 | Text Only Search Home Login |
| New Students Information |
Admission is defined as permission to enroll in courses for academic credit. Admission to the university does not guarantee admission to a specific major or academic discipline. Applicants may be admitted as undergraduate or post-baccalaureate and may be either degree-seeking or non-degree-seeking. Transient students can only be admitted as non-degree-seeking. For admission purposes, all students are categorized as "new" or "former". These classifications are defined as follows:
5.Degree-seeking applicants - students who are applying for admission to an academic degree program.
6.Non-degree-seeking applicants - students who are applying for admission for reasons other than the pursuit of a degree, (e.g. personal enrichment, job enhancement or teacher certification). Non-degree-seeking students are not eligible for financial aid and must reapply as degree-seeking in order to pursue a degree at UHCL for a future semester. Credit earned in a non-degree status will not automatically be applicable to a specific academic degree program and some courses are restricted to only degree-seeking students. Additionally, some academic departments limit the number of hours that can be taken in a non-degree-seeking status and applied to a Candidate Plan of Study (CPS). For specific policies regarding course availability and application, please refer to the appropriate academic department's program section of this catalog.
7.Transient students - students who wish to enroll in a non-degree-seeking status at UHCL for only one semester, generally to transfer course work to another institution. Transient students must prove their eligibility by providing all documents required for their appropriate admission category prior to registration. Undergraduate transients will not be required to meet the composition or college algebra admission requirements; and, in specific circumstances, these students may be exempted from the TSI enrollment requirement (see Transient Student Enrollment). All other admission criteria must be met. Transients who wish to enroll in a second semester must obtain permission from the associate dean of their academic school of choice; and, they must reapply by submitting a new application and application processing fee to the Office of Admissions.
The current application processing fees are as follows:
| Domestic undergraduate applicants | $35.00 |
| International undergraduate applicants | $75.00 |
New students, who do not enroll in classes, are eligible to update their application status within three semesters from the original semester of application. In order to update to a new semester, applicants should submit an Application Update Form. This form can be found on the admission's Web site.
All transcripts submitted for admission purposes must be from a regionally accredited institution. An acceptable accredited institution is a college or university that has earned accreditation from one of the following recognized regional accrediting commissions: New England Association of Colleges and Schools, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, Northwest Association of Colleges and Schools, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools or the Western Association of Colleges and Schools.
Proprietary, vocational-technical, bible and other specialized, single-purpose institutions that are not recognized by a regional accrediting agency are excluded. Credit earned prior to an institution receiving regional accreditation is excluded.
All documents submitted to meet admissions requirements must be official and from an institution that has regional accreditation (see Accredited Institutions). Official transcripts must be mailed directly from the former institution(s) to the Office of Admissions. Hand-delivered transcripts will only be accepted as official if they have been printed within the past 60 days and are received in a sealed envelope from the issuing institution. Unofficial transcripts, student copies of transcripts, or transfer course work shown on transcripts will not be accepted as an official record of course work.
The Office of Admissions must receive all documents by the appropriate deadlines. Applicants who are admitted under concurrent enrollment must be enrolled at another institution and must submit a current paid fee statement from that institution's records office. An official transcript of courses that were in progress prior to or during enrollment at University of Houston-Clear Lake should be sent to the Office of Admissions once the grades have been posted. If an applicant knowingly withholds information or submits fraudulent information regarding enrollment at another collegiate institution, his or her application at UHCL will be considered invalid and the students may be administratively withdrawn from classes without a refund of fees paid.
International students must provide the Office of Admissions with official transcripts, mark (grade) sheets and confirmation of degrees or diplomas for all academic studies attempted at other colleges/universities, prior to enrollment. All students should provide official transcripts and/or mark sheets in the original language and an English translation describing all academic studies attempted and completed. This information must be received before the final evaluation can proceed. Transcripts should clearly indicate dates of attendance, subjects taken and marks (grades) earned. They should also reflect any degrees or diplomas awarded.
Official transcripts are to be sent directly to UHCL by the registrar, principal or responsible head of each institution attended. When this is not possible, documents certified by an embassy or consular official as "true copies" may be accepted. Uncertified copies will not be accepted.
The university makes a reasonable determination of courses completed outside of the United States. However, if requested by a specific school, international students may be required to submit an independent evaluation of their course work. This evaluation must be performed by an approved accrediting agency to determine accurate course equivalencies. An evaluation of this type will occur at the student's expense. A list of acceptable agencies can be found on UHCL's International Admissions Web site.
In determining admissibility, developmental or remedial course work will not be accepted for transfer purposes and will not count toward meeting the 54 semester credit hour minimum requirement for general admission or the 45 semester credit hour requirement for concurrent enrollment
All attempted course work for credit will be counted in determining the transfer grade point average required for admission. Remedial or developmental course work will not be used to determine admission.
Records from other institutions are kept on file for a period of five years. Former students who have not enrolled during the past five years must resubmit transcripts, documentation, and pay the application fee when reapplying to the university.
Once a document is submitted to UHCL, it becomes the property of the university and will not be returned or otherwise sent by e-mail, fax or mail to another institution or entity. Students may receive a copy of their previously submitted transcripts or scores, in person, by bringing a valid Texas Driver's License or ID to the Office of Admissions and completing a request form to release the information.
An encumbrance hold will prevent students from registering for the next enrollment term until all appropriate admissions documentation is received. Failure to provide official documents will activate holds that will hinder future registration attempts and stop the release of records, including UHCL transcripts. Encumbrances may vary by restriction and type and may also be placed by other offices or departments. Encumbrance holds at another University of Houston system campus (UH, UHV, UHD) will not hinder registration and/or enrollment at UHCL unless the hold is a "Cross Campus B91, B92, B93 or B99" financial hold. A cross campus financial hold must be cleared at the campus that placed the hold, prior to the student being eligible to register at another system campus.
Academic Fresh Start allows an undergraduate applicant to request that an institution disregard certain academic course work taken at a previous institution in Texas. This option allows for the exclusion of grades that a student earned 10 or more years prior to their initial enrollment at a Texas institution of higher education.
If this option is elected, all courses taken prior to that time must be excluded from consideration for academic purposes; requests for partial exclusions will not be considered. Students requesting admission under this option must be Texas residents for the purpose of tuition and fees. Consequently, if Academic Fresh Start applicants obtain a degree and apply for admission to a postgraduate or professional school, only the GPA earned after this option was invoked will be considered for admission. Academic Fresh Start can be used for undergraduate admission purposes only. Once a student has enrolled, a request for Academic Fresh Start will not be accepted. Once this option is elected, it cannot be revoked.
Courses ignored due to invoking Academic Fresh Start must be retaken if required to qualify for admission or as prerequisites for upper-level course work. However, students who were originally exempt from the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) due to course work completed prior to fall 1989 and have chosen to ignore those hours by enrolling under Academic Fresh Start will still be considered TSI exempt.
In order to enroll under this option, students must meet with an Enrollment Management Counselor, provide a written request of their intention to enroll under Academic Fresh Start and sign the required Acknowledgment Form.
The university assigned campus e-mail address is the official communication vehicle for all student information and exchanges among academic administrative offices. It is the student's responsibility to check e-mail regularly to assure they receive important university information in a timely manner. Students who choose to utilize e-mail addresses other than the one assigned to them by UHCL, must log in to E-Services and forward their e-mail to another valid e-mail account to ensure access to important information and requests.
Upon receipt of appropriatedocumentation, the Office of Admissions will determine the eligibility of applicants to the university and will notify them of this determination. After acceptance, applicants will be notified of registration dates and procedures.
The acceptance of a student into a degree program is determined by the admission standards of each academic school or department. Credit earned at University of Houston-Clear Lake is not automatically counted toward the completion of a degree program. Applicable credit is applied once the CPS has been completed and signed by both the student and an appropriate department representative.
Applicants with a cumulative GPA below requirements may request an individual review of their application. This request must be accompanied by a personal statement providing the reasons for past academic performance, plans to ensure future success and factors such as extracurricular activities, employment history, leadership skills or other information relevant to the admission decision. An application packet of all required documents and scores must be on file for consideration.
Undergraduate applicants seeking admission to University of Houston-Clear Lake as degree-seeking students must have:
OR
*For purposes of transfer undergraduate GPA calculations, plus and minus grade designations are not used (C- is computed as a C, B- as a B, etc.). Grades received for developmental course work are not included in the transfer GPA calculation.
Course work required and/or accepted for credit toward a Bachelor of Applied Science degree may not be accepted toward a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree.
Applicants must have an Associate of Applied Science in an Allied Health related field, be eligible to return to the last school attended and meet TSI requirements (see Texas Success Initiative). Students and can apply to the following degree program:
BAS - Healthcare Services
Applicants must:
Students can apply to the following degree programs:
BAS - Educator of Young Children
BAS - Young Children with Disabilities
BAS - Early Childhood Program Leadership
Applicants seeking admission through the Early Admissions option must be currently enrolled in the appropriate number of course credit that, when added to their completed course work totals the minimum 54 semester hours of college credit required for admission. The applicant must have earned a minimum GPA of 2.0 on course work that has already been completed. Additionally, the applicant must have completed English Composition I with a grade of C- or higher and the math requirement for the desired degree. The English Composition II or Technical Writing requirement may be in progress at the time of admission. A final grade of "C-" or higher must be submitted to the Office of Admissions prior to the first day of classes.
Applicants enrolling as Early Admits, who are degree-seeking, must submit anofficial transcript from each regionally accredited institution attended. Those choosing a non-degree-seeking status must submit only thosetranscript(s) necessary to show that admissions requirements have been met and thetranscript indicating good standing at the last institution attended.
Applicants, who have not yet earned 54 semester credit hours or more with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher, may be admitted if all of the following requirements are met:
Concurrent enrollment students are encouraged to meet with an academic adviser in the department of their major, prior to registering for classes. Students wishing to enroll in lower-level classes, while attending UHCL, are encouraged to enroll for these classes at a community college within commuting range of the university. Concurrent enrollment students must remain in good academic standing at UHCL; those who fall below a GPA of 2.0, will be placed on academic probation at UHCL and will have an encumbrance hold placed on their record to block any further registration.
Concurrent enrollment students are not eligible for financial aid and are limited to a total of 12 semester credit hours of enrollment at UHCL. Once a concurrent enrollment student meets general admission requirements, he or she must submit a new application for admissions and verify that all official documents have been received. The application fee is not assessed to concurrent enrollment students who reapply as degree-seeking.
A post-baccalaureate student has earned a bachelor's degree and wishes to enroll in additional course work at the undergraduate level. These students may not enroll in graduate course work, except under provisions that specifically authorize undergraduate enrollment in graduate courses.
A student may complete a teacher certification program, with or without earning a graduate degree. A student, who plans to complete a teacher certification program, without simultaneously completing a graduate degree, should enroll in the post-baccalaureate status.
An undergraduate student who enrolls at UHCL as a transient will not be required to meet the English composition or mathematics admission requirements. However, all other admission criteria must be met. Enrollment under this option is limited to one semester only and transient students are not eligible to receive financial aid. In order to enroll for a second semester, transient students must submit an additional application and application fee to the Office of Admissions and must obtain permission from the associate dean of their academic department. Because the application processing fee is non-refundable, students should obtain permission from the associate dean of the appropriate academic department offering the course(s) of interest, before applying as a transient.
Undergraduate transient students are exempt from the TSI only if they meet all five of the following requirements:
They are enrolled at
Applicants enrolling as a transient in a summer session(s) must meet the following requirements:
Admission as a summer transient is limited to six semester credit hours and terminates at the end of the summer sessions. If a student chooses to become degree-seeking at UHCL, he or she must meet general admission requirements, reapply and pay a new application processing fee (see Admission Requirements).
Unilink is a program that enables community college students to experience university life while still enrolled as freshmen or sophomores at a community college. The benefits include a signed combined community college and UHCL degree plan under the current UHCL catalog and participation in many of our campus activities. Many other benefits are outlined in the program guide. To be eligible to participate students must:
For more information about Unilink, contact an Academic Transfer Adviser in the Office of Admissions at 281-283-2500.
Former students seeking readmission should submit the following:
Former students are required to resubmit documents from other institutions for consideration of readmission if it has been more than five years since enrollment or if those items are no longer on file.
Students who leave the university on academic probation will be readmitted on probation. A degree-seeking student whose permission to register was terminated, due to academic deficiency, must be reinstated by the appropriate dean prior to readmission. Non-degree seeking students may be reinstated by the associate vice president of enrollment management.
To change academic careers from any undergraduate status to any graduate status (vice versa) or to change from non-degree seeking to degree-seeking, students must submit a new application to the Office of Admission and meet the appropriate admission criteria. Students who enroll in a degree-seeking status and wish to change to non-degree can do so by completing an Academic Records Change (ARC) in the academic advising office of their program. This change will be processed in the Office of Academic Records.
Entering undergraduates (first bachelor's degree candidates) are required to participate in an assessment of core competencies (e.g. reading, critical thinking and mathematics) developed in the general education curriculum. The test results will provide University of Houston-Clear Lake with specific information for continuous improvement in teaching and learning.
UHCL may award college credit for Advanced Placement Examination (AP credit) and the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) credit. The university will accept up to a maximum of 30 hours of credit towards a bachelor's degree.
To receive AP or CLEP credit, the university must receive an official score report prior to enrollment in the corresponding college course.
Credit may be awarded in transfer as long as the credit has been posted on the student's transcript at another regionally accredited institution of higher learning.
UHCL will accept AP or CLEP credit courses for the following purposes:
1. To establish a student's eligibility for undergraduate admissions.
2. To fulfill statutory and core (lower-level) academic requirements for a bachelor's degree.
A list of exams acceptable at UHCL and their minimum acceptable scores can be found on the Admissions Web Site.
UHCL will accept credit earned through CLEP for upper-level work, but each academic school or department at UHCL will determine whether CLEP credit can be accepted and applied toward specific degree requirements.
The Texas State Education Code requires the assessment of all students in the areas of reading, writing and mathematics skills upon their initial entry into a Texas institution of higher education. An applicant's performance on this test will affect admissibility to University of Houston-Clear Lake and all other Texas upper-level universities. To give Texas public higher education more flexibility in their efforts to develop better academic skills among students who need them for success in college, the 78th Texas Legislature repealed the Texas Academic Skill Program (TASP) and replaced it with the Texas Success Initiative (Texas Education Code 51.3062).
Transfer students who have attended a public institution of higher education in Texas must have completed the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) requirement prior to enrolling in upper-level courses. Entering students, from other Texas public institutions, must have already satisfied these requirements or may have previously been exempted. Students entering from out-of-state or private institutions may satisfy TSI requirements based on a review of specific course work as determined by the Office of Admissions. All students must meet TSI requirements. If the THEA/TASP exam is taken, all sections must be passed, prior to admission.
The approved assessment tests for TSI are: THEA (formerly TASP), ASSET, COMPASS, and ACCUPLACER examinations. The minimum passing scores for each of these tests are set by the state; however, each institution may establish its own score requirements at or above these minimums. The minimum passing scores are:
However, an essay with a score of 5 is considered passing, if a student meets the objective writing test standard.
A student may receive an exemption from the TSI requirement through examinations, degree status or course work. They may qualify as follows:
All students, regardless of immigration status, who are citizens of countries where English is not the native language must demonstrate English proficiency. These students are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) prior to admission. For more information on score requirements and waivers, please refer to the Language Proficiency Requirements for Non-U.S. Citizens in the International Admissions section of the catalog.
As an upper-level institution, University of Houston-Clear Lake does not instruct students at the freshman or sophomore level; therefore, we cannot equate lower-level courses from other institutions to courses offered at UHCL. However, UHCL can:
Transfer disputes, as defined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, may arise when a lower-level course is not accepted for credit by a Texas institution of higher education. Any dispute between institutions involving transfer of lower-level credit will be handled according to the guidelines and procedures established by the Coordinating Board. A copy of the Coordinating Board guidelines may be obtained in the Office of the Provost or online at www.uhcl.edu/provost.
The Office of Admissions evaluates non-traditional learning experiences after receiving appropriate supporting credentials and petitions from students. Credit for courses taken through various non-collegiate organizations is based on the recommendations made by the American Council on education (ACE) recommendations. Recognized non-traditional credit will be treated as transfer credit and may be considered for admission. In some academic degree programs, these credit may not be accepted. Previous work, because of its nature and not its inherent quality, may be inapplicable to specific degrees sought by students. This determination is made within each school.
Credit for courses taken at military service training schools is based on the recommendations made in the Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experience in the Armed Services. The student seeking military credit should submit an official transcript from AARTS, SMART or Coast Guard.
Nontraditional credit is not accepted for graduate level work.
UHCL has developed a series of articulation agreements with community colleges in the Houston area. Transfer plans are used to guide perspective students in choosing recommended course work at their college and aid them in transferring in UHCL. Students who plan to attend, or who are currently attending one of the following colleges, are encouraged to work closely with the counseling offices at these institutions as they prepare to transfer. 2 + 2 Transfer Plans may be obtained at each of these locations:
| Alvin Community College | Brazosport College | College of the Mainland |
| Galveston College | Houston Community College | Kingwood College |
| Lee College | Montgomery College | Lone Star College |
| Pearland College Center | San Jacinto College - Central | San Jacinto College - North |
| San Jacinto College - South | Tomball College | Wharton County Junior College |
The Application Deadline dates for international applicants are as follows:
Undergraduate international students must meet general admission requirements as noted in this catalog (see Admissions Requirements) in addition to the following:
An International Application for Admissions
Please note: International students submitting foreign documents must follow UHCL procedures for the submission of this documentation (see Documentation for Admission from International Institutions)
All applicants, regardless of immigration status, who are citizens of countries where English is not the native language must demonstrate English proficiency. The intent of this policy is to ensure that students for whom English is not a native language, have a reasonable chance to succeed academically based on their ability to comprehend and use spoken and written English.
Applicants may satisfy the English proficiency requirement in one of several ways:
Score reports may not be more than two years old at the time of admission. Only official scores will be accepted.
A TOEFL exemption may apply, if at least one of the following requirements is met:
* A applicant whose native language is not English, but who has earned a bachelor's degree or higher form an English-speaking country, may request consideration for a TOEFL waiver. Applicants requesting a waiver of the TOEFL or IELTS examination must submit a petition in writing, with supporting documentation, to the Office of Admissions a minimum of 30 days prior to the term in which they wish to enroll. The appropriate action will be taken only when full documentation is provided.
International students who meet the institution's admissions requirements for their chosen degree program, but who have not yet met the English Proficiency requirement, can be conditionally admitted. To satisfy the English Proficiency requirement and be fully admitted to the university, the student must enroll in and successfully complete an ESL Level 112 intensive English program.
International students, holding F-1 visa status are not eligible to apply for admission in a non-degree-seeking status. They must apply as degree-seeking students in a specified degree plan or program.
International students seeking undergraduate degrees at University of Houston-Clear Lake may obtain an International Student Adviser's permission to co-enroll at another institution. A concurrent enrollment form must be obtained from a UHCL international adviser prior to registration in the appropriate school/department of concurrent enrollment. Proof of payment for concurrent enrollment at another institution of higher education must be provided to a UHCL international student adviser for the current semester.
Undergraduate applicants who lack no more than nine semester credit hours of lower-level core curriculum or foundation courses may transfer to UHCL. These students may co-enroll at UHCL and another institution to complete the lower-level core or foundation requirements. In all cases, students must maintain full-time status and must enroll for at least three semester credit hours at UHCL. The Department of Homeland Security stipulates that no more than three credit hours of online courses per semester may be counted toward full-time enrollment for F and J student visa holders.
All international students on F or J visasare required to have health insurance, including medical evacuation and repatriation coverage. The university provides such insurance and automatically adds the premium to applicable tuition/fee statements. International students with private health insurance comparable to the university's coverage, may request a waiver of the university's health insurance.
Students may mail or fax coverage information to the attention of International Admissions. Health insurance waiver requests will be accepted until the census date, which is the twelfth class day in spring and fall semesters and the fourth class date in regular summer terms. Requests for waivers or refunds after the census day will not be considered.
The university reserves the right to reject any applicant whose record does not indicate potential success at University of Houston-Clear Lake, notwithstanding the completion of other requirements. The university also reserves the right to further evaluate any applicant by using psychological, achievement and/or aptitude tests and personal interviews. Additionally, the university reserves the right to reject any applicant who falsifies information that is submitted for admission consideration or used to determine admissibility to the university. Readmission may be denied to any former students who has falsified university documents or who has used a university official's signature inappropriately, for personal benefit or gain.
University of Houston-Clear Lake is committed to providing the most appropriate and effective academic direction, assistance and support for all students. At UHCL, the function of academic advising is provided directly through the four schools: Human Sciences and Humanities, Science and Computer Engineering, Business, and Education. Matters affecting degree requirements and graduation are best handled by professional advising staff and faculty working directly within the individual academic areas. Each school within UHCL has developed unique advising procedures to best serve the needs of its students. The relationship between student and adviser provides the opportunity to learn more about educational choices and objectives, degree requirements, academic policies and procedures, and university resources. All students are strongly urged to contact their academic adviser prior to registering for their first semester at UHCL.
Ultimately, the students are responsible for seeking adequate academic advice, knowing and following degree requirements, noting and meeting important academic deadlines, and enrolling in appropriate courses to ensure timely progress toward a degree. A successful academic experience hinges on partnership and communication shared by the students and the advisers.
What you can expect from your adviser:
What is expected of you as a student:
How to Prepare for a Meeting with Your Adviser
Become familiar with the advising process in your chosen school. Make sure your adviser has your most current contact information. Plan ahead and ask questions so your academic progress, decision-making and attainment of your university degree can be achieved with utmost success.
Advising Offices/Information |
|||||
Bayou Building |
|||||
| Room | Phone | ||||
| School of Business | B2111 | 281 283-3110 | busadvoff@cl.uh.edu | ||
| School of Education | B1231 | 281 283-3600 | education@uhcl.edu | ||
| School of Human Sciences and Humanities | B1539 | 281 283-3333 | hshadvising@uhcl.edu | ||
| School of Science and Computer Engineering | B3611 | 281 283-3711 | SCEAdvising@uhcl.edu | ||
| Distance & Off-Campus Education | B1406* | 281-283-3031 | disted@uhcl.edu | ||
Student Services and Classroom Building |
|||||
| Career and Counseling Services (for non-degree-seeking students) | S3109 | 281 283-2590 | www.uhcl.edu/careerservices | ||
| *for more information go to www.uhcl.edu/disted | |||||