Any person having received a high school diploma or its equivalent may be permitted to enroll in credit courses (either for credit or audit) at the University. Some of these persons will be classified as nondegree students. A nondegree student who has not been dropped from degree or provisional status by this university or any other college or university for unsatisfactory scholarship will be listed as a nondegree regular student and may enroll in any number of credits not to exceed the typical credit load of a full-time student per semester if criteria 1, 2, and 3 (on the following list) are met.
A nondegree student who has been dropped from degree or provisional status by this university or any other college or university because of unsatisfactory scholarship will be listed as a nondegree conditional student and may enroll in a maximum of 12 credits per semester if criteria 1, 2, 3, and 4 (on the following list) are met.
NOTE: A student must be admitted, or reinstated and re-enrolled, as a degree candidate to apply the credits earned as a nondegree student toward fulfilling the requirements for a degree. The dean of the college or school of enrollment shall decide which credits may be used to fulfill the degree requirements.
OBTAINING AN APPLICATION--A nondegree application can be obtained by contacting the Office of the University Registrar, The Pennsylvania State University, 112 Shields Building, University Park, PA 16802-1292 (telephone: 814-865-6357), or by contacting the Registrar's office at any University location. The form is also available at www.registrar.psu.edu (Opens New Window) on the Web.
ADMISSION OF NONDEGREE STUDENT AS A DEGREE CANDIDATE--A nondegree student may apply for admission as a baccalaureate degree candidate with advanced standing to a college or school of the University, or to the Division of Undergraduate Studies, upon completion of at least 18 credits earned at this University with at least a 2.00 cumulative grade-point average. An applicant who has completed at least the equivalent of two years of baccalaureate degree work before applying for admission as a baccalaureate degree candidate must have the approval of either the dean of the college or school in which enrollment is desired or of the director of the Division of Undergraduate Studies if the student wants to enroll in that division. To be eligible for degree admission, the nondegree student must meet the academic requirements of the University and the college or school in effect at the time of application. Entrance to a major is an additional step beyond admission. Under certain circumstances, the University may need to restrict admissions to degree candidacy or entrance to particular majors because of space limitations. After a student is admitted as a degree candidate, the dean of the college or school of enrollment decides which credits earned as a nondegree student may be used to fulfill degree requirements.