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Freshman Applicants

How to Apply for Freshman Admission 

  • Complete the online application for admission.
  • Pay the nonrefundable $45 application fee. 
  • Submit your high school transcript. 
  • Submit your ACT or SAT scores.

Note to homeschool applicants: Your transcript can be a portfolio that summarizes your homeschool education, but ACT or SAT scores are required. 

Note to domestic applicants who did not complete high school: Qualifying scores on a state-approved high school equivalency exam are required (i.e., the GED), along with transcripts reflecting academic performance or a secondary school leaving form and your ACT or SAT scores.  

Freshman Admission Requirements 

Students planning to enter the University as freshmen must complete the College Preparatory Curriculum (CPC) listed below and submit a composite ACT, a superscore ACT (calculated by ACT), or a combined SAT (verbal/quantitative) score. Please note that the writing components of the ACT and SAT are not used in evaluation for admission. 

Please note that admission to some academic programs may require students to meet additional requirements.

Units No. of units required Description
English 4 All must require substantial communication skills (i.e., reading, writing, listening, and speaking). Compensatory Reading and Writing may not be included.
Mathematics 4 Algebra I or its equivalent and Math higher than Algebra I (2 units)
Sciences 3 Biology I or its equivalent and Science higher than Biology I (2 units)
Social Studies 3 1/2 Units must include integrated courses of social sciences and humanities promoting civic competence
Arts 1 Includes any one Carnegie unit (or two ½ units) of visual and performing arts course(s) meeting the requirements for high school graduation
Advanced Electives 2

Option I: Foreign Language I and Foreign Language II; Option 2: Foreign Language I and Advanced World Geography; Option 3: (1) Any combination of an advanced level course above the required Carnegie units as noted in the Mississippi Department of Education Secondary Course Manual and/or any Advanced Placement (AP), Academic or Career and Technical Dual Credit (DC), International Baccalaureate (IB) or Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) course. (2) Completion of any two-year Career and Technical course may count as one unit. Example: completion of both Health Sciences I & II will count as an advanced elective.

Technology 1 A course that emphasizes the use of technology as a productivity tool. Instruction should include utilizing various forms of technology to create, collaborate, organize, and publish information. The application of technology as a productivity tool, rather than specific hardware and/or software packages should be the focus of the course.
  • Pre-High School Units: Courses taken prior to high school will be accepted for admission provided the course earns Carnegie credit and the content is the same as the high school course.
  • Substitutions: Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses can be substituted for each requirement in the College Preparatory Curriculum.
  • Course Acceptance: A course may not be used to satisfy more than one requirement.

Full admission will be granted to the following: 

  1. All students completing the College Preparatory Curriculum (CPC) with a minimum of a 2.0 high school GPA on the CPC, as well as a score of 18 or higher on the ACT (composite or superscore) or equivalent SAT score based on the testing concordance in place at the time of the testing date. 
  2. All students completing the College Preparatory Curriculum (CPC) with a minimum of a 2.5 high school GPA on the CPC or a class rank in the top 50 percent, as well as a score of 16 or higher on the ACT (composite or superscore) or equivalent SAT score based on the testing concordance in place at the time of the testing date.
  3. All students completing the College Preparatory Curriculum (CPC) with a minimum of a 3.2 high school GPA on the CPC. (Please note that students offered admission without an ACT or SAT score cannot be considered for freshman scholarships.)
  4. Students who satisfy the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) standards for student-athletes who are full qualifiers under Division I guidelines. 

Applicants who fail to meet full admission standards as listed above may, as a result of a review, be admitted for the summer or fall semester. The review shall involve a consideration of high school performance, ACT/SAT scores, placement testing, and special interests and skills, as well as other non-cognitive factors. As a result of the review, students who indicate inadequate readiness in English, reading or mathematics may be required to participate in counseling and testing, which will be held on campus prior to the beginning of the summer session. Applicants who successfully complete the counseling and testing program may be admitted to the university, with the requirement that they participate in the Year-Long Academic Support Program.  

Students who are not successful in completing the counseling and testing program may be admitted with the requirements that they enroll in the Summer Developmental Program. The Summer Developmental Program is an intensive nine-week program developed to prepare students for success during their first year of college studies. The program concentrates on those high school subject areas (writing, reading, mathematics) that are crucial to success in first-year college curricula. To be eligible to enroll in the program, students must first go through an on-campus interview, which includes taking a diagnostic test called the Accuplacer. The cost for the program is full-semester tuition plus the required study materials. A student may apply for financial aid to assist in paying for the program by filling out a FASFA application; a grant is also available through the State of Mississippi. Students who successfully complete the Summer Developmental Program will be allowed to continue in the fall term with mandatory participation in the Year-Long Academic Support Program during their freshman year. Students who do not successfully complete the Summer Developmental Program will be counseled to explore other post-secondary opportunities, including those offered by community colleges.  

The Year-Long Academic Support Program is designed to help students navigate through their first year of college studies with a positive experience and complete it with great success. The program offers individualized one-on-one advisement and counseling sessions with a specified staff member in the Division of Undergraduate Studies. The student will be required to meet with the staff member throughout their first year of college prior enrolling for each upcoming semester. 

Transfer Applicants

How to Apply for Transfer Admission 

  • Pay the nonrefundable $45 application fee. 
  • Submit official transcripts from all institutions attended after high school to the Office of Admissions. (In some instances, high school transcripts and ACT or SAT scores may be required.)

Will My Credits Transfer? 

The Mississippi Articulation and Transfer Tool (MATT) enables students to compare current community college courses against equivalent courses at Southern Miss and learn how those courses meet degree requirements for a specific major.

(MATT) Mississippi Articulation and Transfer Tool

Transfer Admission Requirements

A transfer applicant can accomplish admission to Southern Miss through several possible routes. Please also note that admission to some academic programs may require students to meet additional requirements.

Students must have either an associate degree intended for transfer from a regionally accredited institution or have completed the 30 semester hours of designated coursework outlined below with a minimum 2.0 cumulative grade point average for admission. 

  •  6 semester hours of English Composition (English Composition I and II) 
  • 3 semester hours of mathematics (college algebra, quantitative reasoning, or higher mathematics) 
  • 6 semester hours of natural science (courses must be laboratory-based, with the lecture courses accompanied by the respective lab course) 
  • 9 semester hours of humanities and fine arts (common examples of acceptable coursework are history, philosophy, religion, world literature, art, music) 
  • 6 semester hours of social or behavioral sciences (common examples of acceptable coursework are anthropology, geography, sociology, psychology, social work)

Students must meet freshman admission requirements and have earned a minimum 2.0 cumulative college grade point average for admission. 

Please note that transfer students admitted through this route must submit transcripts from all colleges/universities attended after high school and that transfer credits will be applied toward their degree at Southern Miss. 

An applicant who is at least 21 years old and does not meet any other admission requirements may apply for admission as a nondegree-seeking student, which is commonly referred to as the conditional status.  Students seeking admission through this route must have a minimum cumulative college grade point average of 2.0. 

Students with this status may enroll in no more than 12 semester hours and must earn a minimum 2.0 grade point average during the first 12 hours of enrollment at the University.  Once these requirements are satisfactorily met, all restrictions are lifted, and the student is considered degree-seeking.  Students admitted on this status may experience financial aid restrictions, including Pell Grant ineligibility. Once conditional status requirements are satisfied, all financial aid restrictions will be lifted. 

Previous USM Students

How to Apply for Readmission to the University 

  • Submit the online application for undergraduate readmission. 
  • Pay the nonrefundable $25 application fee. 
  • Submit official transcripts to the Office of Admissions from any institutions attended since leaving Southern Miss, and if a degree has been received from another institution, an official transcript showing that degree. 
  • Resolve any enrollment issues that may still exist resulting from your prior enrollment at Southern Miss (more information below).

Readmission Requirements 

A student will be granted readmission so long as the following circumstances exist: 

  • The student must meet the minimum admission standards of the University. 
  • The student must have attained a 2.0 cumulative GPA from all institutions attended, including Southern Miss. 
  • The student is not on academic suspension with the last university attended. 
  • The student does not owe a balance or have a Perkins Loan hold at Southern Miss.

Please note that if you left the University under academic probation, academic probation continued, or academic suspension, you will have to work with an academic adviser in your intended program of study on an academic improvement plan in order to register for classes, but those statuses will not prevent you from being readmitted to the University. However, because of the amount of time it takes to get readmitted through the Office of Admissions and to meet with University staff regarding your academic status, students who fall into this category are strongly urged to work as early as possible ahead of the stated readmission deadline for their intended semester of reenrollment.  

Information Regarding Dual Enrollment

A dual enrolled student is a student who is enrolled at Southern Miss while enrolled in high school and is earning college credit. To be eligible for dual enrollment, you must have

A minimum overall GPA of a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale on all high school courses and 
Successful completion of 14 core high school core units and/or junior status and 
A written recommendation from your school principal or guidance counselor 

 
OR 
 
A minimum overall GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale on all high school courses and 
a minimum composite ACT score of 30 (or equivalent SAT score) and 
A written recommendation from your school principal or guidance counselor 
 
To apply for dual enrollment on a USM campus, click here to access the application. Please pay careful attention to admission deadlines. 

If you are a high school representative interested in the possibility of a dual enrollment partnership with the University, please click here.

Information Regarding Visiting Student/Nondegree-Seeking Enrollment

Those who wish to be visiting/temporary/nondegree-seeking students should apply using either the First-Time Transfer application (if never previously enrolled at the University) or using the Previous USM Student application (if seeking temporary readmission). Students will indicate their visiting/temporary/nondegree-seeking status by answering “no” on the application when asked if they plan to earn a bachelor’s degree from USM. Students who are seeking temporary admission to the University and are nondegree-seeking can access the application for that status by clicking here. Please pay careful attention to admission deadlines. 

Once temporary admission has been granted, the Office of Admissions will communicate with you regarding course enrollment and registration. 

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