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General Information


ADMISSIONS (936) 294-1828

The Texas Common Application may be accessed online.

Sam Houston State University accepts applications for undergraduate admission from students of accredited secondary schools and students transferring from accredited colleges without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, or age.

Application Fee. A $35.00 nonrefundable, one-time application fee must accompany the application form. You may pay this online by credit card. Checks or money orders must be payable to Sam Houston State University. DO NOT SEND CASH. Former students are not required to pay the application fee.

Before a student will be admitted to Sam Houston State University, all items listed below must be on file in the Undergraduate Admissions Office:

  1. Application for undergraduate admission and $35.00 nonrefundable fee.
  2. Official high school transcript and class ranking.
  3. Satisfactory scores on the ACT Assessment or SAT I Recentered Test (formerly Scholastic Aptitude Test or Scholastic Assessment Test).
  4. Official transcripts of all college level work attempted and/or completed at any other institution(s).

The deadline for making application for undergraduate admission to Sam Houston State University is as follows: Fall Semester — August 1; Spring Semester — December 1; Summer Session I — May 15; Summer Session II — June 15.

PERSONAL STANDARDS. Sam Houston State University requires the same personal standards and applies the same criteria in considering applications for admission as it uses in the retention of students who are enrolled. To be consistent with this policy, the University reserves the right to refuse acceptance to prospective or former students who have criminal records including conviction of a felony, offenses involving moral turpitude, or other serious offenses. The personal standards of conduct expected of students who enroll at Sam Houston State University are provided in the student handbook, Student Guidelines.

ACADEMIC FRESH START. Senate Bill 1321, passed by the 73rd Texas Legislature, entitles residents of Texas to seek admission to public institutions of higher education without consideration of courses undertaken ten or more years prior to admission.

Students electing to apply for admission to Sam Houston State University under the provisions of SB 1321 and this policy may not choose which credit hours are to be counted or to be ignored. All college hours ten or more years old are either counted or all ignored. Students must apply for Academic Fresh Start when they apply for admission. For more information, contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, (936) 294-1828.

ADMISSIONS TESTS. The University accepts students for admission with satisfactory scores on the ACT Assessment or Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT I). These tests are administered periodically at more than 1,000 test centers throughout the United States. Information and applications for either test may be secured from the high school counselor or principal.

ADMISSION STANDARDS FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

Sam Houston State University accepts applications for undergraduate admission from students without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, or age.

All undergraduate admissions applications and all transcripts (high school and college/university) are discarded/destroyed when students do not enroll (or register for classes) for the semester/summer session for which admission was sought.

BEGINNING FRESHMAN STUDENTS

A beginning freshman student must graduate from an accredited high school, take the ACT Composite or SAT I Total (verbal + quantitative), and effective with enrollment for the Fall Semester 2002, the following test scores for beginning freshmen will be required.

  • Students in the First Quartile, no minimum score on ACT Composite or SAT I Total (verbal + quantitative).
  • Students in the Second Quartile, a minimum score of 19 on ACT Composite or a minimum score of 930 on SAT I Total (verbal + quantitative).
  • Students in the Third quartile, a minimum score of 22 on ACT Composite or 1030 on SAT I Total (verbal + quantitative).
  • Students in the Fourth Quartile, a minimum score of 25 on ACT Composite or 1140 on SAT I Total (verbal + quantitative).

A beginning freshman student must submit the following documentation.

  1. Completed Texas Common Application or the SHSU Undergraduate Admissions Application with nonrefundable application fee.
  2. Official copy of ACT Composite or SAT I Total (verbal + quantitative) score.
  3. Official copy of high school transcript showing class rank. Upon graduation from high school, applicant must provide a final official high school transcript showing final class rank, date of graduation, and graduation plan .

A beginning freshman student who has attempted college/university course work while enrolled in high school or in the semester prior to entering Sam Houston State University must provide official transcript(s) indicating the completion of all transferable academic hours (excluding developmental, remedial, vocational/technical, continuing education, or lifelong learning courses) with an overall cumulative transfer grade point average of 2.0 or higher on all academic hours attempted.

GRADUATES OF A NONACCREDITED HIGH SCHOOL INCLUDING HOME SCHOOL

Sam Houston State University admits qualified students graduating from nonaccredited high schools or home school graduates who meet the following criteria.

  • Score at least 21 on the ACT Composite or 1010 on the SAT I Total (verbal + quantitative).
  • Present a high school/home school transcript that meets the Texas State Graduation Requirements as approved by the State Board of Education. (see Texas Administrative Code (TAC) Chapter 74)

Graduates of a nonaccredited high school, including home school, submit the following documentation.

  1. Completed Texas Common Application or the SHSU Undergraduate Admissions Application with nonrefundable application fee.
  2. Official copy of ACT Composite or SAT I Total (verbal + quantitative) score.
  3. Official copy of high school transcript showing class rank. If home school, provide notarized copy of transcript. Upon graduation, applicant must provide a final official transcript showing final class rank and date of graduation.

STUDENTS WHO EARNED THE GED

Sam Houston State University admits qualified students who have earned their GED and who score at least 21 on the ACT Composite or 1010 on the SAT I Total (verbal + quantitative) and submit the following documentation.

  1. Completed Texas Common Application or the SHSU Undergraduate Admissions Application with nonrefundable application fee.
  2. Official copy of ACT Composite or SAT I Total (verbal + quantitative) score.
  3. Official copy of GED certificate with GED test scores.

TRANSFER STUDENTS

For purposes of this policy, a transfer student is defined to mean an undergraduate student who has attempted transferable academic course work from an accredited college or university. “Transferable academic course work” is defined to mean those attempted hours of course work which are applicable to a baccalaureate degree program.

Transfer Students from U.S. Colleges or Universities

Undergraduate students who transfer to Sam Houston State University from another regionally accredited college or university with less than 12 transferable academic hours must meet the standards of beginning freshman students (see Beginning Freshman Students above) and must provide the following documentation.

  1. Completed Texas Common Application or the SHSU Undergraduate Admissions Application with nonrefundable application fee.
  2. Official transcript(s) from all accredited colleges and universities attended.
  3. Official transcript(s) indicating the completion of fewer than 12 transferable academic hours (excluding developmental, remedial, vocational/technical, continuing education, or lifelong learning courses). All students must present a cumulative transfer grade point average of 2.0 or higher.

Undergraduate students who transfer to Sam Houston State University from another regionally accredited college or university with 12 or more transferable academic hours, as defined by this policy, must provide the following documentation.

  1. Completed Texas Common Application or the SHSU Undergraduate Admissions Application with nonrefundable application fee.
  2. Official transcript(s) from all accredited colleges or universities attended.
  3. Official transcript(s) indicating the completion of 12 or more transferable academic hours (excluding developmental, remedial, vocational/technical, continuing education, or lifelong learning courses). All students must present a cumulative transfer grade point average of 2.0 or higher.

Sam Houston State University accepts a maximum of sixty-six academic hours plus four hours of activity physical education (kinesiology) for a total of seventy semester hours from the accredited community colleges attended.

Courses taken at community colleges do not satisfy the advanced hours required at Sam Houston State University.

Students who are currently suspended from another college or university are not eligible for admission to Sam Houston State University.

All academic courses (excluding developmental, remedial, vocational/technical, continuing education, or lifelong learning courses) attempted at a four-year regionally accredited U.S. college or university will be transferred. Sam Houston State University reserves the right to accept courses taken at U.S. schools other than regionally accredited colleges or universities.

FORMER STUDENTS. All former SHSU students who did not attend one long semester (fall or spring) must submit an application for undergraduate admission in order to re-enter Sam Houston State University. Any former SHSU student who attends another institution is responsible for submitting an application for undergraduate admission and an official transcript with a minimum 2.0 grade point average of his/her record to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions before he/she re-enters Sam Houston State University. Transcripts of all course work attempted must be submitted.

A student who leaves Sam Houston State University on scholastic probation is readmitted on scholastic probation, even if the student has attended another institution after leaving and re-entering Sam Houston State University.

SUMMER TRANSIENT STUDENTS. Students applying for summer school only must meet the same undergraduate admissions requirements as Transfer Students from Colleges or Universities stated on page 19. Also, summer school only students are required to provide verification of TASP Test scores to the Registrar’s Office.

EARLY UNDERGRADUATE ADMISSIONS PROGRAM

  • High school students who have completed the junior year may be accepted to attend classes at Sam Houston State University.
  • To be accepted to attend classes, the students must provide official documentation for the criteria listed below, complete the undergraduate admissions application form, and pay the nonrefundable application fee.
  • To qualify for the Early Undergraduate Admissions Program, a high school student must meet the following criteria:
    1. Be in the top 25% of his/her class.
    2. Return to the high school and complete the senior year.
    3. Have the recommendation of the high school principal or counselor.
    4. Have written permission of parent or guardian.
    5. Provide verification of TASP status.\
    6. Submit the completed Early Admission Application.
  • Upon graduation from high school, the student must submit a new undergraduate application to change the classification from “Early Admissions” to “Undergraduate Student” in order to continue taking classes at Sam Houston State University.

FULL-TIME EARLY UNDERGRADUATE ADMISSIONS PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

Sam Houston State University recognizes that in some instances a truly gifted high school student may receive considerable educational benefit from a full-time early undergraduate admissions program to a college or university.

  • To be admitted to the University, the student must provide official documentation for the criteria listed below, complete the undergraduate admissions application form, and pay the nonrefundable application fee.
  • High school students desiring to enter a full-time early undergraduate admissions program must fulfill the following requirements.
    1. Complete the junior year of high school
    2. Be in the top quarter of their class
    3. Score 27 or higher on the ACT Composite or 1200 or higher on the SAT I Total (verbal + quantitative)
    4. Provide letters of recommendation from the high school principal and two other high school teachers
    5. Provide a signed letter from the student's parents or guardian stating that they understand the program and approve of the student’s participation
    6. Have a personal interview with an Academic Standards and Admissions Committee

ADMISSION OF UNDERGRADUATE INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

  • All undergraduate international students must file the Texas Common Application or the SHSU Undergraduate Admissions Application and pay the nonrefundable application fee in U.S. currency.
  • Sam Houston State University has five categories of undergraduate international students: beginning freshmen who have graduated from a high school outside the United States, beginning freshmen who have graduated from a high school in the U.S., transfer students who have attended a college or university from outside the U.S., transfer students who have attended a college or university in the U.S. and have obtained 60+ hours or an associate degree, and transfer students who have attended a college or university in the U.S. and have obtained less than 60 hours.
  • International students who are beginning freshmen graduating from a high school outside the U.S. must provide the following:
    1. TOEFL score of 550 or 213 (computer version) if English is not their first language
    2. Official high school transcript
    3. Evaluation of high school transcript from an accredited evaluation company
    4. Support documents (see Requirements for Registration by Undergraduate International Students below)
  • International students who are beginning freshmen graduating from a high school in the U.S. must provide the following:
    1. 1. A final high school transcript showing the date of graduation and class ranking and submit satisfactory ACT or SAT scores. Effective with enrollment for the Fall Semester 2002, the admissions requirements for beginning freshmen graduating from U.S. high schools is:
      1. Students in the First Quartile, no minimum score on ACT Composite or SAT I Total (verbal + quantitative).
      2. Students in the Second Quartile, a minimum score of 19 on ACT Composite or a minimum score of 930 on SAT I Total (verbal + quantitative).
      3. Students in the Third Quartile, a minimum score of 22 on ACT Composite or 1030 on SAT I Total (verbal + quantitative).
      4. Students in the Fourth Quartile, a minimum score of 25 on ACT Composite or 1140 on SAT I Total (verbal + quantitative)
    2. Support documents (see Requirements for Registration by Undergraduate International Students listed below)
    3. Copies of all immigration documents
  • International students who are transfer students who attended a college or university outside the U.S. must provide the following:
    1. TOEFL score of 550 or 213 (computer version) if English is not their first language
    2. Official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended
    3. Evaluation of all transfer work from an accredited evaluation company
    4. Support documents (see Requirements for Registration by Undergraduate International Students listed below)
  • International students who are transfer students who attended a college or university in the U.S. and have obtained 60+ hours or an associate degree must provide the following:
    1. Official transcript from all colleges/universities attended
    2. Support documents (see Requirements for Registration by Undergraduate International Students listed below)
    3. Advisor’s report
    4. Copies of all immigration documents
  • International students who are transfer students who attended a college or university in the U.S. and have obtained less than 60 hours must provide the following:
    1. TOEFL score of 550 or 213 (computer version) if English is not their first language
    2. Official transcript from all colleges/universities attended
    3. Support documents (see Requirements for Registration by Undergraduate International Students listed below)
    4. Advisor’s report
    5. Copies of all immigration document

REQUIREMENTS FOR REGISTRATION BY UNDERGRADUATE INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

  1. To ensure that all undergraduate admission and immigration papers are in order, international students are required to visit the Undergraduate Admissions Office immediately upon arrival on campus. Telephone (936) 294-1059 or email ugrad.intl@shsu.edu.
  2. All international students are required to purchase the group Hospitalization, Medical Evacuation, and Repatriation Insurance available to all eligible SHSU students. Proof of this insurance must be presented to designated university officials each semester before the registration process can be completed. Further information concerning this required coverage may be obtained from the University Health Center.
  3. Certified English translations are required for documents submitted in a language other than English.
  4. Financial support documents listed. Telephone (936) 294-1059 or email ugrad.intl@shsu.edu.

APPEALS PROCESS FOR UNDERGRADUATE ADMISSIONS

Appeals for Special Undergraduate Admissions. An applicant who has been denied admission may appeal that decision in writing to the Undergraduate Admission Standards and Applications Committee, Sam Houston State University, Box 2418, Huntsville, Texas 77341.

PERSONAL REVIEW OF EDUCATIONAL POTENTIAL (PREP)

Freshman applicants who do not meet minimum requirements for admission but graduated from the Recommended or Advanced Degree Program and are currently ranked in the top three quarters of their class are eligible for the Personal Review of Educational Potential (PREP). Students in the fourth quarter of their graduating class are not eligible for this review. The Undergraduate Admissions staff will consider the following factors in the (PREP) process:

  • Specific class rank (on a seven-semester transcript)
  • Size of the graduating class
  • Quality and competitive level of high school courses taken and grades earned (i.e., AP, Honors classes, Dual Credit)
  • Academic progress and achievements
  • Scores on either the ACT or SAT 1

Contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions for more information. Telephone: (936) 294-1828.

NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION

The Office of Student Life coordinates the orientation sessions for incoming students. New Student Orientation Programs offer freshmen and transfer students the opportunity to learn about SHSU and the range of support services available across campus. Offered during the summer, these sessions provide students the opportunity to meet with academic advisors, register for fall classes, and pay all of their fees for the semester. A mini-orientation program is offered for new students at the start of the fall semester, and again at the start of the spring semester. Please call (936) 294-1782 or visit the New Student Orientation website for more information.