Admissions Policy
The College of Southern Maryland is committed to providing equal opportunity in student admissions without regard to gender, sexual orientation, race, age, color, religion, disability, marital status, or national origin. The college’s Board of Trustees authorizes the president to develop and revise specific procedures for admission, subject to standards fixed by the Maryland Higher Education Commission.
Admission Requirements
Credit Students
Applicants who have met one of the following will be admitted to the college:
- have graduated from high school; or
- have earned high school equivalency; or
- have met the criteria of one of the college’s admission programs described in this catalog.
Certain review courses or reduced-credit loads may be required for new students who need further preparation. The college may revoke (or may subject to certain conditions) the admission of any already admitted person who is deemed to be a potential danger to safety or security or threatens to disrupt educational processes. Such persons shall be afforded due process as required by law. Additional admission requirements for the Certificate of Practical Nursing and Associate of Science degree in Nursing are described online. Additional admission requirements for the Physical Therapist Assistant, Radiography and Respiratory Therapy programs are outlined in the Programs of Study section in this catalog.
Continuing Education Students
Continuing education courses are open to persons age 16 or older unless otherwise stated in the course description. Students may enroll in continuing education courses without being admitted to the college. Important: In all cases, the college reserves the right to make final decisions on admission or eligibility for enrollment in continuing education courses.
General Admission and Enrollment Procedures
1. Apply to CSM
Complete the college admission application online at www.csmd.edu/Admissions. Providing your Social Security Number is optional at the time of applying to the college but will be required to complete the registration process and to apply for financial assistance. You may be asked to provide proof of residency in person at a campus location.
2. Apply for Financial Aid and Scholarships
All students should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form at Studentaid.gov. All CSM Foundation scholarships require a FAFSA and can be found on our website at www.csmd.edu/scholarshipfinder. See the Financial Assistance website for more detailed information. Make sure to use the federal school code for CSM: 002064.
3. College Readiness and Placement Testing
Placement Options
- High School Transcript Review for Students who have graduated from a public high school (or from Calverton, St. Mary’s Ryken, or Southern Maryland Christian Academy) within the past two years: Submit high school transcripts to the Registrar’s office either electronically or to transcripts@csmd.edu. Students who have graduated from a home school or private school will need to take our ACCUPLACER and ALEKS placement tests or submit Standardized Test scores (SAT or ACT).
- Prior College-Level English and/or Mathematics Coursework: Students who can verify with a transcript or grade report successful completion of prior college-level English and appropriate college-level mathematics courses are exempt from taking the placement test.
- Standardized Tests:
- SAT Tests: Submit scores of 480 or higher in evidence-based Reading and Writing. Submit scores of 530 or higher in Math. Submit scores of 570 or higher in Math for programs that require a higher level of math (such as STEM programs).
- ACT Tests: Submit ACT scores of 21 or higher in English and/or Reading and/or Math. Submit scores of 24 or higher in math for programs that require a higher level of math (such as STEM programs).
- GED Test: Submit GED scores of 165 or higher in Reasoning Through Language Arts. Submit scores of 165 or higher in Mathematical Reasoning.
- AP Test Scores: Submit scores in English and/or Math of 3,4 or 5.
- Speak with an advisor about specific math course requirements.
- Take the ACCUPLACER exam for reading and writing and the ALEKS Placement, Preparation, and Learning Assessment for math. Meet certain scores for accurate placement.
- Students who have graduated from high school more than two years ago and/or never attended college in the past should schedule to take the CSM placement tests with the Testing Center.
4. Complete the New Student Orientation
- Complete the Online New Student Orientation
- Once admitted, with your CSM Student ID number you will log into your my.CSMD account and be taken to New Student Orientation.
- You can also access the New Student Orientation in the “Announcements” section of my.CSMD or csmd.edu/Admissions.
5. Register for Classes
- New students should register for classes through Online Services through my.CSMD.
- The Admissions office offers several Registration Assistance Sessions before every term. Students should register for one of these sessions to learn how to register and next steps as a student at the college. The session schedule can be found at www.csmd.edu/registrationassistance.
- If a student is unsure about their program, they should set up a profile and complete the Career Coach and make an appointment with an Advisor to review the results.
- For students transferring into the college, after a student’s official transcript is evaluated, an email will be sent explaining which classes the college has accepted. The student can make an appointment with an Advisor to discuss their schedule of classes.
6. Set Up Your Student Email
- Students should wait 24 hours after registration for credit classes to set up their student email account. This is a requirement, as all official CSM communications will go to this email address.
- The student’s email address will be USERNAME@mymail.csmd.edu. Visit this helpful web page for questions about student email and Microsoft Office 365: www.csmd.edu/student-services/help-desk/microsoft.
7. Send Final High School Transcripts (if graduated within last two years)
All recent high school graduates are required to submit final high school transcripts. Please send to:
College of Southern Maryland
Attn: Registrar’s Office
P.O. Box 910
La Plata, MD 20646
or
transcripts@csmd.edu
8. Make Payment Arrangements by the Payment Due Date.
- Pay in full
- Enroll in the CSM Tuition Payment Plan and make the initial deposit
- Submit tuition assistance paperwork to the Bursar’s Office
- Have sufficient approved and processed financial assistance already in place (CSM college code is 002064; it may take 4 weeks or more to process your request. If you have not completed a FAFSA form yet, you will need to make alternate payment arrangements and be reimbursed if/when you receive FAFSA funds)
Categories of Admission
Part-Time Students
Students taking fewer than 12 credits and/or credit equivalents in a semester are considered part-time students. Applicants who wish to enroll as part-time students are subject to the same rules and regulations as full-time students except where specifically exempted.
Full-Time Students
Students taking 12 or more credits and/or credit equivalents in a semester are considered full-time students.
Transfer Students
Students who wish to transfer credits to CSM can have their official transcripts mailed or sent electronically. Official transcripts in a sealed envelope can be mailed directly to CSM at:
College of Southern Maryland
Attn: Registrar’s Office
P.O. Box 910
La Plata, MD 20646
Electronic transcripts can be sent from the issuing institution directly to transeval@csmd.edu.
Typically, evaluations take 2-4 weeks. During peak times, however, they may take longer.
Schedule to meet with an Academic Advisor to discuss the credits transferring in to CSM.
Students must fill out a Transcript Evaluation Request Form to evaluate past credits earned and how they fulfill requirements for their intended degree program.
Students will be notified by email of the credits that CSM accepts.
Students can also view what courses were transferred in through myCSMD - Online Services - Student Planning - View your Progress and in the Transfer Summary.
Returning Students
Students who previously attended CSM but have not taken classes within a two-year period are required to reapply for admission to the college. Returning students will meet with an Academic Advisor for guidance on re-enrollment.
Visiting Students
Students who are currently enrolled at another institution can take classes at CSM with the goal of transferring the credits to their main institution. Visiting students will need to apply to CSM and then meet with an Academic Advisor for guidance on placement, course selection and registration.
Active-Duty Military Personnel
Active-duty military personnel should follow the admission procedures for full-time, part-time, or transfer students, as appropriate. The college will grant credit for courses taken from service schools and other agencies recommended in the American Council on Education’s National Guides to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services. Credits are limited to those courses that the college determines to be applicable to the student’s degree and/or certificate program. Credits will not be granted for courses not recommended or not found in these publications.
Non-graduates of High School
Applicants who are 16 years of age or older and who have left elementary or secondary school without completing either a formal high school diploma program or earning a General Equivalency Diploma (GED) or High School Equivalency Diploma/Certificate may be admitted if they demonstrate the ability to advance from instruction based on placement at the college level in reading, mathematics, and writing on the CSM placement tests. Applicants who do not meet this requirement may be provisionally admitted for one semester, which may include taking less than a full-time credit load (to be determined by the Director of Admissions). Upon successful completion of that semester’s coursework, those students will be admitted to the college. Provisional admission may be withdrawn if a student does not make satisfactory progress during the first semester.
The college strongly encourages students to complete their high school graduation requirements or obtain their GED prior to applying for admission. Eligibility for financial assistance programs may be affected by absence of a high school diploma or GED. Students who wish to seek the GED should contact the Adult Basic Education program at the College of Southern Maryland. Note: Admission to the practical nursing (PN) certificate program, the physical therapist assistant program, or the associate degree nursing program requires the completion of a high school diploma or GED.
Undocumented Immigrants
Under the Maryland Dream Act, undocumented immigrants may qualify for in-state tuition. Contact the Admissions Department at CSMInternational@csmd.edu for eligibility requirements. Otherwise, undocumented students will receive out-of-state tuition.
International Students
Students who attend the college on an F-1 Visa are considered international students. Other international citizens should contact the college’s Admissions Department at CSMInternational@csmd.edu for information on admission procedures. The college is authorized under federal law to enroll non-immigrant students. To be admitted to the college, international students must submit a completed international student application packet to the Admissions Department. Packets can be obtained from the Admissions Department or online at csmd.edu/international in the Steps to Enroll section.
1. Submit an online Admissions Application at csmd.edu/international.
2. Complete and submit the CSM International Packet.
The below documents can be submitted to CSMInternational@csmd.edu or uploaded with the CSM International Form.
- Proof of Identity - Applicants will provide CSM’s Admissions Department with a copy of their passport.
- Submit the CSM Supplemental Form for I-20 Request.
- Proof of High School Completion.
- Provide proof of English proficiency - Applicants will provide CSM’s Admissions Department with an official copy of their TOEFL score report or Duolingo English Test score report. A minimum TOEFL score of 80 is required. To schedule or obtain test scores, contact:
Educational Testing Service (ETS)
P.O. Box 6151
Princeton, NJ 08541-6151
The telephone number is 609-771-7100. If the country is recognized by the United States Department of State as one in which English is the primary language, the TOEFL may not be required. Duolingo English Test will also be accepted with a minimum score of 95.
- Proof of Financial Support.
- CSM Declaration of Financial Support Form.
- International Student Transfer Form - This is required only for F-1 visa students who are currently attending a different institution in the U.S. and wish to transfer to CSM.
- High School/College Transcripts - All college transcripts that come from institutions outside of the United States must be evaluated by World Education Services (WES), Education Credential Evaluators (ECE), or Josef Silny & Associates (JSA). Official transcript evaluations should be sent directly to CSM from these services. Please be advised that students may be asked for a copy of their course syllabi for review.
3. Take placement tests or submit SAT or ACT scores
Take the placement tests for reading, math, and writing unless you already have credits in English or math from another college or acceptable SAT or ACT scores. See the Placement Tests Procedures section in this catalog for more information. All forms must be submitted by the following dates:
- June 15 for the Fall Semester
- October 15 for the Spring Semester
- March 15 for the Summer Session
After all documents are received, they are reviewed for eligibility by the Designated School Official. The Form I-20 (Certificate of Eligibility for Non-Immigrant F-1 Student Visa Status) is issued to those applicants who meet all academic, financial support, and English language proficiency requirements for admission to a full-time degree program. A student copy of the I-20 will be emailed to the student. It is the United States Department of State, not the college, that makes the decision to grant the F-1 Visa.
Before registering for classes, the student will be required to meet with the PDSO or DSO. International students are charged out-of-state tuition and are not eligible for most financial assistance.
Admissions Programs
Programs for High School Students
High school students may take courses at the College of Southern Maryland through a variety of admissions programs such as Dual Enrollment, Early College, or Gifted and Talented.
Dual Enrollment Program
The Dual Enrollment program allows qualified high school students to take classes at CSM for college credit while satisfying their high school graduation requirements. Eligible Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s County public school students enrolled in this program may have the full cost of up to four county-approved courses covered per academic year. Homeschool students are eligible to receive a 25% discount on tuition if they report to the Board of Education or an umbrella organization approved by the Maryland State Department of Education. Private school students and out-of-county students will be granted a 25% tuition waiver while in the program. Students may be responsible for paying all tuition, fees, and textbook costs. To participate in this program, students must demonstrate the ability to benefit from instruction through placement tests, qualifying SAT or ACT scores, or other established criteria.
To be eligible for the Dual Enrollment Programs, students must meet the following requirements:
- Completion of the 10th grade (the school system may not approve students before their senior year)
- Have a minimum high school unweighted cumulative grade point average of 2.75 (the school system may require a higher average)
How to Get Started with Dual on a CSM Campus or Online:
- Meet with the high school counselor to discuss taking Dual Enrollment classes on a CSM campus to ensure that you are eligible to participate in the program and to review graduation requirements.
- Submit an online application csmd.edu/dualenrollment.
- Complete the online Dual Enrollment Form for your county’s public school system or for homeschool, private school, or out-of-county students.
- Submit high school transcripts, submit acceptable SAT or ACT scores, or take the college’s placement tests in reading and Writing and place at college level in both assessments,
- If the student plans to take a math course, he or she may need to take the math placement test and score at the MTH-1010 or MTH-1120 level or higher (depending on the program of study). Acceptable SAT and ACT scores may be submitted to waive the placement requirement.
Once these steps are complete, the student should contact an Enrollment Coordinator to schedule an orientation session and register for courses. All paperwork and placement tests must be completed and submitted to the college prior to July 1 (for St. Mary’s County Public Schools), July 15 (for all other students) for the fall semester, December 15 for the spring semester, and April 15 for the summer session.
Dual In-School
Dual Enrollment classes are offered in many tri-county high schools through partnerships with the school or county school systems. Students can receive college credits for successfully completing eligible courses, regardless of grade level, and will take these classes in their high school classroom instead of at a CSM campus. Available in-school Dual Enrollment courses vary by high school and may include subjects such as honors composition and rhetoric, pre-calculus, and upper-level algebra. Students in non-participating high schools are not eligible for CSM’s in-school Dual Enrollment classes. As an alternative, consider taking Dual Enrollment classes on a CSM campus.
Please note that in-school Dual Enrollment is not the same as the College Board Advanced Placement (AP) program.
Registration for eligible in-school Dual Enrollment classes occurs midway through the academic year; specific dates will vary by high school. Students who are interested in participating in-school Dual Enrollment, can complete the following steps during their school’s registration period.
How to Get Started with Dual In-School:
- Students should speak with their high school counselor about which Dual Enrollment classes are offered at their high school.
- Students will create an account within DualEnroll by selecting “Create My Account” and following the prompts. When creating an account, students are asked to use a personal email address instead of a high school student email address.
- The account can be verified by following the link in the confirmation email.
- Once the account has been verified, students will complete the high school’s Dual Enrollment application through the DualEnroll platform.
- Once the application has been submitted, students will see a list of CSM courses that correspond to Dual Enrollment courses offered at their high school. They will find the course that matches the subject(s) they’re currently enrolled in at their high school during the current academic year and select “Register” to start the registration process.
- The high school instructor will review their registration request to verify that they meet all the eligibility requirements to participate in Dual Enrollment.
- No additional documentation is required from students to demonstrate their readiness for college-level coursework.
- When the high school instructor approves the Dual Enrollment classes, CSM Admissions will process the course registration. Students will receive an email confirmation when the process is complete.
Early College
The Early College programs are for qualified high school juniors and seniors (depending on the participating county public schools) to complete their high school and college degree or certificate requirements at the same time. These students will spend their entire day on a CSM campus. Minimum requirements include a cumulative unweighted GPA of a 2.75, completion of high school state testing, completion of Service-Learning hours, recommendation from high school counselor, and others depending on the county. High school math requirements may vary by Early College program. A Selection Committee will review the student’s application and transcript. The college will notify the student on their acceptance into the program.
Gifted and Talented Students
Through the Gifted and Talented program, academically gifted students who have completed the 7th grade and who are not yet high school juniors can be considered for early admission to CSM on a case-by-case basis, allowing high-achieving students to earn credits towards the completion of a college degree. Students will be considered for such admission if they demonstrate the ability to benefit from college instruction based on evidence of gifted and talented status as determined by testing at the college level on CSM’s placement test. Students who participate in this program do not qualify for the Dual Enrollment discounted tuition rate. Students wishing to participate in this program must:
- Submit an online application at csmd.edu/gifted.
- Complete the Gifted and Talented Form and submit it (along with a completed, signed recommendation letter) to the Enrollment Team at AOD@csmd.edu.
- Take the college’s placement tests in Reading and Writing and place at college level in both assessments.
- If the student plans to take a math course, he or she must take the math placement test and place into a college level Math course.
Once the college receives all required forms and placement results, the student will be contacted to schedule a meeting with his or her county Enrollment Coordinator to register for classes.
Career and Technical Education (CTE)
The Career and Technical Education program allows students to earn college credits through a sequence of academic and technical coursework while still enrolled in high school. Students successfully completing a Career and Technical Education (CTE) program in High School may receive articulated credits which are applicable to designated letters of recognition, certificates, and associate of applied science degrees in a career field at CSM at no cost! For more information, see the college’s website at csmd.edu/cte
Residency Policy
The residence status of students is determined at the time of admission to the college. Students will be considered in-county residents if they or the person who contributes more than one half of the student’s financial support maintains legal domicile in Charles County, St. Mary’s County, or Calvert County and have done so for a period of not less than three months prior to the date of admission to the college.
Students will be considered in-state residents if they or the person who contributes more than one half of the student’s financial support have maintained legal domicile in other parts of the state for not less than three months. Otherwise, the student shall be considered an out-of-state resident, unless the student falls within one of the limited exceptions available for certain programs and persons. Military dependents fall under these limited exceptions.
Students’ residency will not be changed automatically. It is the responsibility of the student to demonstrate residency after they meet the requirements to do so. The Admissions office will automatically change residency to a higher tuition rate upon receipt of conflicting information since the student’s application submission. More information on appeals can be found on our Emergency Withdrawal and Tuition Refund Policy webpage
The Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) uses a set of criteria to determine residency for tuition purposes at Maryland community colleges.
Criteria
- Living quarters: Owning or renting a residence in Maryland for at least three months before the start of the term
- Income taxes: Paying Maryland state and local income taxes on all taxable income
- Vehicle registration: Registering all owned vehicles in Maryland
- Driver’s license: Having a valid Maryland driver’s license or State Issued ID
- Voting registration: Being registered to vote in Maryland
- Public assistance: Receiving no public assistance from a state other than Maryland
Exemptions:
- Active-duty military personnel, honorably discharged veterans, spouses, and dependents who reside in Maryland are exempt from the three-month requirement
Tuition rates:
Students who are not Maryland residents pay a higher tuition rate than Maryland residents. Students who live in Maryland but outside the county that supports a community college pay a higher rate than county residents but a lower rate than out-of-state residents.
Please refer to Appendix I at the back of the catalog for additional information on residency policies.
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