ADMISSIONS
For admission purposes, a student is classified as an entering freshman if:
1. the student has graduated from high school; and
2. the total of attempted college-level credit work at an accredited institution after graduation from high school has been less than 12 hours, excluding summer school and college courses taken while still in high school.
Students are encouraged to apply as early as possible. Early admission contributes to better orientation, course planning, class scheduling and financial aid consideration. High school students planning to apply should submit applications as soon as possible after completion of the junior year. Applications for admission are available from many secondary school guidance/counseling offices and from the Office of Admissions, UT, 320 Student Services, Knoxville, TN 37996-0230 or may be downloaded from the web at www.utk.edu. The University seeks to admit those who can provide evidence of the intellectual performance and potential that will permit them to benefit from UT programs. A prospective student must have completed at least
four (4) units of English;
three (3) units of math including two (2) units of algebra and one (1) unit of advanced math, trigonometry, geometry or calculus (The College of Engineering requires 3 1/2 years of math including trigonometry and geometry as prerequisites for all courses);
two (2) units of natural sciences including at least one (1) unit of biology, chemistry or physics;
one (1) unit of American History;
one (1) unit of European or world history or world geography;
two (2) units of a single foreign language;
one (1) unit of visual or performing art.
Applicants with foreign language deficiencies from those high schools that do not offer the required two years of a single foreign language may, with proper approvals, be admitted to the University. However, this deficiency must be removed during the first two years (60 semester hours) of University work; courses taken to satisfy foreign language deficiencies may be taken only as electives.
In addition to the application form, a freshman must
Have a final transcript of all high school credits sent to the Admission Office. If any courses have been taken for college credit, the institution(s) granting credit must send an official transcript to the UT Admission Office as a part of the admission file. Students who have achieved a high school diploma through the General Education Development (GED) Test also must have the GED scores sent. Older than average students may be given special consideration.
Any applicant who is denied admission may make a written appeal to the Director of Admissions.
Advanced Placement Examinations: Freshman admitted to UT may receive credit on the basis of performance on one or more of the Advanced Placement Examinations offered each May by the College Entrance Examination Board in several subject areas. High school students preparing to enter college usually take the tests during the junior year.
Departments at UT that grant advanced placement credit for satisfactory test scores include Art, Biology, Chemistry, English, History, French, Spanish, German, Latin, Mathematics, Music, and Physics. The CEEB sends scores and test books on request to the Director of Admissions at UT in June or July. Each participating department decides the acceptable score for credit. Information can be obtained from the Admissions Office or from the Liberal Arts Advising Center.
A student who has attempted 12 hours or more of college credit course work at one or more accredited institutions of higher learning and who does not qualify as a freshman applicant under the rules described above must apply for admission as a transfer student. In addition to high school transcripts, those institutions should send a complete transcript of all work at each college or university attended directly to the UT Admissions Office. Transcripts carried by the student may be useful in the advising and course selection process, but they are not acceptable in the admissions file. Transfer students who have taken neither the ACT nor the SAT are not required to do so. Upon admission to UT, a transfer student may be classified as a freshman, sophomore, junior or senior, according to the number of hours passed. Only those courses in which a grade of C or better was earned shall be eligible for transfer credit.
The faculty, through the deans and directors of colleges and schools at UT, has the responsibility for determining which courses from other institutions will be accepted for transfer credit. Certain transferable courses are not equivalent to special UT courses. These courses may be used to meet specific curriculum requirements with the approval of the UT college or school in which the student’s program is located. Appeals concerning transfer of course credit, whether by institutions or by individuals, should be addressed to the dean of the appropriate UT college or school for review.
Prospective transfers to UT are encouraged to complete a sequence of related courses rather than transferring a single course from a series. Students at two-year community colleges, particularly within the State of Tennessee, are encouraged to complete the associate degree requirements prior to transferring to UT, provided that such action is consistent with their educational goals.
In order to be considered for admission to UT, a transfer applicant must have transfer grade point average of 2.00 or better (on a 4-point scale) for all courses eligible for transfer credit. The Nuclear Engineering Department encourages enrollment of well-qualified transfer students. Agreements, called Articulation Agreements, have been developed with pre-engineering programs in other universities and colleges in Tennessee. Special efforts will be made to accommodate students from other schools so that they will suffer minimum loss of time in transferring.