1. To be eligible for admission to Washington State University, an applicant must be a high school graduate or its equivalent, or have completed a more advanced transferable credential from a college or university with approved accreditation (see Rule 6).
2. The total number of new students admitted for any one semester will be based on the number of students for whom facilities can be made available.
3. Appeal of admission decisions may be made only to the Admissions Subcommittee of the Academic Affairs Committee or its designee.
4. Anyone seeking admittance to the Graduate School must follow procedures in the Graduate School Policies and Procedures Manual available in the Graduate School.
5. The university reserves a limited number of spaces in the incoming class for the admission of students with exceptional talent. Refer to the admission of students with extraordinary talents component of the Admissions policies section of the university catalog.

First-year student applicants are considered for admission to the university on the basis of their academic records and other supporting documents, which include official transcripts that show coursework through at least grade 11 or its equivalent, completion of the Washington College Academic Distribution Requirements (CADRs), and other relevant materials as requested or as may be provided. On the basis of these criteria, the most qualified applicants are offered admission. 

A complete list of the Washington College Academic Distribution Requirements (CADRs) for admission may be found at the Washington Student Achievement Council’s (WSAC) website, linked here www.cadr.wsu.edu.  Applicants from unaccredited high schools may contact the Office of Admissions for additional information.

1. Applicants who have completed a transferable Associate’s degree from a post-secondary institution with approved accreditation (see Rule 6) will be admitted as space allows.
2. Applicants without a transferable Associate’s degree, but with at least 27 semester (40 quarter) hours of transferable credit from a post-secondary institution with approved accreditation (see Rule 6) normally may be admitted as space allows provided they have at least a 2.5 cumulative grade point average. Applicants whose cumulative grade point average is lower than a 2.5 will have their academic record reviewed more comprehensively to determine admission eligibility.
3. Applicants with fewer than 27 semester (40 quarter) hours of transferable credit will be considered for admission if they also meet the first-year student requirements. Applicants whose cumulative transfer grade point average is lower than a 2.5 may have their academic record reviewed more comprehensively to determine admission eligibility.
4. In evaluating admission credentials of students with transfer work whose cumulative transfer grade point average is below a 2.00, all of the post-secondary transfer credit from a previous institution may be disregarded, provided the work was completed not less than four years before the time of enrollment at Washington State University.  After the student has completed 12 semester credits at WSU with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher, the prior credits earned in courses graded C of better will be restored.  Only the courses and credits, not grades or grade points, will be restored.  The courses that were graded C- or below will remain excluded.

Transfer credit is awarded for college-level academic credit earned based on appropriateness for WSU’s academic programs and comparableness in nature, content, academic rigor, and quality to WSU’s curriculum.  One set of transfer course articulation tables will be used for course evaluation by all WSU campuses.  The transfer course search tool articulation tables for courses from approved domestic and international institutions is maintained and monitored by WSU Pullman Admissions transcript evaluators and the Transfer Center in consultation with academic units. Transfer credit equivalencies are subject to change.

a)  Transfer credit is awarded from nationally recognized postsecondary institutions with institutional accreditation from the following approved accreditation agencies (or equivalent for international institutions). 

• Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) Western Association of Schools and Colleges
• Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
• Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
• New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
• Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
• WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC)

See Rule 14 for information on credit processes for postsecondary institutions with nationally recognized institutional accreditation that is not from an approved accreditation agency. 

b) Transfer credit awarded from approved institutions on the quarter system is converted to 0.67 semester credits.

c) Ninety semester hours shall be the maximum allowed by transfer toward a baccalaureate degree.

d) The maximum combined lower-division transfer credit allowed [from approved accredited institutions, CLEP (College Level Examination Program), AP (Advanced Placement), IB (International Baccalaureate), Cambridge International, military, and any other source] shall be 73 semester credits toward a baccalaureate degree irrespective of when those credits were earned.

e) Junior status, 60 semester credits, and completion of lower-division University Common Requirements (UCOREs) normally will be granted to students who have been awarded the Direct Transfer Associate (DTA) degree from a Washington state public community and technical college. Additional courses, up to the 73-semester credit limit, will be reviewed for transfer on a course-by-course basis.   Certain approved associate degrees may also be considered to have fulfilled the lower-division UCORE for graduation, provided the degree’s general education curriculum approximates the disciplinary breadth of WSU’s UCORE curriculum, but do not guarantee junior status or 60 semester credits. Completion of lower-division UCORE will be granted to students who have been certified by their institution as having completed the University of California Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) or the California State University General Education Breadth Curriculum. For details on specific degrees consult the Office of Admissions and the Transfer Center.

f) Reverse transfer allows students to complete an associate’s degree after transfer to WSU.  Policy details and credit levels vary depending on the community or technical college.  Students who enter WSU with at least 30 transferable quarter credits (20 semester credits) from a Washington state public community college or technical college will receive the support of the Transfer Center to complete the steps for reverse transfer.  Students who enter WSU and later complete one of the associate degrees listed in Rule 6(d) or (f) will receive the benefits described in Rule 6(d) or (f).

g) Students who have completed the Associate of Science Transfer (AS-T) degree from a Washington state public community and technical college normally will receive the same priority consideration for admission as they would for completing the Direct Transfer Associate (DTA) and will be given junior status and 60 semester credits.  Completion of the AS-T degree satisfies UCORE WRTG, QUAN, BSCI, PSCI, and three of the following requirements: HUM, SSCI, ARTS, DIVR, ROOTS, EQJS.  Up to three additional lower-division UCORE may be satisfied via transfer credit, up to the 73-semester credit limit, or via in-residence credit prior to completion of a baccalaureate degree.  An individual course completed within the AS-T degree may not satisfy more than one UCORE category.

h) Completion of all UCORE and the University Writing Portfolio graduation requirement will be granted to students who have completed a baccalaureate degree from another approved accredited institution or the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree from an international institution with approved accreditation (see 6a), provided that the general education curriculum approximates the disciplinary breadth of WSU’s UCORE curriculum.  Approved degrees will also provide senior standing and 90 semester credits. 

i) Completion of lower-division UCOREs will be granted to students who have been certified as having completed the lower-division general education curriculum from a baccalaureate institution with approved accreditation (see 6a), provided the degree’s general education curriculum approximates the disciplinary breadth of WSU’s UCORE curriculum.  Please consult the Office of Admissions or Transfer Center for more information.  

j) Other degrees will be evaluated on a course-by-course basis for fulfillment of requirements, in the absence of an approved articulation.  Higher degrees do not necessarily fulfill baccalaureate degree requirements.

k) Transfer credit follows WSU policy for repeat credit (see Rule 34), academic forgiveness (see Rule 43), and grades and grade points (see Rule 90). Transfer credit graded below D is considered failing. Transfer credit grades do not count in the WSU grade point average (see Rule 114). 

Students who have taken college-level, academic work at institutions that are nationally recognized but not from an approved accreditation agency may petition for transfer of appropriate credits.  Petitions may be filed after the student has completed a minimum of one semester (minimum of 15 credits) of satisfactory work at Washington State University. To receive credit, a student must have earned a minimum grade of C in the course for which he or she is requesting transfer credit. Petitions are reviewed and approved first by the Department Chair and then by the College Dean from the unit that offers courses in that discipline. The Vice Provost or designee reviews and approves petitions in cases where there is no equivalent WSU unit. Following approval by the Department and College (or Vice Provost or designee), the petition is then forwarded to the Chair of the Admission Subcommittee for review and approval. Students may contact the Office of Admissions for more information.

Students may repeat a course in which they have received a grade of C- or below, or a withdrawal (W), or when a course may be repeated for additional credit. Students may enroll more than once in the same course in any given term (fall, spring, or summer) provided that the particular periods of enrollment do not overlap and that other conditions for allowed repeats are met.

1. Repeating courses graded C- or below. To attempt to improve the cumulative grade point average, a student may repeat courses in which a C- or below was received. When such a course is repeated, only the last grade contributes to the grade point average and total credits earned. Students may repeat a course graded C- or below one time at WSU.  At WSU, additional repeats may be allowed only by special permission of the academic unit offering the course.  Students in the professional programs (MBA, Medicine, Pharmacy, or Veterinary Medicine) may be held to additional restrictions as described in their student handbooks or catalog materials.
2. Repeats are allowed as transfer credit from another institution.  However, the series of repeats and grades is retained on the student’s academic record.
   1. Only courses identified as acceptable equivalents according to the appropriate department, the Transfer Guide, or the Admissions Office are treated as repeats. If courses deemed equivalent in content differ in credits, the credit value of the repeat course supersede the credits of the original course.
   2. For courses repeated at other institutions, credit is awarded following the WSU repeat policy.
3. Repeating for additional credit.
   1. Some courses have been approved for repeat credit, i.e., the student may re-enroll in the course during a subsequent term and credit may be accumulated. Such courses are designated in the WSU catalog as “May be repeated for credit” and will list the maximum credit limitation.
   2. Courses which have been approved for repeat credit, such as topics, may offer multiple sections of a course during any one term. Students may enroll in more than one section of these courses in any one term provided that the specified particular topics and titles differ.

Undergraduate students are dismissed from the University after the third semester (excluding winter and summer session) in which the cumulative grade point average is below 2.0. (The three semesters do not have to be consecutive for the dismissal policy to apply.) Individuals who are dismissed from the university must wait a minimum of two full semesters (fall/spring, spring/fall) to re-enroll for courses offered through any WSU campus. To re-enroll for courses offered through any WSU campus students must apply for reinstatement and WSU Admissions. Dismissed individuals may not seek status as a 'non-degree seeking student.' Dismissed students may enroll in summer session.

Appeal of Academic Dismissal

Students may appeal a dismissal in cases where there are compelling and documented circumstances. If the appeal is approved, the student may return to the university without sitting out two full semesters upon reinstatement. Appeals are considered where the student has otherwise demonstrated an ability to succeed at the university and the compelling circumstances that led to the poor academic performance have been resolved.

Former Students Returning (FSR) may seek reinstatement after two semesters (fall/spring, spring/fall) by completing the academic reinstatement process.  Former students petitioning for academic reinstatement must, as part of the reinstatement petition process, provide documentation that demonstrates potential for academic success at WSU.  If seeking reinstatement after more than two semesters, former students must also apply for readmission to the University through the Office of Admissions.  All academic coursework from other institutions completed during dismissed status must be documented and official transcripts submitted to the Office of Admissions.

Former students who have not attended WSU for at least four years and whose cumulative GPA was less than a 2.0 when they stopped attending may request a fresh start when they return to WSU.  

A fresh start begins once the student is officially enrolled following the first day of the term.  Initially, the student’s transcript will be marked to indicate that the previous coursework does not count.  All credits and grade points earned will be excluded.

After the student has completed 12 credits at WSU with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher, the prior credits earned in courses graded C or better will be restored.  Only the courses and credits, not grades or grade points, will be restored.  The courses that were graded C- or below will remain excluded.

The restored credits will apply toward University requirements, which are set at the time of readmission to WSU and published in the catalog.

Students apply for a fresh start by contacting the designated office on their campuses:  Pullman, the Academic Success and Career Center; Everett, Student Services; Global, the student support team or advisor; Tri-Cities, the Learning Commons; and Vancouver, the Engaged Learning and Career Center.

Currently enrolled students will be eligible to enroll for future terms when they meet the following requirements:

• Undergraduate students will be eligible to enroll (barring any holds) when they are continuously enrolled each semester (excluding summer).  They do not need to enroll in summer session classes to maintain their enrollment eligibility.  Undergraduate students may also take one semester off (fall or spring) and will still be eligible to enroll for the next semester.  However, students who are not enrolled for two semesters in a row (fall/spring or spring/fall) will not be eligible to enroll without re-activating their admission as a returning student.  There is no fee for this re-activation. (See Returning Student Application.)
• Graduate students must enroll for at least 2 credits each fall and spring semester.  Unapproved absences, defined as not registering for credits or not being on approved leave, may result in discontinuation from the Graduate School.  (For details, refer to Chapter 5.a.2 in the Graduate School Policies and Procedures Manual.)
• Students in the professional programs of medicine, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, the Doctor of Nursing Practice, and the MBA business career will be eligible to enroll (barring any holds) when they are continuously enrolled each semester (excluding summer).  Students should consult their respective colleges regarding leave of absence policies and options.

The undergraduate major is the in-depth field of study leading to the degree and includes a set of core courses that has been approved by the academic unit offering the major, as well as by the college and the Faculty Senate. The major represents approximately one-third (40) of the credits required for the undergraduate degree, though some majors require a higher percentage of the total credits. While most majors lead to a degree that shares the same name, some majors lead to a degree with a broader title (e.g., an Accounting major leads to the Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration).

Admission to the Major: 

Major Requirements: Students can be admitted to a major upon enrollment if they satisfy the requirements set by the academic department. Students who are uncertain of their major, exploring majors, or not ready to declare a major will enroll as a Deciding/Exploring student.  Exploring/Deciding students will declare a major before reaching 60 credits.

Academic units will provide students with a specific pathway to the degree that outlines major requirements (for example, grade point average, completion of specific courses) that students must achieve in order to be admitted and maintain eligibility for the major and degree.

Consult the catalog for specific major requirements.

Loss of Eligibility and Re-Entry to the Major:

University Requirements: A student in any major whose GPA falls below 2.0 is academically deficient under Rules 38 or 39 and may be released by the academic department.

A student is eligible to re-enter the major when the cumulative and major grade point averages are at or above the minimum level required by the university; additional departmental requirements for the major may also need to be met.  Requirements for maintaining eligibility and completing the major will be those stated in the WSU Catalog at the time of re-entry into the major.

Departmental Requirements:  A student who falls below the minimum departmental requirements for maintaining eligibility in the major, as approved by Faculty Senate and published in the WSU Catalog, may be released by the department after two semesters of falling below that minimum.  The department must notify the student at the end of the first semester and establish conditions in writing that must be met the following semester of enrollment.  If conditions are not met at the end of the following semester, documentation must be provided to the Academic Success and Career Center along with the request to release the student from the major.

A student may be eligible to re-enter into the same major when minimum departmental requirements are met.  Contact department for information and options for meeting minimum departmental requirements for achieving and maintaining eligibility.  Requirements for maintaining eligibility and completing the major will be those stated in the WSU Catalog at the time of re-entry into the major.

Students are not permitted to attend a class past the second Friday of the semester (census day), or past the add deadline for shorter academic sessions, without being on the official class roster.

Undergraduate students who have been admitted to the major, graduate students accepted to degree candidacy, and matriculated professional students can expect that a degree will be granted if they are currently enrolled and meet all requirements as listed in Academic Regulations 110-118.  However, because of serious reductions in financial support, loss of faculty, or for other significant reasons, the university may find it necessary to discontinue a degree.

When an undergraduate or professional degree is discontinued, further admission to the major will cease with the effective date of the degree’s discontinuation. For graduate degree programs, admissions will be suspended with the filing for discontinuation and terminated with the effective date of the discontinuation. 

Academic leadership of the college and campus has the obligation to provide for individual needs of currently enrolled students so that they may complete their degrees within a reasonable time period, typically no longer than four years.  Possible options include the following:

1.      Departments and programs may waive or substitute departmental degree requirements in order to award a degree (approval of the graduate school is required for graduate students) when accreditation or licensure allows; 

2.      The Provost’s Office may substitute or waive university-level undergraduate graduation requirements by petition;

3.      When necessary, students may be advised to complete their requirements in similar or related degree programs;

4.      Undergraduate and professional students may be allowed to complete remaining requirements at another institution; and

5.      Graduate students may be allowed to take courses or conduct research at another institution when approved by the student’s graduate committee and the graduate school. 

In all cases, all financial obligations are the responsibility of the individual student involved, except as otherwise noted in the Washington State University Catalog or the Graduate Studies Policies and Procedures Manual.

Students having questions or concerns about degree programs that have been discontinued should contact the college dean or campus chancellor.  The Provost’s Office and University Ombuds are also available at any stage for advice or assistance.