Applicants
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 and provided 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, math higher than Algebra I (2 units), and additional math higher or lower than Algebra I (1 unit) |
| Sciences | 3 | Biology I or its equivalent and science higher than Biology I (2 units) |
| Social Studies | 3 | Units must include integrated courses of social sciences and humanities promoting civic competence |
| Arts | 1 | Includes any one Carnegie unit (or two half 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 one unit from Option 3; Option 3: (1) Any combination of advanced electives above the required Carnegie units in: (a) as noted in the Office of Academic and Student Affairs CPC Manual and/or (b) 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 and II will count as an advanced elective. |
| Technology or Computer Science | 1 | A technology 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. A computer science course emphasizes computational thinking to solve problems. Courses will involve the study of computers and algorithmic processes, including their principles, their hardware and software designs, their applications, and their impact on society, and should focus on one or more of the following core concepts: computing systems, networks and the internet, data and analysis, algorithms and programming, and impacts of computing. Course equivalent or additional advanced elective may be acceptance for non-Mississippi residents. |
- 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), International Baccalaureate (IB), Academic or Career Technical Dual Credit (DC), and Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) courses may be substituted for each requirement in the College Preparatory Curriculum.
- Course Acceptance: A course may not be used to satisfy more than one requirement.
A first-time undergraduate applicant is one who is a recent high graduate and enrolls
in the first fall term after graduation regardless of their summer school academic
activity between graduation and their first fall term of enrollment. A December graduate
who attends any postsecondary institution before enrollment would be considered a
first-time transfer student. (Dual enrollment courses taken while in high school are
not considered previous enrollment. The following criteria are established for both
traditional and nontraditional first-time undergraduates. Traditional undergraduates
are defined as those who are under 25 years of age; nontraditional students are defined
as individuals 25 years of age or older.
Full admission will be granted to all students who meet the following criteria:
- Have completed high school graduation requirements and the College Preparatory Curriculum (CPC) or have completed equivalent requirements as determined by the University; have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2 on a 4.0 grading scale as reported by the high school or as calculated by the University using an IHL-approved unweighted cumulative GPA calculator, and no ACT or SAT is required; or
- Have completed high school graduation requirements and the College Preparatory Curriculum (CPC) or have completed equivalent requirements as determined by the University; have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 as reported by the high school or as calculated by the University using an IHL-approved unweighted cumulative GPA calculator or a class rank in the top 50%, and have an ACT composite score of 16 or higher; or
- Have completed high school graduation requirements and the College Preparatory Curriculum (CPC) or have completed equivalent requirements as determined by the University; have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 as reported by the high school or as calculated by the University using an IHL-approved unweighted cumulative GPA calculator; and have an ACT composite score of 18 or higher.
- Any student who does not meet the above requirements may be granted full admission
by satisfying the NCAA Division I standards for student athletes who are "full qualifiers"
or "academic redshirts."
Students who fail to meet the full admission standards of first-time undergraduate applicants may, as a result of an admission appeal, be admitted. The appeal process will involve a consideration of high school performance, ACT or SAT scores (if available), placement testing, special interests, and skills, as well as other noncognitive factors. If the admission appeal is granted, students will be required to be enrolled in selected college-level courses equivalent to high school courses in which their background is inadequate. (These courses will yield University credit.) Additionally, students will be required to participate in a Year-Long Academic Support Program. 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 University staff member. The student will be required to meet with the staff member throughout their first year of college prior to enrolling for each upcoming semester.
Transfer Applicants
How to Apply for Transfer Admission
- Complete the online application for undergraduate 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.
Transfer Admission Requirements
Any student entering the University for the first time who previously attended another postsecondary institution, excluding summer school academic activity between high school graduation and their first full fall term of enrollment, must apply for admission as a transfer student. (Students entering the University the fall semester following high school graduation are considered first-time undergraduates, even if they took dual credit courses in high school.)
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.
Full admission will be granted to all transfer students who have completed 30 or more transferable hours at their previous institutions and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 on college-level coursework
Students must meet freshman admission requirements and have earned a minimum 2.0 cumulative college GPA 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 GPA of 2.0.
Students with this status may enroll in no more than 12 semester hours and must earn a minimum 2.0 GPA 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 $45 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.
Undergraduate Admissions will help you with questions about requirements, transfer credits, scholarships and more.