You are in the official 1995-96 General Catalog for California State University, Fresno.

Admissions

Admissions Office
Joyal Administration Lobby
(559) 278-2261
Director, Minerva Escobedo

Requirements for admission to California State University, Fresno are in accordance with Title 5, Chapter 1, Subchapter 3, of the California Code of Regulations . If you are not sure of these requirements you should consult a high school or community college counselor or the Admissions Office. Applications, paper or electronic, may be obtained from the admissions offices at any of the campuses of The CSU or at any California high school or community college.

Importance of Filing Complete, Accurate, and Authentic Application for Admission Documents. The CSU advises prospective students that they must supply complete and accurate information on the application for admission, residence questionnaire, and financial aid forms. Further, applicants must submit authentic and official transcripts of all previous academic work attempted. Failure to file complete, accurate, and authentic application documents may result in denial of admission, cancellation of academic credit, suspension, or expulsion (Section 41301 of Title 5, California Code of Regulations).

Applicants are required to include their Social Security number in designated places on applications for admission pursuant to the authority contained in Title 5, California Code of Regulations, Section 41201. The Social Security number is used as a means of identifying records pertaining to the student, identifying the student for purposes of financial aid eligibility and disbursement, and the repayment of financial aid and other debts payable to the institution.

Undergraduate Application Procedures

Prospective students applying for part-time or full-time undergraduate programs of study, in day or evening classes, must file a complete undergraduate application as described in the undergraduate admissions booklet or in the electronic application packet. The $55 nonrefundable application fee should be in the form of a check or money order payable to The California State University and may not be transferred or used to apply to another term.

An alternate campus and major may be indicated on the application, but applicants should list as an alternate campus only a CSU campus that also offers the major. Generally, an alternate major will be considered at the first choice campus before an application is redirected to an alternate choice campus.

For undergraduate admission to California State University, Fresno you must:
  1. Submit a current application with a nonrefundable application fee to the Admissions Office.
  2. Request institutions formerly attended to send directly to the Admissions Office transcripts of credits from high school and colleges. College transcripts are required in duplicate. Failure to include all colleges attended may result in cancellation of your registration. All transcripts submitted by students are retained by California State University, Fresno.
  3. Take the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT I) or American College Test (ACT) and request official scores be sent to California State University, Fresno if you are a lower-division applicant. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required of all foreign applicants and applicants who do not have at least three years of schooling at the secondary level or beyond where English is the principal language of instruction.
  4. Take any additional proficiency or placement tests required. In addition to the other documents required, a veteran should file a copy of the Notice of Separation (DD 214) from the armed services with the application for admission. Academic credit will be awarded for service time and service schools completed as recommended by A Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services. Veterans who are California residents may be exempt from certain admission requirements. Special admission may be granted if the applicant is judged likely to succeed academically. Standard admission procedures should be followed.

Applications will not be accepted after admissions categories have closed. Eligibility for admission cannot be determined until all required documents have been received. Due to staff limitations, an evaluation of transfer credit will generally not be available until sometime during the first semester's enrollment.

Degree credit may be granted for work completed satisfactorily in another accredited collegiate institution, subject to the restrictions imposed on work taken at this institution. Questions concerning acceptability of a course from another institution should be addressed to the Evaluations Office.

A maximum of 70 semester units of credit is allowed toward the bachelor's degree for work completed in a community college. However, community college credit in excess of 70 units may be used to satisfy subject requirements. No upper-division credit will be given.

A maximum of 12 semester units is allowed for work experience/internship/agricultural projects. (A maximum of 6 semester units may transfer into the university. A maximum of 6 semester units of the 12 is allowed in agricultural projects.) Remedial course units are not accepted for degree credit. For limitations on extension and correspondence credit, see Extension Classes.

Students desiring university housing or financial aid should file special applications with the appropriate offices concerned as soon as possible.


Impacted Programs

The CSU designates programs as impacted when more applications are received in the first month of the filing period than can be accommodated. Some programs are impacted at every campus where they are offered; others are impacted at some campuses. You must meet supplementary admissions criteria if applying to an impacted program.

The CSU will announce before the opening of the fall filing period which programs are impacted and the supplementary criteria campuses will use. That announcement is published in the CSU Review, distributed to high school and college counselors. Information about the supplementary criteria is also sent to program applicants.

You must file your application for admission to an impacted program during the first month of the filing period. Further, if you wish to be considered in impacted programs at two or more campuses, you must file an application to each.

Supplementary Admission Criteria. Each campus with impacted programs uses supplementary admission criteria in screening applicants. Supplementary criteria may include ranking on the freshman eligibility index, the overall transfer grade point average, and a combination of campus -developed criteria. If you are required to submit scores on either the SAT I or the ACT, you should take the test no later than December if applying for fall admission.

The supplementary admission criteria used by the individual campuses to screen applicants appear periodically in the CSU Review and are sent by the campuses to all applicants seeking admission to an impacted program.

Unlike unaccommodated applicants to locally impacted programs who may be redirected to another campus in the same major, unaccommodated applicants to systemwide impacted programs may not be redirected in the same major but may choose an alternate major either at the first choice campus or another campus.

Graduate and Postbaccalaureate Application Procedures

All graduate and postbaccalaureate applicants (e.g., master's degree applicants, those seeking credentials, and those interested in taking graduate-level courses for personal or professional growth) must file a complete graduate application as described in the graduate and postbaccalaureate admissions booklet. CSU students who completed undergraduate degree requirements and graduated the preceding term are also required to complete and submit an application and a nonrefundable application fee. Since applicants for postbaccalaureate programs may be limited to the choice of a single campus on each application, redirection to alternate campuses or later changes of campus choice will be minimal.

To be assured of initial consideration by more than one campus, it will be necessary for any applicant to submit separate applications (including fees) to each. Applications may be obtained from the Graduate Studies Office or any admissions office of any California State University campus or any California community college.

For additional information, see the Division of Graduate Studies.

Returning Students

Applicants who seek readmission after an absence of one semester or more must file an application for admission. Applicants absent one semester only are exempt from the $55 application fee providing no academic work was taken in the interim at any other institution. Students absent on an approved planned educational leave are not required to file an application for admission and are exempt from the application fee. (See Planned Educational Leave. )

Application Filing Periods

Each campus accepts applications until capacities are reached. Many campuses limit undergraduate admission in an enrollment category because of overall enrollment limits. If applying after the initial filing period, consult the campus admissions office for current information.
Applications postmarked or received during the initial filing period will be given equal consideration within established enrollment categories and quotas. There is no advantage in filing before the initial filing period. Applications received before the initial filing period may be returned, causing a delay in processing. With the exception of the impacted undergraduate program areas, applications will be accepted well into the extended filing periods until quotas are filled.

Application Acknowledgment. You may expect to receive an acknowledgment of your application from your first choice campus within two to four weeks of filing the application.
A notice that space has been reserved for you will also include a request that you submit the records necessary for the campus to evaluate your qualifications. You may be assured of admission if the evaluation of your qualifications indicates that you meet admission requirements. Such a notice is not transferable to another term or to another campus.

Hardship Petitions. The campus has established procedures for considering qualified applicants who would be faced with extreme hardship if not admitted. Petitioners should write to the Admissions Office regarding specific policies governing hardship admission.

Undergraduate Admission Requirements

Freshman Requirements. You qualify for regular admission as a first-time freshman if you are a high school graduate, have a qualifiable eligibility index (see table) and have completed with grades of C or better each of the courses in the comprehensive pattern of college preparatory subject requirements. (See Subject Requirements.) Courses must be completed prior to the first enrollment in The California State University.

Eligibility Index. The eligibility index is the combination of your high school grade point average and your score on either the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT I) or the American College Test (ACT). For this purpose we compute your grade point average on your final three years of high school studies, excluding physical education and military science, and use bonus points for approved honors courses. (See Honors Courses.) CSU may offer you early, provisional admission based on work completed through the junior year of high school and planned for your senior year.

You can calculate the index by multiplying your grade point average by 800 and adding your total score on the SAT I. Or, if you took the ACT, multiply your grade point average by 200 and add 10 times the composite score from the ACT. If you are a California high school graduate or a legal resident of California for tuition purposes, you need a minimum index of 2800 using the SAT I or 694 using the ACT. The Eligibility Index Table illustrates several combinations of required test scores and averages.

If you neither graduated from a California high school nor are a legal resident of California for tuition purposes, you need a minimum index of 3402 (SAT I) or 842 (ACT).

If your grade point average is 3.0 or above (3.61 for nonresidents), you are exempt from submitting test scores. However, you are urged to take the SAT I or ACT since all campuses use test results for advising and placement purposes.

You will qualify for regular admission when the university verifies that you have a qualifiable eligibility index and will have completed the comprehensive pattern of college preparatory subjects and, if applying to an impacted program, meet supplementary criteria.

Graduates of secondary schools in foreign countries must be judged to have academic preparation and abilities equivalent to applicants eligible under this section.

Subject Requirements. The California State University requires that first-time freshman applicants complete, with grades of C or better, a comprehensive pattern of college preparatory study totaling 15 units. A "unit" is one year of study in high school. Waiver of Foreign Language Subject Requirement. The foreign language subject requirement may be waived for applicants who demonstrate competence in a language other than English equivalent to or higher than expected of students who complete two years of foreign language study. Consult with your school counselor or any CSU campus Admissions or Relations with Schools offices for further information.

Subject Requirement Substitution for Students with Disabilities. Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to complete college preparatory course requirements if at all possible. If you are judged unable to fulfill a specific course requirement because of your disability, alternate college preparatory courses may be substituted for specific subject requirements.

Substitutions may be authorized on an individual basis after review and recommendation by your academic adviser or guidance counselor in consultation with the director of a CSU disabled student services program.

You should be aware that failure to complete courses required for admission may limit your later enrollment in certain majors, particularly those involving mathematics. For further information and substitution forms, contact the director of disabled student services at your nearest CSU campus.

High School Students. Students still enrolled in high school will be considered for enrollment in certain special programs if recommended by the principal and the appropriate campus department chair and if preparation is equivalent to that required of eligible California high school graduates. Students should have at least a 3.0 GPA in college preparatory subjects or exhibit unusual academic abilities. Such admission is only for a given program and does not constitute the right to continued enrollment. Contact our Admissions Office.

Provisional Admission. California State University, Fresno may provisionally admit first-time freshman applicants based on their academic preparation through the junior year of high school. We monitor the senior year of study of those provisionally admitted to ensure that they maintain a satisfactory grade point average including the required college preparatory subjects and graduate from high school.

Transfer Requirements. You qualify for admission as a transfer student if you have a grade point average of 2.0 (C) or better in all transferable units attempted, are in good standing at the last college or university attended, and meet any of the following standards:
  1. You will meet the freshman admission requirements in effect for the term to which you are applying. (See Freshman Requirements.)
  2. You were eligible as a freshman at the time of high school graduation and have been in continuous attendance in an accredited college since high school graduation.
  3. You were eligible as a freshman at the time of high school graduation except for the subject requirements, have made up the missing subjects, and have been in continuous attendance in an accredited college since high school graduation.
  4. You have completed at least 56 transferable semester (84 quarter) units and meet the requirements listed below based on high school graduation date. Nonresidents must have a 2.4 grade point average or better. A maximum of 70 transferable semester (105 quarter) units is allowed from two-year institutions (community/junior colleges).

For this requirement, transferable courses are those designated for baccalaureate credit by the college or university offering the courses.



Undergraduate applicants who graduated from high school in 1988 or later:
Undergraduate applicants who graduated from high school prior to 1988 or later:
Transferable courses are those designated for baccalaureate credit by the college or university offering the courses. Consult with any CSU Admissions Office for further information about alternative ways to satisfy the subject requirements.




Honors Courses. Grades, in up to eight semesters of honors courses in approved subjects and taken in the last two years of high school, receive additional points in grade point average calculations. Each unit of A in approved courses receives a total of 5 points; B, 4 points; C, 3 points; D, 1 point; and none for F grades.

Test Requirements. Freshman and transfer applicants who have fewer than 56 semester (84 quarter) units of transferable college credit must submit official scores unless exempt from either the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT I) of the College Board or the American College Testing Program (ACT). Test scores are also used for advising and placement purposes. Registration forms and dates for either test may be obtained from high school or college counselors or from a CSU campus testing office. Or, write to or call:

The College Board (SAT I)
Registration Unit, Box 592
Princeton, New Jersey 08541
(609) 771-7588

American College Testing
Program (ACT)
Registration Unit, P.O. Box 168
Iowa City, Iowa 52240
(319) 337-1270

TOEFL Requirement. All undergraduate applicants whose native language is not English, regardless of citizenship, must demonstrate English language proficiency through an official TOEFL report showing a minimum score of 500. All graduate applicants must submit a minimum TOEFL score of 550, unless they have a baccalaureate degree from an institution of higher education in which English is the language of instruction. Individual campuses may require higher scores for specific majors.

Systemwide Tests Required of Most New Students. The CSU requires new students to be tested in English and mathematics after they are admitted. These are not admission tests but a way to determine whether you are prepared for college work and, if not, to counsel you how to strengthen your preparation. You might be exempt from one or both of the tests if you have scored well on other specified tests or completed appropriate courses.

English Placement Test (EPT). Unless exempt according to CSU policy, all students enrolling at California State University, Fresno must take the EPT by the end of their first semester of attendance. (See Academic Placement.)

Entry-Level Mathematics (ELM) Exam. Unless exempt according to CSU policy, all students enrolling at California State University, Fresno must take the ELM by the end of their first semester of attendance. (See Academic Placement.)

Adult Students. As an alternative to regular admission criteria, applicants who are 25 years of age or older may be considered for admission as adult students if they meet all of the following conditions:
  1. Possess a high school diploma (or have established equivalence through either the Tests of General Educational Development or the California High School Proficiency Examination).
  2. Have not been enrolled in a California community college as a full-time student for more than one term during the past five years. (Part-time enrollment is permissible. )
  3. Earned a C average or better in college coursework during the last five years.

Consideration is based on the applicant's probability of academic success and includes an assessment of basic skills in the English language and mathematical computation. For information, call our Reentry Office, 278-3040.

Graduation Requirements in Writing Proficiency. All students must demonstrate competency in writing skills as a requirement for graduation. Information on currently available ways to meet this graduation requirement may be obtained from the Admissions Office or the Testing Office.

Graduate and Postbaccalaureate Admission Requirements

See Division of Graduate Studies.

International (Foreign) Students

The California State University must assess the academic preparation of foreign students. For this purpose, "foreign students" include those who hold U.S. visas as students, exchange visitors, or in other nonimmigrant classifications.

The CSU uses separate requirements and application filing dates in the admission of foreign students. Verification of English proficiency (see TOEFL Requirement for undergraduate applicants), financial resources, and academic performance are all important considerations. Academic records from foreign institutions must be on file at least eight weeks before registration for the first term and, if not in English, must be submitted in native language and accompanied by a certified English translation. No final admission decision will be made until required materials have been submitted to International Admissions. Priority in admission is given to residents of California.

At California State University, Fresno admissions decisions are made on the basis of complete academic records from all secondary and college level schools, demonstrated English proficiency based on the results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and a certification of financial support.

Obtain information on TOEFL testing dates and centers by writing TOEFL, Educational Testing Service, Princeton, New Jersey 08540 or contacting our Testing Office.

Applicants should take TOEFL at least six months before the beginning of the semester to which they are seeking admission to allow time for receipt and evaluation of test scores.

To qualify for undergraduate admission, an international student must present a score of 500 or better on the TOEFL. A postbaccalaureate or graduate student must present a score of 550 or better. The TOEFL score required for admission to specific programs may be higher than the minimum of 500 for undergraduate and 550 for postbaccalaureate applicants indicated above. Students should check these TOEFL requirements in the departmental listings.

To assure that students are prepared to take advantage of the educational opportunities available at California State University, Fresno each international student who must submit TOEFL scores will be required to participate in a postadmission testing program. The tests will be administered during orientation, immediately before the student's first matriculated semester. The purpose of the testing program is to assess strengths and weaknesses in oral and written English. As a result of the postadmission testing, a student may be required to enroll in certain English as a Second Language (ESL) courses as a condition of admission.

An undergraduate student whose academic qualifications are acceptable, but who has not achieved an acceptable TOEFL score may be granted a conditional admission. Such a student must obtain an I-20 Form (Certificate of Eligibility) from an English language school and attend an English as a Second Language (ESL) Program. In order to transfer from a language school to California State University, Fresno a conditionally admitted student must present an acceptable score on the TOEFL.

Insurance Requirement. Effective August 1, 1995, as a condition of receiving an I-20 or IAP-66 form, all F-1 and J-1 visa applicants must agree to obtain and maintain health insurance as a condition of registration and continued enrollment in the California State University. Such insurance must be in amounts as specified by the United States Information Agency (USIA) and NAFSA: Association of International Educators. The campus president or designee shall determine which insurance policies meet these criteria. Further information may be obtained from the International Student Services and Programs Office, (559) 278-2782.

Determination of Residence for Nonresident Tuition Purposes

The campus Admissions Office determines the residence status of all new and returning students for nonresident tuition purposes. Responses to the application for admission and, if necessary, other evidence furnished by the student are used in making this determination. A student who fails to submit adequate information to establish a right to classification as a California resident will be classified as a nonresident.

The following statement of the rules regarding residency determination for nonresident tuition purposes is not a complete discussion of the law but a summary of the principal rules and their exceptions. The law governing residence determination for tuition purposes by The California State University is found in California Education Code Sections 68000-68090, 68121, 68123, 68124, and 89705-89707.5, and in Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations, Sections 41900-41912. A copy of the statutes and regulations is available for inspection at the campus Admissions Office.

Legal residence may be established by adults who are physically present in the state and who, at the same time, intend to make California their permanent home. Steps must be taken at least one year prior to the residence determination date to show an intent to make California the permanent home with concurrent relinquishment of the prior legal residence. The steps necessary to show California residency intent will vary from case to case. Included among the steps may be registering to vote and voting in elections in California; filing resident California state income tax forms on total income; ownership of residential property or continuous occupancy or renting of an apartment on a lease basis where one's permanent belongings are kept; maintaining active resident memberships in California professional or social organizations; maintaining California vehicle plates and operator's license; maintaining active savings and checking accounts in California banks; maintaining permanent military address and home of record in California if one is in the military service.

Students who are within the state for educational purposes only do not gain the status of resident regardless of the length of their stay in California.

In general, an unmarried minor (a person under 18 years of age) derives legal residence from the parent with whom the minor maintains or last maintained his or her place of abode. The residence of an unmarried minor who has a parent living cannot be changed by the minor's own act, by the appointment of a legal guardian, or by the relinquishment of a parent's right of control.

A married person may establish his or her residence independent of his or her spouse. An alien may establish his or her residence, unless precluded by the Immigration and Nationality Act from establishing domicile in the United States. An unmarried minor alien derives his or her residence from the parent with whom the minor maintains or last maintained his or her place of abode.

Nonresident students seeking reclassification are required by law to complete a supplemental questionnaire concerning financial independence.

The general rule is that a student must have been a California resident for at least one year immediately preceding the residence determination date in order to qualify as a resident student for tuition purposes. A residence determination date is set for each academic term and is the date from which residence is determined for that term. The residence determination dates are:

Quarter Term Campuses
Fall September 20
Winter January
Spring April 1
Summer July 1

Semester Term Campuses
Fall September 20
Winter (Stanislaus only) January 5
Spring January 25

Questions regarding residence determination dates should be directed to the campus Admissions Office which can give you the residence determination date for the term for which you are registering.

There are exceptions from nonresident tuition, including:
  1. Persons below the age of 19 whose parents were residents of California but who left the state while the student, who remained, was still a minor. When the minor reaches age 18, the exception continues for one year to enable the student to qualify as a resident student.
  2. Minors who have been present in California with the intent of acquiring residence for more than a year before the residence determination date and have been entirely self-supporting for that period of time.
  3. Persons below the age of 19 who have lived with and been under the continuous direct care and control of an adult or adults, not a parent, for the two years immediately preceding the residence determination date. Such adult must have been a California resident for the most recent year.
  4. Dependent children and spouses of persons in active military service stationed in California on the residence determination date. This exception applies regardless of their length of physical presence in California. The exception, once attained, is not affected by retirement or transfer of the military person outside the state.
  5. Military personnel in active service stationed in California on the residence determination date for purposes other than education at state-supported institutions of higher education. Effective January 1, 1994, this exception continues until the military personnel has resided in the state the minimum time necessary to become a resident.
  6. Dependent children of a parent who has been a California resident for the most recent year. This exception continues until the student has resided in the state the minimum time necessary to become a resident, so long as continuous attendance is maintained at an institution.
  7. Graduates of any school located in California that is operated by the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs, including, but not limited to, the Sherman Indian High School. The exception continues so long as continuous attendance is maintained by the student at an institution.
  8. Certain credentialed, full-time employees of California school districts.
  9. Full-time state university employees and their children and spouses; state employees assigned to work outside the state and their children and spouses. This exception applies only for the minimum time required for the student to obtain California residence and maintain that residence for one year.
  10. Certain exchange students.
  11. Children of deceased public law enforcement or fire suppression employees, who were California residents, and who were killed in the course of law enforcement or fire suppression duties.

Students, following a final campus decision on their residence classification, may make written appeal only to:

The California State University
Office of General Counsel
400 Golden Shore
Long Beach, California 90802-4275

within 120 calendar days of notification of the final decision on campus of the classification. The Office of General Counsel may make a decision on the issue, or it may send the matter back to the campus for a further review. Students classified incorrectly as residents or incorrectly granted an exception from nonresident tuition are subject to reclassification as nonresidents and payment of nonresident tuition in arrears. If incorrect classification results from false or concealed facts, the student is subject to discipline pursuant to Section 41301 of Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations. Resident students who become nonresidents, and nonresident students qualifying for exceptions whose basis for so qualifying changes, must immediately notify the Admissions Office. Applications for a change in classification with respect to a previous term are not accepted.

The student is cautioned that this summation of rules regarding residency determination is by no means a complete explanation of their meaning. The student should also note that changes may have been made in the rate of nonresident tuition, in the statutes, and in the regulations between the time this catalog is published and the relevant residence determination date.

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