may be required to petition for Transfer Credit Academic Renewal to be admitted, due to not meeting admissions requirements.  Students who otherwise meet admissions requirements will not be required to, nor restricted from petitioning.
• Students must petition and be approved for Transfer Credit Academic Renewal through the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.  Students may obtain petition paperwork from the Office of Undergraduate Admissions (660-543-4290, WDE 1400).
• Upon receipt of a completed petition, students will be required to participate in a meeting via phone or video conference with a staff member from the Office of Admissions.  A decision regarding the petition will be made after this meeting. 
• All appeals of this policy will be reviewed by the Director of Undergraduate Admissions.
• Petitions must be received by:
  • July 15 for fall admission
  • December 15 for spring admission
  • April 15 for summer admission

In addition to the requirements above, students should be aware of related financial aid and scholarship implications.  Students should consult with the Student Financial Services Office (660-543-8266, WDE 1100) to understand any federal or state financial aid implications.  Students who have received GI Bill® benefits at any institution should work with Military and Veteran Services (660-543-8776, UN 117).  Any scholarship awards following Transfer Credit Academic Renewal will be determined by the awarding bodies.

International Applications: All international students interested in applying to UCM must do so directly through the Graduate and International Student Services office (660-543-4092, WDE 1800). (See International Student Admissions .)

Exception to Admissions Policies: All requests for exception to undergraduate admissions policies must be presented to the Director of Undergraduate Admissions (660-543-4290, WDE 1400).

Readmission/Returning Students:

Students who have been away from UCM (not suspended or dismissed) for one regular semester (fall or spring) or longer need to submit a readmission application to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Students who do not attend during the summer semester do not need to reapply. No additional application fee is required. Students must submit transcripts from all colleges attended that are not yet on file. Failure to disclose a transcript may result in dismissal from UCM. After a review of the academic records, students will be notified as to whether they have been readmitted.

Students who have graduated from UCM and wish to return to pursue another undergraduate degree or teacher certification must reapply to UCM as a post-baccalaureate student. Students who have graduated from UCM and wish to return to take undergraduate courses for other reasons should reapply as a special credit student. No additional application fee is required.

Reinstatement: The reinstatement of students who have been suspended or dismissed from UCM is not automatic or guaranteed. Petitions for reinstatement are reviewed by the Success Advising Center (UN 128, 660-543-4721) in conjunction with the program coordinator of the degree program a student has selected for reinstatement. Students in the Intensive English Program (IEP) who wish to petition for reinstatement must contact the English Language Center at iep@ucmo.edu.

The reinstatement petition can be accessed in MyCentral in the Student Records and Registration portal. For the best selection of courses, students should submit a petition in March for summer or fall semester reinstatement and in October for spring semester reinstatement. Petitions will be considered through the following deadlines:

Fall semester: July 15

Spring semester: November 15

Summer semester: April 15

The petition includes a written portion which should include an explanation of the circumstances that led to poor academic performance and an explanation of activities and plans which may lead to improved academic performance in the future. Other substantiating evidence may also be requested. No additional application fee is required. Students must submit transcripts from all colleges attended that are not already on file with UCM, even if classes are in progress.  The petition for reinstatement will not be reviewed until all transcripts and an updated application are received by the Admissions office. After a review of the petition, academic records, and any other substantive evidence available, students will be notified of the reinstatement decision.

Students may petition for reinstatement as follows:

1. Students who have been suspended may petition for reinstatement after sitting out one fall or spring semester (summer session does not count as a semester for suspension purposes). Students who have been dismissed may petition for reinstatement after one calendar year.
2. A student with documented extenuating circumstances who has been suspended or dismissed may petition for immediate (or early) reinstatement. Petitions for early reinstatement may not be submitted via MyCentral. Students seeking Early Reinstatement should contact the dean of their college, or in the case of Open Option students, the Director of the Success Advising Center (UN 128, 660-543-4721) directly for consideration. Early reinstatement is rarely granted and only applies for extenuating circumstances for which supporting evidence can be provided.

Undergraduate Certificate Students

Students who are seeking only an undergraduate certificate (this does not include teacher certification) and not an undergraduate degree must still meet regular admissions requirements (see sections above).  Students pursuing only a certificate are not eligible for financial aid.

Visiting High School Students

Seniors.

High school seniors who can meet their graduation requirements with less than a full load of classes may apply for admission to take one or more courses at Central Missouri if they can meet the following requirements:

1. Class rank in the upper half
2. Recommendation from counselor or principal
3. A plan for total class work not to exceed a full-time load
4. Released time to take university classes

The application process is the same as that for a full-time university student. (See How to Apply.)

Juniors. High school juniors may apply to take UCM classes during the summer before their senior year if (1) they rank in the upper half of their class and (2) are recommended by a counselor or principal. The application process is the same as that for a full-time university student (see How to Apply.) Students who wish to take classes prior to the summer before their senior year will be reviewed on an individual basis.

NOTE: A student pursuing a high school diploma is not eligible to receive federal or state financial aid for classes taken at the University of Central Missouri. Before any financial aid can be authorized, all high school graduation requirements must be met and the student must be fully accepted for admission to UCM.

Visiting College Students

A student currently attending another college or university is permitted to enroll at UCM as a visiting college student. Enrollment under this status is limited to one semester per academic year. In order to apply, students must submit the application for admission. For questions, please contact Extended Studies (HUM 410, 660-543-4984).  Unofficial transcripts from the student’s primary institution(s) are required.

At the completion of the course or courses at UCM, the visiting student should request that UCM’s Registrar’s Office (660-543-4900, WDE 1000) send an official transcript to the certifying institution. Courses taken at UCM for the purpose of transfer to another institution will apply toward hours on a degree or certificate at UCM should regular admission status be desired. These hours might not meet specific major, minor or general education requirements. The admission application and supporting documents must be received in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions prior to the first day of class in order to be considered for regular admission for that semester.

Visiting students are not eligible to receive federal or state financial aid from UCM, the “host” school. Financial assistance for which a visiting student may be eligible is processed and disbursed by the student’s “home” school, the college or university at which the student has been admitted to pursue a degree program.

Senior Citizens

Missouri residents who are 65 years of age or older may enroll for courses without tuition payment. Persons seeking this scholarship shall provide documentation of age to Central Missouri and satisfy all other necessary entrance requirements including a completed application for admission. This enrollment is for non-credit (audit) purposes.

Enrollment will be allowed no sooner than five days prior to classes beginning and on a space-available basis only. Contact the Office of Extended Studies at 660-543-4984 (HUM 401/410) for further information.

Non-Degree Students

Students who do not fit into one of the student categories above and are simply interested in taking classes but not interested in pursuing a degree program may be admitted as a “special” student.  This group of students would also include those students who already have earned a degree and wish to take additional classes for fun, to meet requirements for graduate/professional programs, or to earn alternative student teacher certification.  Students who are a “special” student type and non-degree seeking are not eligible for financial aid.  In order to apply, students must submit the application for admission. For questions, please contact Extended Studies (HUM 410, 660-543-4984).  Unofficial transcripts from the student’s prior institution(s) will be required if enrollment in courses with prerequisites is desired.

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