Admission and Enrollment Policies

Application and Admissions

Students must have earned a minimum of 30 credit hours prior to enrollment and maintained a minimum 2.0 GPA to be considered for admission. Every applicant for a bachelor’s degree must submit the following to the Citadel:

1. Completed undergraduate application.
2. A non-refundable $40 application fee.
3. Official transcripts sent directly from all colleges attended.
4. An official TOEFL score if English is not the native language.
5. DD215 or Active Duty Orders if applying as a veteran or an Active Duty Service member taking Classes in the Day program.

The applicant can log into The Citadel’s application portal to view a list of required supplemental items at any time.

Applicants must not have a record of conviction of a criminal offense showing poor moral character.

After acceptance by The Citadel, any non-U.S. citizen must complete the application for an F-1 Visa through the International Office and successfully complete the process by obtaining a Visa.

SCC Cadet’s may not transfer into any College Transfer Program (evening or online undergraduate programs) directly from the Corps of Cadets. Cadets must sit out a minimum of one full academic year – Fall, Spring, and Summer terms – from their last term of enrollment at The Citadel as a Cadet before enrolling as a student in the College Transfer Program. In addition, all current or previous cadets must be in good standing with the Corps of Cadets in order to be considered for transfer into an undergraduate evening or online degree program. Any returning, previously enrolled, undergraduate (cadet or student) does not submit an admissions application.  They complete a readmission form through the registrar’s office.

Orientation

The Citadel hosts virtual orientations for all admitted students. In addition, admitted students are encouraged to visit the Orientation webpage to become familiar with all the services available to them.

www.citadel.edu/root/graduatecollege-current-students/orientation

Legal Presence and Residency

The State of South Carolina requires all state colleges and universities to verify each student’s legal presence in the United States. Prior to starting classes, each student will be required to submit a photocopy of a state driver’s license, their birth certificate, or valid U.S. passport.

Veteran’s Status as a Student on The Citadel Campus

The Citadel welcomes active duty, veterans, and their families to become part of our educational community. Only active duty and veterans with honorable discharges may enroll in class with The Citadel cadet population held during the day. Evening and online courses are available to all students. The below policy outlines the rules and regulations related to active duty and veteran students on campus. It defines the types of veteran students, the policies related to student status (cadet vs. student), as well as enrollment requirements, registration, and commencement exercise attendance.

Definitions:

Citadel Cadet Veteran: A cadet serving in the National Guard or reserve component of one of the Armed Services who is called to active federal duty other than for training, while a member of the Corps of Cadets can return to The Citadel as a veteran day student as long as the former cadet receives a DD-214 indicating an Honorable Discharge from active duty for every discharge if serving multiple times. If the candidate has completed four semesters as a cadet, he/she will be eligible to receive the cadet ring and diploma once academic requirements are met.

Citadel Veteran Day Student: Veterans who provide evidence with a DD-214 with an honorable discharge, for every discharge if serving multiple times, from the Armed Services Branch(s) indicating a minimum of 90 consecutive days of full-time federal active service, other than active duty for training, may be eligible to apply to our daytime program as a full-time degree-seeking student. As part of the admissions requirement, applicants must not have a record of conviction for a criminal offense showing poor moral character. Non-cadet Veteran Day students are civilians and are not subject to the personal requirements specific to the Corps of Cadets. They will not be subject to the ROTC requirements required of the Cadets outlined in the Undergraduate Day SCCC catalog. 

Active Duty Student: Day students with different military affiliations enrolled at The Citadel while on active duty as undergraduate students. These students are typically in an educational program supported by their military branch: MECEP, STA-21, AECP, and Green to Gold students. 

Evening/Online Undergraduate Veteran Student: This group of Veterans declare their degree completion program of study through The Citadel College Transfer Program Office. Veterans in thie evening/online program will follow the program requirements outlined in the Undergraduate Catalog for Evening/Online programs. Undergraduate Veteran students in the evening/online program may attend day classes if desired, only if applicants provide evidence with a DD-214 of an honorable discharge, for every discharge if serving multiple times, from the Armed Services Branch(s) indicating a minimum of 90 consecutive days of full-time federal active service, other than active duty for training. As part of the admissions requirement, applicants must not have a record of conviction for a criminal offense showing poor moral character. These veterans are civilians and are not subject to the personal requirements specific to the Corps of Cadets. 

All Veteran students must declare either the day or evening/online program status when they begin taking classes. Veterans who declare themselves day students must follow the South Carolina Corps of Cadets general education requirements and attend the day program commencement ceremony. Veterans who declare their status as college transfer program students must meet general education requirements associated with the appropriate degree requirements and attend The Citadel Undergraduate/Graduate commencement exercises.

Admission and Student Categories

Students may be admitted to The Citadel in one of the below categories.

Degree seeking - An undergraduate student is classified as degree seeking if they meet all admission requirements and have applied to and been admitted to a degree program.

Senior Citizens -

South Carolina Senior citizens, those who are age 60 and over and legal residents of the state, who wish to take courses at The Citadel are eligible to enroll as a degree-seeking or non-degree seeking student on a space available basis. If a student wishes to pursue a degree, they must submit an application for the program of study and follow the appropriate admissions protocol. Proof of age (SC Driver’s License) is required at the time of application.

Registration for classes as a senior citizen is allowed on a space available basis-the timeline for registration is the Monday prior to the start of each semester. Additionally, permission from the instructor may be needed to take a course as a non-degree student.  Students are encouraged to request this permission ahead of time and forward the approval in writing to the Registrar’s Office at registrar@citadel.edu.

Students categorized under the senior citizen category must follow all academic regulations of the college, including GPA requirements.  To remain enrolled in any term, senior citizen students must pay the required fees for the term by the end of the 2^nd week of the beginning of the term or be disenrolled from their class.

International Students - An international student who applies to an undergraduate program at The Citadel must complete the following requirements after admission and before enrolling in classes:

1. Provide a completed Immigration Request form.
2. If applying for a student visa or transferring a student visa from another institution, must provide evidence of ability to meet all financial obligations while in undergraduate study at The Citadel by completing the Certification of Finances form prior to enrolling in courses.
3. International students will register for courses after full acceptance into a degree program and clearance from the International Student Director is received.

Undergraduate Students Taking Graduate and Online Courses Academic seniors with a cumulative Grade Point Average of at least a 3.20 may take up to a maximum of twelve hours of graduate courses through The Citadel Graduate College once they have reached senior status. No undergraduate student may take more than six credit hours in any one term (Fall, Spring, Summer). And under no circumstances may an undergraduate take more then 12 hours of graduate credit while they are an undergraduate. These courses may provide students a head start on earning a graduate certificate or a graduate degree, but graduate courses may not be used to meet undergraduate degree requirements unless the student is formally admitted to a CHE approved accelerated program and will NEVER be used in the computation of the undergraduate GPA. Students must have the permission of the Associate Provost. Undergraduate juniors and seniors accepted in an accelerated program may take and share up to twelve hours of structured graduate credit between the graduate and undergraduate majors. Refer to specific accelerated program requirements listed in the graduate catalog.

Non-degree seeking - An undergraduate student is classified as a non- degree seeking student when the students does not intend to seeking a degree. While these students are allowed to take undergraduate courses under the following conditions, they cannot use these courses as a way of circumventing standard Citadel admissions policies.

1. Students who provide documentation of having graduated from an accredited high school or having completed the General Education Development (GED) examination may register for up to 15 credit hours of course work for personal or professional development only.
2. Rising high school seniors may be admitted based on their high school record and a written recommendation from their high school guidance counselor or principal.
3. Undergraduate transient students enrolling in course work for transfer to another institution will be asked to present evidence they have met course prerequisites.
4. A cadet who has been expelled from The Citadel is not eligible to attend any class at The Citadel-day, evening, or summer. A cadet who has been suspended or dismissed is not eligible to attend any class at The Citadel until accepted for readmission to the College.

Academic Classifications

Undergraduate students’ academic classification is based strictly on earned credit hours. The table below reflects the required number of earned credit hours for each designated academic classification.

Academic classification is used to track academic progress towards a degree and by the Office of Financial Aid to determine loan eligibility.

Academic Criteria for Continuance

In order to be eligible to continue at The Citadel, a student must meet minimum standards regarding hours earned at The Citadel or properly transferred from another accredited institution and an acceptable cumulative grade-point average (GPA) must be maintained. Full-time students, those taking at least 12 credit hours each semester, must earn at least 24 semester hours each two-semester period. Part-time students must have passed at least 50 percent of the coursework attempted in the two previous semesters and included summer sessions. If a previously passed course is repeated, the hours may be used only once toward meeting requirements for hours passed.

The student must also meet the grade-point average requirement for the appropriate category of credit hours of record as listed in the table below. In determining the category for credit hours of record, hours transferred into The Citadel from other institutions are included as credit hours of record.

The column “Quality Hours Plus Transfer Hours” includes:

1. All credit attempted for which a grade of “A,” “B,” “C,” “D,” or “F” was received at The Citadel,
2. Course work transferred from other colleges, and
3. Courses taken on a Pass-Fail basis.

This table shows the minimum academic progress students must make toward attaining the minimum acceptable overall grade-point average of 2.000 as they approach the total number of hours required in the course of study of their selected major. For determining academic probation, criteria for continuance, dean’s list, graduation, and other academic matters, grade-point averages are not rounded.

Academic Probation

Undergraduate students are placed on academic probation for any semester when their cumulative grade-point average based on courses taken at The Citadel fails to meet requirements for continuance without probation as outlined in the Academic Criteria for Continuance table. Students will be removed from academic probation after the semester their cumulative grade- point average meets the requirements of the table. Students on academic probation are not making satisfactory progress, and restrictions, such as limiting the number of credit hours in which they may enroll, may be enforced.

Readmission Policy

A student who is discharged for academic reasons for the first time may apply for readmission after being out of school for one semester. Summer school does not constitute a semester in this instance. Students who are discharged for academic or disciplinary reasons may not, during the period of discharge, take courses for transfer to The Citadel. The deadline for the receipt of an application for readmission for Summer School is March 1st, for the spring term is October 1st, and for the fall term is June 1st.

Registration

Registration is conducted through Lesesne Gateway. Students may not attend class until they are fully registered and have cleared their tuition bill through the Treasurer’s Office. Completed registrations will be honored on a first-come, first- served basis. Registration is not complete until all fees are paid. All fees are due by published calendar dates. Knowingly attending class without paying is an integrity violation and may result in dismissal from the College. Any changes in registration must be made prior to the end of the term’s Drop/Add period. Information concerning class times and important registration dates can be found for each academic term online at http://www.citadel.edu/root/registrar-courses.

Completion of coursework for a program in which a student has not been formally accepted does not imply admission into that program. A student may not pursue more than 15 credit hours of coursework for a program to which they have not been formally accepted.

Fall, spring, and summer course schedules are available online. Information on programs, classes, and fees can also be obtained from Citadel.edu.

Drop/Add and Withdrawals

Formal notice of intent to drop or withdraw from any class is necessary in all cases. The dates for dropping and withdrawing from class are listed in the term calendar at http://www.my.citadel.edu/root/registrar-important-dates. To drop or add a course from the course schedule or to change sections within a course, a student must drop/add through Lesesne Gateway. Approval to drop a course and receive a refund after the published drop date is granted only under extenuating circumstances (i.e. death in immediate family, serious medical issues, military deployment).

After the drop period, students who choose to withdraw must complete a withdrawal form available in the Registrar’s Office or online. Course withdrawal means a student is withdrawing from a course after the drop/add date has passed. A grade of “W” will appear on the student transcript. The “W” does not affect the student’s grade point average (GPA). Ceasing to attend a course does not constitute an official drop or withdrawal from the course. Any withdrawal request that occurs after the published withdrawal date must have a written justification for the late request to accompany the withdrawal form. Late withdrawal requests will be approved on a case-by-case basis by both the academic Dean and the Associate Provost for Enrollment Management.

Students enrolled in online classes are expected to fully participate in the course throughout the entire length of the term. Students who do not participate in any online class (posting to a discussion board, submitting an assignment, taking a quiz, etc.), for a period of 14 days will be automatically withdrawn from the course.

Advisement

Upon acceptance into a degree program, a student is assigned an advisor. It is the student’s responsibility to confer with this advisor at an early date and at periodic intervals to assure appropriate course selection and awareness of degree requirements.

Audit Policy

A student may elect to audit a course for no credit. Permission to audit must be obtained from the school/department offering the course and a form must be submitted. Students must possess an undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university to audit a graduate level course. Students cannot switch from credit to audit status, or vice versa, after two class meetings. Auditors must apply and be accepted as a non-degree seeking student and are permitted to register for a class on a “space available” basis. The audit tuition is the same as the regular credit hour tuition.

Course Load

Undergraduate students are considered full-time if they carry 12 credit hours accumulated over any combination of courses during a full semester. For students enrolled in one mini term per semester, six credit hours are considered full-time for the mini term. The semester hour load for students wishing to be classified as part-time is six credit hours during a full semester. If a student is enrolled in summer school, a maximum of five courses 15 credit hours. The maximum load allowed in any one term of summer school is seven hours; the maximum load allowed in each summer session is two courses (7 hours), regardless of how many terms are offered or whether the course is face-to-face or online.

Course Overload Policy

A maximum course load of 21 credit hours may be approved for either fall or spring semester. Overload requests for a 22nd hour can be made using the Registrar’s Office form and must be approved by the advisor and Dean of the student’s school. Approval for overloads are rare.

Pursuing a Double Major

Under certain circumstances, a student may wish to pursue two different majors concurrently within the same baccalaureate degree. This will be permitted under the following conditions:

1. Students must declare their intentions to the Registrar no later than the fall semester of the junior year.
2. Both majors must be offered under the same baccalaureate degree.
3. Students must complete all requirements for each major.
4. Students, in addition to meeting a minimum overall GPA, must achieve the minimum GPA requirements of each major.
5. Requirements for both majors must be completed concurrently.

Students who have met these requirements will have both majors indicated on their transcript.

Summer School

All Summer School students are the academic and administrative responsibility of the Provost. Students residing in the barracks, regardless of academic status are the disciplinary responsibility of the Commandant; all other students remain as stated above.

Undergraduate transient admission to Summer School does not constitute admission to the regular academic session of The Citadel.

For students who do not register for courses for three consecutive semesters (fall, spring, summer) and have not formally withdrawn from The Citadel, nor been approved for a leave of absence, will result in their academic record being inactivated. A student, who would like to resume coursework after their record has been inactivated, will need to:

1. Complete and submit a Re-Enrollment Form
2. Submit additional material as required

Please note that this policy does not apply to students academically dismissed from The Citadel.

Transient Students

Transient students who desire to take courses at The Citadel to transfer back to their home institution must complete an application for admission as a non-degree student and pay the application fee. College transcripts or a Letter of Good Standing are required as part of the application process.

Course Substitution

Course substitutions are approved by the Department Chair and Dean of the School. Forms to initiate this procedure are available in the Registrar’s Office or online.

English Fluency Policy

In accordance with the laws of South Carolina, The Citadel ensures the English fluency of its teaching faculty. Should a student challenge the English fluency of a member of the faculty, standard procedures for student academic grievances will be followed. If a review committee is called for, the native language of one of the faculty members will not be English.

College Level Examination Program

Through College Level Equivalency Program (CLEP) Subject Examinations, undergraduate students are permitted to earn college course credits for knowledge they have gained in certain subject areas prior to beginning their college experience. Not all CLEP examinations are accepted by The Citadel. Therefore, the student must obtain prior approval through the Office of the Registrar. CLEP credits may be earned under the following conditions:

1. The score earned must meet or exceed the current minimum score recommended by CLEP for that subject area exam.
2. The amount of credit will be determined by the scope of the material measured.
3. Because of the laboratory experience is such an integral part of the Core Curriculum Science Requirement, credit for only the lecture portion of a science course may be earned through CLEP. The lab portions must be earned through a laboratory course.
4. Completing any portion of a requirement through CLEP must be approved by the head of the Department of Modern Languages. A complete listing of courses for which credit may be awarded through CLEP is available in the Office of the Registrar.

Combining Courses

Courses may be combined to meet a maximum of one general elective credit requirement under the following circumstances:

1. The courses to be combined must all be offered by the same department and must be related in some way.
2. The department head or Dean for the program in which the student is majoring must provide a recommendation and rationale for combining courses.
3. The Dean responsible for the academic program in which the student is majoring must grant final approval for the combining of courses.

Definitions

Elective refers to a course that is required for graduation and may be any three-credit course offered by the College.

Approved Elective refers to a course that must be selected from a list of courses provided by the individual school or department.

Non-Departmental Elective refers to a course that is required for graduation and must be taken outside the major department. Students are encouraged to study areas outside their major to ensure as broad an education as is practical.

Transfer Credits

Normally, only courses which are comparable in content and credit hours to specific courses offered by The Citadel and in which grades of “C-” or better have been earned at an accredited institution (e.g. Southern Association of Colleges, North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, etc.) will be considered for transfer. However, the Dean responsible for the academic program in which the student is majoring may accept credit for transfer to meet General Elective credits courses that are not offered by The Citadel but which are considered to be worthy of credit as electives and in which grades of “C-” or higher have been earned. The respective department heads or Deans, as appropriate, are responsible for considering all transfer courses that are comparable to courses offered by The Citadel. Course work taken at another college and accepted for transfer by The Citadel need not be applicable to a student’s major. Courses transferred from another college will not be noted in the student’s grade-point average at The Citadel. Transcripts sent from other colleges to The Citadel become the property of The Citadel and cannot be issued to the student or a third party.

To ensure that courses taken away from The Citadel will be accepted for transfer, Citadel students should obtain written, prior approval through the Office of the Registrar.

Students are limited to 75% of degree requirements being completed with transfer credit. Within that 75%, a maximum of 76 hours may be transferred from a 2-year institution.