University of Dubuque Admission Requirements

Admission Requirements
An applicant for admission to the University of Dubuque undergraduate program shall be a graduate of a high school or equivalent (GED) and shall present a minimum of 15 high school units of which 10 shall be from academic fields (English, social studies, natural science, mathematics, foreign language). Preference is given to students in the upper one-half of their graduating class and an ACT score of 18 or an SAT score of 870 (verbal + math) or higher. A limited number of students may be granted provisional admittance based on counselor recommendations and evidence of potential for college success.

For more Information about the ACT, please visit their web site:

Application Procedure
Persons wishing to be considered for admission to the college must submit the following for review:

submit a completed information package,
a $25 nonrefundable process fee with the application (in case of extreme financial need, request for a fee waiver should be made in writing by a student's high school counselor), ACT or SAT test results.
official transcripts submitted directly by the high school and the registrars of all colleges attended (high school transcript should include GPA and class rank),
and a personal interview with a college admission counselor is recommended.

International applicants for first-time admission must demonstrate proficiency in English in one of the following ways: a score of 500 or more on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or by having had all high school instruction in English. If TOEFL scores are not available, or are below 500, students may be placed in one or more English language courses, depending on the results of the Foreign Language Department Placement Exam given on arrival. Upon successful completion of these courses, students will be permitted to take regular classes.

Admission Deposit
The University of Dubuque requires a $200 deposit to confirm admission from all applicants planning to be full-time students. The deposit will be refunded to new students if they notify the Admissions Office of cancellation on or before May 1 for the fall semester, or Jan. 1 for the spring semester.

Previous College Experience
The University of Dubuque will accept all courses passed at an accredited bachelor's degree-granting institution, provided the overall grade average for those courses is 2.0 or better. If the student's average is less than 2.0, all credit in courses in which grades earned were C or better will be accepted. In addition, the student may select, at the time of the first registration, as many of those courses with grades of D as can be included without lowering the GPA below 2.0.

Up to 24 credit hours of credit will be accepted through correspondence and/or extension courses. Transfer students from an accredited junior college, with or without an associate's degree may transfer a maximum of 60 credit hours. Transfer students must complete the skills and general education requirements of UD.

Students transferring to the University of Dubuque from either Clarke or Loras Colleges will have their course work there evaluated on the same basis as any other transfer student. Courses taken at Clarke or Loras Colleges after the student has matriculated at the University of Dubuque are considered work in residence at UD.

A person academically dismissed from another college is ineligible for regular admission for two semesters immediately following the dismissal. Summer school may be counted as one semester. If admitted, the student will be placed on academic probation. An admitted student who was on academic probation at another college shall begin on academic probation at UD.

Non-Accredited Institutions

Credits from established four-or two-year national or international institutions not accredited by regional or national accrediting agencies will be evaluated on a case by case basis.

Non-Degree-Granting Schools and Institutes

Credit from vocational-technical schools, provided that they are approved by the state in which they are located, will be accepted on the basis that the vocational-technical credit will be equivalent to one-half of University of Dubuque credit and that each course accepted has a grade of C or better. A maximum of 30 semester hours of vocational-technical credit may be accepted by the University of Dubuque. However, additional hours in the major may be granted with the consent of the academic department in which the student plans to major. Vocational-technical credit will be listed on the student's permanent record with a grade of CR.

In those cases where college-parallel courses have been completed (e.g., algebra, psychology, etc.) the student may petition the appropriate department for equivalent college credit. A copy of the course syllabus and texts used must accompany the petition. If equivalent credit is granted through this process, allother remaining credits will be transferred in at one-half of their value provided the grade received is a C or better up to a maximum of 30 vocational-technical credits and maximum of 60 credits overall.

Credits for courses completed at institutes will be accepted under any of the following conditions:

The course or program is listed in The National Guide to Recommendations for Non-Collegiate Courses, prepared by the American Council on Education;
The course or program is approved by the state in which it is located;
Credit has been accepted by other four-year and two-year accredited colleges and universities; or
A special departmental examination given by the University of Dubuque is successfully completed.

Credit for Prior Learning
Prior learning may be relevant to undergraduate courses of study. The following programs define how credit may be earned:

Advanced Placement
College credit is given to those students entering from high school who present proper evidence of having taken college level advanced placement examinations (AP) in one or more subjects with the College Entrance Examination Board, provided the scores are sufficiently high. Students are required to inform the Registrar of such scores prior to enrolling for the first semester.

College-Level Examination Program (CLEP)
The University of Dubuque participates in CLEP. Examinations may be taken every month except December or February at the University after consultation with the Office of Admissions. The following CLEP subject examinations have been approved for credit by the college: American Government--PO120, 3 credit hours. Analysis and Interpretation of Literature--EN112, 3 credit hours. General Biology--BL111, 4 credit hours. General Psychology--PS110, 3 credit hours. Introductory Macroeconomics--EC121, 3 credit hours. Introductory Microeconomics EC122, 3 credit hours. Introduction to Sociology--SC111, 3 credit hours.

To earn credit, the student must score at the 50th percentile or above on the National Norms. Credits may not be earned through CLEP examinations that duplicate credit previously earned. Students may not take a lower level CLEP examination in an area in which they have completed a higher level course.

CLEP examinations may be taken only once. Credit by examination may be used for fulfillment of specific general education requirements, elective credit and for credit in the major. Authorization must be obtained from the department if credit is to be used for credit in the major field or for use of subject examinations not listed above. A maximum of 24 credit hours may be earned through CLEP examinations.

Credit by Examinations
If appropriate, a student may seek to earn "credit by examination" for specific courses. For further information, or to apply for testing, contact the chairperson of the department.

Students with competence in French, German or Spanish have the opportunity to earn a maximum of 14 credits through language proficiency examinations. These can be arranged through the chairperson of the Department of Foreign Languages.

Credit For Non-Collegiate Educational Experiences (Armed Services)
College credit may be granted to veterans for service schools attended. Recommendations of the Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Forces, prepared by the American Council on Education, will be used to determine if credit will be allowed. For further information concerning financial benefits and credits for service schools, contact the Office of the Registrar.

Portfolio of Experiential Learning
The portfolio program, administered by the Academic Dean, is for those whose prior experiential learning cannot be evaluated by any of the methods discussed above. Students prepare a portfolio explaining and documenting their college parallel learning credit. The portfolio is assessed for possible college credit by faculty in the departments petitioned.

To be eligible, candidates must be admitted students and have earned a minimum of 15 credit hours, six of which must have been taken as University of Dubuque students. The maximum number of credits awarded is 30. Credits earned in this manner are not included as hours earned in any semester, and are recorded separately on the transcript.

Refund Policy
The institutional refund policy is only for students who withdraw from all classes and leave the University. The policy does not apply to a student who withdraws from some classes but continues to be enrolled in other classes. If a student withdraws from a class after the add/drop date, a W will be recorded through the last day to withdraw from the class and no refund will be given.

Students who withdraw on or before the 60% point of the enrollment period and are receiving federal, state, and/or institutional aid, are subject to a pro rata refund determined by the number of calendar days completed as of the day the student withdrew. Contact the Student Account office for specific dates.

Students who withdraw from the University will receive a prorated refund on room and board for the remainder of the semester. Following withdrawal, students have 24 hours to vacate their rooms. For refund purposes, dismissals will be treated like withdrawals.

Marriage - Students who are married during the school year and move out of their residence hall rooms may receive a prorated refund of rental and board payments.

Justifiable Absence - If a student is absent in excess of two weeks for justifiable reasons, a board credit will be allowed upon official written notification.