Admissions

Associate & Bachelors Programs:

Applicants who seek admission into a Saint Joseph’s College Online undergraduate degree program, with the exception of the RN-Bachelor of Science in nursing program, who have not obtained college credit at a regionally or nationally accredited post-secondary institution, must submit one of the following:

• Official transcript from an accredited high school with a minimum grade point average of C.
• Official GED examination record with a minimum grade point average of 2.0.
• Official record of completion from a state-approved high school diploma home schooling program

Applicants who have completed college coursework at regionally or nationally accredited, post-secondary institutions, at the time of graduation, must submit the following documentation:

• Official transcripts from all regionally or nationally accredited institutions previously attended.
• Cumulative minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale.
  • RN-Bachelor of Science in Nursing applicants must have completed a Diploma or Associate Degree in Nursing from an ACEN or CCNE accredited program at the time of graduation, with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.

Undergraduate Certificate Programs:

• Applicants who seek admission into an undergraduate certificate, are not required to submit official transcripts, unless seeking transfer credit.

*Please see additional program specific admission requirements for the RN-Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management programs: http://catalog.sjcme.edu/content.php?catoid=24&navoid=694   

Transfer Credit:

In determining accreditation, Saint Joseph’s College uses the publication Accredited Institutions of Postsecondary Education by the American Council on Education (ACE) published in consultation with the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).  Applicants who have graduated with a foreign bachelor’s degree equivalent must have their transcripts evaluated by a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluator Services (NACES), and the degree must be deemed equivalent to a degree at an accredited institution.  

Saint Joseph’s College Online values prior formal learning and career-based experiences. The College follows the American Council on Education guidelines in granting transfer credit. Transfer credits may include:

• ACE/PONSI approved credit;
• ACE-approved military training and experience credit 
• CLEP, ACT/PEP and DANTES DSST programs (the maximum number of semester-hour credits which may be challenged and transferred is 30);
• Undergraduate students may submit a portfolio demonstrating experiential learning to challenge a specific course. Guidelines are available from Saint Joseph’s College Online, Enrollment Services, at 800-343-5498 or 207-893-7800. The maximum number of credits that may be awarded by portfolio process is: Baccalaureate Degree: 18 credits Associate Degree: 9 credits Certificate 6 credits

At the undergraduate level, transfer credit is awarded for appropriate coursework taken at hospital-based Schools of Nursing and hospital-based Schools of Radiologic Technology. Transfer credit is not awarded for pre-collegiate level or remedial coursework.

Saint Joseph’s College is a member of the Servicemembers Opportunity College (SOC) Degree Network System (DNS), a subset of SOC Consortium member institutions selected by the military services to deliver specific associate and bachelor’s degree programs to servicemembers and their families. As a member of the DNS, we have agreed to adhere to academic policies intended to support military students in their academic endeavors towards degree completion. Saint Joseph’s College is currently approved for membership in SOCAD and SOCNAV at the bachelor’s degree level. See Military and Veterans

Undergraduate Associate Degrees

• 66 semester-hour credits are required for successful completion of an Associate of Science degree at Saint Joseph’s College.
• Students must earn a minimum of 25% of the course requirements within their degree, at Saint Joseph’s College. Students may transfer up to 48 semester-hour credits from regionally or nationally accredited institutions, as recognized by the U.S. Department of Education
• Students must earn a minimum of 15 semester-hour credits within the major/specialization, at Saint Joseph’s College.

Undergraduate Bachelor Degrees

• 128 semester-hour credits are required for successful completion of a Baccalaureate degree at Saint Joseph’s College.
• Transfer credit is awarded from regionally or nationally accredited institutions, as recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, at the time of graduation.
• Students must earn a minimum of 25% of the course requirements within their degree, at Saint Joseph’s College. Students may transfer up to 95 semester-hour credits from regionally or nationally accredited institutions, as recognized by the U.S. Department of Education
• Students must earn a minimum of 18 semester-hour credits within the major, at Saint Joseph’s College.
  • Students are allowed to transfer a maximum of 6.00 semester credits within each minor for a total of 12.00 semester credits of minor requirements as listed in the catalog.
  • Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, are allowed to transfer a maximum of 12.00 semester credits within the Nursing major.
• Undergraduate courses must be completed with a minimum grade of C, to be eligible in transfer.
  • Transfer credit for 300-level nursing courses, must be completed with a minimum grade of C+, from a CCNE or ACEN accredited institution, at the time of graduation.
• Course descriptions/syllabi may be requested on an individual basis
  • Students who seek transfer credit for 300-level or higher Nursing courses, must provide course descriptions and syllabi for review

Undergraduate Certificate Programs:

• Transfer credit is awarded from regionally or nationally accredited institutions, as recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, at the time of attendance.
• 18-Credit Certificates: Students are eligible to transfer up to 6 semester-hour credits of curriculum related undergraduate-level work, from a regionally or nationally accredited post-secondary institution, as recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
• 15-Credit Certificates: Students are eligible to transfer up to 3 semester-hour credits of curriculum related undergraduate-level work, from a regionally or nationally accredited post-secondary institution, as recognized by the U.S. Department of Education

Official transcripts must be sent directly from the transmitting institution(s).  Transcripts and any additional supporting documentation must be received in order to implement the evaluation process.  Once all official transcripts and supporting materials have been received, a decision regarding acceptance will be made, appropriate courses will be determined and the applicant will be notified immediately of admissions decision.  

Note:

STATE AUTHORIZATIONS

States have long had the authority to regulate institutions offering education within each state’s boundaries, regardless of the educational modality (face-to-face, distance, other) being used.  Saint Joseph’s College is authorized or exempted from authorization in all 50 states.  Authorization in the state of North Carolina is pending and the “good faith effort” provisions at C.F.R. § 600.9(c)34 CF applies– check back often for updates.  Please read state-specific disclosure language below.

For national information about state authorization, visit the WCET website.

Individual State Disclosure Statements

Alabama:  State authorization to provide the Masters of Science in Education program related to the preparation of teachers or other P-12 school/system personnel does not indicate eligibility for an Alabama certificate. Applicants for an Alabama certificate based on reciprocity must meet Alabama’s test requirements and submit a valid, renewable professional educator certificate/license issued by another state at the degree level, grade level, and in the teaching field or area of instructional support for which an Alabama certificate is sought and for which Alabama issues a certificate. Applicants for Alabama certification in an area of administration must also document at least three years of full-time employment as an administrator in a P-12 school system(s). alsde.edu

Nursing:  State approval of a program to offer Alabama licensed nurses opportunities for advanced degrees does not indicate eligibility for approval to practice as an advanced practice nurse in Alabama.  Applicants for approval in Alabama are required to meet the Alabama requirements for national certification, graduation from a specific-type program for the advanced practice approval, and completion of the appropriate application.  Any program offering a pre-licensure track to Alabama students shall meet the requirements of the Alabama regulations for pre-licensure programs or the graduates may not be eligible to take the national licensure examination requiured by the Alabama Board of Nursing to enter the practice.  www.abn.alabama.gov
 

Alaska: Saint Joseph’s College Online programs and courses delivered via distance education are exempt from authorization under AS 14.48 and 20 AAC 17.015 because these courses and programs are online or distance delivered and the College does not have a physical presence in the state of Alaska.

Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board certification does not constitute an endorsement of any institution or program. Such certification merely indicates that certain criteria have been met as required under the rules and regulations implementing institutional and program certification as defined in Arkansas Code Sec. 6-61-301.

Students from the State of Georgia when confronted with a grievance situation also have the right to appeal to the office of Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission, 2082 East Exchange Place, Suite 220, Tucker, GA 30084, (770) 414-3300. A Georgia student who withdraws is entitled to a refund based on the college’s refund policy or the refund policy established by the State of Georgia, whichever is more favorable to the student.

Indiana Applicants: This institution is authorized by The Indiana Board for Proprietary Education, 101 W. Ohio Street, Suite 670, Indianapolis, IN  46204-1984.

Kentucky Applicants: The Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board does not approve the Master of Science in Education programs for K-12 licensure for students in their state in the following concentrations: Educator, School Leadership, and Catholic School Leadership. Students from Kentucky should not enroll in these programs if they are seeking licensure.

Louisiana Applicants: Students from Louisiana may not enroll in the Master of Science in Education programs.  Saint Joseph’s College does not currently possess national accreditation and thus must cease to offer the programs in Louisiana. 

Saint Joseph’s College (“SJC”) is accredited by the Commission of Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.  The most recent accreditation was earned in 2012.  In addition, SJC’s programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CNE) and the National Association of Long Term Care Administrator Boards (NAB).

Licenses are renewed by the Louisiana State Board of Regents every two years. Licensed institutions have met minimal operational standards set forth by the state, but licensure does not constitute accreditation, guarantee the transferability of credit, nor signify that programs are certifiable by any professional agency or organization.

The Maryland Higher Education Commission has approved the Master of Science in Education program with the following conditions:  (i) St. Joseph’s shall work directly with students enrolled in educator concentrations to secure practica opportunities, where those practica will take place in Maryland; and (ii) St. Joseph’s must explicitly articulate to students that Maryland Professional Development Schools are not obliged to accommodate practica opportunities for students enrolled in out-of-state institutions and that this may affect their ability to secure said practica. 

Saint Joseph’s College is registered to enroll Maryland students in the fully online distance education programs approved by the Maryland Higher Education Commission.  The Commission’s registration of the University’s fully online programs is not an authorization of the institution to operate in Maryland or an approval or endorsement of the University’s programs.   

For student complaints:  Complaints by Maryland students are subject to investigation of complaints by the Office of the Attorney General of the Maryland Higher Education Commission, 6 North Liberty Street, 10th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21210.  410-767-3301.

Massachusetts Applicants: Massachusetts students in the MSED Program seeking initial certification should contact the Massachusetts Department of Education here or here for possible additional requirements beyond those fulfilled with the completion of the master’s degree from Saint Joseph’s College.

Saint Joseph’s College of Maine is registered as a private institution with the Minnesota Office of Higher Education pursuant to sections 136A.61 to 136A.71. Registration is not an endorsement of the institution. Credits earned at the institution may not transfer to all other institutions.

Mississippi students should be made aware of Mississippi Board of Nursing licensure requirements http://www.msbn.state.ms.us/ and Mississippi Department of Education educator licensure requirements http://www.mde.k12.ms.us/educator-licensure.

New York pre-licensure and NP educational tracks Nursing Students need to be approved by the Board of Nursing. Nursing education and administration tracks do NOT need approval.

The Ohio Educator Standards Board does not approve the Master of Science in Education programs for K-12 licensure for students in their state in the following concentrations: Educator, School Leadership, and Catholic School Leadership. Students from Ohio should not enroll in these programs if they are seeking licensure.

Students from Ohio may enroll in the following Master of Science in Education programs in the following concentrations: Adult Education and Training and Health Care Educator.  The focus of these two fine programs is directed at adult learners.  Neither of these programs requires post-degree licensure.

Texas Applicants:  In accordance with the State of Texas, the State of Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, Rule 1.110-112, Saint Joseph’s College is required to disclose to new students from Texas the following regarding Student Complaints:

A copy of the student grievance policy and appropriate forms may be obtained by contacting an Academic Advisor, or by mail at 278 Whites Bridge Road, Standish, ME  04084.  The link this policy can be found in the student handbook on pages 46-47:  http://www.sjcme.edu/files/sjcme_files/docs/studenthandbk.pdf

Students should follow the Saint Joseph’s College’s complaint process before pursuing other paths.

The web address for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s Student Complaints page with forms and a description of the compliant procedure can be found at: 

http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/index.cfm?objectid=051F5-03D4-9CCE-40FA9F46F2CD3C90

State of Washington Applicants:  Saint Joseph’s College of Maine is authorized by the Washington Student Achievement Council and meets the requirements and minimum educational standards established for degree-granting institutions under the Degree-Granting Institutions Act.  This authorization is subject to periodic review and authorizes Saint Joseph’s College of Maine to offer field placement components for specific degree programs.  The Council may be contacted for a list of currently authorized programs.  Authorization by the Council does not carry with it an endorsement by the Council of the institution or its programs.  Any person desiring information about the requirements of the act or the applicability of those requirements to the institution may contact the Council at P.O. Box 43430, Olympia, WA  98504-3430.

Applicants who seek admission into a Saint Joseph’s College Online graduate degree program, with the exception of the Master of Science in Nursing program, must provide the college with the following:

• Official undergraduate transcript indicating successful completion of an undergraduate degree from a regionally or nationally accredited institution, at the time of graduation, with a minimum cumulative degree GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
  • Master of Science in Nursing applicants are required to have completed a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from a CCNE or ACEN accredited institution at the time of graduation, with a minimum cumulative degree GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.  Please see program specific admission criteria for the Master of Science in Nursing BSN and Non-BSN prepared nurses.
  • Master of Accountancy applicants are also required to submit undergraduate transcripts from previously attended regionally or nationally accredited institutions, where undergraduate pre-requisites have been completed with a minimum grade of B-/2.7. Please see program specific admission criteria for the Master of Accountancy program.
• Official transcripts from all regionally or nationally accredited institutions previously attended for any graduate curriculum related coursework.   

Graduate Certificate Program: Applicants who seek admission into a graduate certificate program, are required to submit an official undergraduate transcript, indicating successful completion of an undergraduate degree from a regionally or nationally accredited institution, at the time of graduation, with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale. 

Post-Graduate Certificate Program Applicants who seek admission into the CAGS post- graduate certificate program, are required to submit an official graduate transcript indicating successful completion of a graduate degree from a regionally or nationally accredited institution, at the time of graduation, with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. 

Post-Graduate- Nursing Certificate Programs: Applicants who seek admission into the post-graduate Nursing certificate programs, including the Family Nurse Practitioner program, are required to submit an official graduate transcript indicating successful completion of a Master of Science in Nursing degree, from a CCNE or ACEN accredited institution, at the time of graduation, with a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

*Please see additional program specific admission requirements for the Master of Science in Nursing, Master of Accountancy, Master of Business Administration and Master of Health Administration programs: http://catalog.sjcme.edu/content.php?catoid=24&navoid=697

Transfer Credit

In determining accreditation, Saint Joseph’s College uses the publication Accredited Institutions of Postsecondary Education by the American Council on Education (ACE) published in consultation with the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).  Applicants who have graduated with a foreign bachelor’s degree equivalent must have their transcripts evaluated by a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluator Services (NACES), and the degree must be deemed equivalent to a degree at an accredited institution.  Graduate transfer credit will not be awarded for undergraduate coursework or graduate courses that had been used previously to fulfill undergraduate degree requirements.

Graduate Programs:

• Transfer credit is awarded from regionally or nationally accredited institutions, as recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, at the time of graduation.
• Graduate courses must be completed with a minimum grade of B, to be eligible in transfer.
  • Nursing courses must be completed with a minimum grade of B, from a CCNE or ACEN accredited institution at the time of graduation
• Course descriptions are required.  Syllabi may be requested on an individual basis.
  • Students who seek graduate nursing courses in transfer, must provide course descriptions and syllabi for review.
• Students are eligible to transfer up to 6 semester-hour credits of curriculum related graduate-level work, from a regionally or nationally accredited post-secondary institution, as recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Graduate Certificate Programs:

• Transfer credit is awarded from regionally or nationally accredited institutions, as recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, at the time of attendance.
• Graduate courses must be completed with a minimum grade of B, to be eligible in transfer.
  • Nursing courses must be completed with a minimum grade of B, from a CCNE or ACEN accredited institution at the time of graduation
• Course descriptions are required.  Syllabi may be requested on an individual basis.
  • Students who seek graduate Nursing courses in transfer, must provide course descriptions and syllabi for review.
• Students are eligible to transfer up to 6 semester-hour credits of curriculum related graduate-level work from a regionally or nationally accredited post-secondary institution, as recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Official transcripts must be sent directly from the transmitting institution(s).  Transcripts and any additional supporting documentation must be received in order to implement the evaluation process.  Once all official transcripts and supporting materials have been received, a decision regarding acceptance will be made, appropriate courses will be determined and the applicant will be notified immediately of admissions decision.  

Transcripts:

International applicants must submit, in English, certified copies of their secondary school transcript from their home country or certified copies of their post-secondary course work, in addition to the requirements for regular admission.  They must also submit an external transcript evaluation from an authorized National Association of Credential Evaluator Services (NACES) agency: http://www.naces.org/members.htm

Applicants who seek admission into the Bachelor of Science in Nursing or Master of Science in Nursing & Post-Master of Science in Nursing graduate certificate programs, must submit an external evaluation from the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) http://www.cgfns.org/

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) Scores:

Submit original Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores, if English is your second language.  A TOEFL score at or above the 50^th percentile on the internet-based, computer-based or paper-based exam is preferred.  An International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score may be accepted in lieu of the TOEFL.

For more information on TOEFL, contact your local U.S. Consulate or Embassy or contact:
Phone: 1-609-771-7100
Fax: 1-609-771-7500
Mail: TOEFL Services, Educational Testing Services, PO Box 6151, Princeton, NJ 08541-6151
Web site: www.toefl.org Saint Joseph’s College’s TOEFL identification number is 3764