Program Admission
Certain Pensacola State College programs have limited admissions or carry additional admission requirements so that the College and its students are able to meet certification and licensing requirements as well as specific program accreditation standards. Any individual interested in a limited access or selective admission program should contact the Office of Admissions. The limited access programs include, but are not limited to, the following: Dental Hygiene, EKG Technician, Emergency Medical Technician, Health Information Management, Massage Therapy, Medical Assistant, Paramedic, Pharmacy Technician, Physical Therapist Assistant, Practical Nursing, Radiography, Registered Nursing, Sonography, Surgical Technology, Veterinary Technology and Welding.
Baccalaureate Degree Program Admissions
Pensacola State College offers three baccalaureate degrees including the Marjan Mazza Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) degree in Business and Management with seven areas of concentration
Entrepreneurship
Graphic Design Management
Health Care Management
Human Resources Management
Organizational Administration
Project Management
Public Safety Administration
The College also offers a Bachelor of Applied Science in Cybersecurity and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).
The baccalaureate degrees are designed to provide career ladder options for the student who has completed an associate degree or at least 60 credit hours including courses meeting specific requirements and who wishes to pursue an education at the baccalaureate level.
In addition to the basic steps for admission to the College, an applicant for admission to the Marjan Mazza BAS in Business and Management degree program will be admitted with the following:
1. Submission of all college transcripts with documentation that the applicant has earned an associate degree or at least 60 credit hours including courses meeting specific requirements from regionally accredited institutions.
2. Completion of entry-level placement testing unless the applicant’s transcript reflects grades of C or better in general education English or mathematics. Applicants whose test scores indicate the need for remediation will not be admitted into the baccalaureate program or baccalaureate courses until the required developmental education courses are satisfactorily completed.
An applicant for admission to the BAS in Cybersecurity will be admitted with the following:
1. Submission of all college transcripts with documentation that the applicant has earned an associate degree at least 60 credit hours including courses meeting specific requirements from regionally accredited institutions. Note that the preferred academic pathway into this program is the Associate in Science in Cybersecurity or a closely related field. The student from a different academic background will be required to complete lower level cybersecurity coursework before enrolling in baccalaureate level courses.
2. Possession of a current and unrestricted registered nursing license.
An applicant for admission to the BSN degree program will be admitted with the following:
1. Submission of all college transcripts with documentation that the applicant has earned an associate degree in registered nursing or a nursing diploma from a regionally accredited institution or a nationally accredited nursing program.
2. Possession of a current and unrestricted registered nursing license.
3. Completion of entry-level placement testing unless the applicant documents earning grades of C or better in general education English or mathematics. Applicants whose test scores indicate the need for remediation will not be admitted into the baccalaureate program or baccalaureate courses until the required developmental education courses are satisfactorily completed.
In addition, per Florida Administrative Code 6A-10.030, prior to entry into the upper division, a student must complete with a grade of C or higher ENC 1101C, ENC 1102, and 6 semester hours of additional coursework designated as writing emphasis (12 semester hours of writing emphasis coursework). A student must also complete 6 semester hours of mathematics coursework, with a grade of C or higher, at the level of College Algebra or above. These 18 semester hours of writing emphasis and mathematics coursework count toward the 36 credit hour general education curriculum each baccalaureate student must complete. Each baccalaureate student must also satisfy the foreign language requirement and civic literacy requirement as defined in the general education section of this College Catalog.
Associate Degree Program Admissions
First Time in College
An applicant for admission to any associate degree program must be a high school graduate with one of the below-listed credentials. In most cases, the awarding of financial aid is dependent upon receipt and validation of the high school credential.
1. Standard High School Diploma
a. A Florida public high school graduate must have earned a standard high school diploma or the CPT-Eligible Certificate. The standard high school diploma or the CPT-Eligible Certificate must be designated on the official high school transcript.
b. A student who has graduated from a regionally-accredited high school in any other state must have an official transcript submitted to the College.
c. A student who has graduated from a non-regionally-accredited high school will be considered for admission provided the high school transcript documents courses taken and grades earned in a classroom environment. A student who has completed his or her high school education through a non-regionally-accredited high school should contact the Admissions Office for review of the secondary education transcript. NOTE: A high school diploma issued on the basis of an assessment test may not be recognized for admission into an associate degree program. A high school diploma or transcript purchased for a fee without any instruction received will not be recognized for admission. A student who has earned the Certificate of Completion (other than the CPT-Eligible Certificate) or the Special Diploma from a Florida public school will not be considered a high school graduate for admission purposes.
2. General Education Development (GED)
A student who has received the General Education Development (GED) diploma will be admitted. An official GED score report from the Department of Education in the state the GED was earned is required for admission.
3. Home Educated Students
A student who has completed a Florida home education program (home school) must submit the Home School Completion Affidavit. The affidavit must be completed by a parent or legal guardian affirming that the student completed a home education program meeting State of Florida high school requirements. Documentation from the public school district will be required to ensure the home education program complied with state requirements for secondary education. The Home School Completion Affidavit is available in any admissions office on any campus or center.
Documentation from a non-Florida public school district verifying compliance of the home education program with requirements of that state.
4. Foreign Educated Students
A student who has completed secondary school education in another country will be admitted provided the level of education is equivalent to high school graduation in the United States. Determination of equivalency is made by the College Registrar utilizing resources provided by recognized credentials evaluators and through best practices of admissions offices in the nation.
5. Conditional Admission to Summer Classes for Graduating Seniors
Pensacola State College provides an opportunity to the high school senior with an anticipated high school graduation allowing summer enrollment in classes that begin before the actual high school graduation date. Under this conditional admission, the graduating high school senior may enroll at his or her own expense in courses during the summer term of the year graduation is anticipated. Federal aid and scholarship opportunities are usually not available to the student admitted under this condition.
Placement Testing
Each student pursuing an associate degree is required to satisfy college placement test requirements or provide proof of exemption status. Refer to Placement Testing and Developmental Studies in Testing and Assessment section.
Placement tests do not determine admission; they are used to determine the appropriate placement in college-level English, writing-intensive, and mathematics courses. A student may provide scores from the SAT or the ACT, but the test scores must not be more than two (2) years old. No student, including a non-degree seeking student, will be permitted to enroll in any college credit English, writing-emphasis, or mathematics course or any course having an English, mathematics, or reading prerequisite without meeting the state-mandated minimum scores on the placement test or verifying proof of exemption status.
An applicant who has not taken the SAT or ACT is required to take the Postsecondary Education Readiness Test (PERT) through a testing center on any campus or center.
Requirement for SLS 1101 College Success
A student whose placement test scores indicate the requirement for enrollment in two or more developmental education or college preparatory courses is required to enroll in SLS 1101 College Success. Enrollment in SLS 1101 will be required even if the course is not a part of the curriculum for the student’s degree plan. Enrollment in the required developmental education/college preparatory courses should begin in the first term of attendance but must begin before the 12th credit hour is attempted. Enrollment in other college-level courses is permitted provided the student is also enrolled in at least one of the required developmental education/college preparatory courses.
Certificate and Applied Technology Diploma Program Admissions
An applicant to a college credit certificate program, career certificate (vocational certificate) program, or applied technology diploma program is subject to admissions requirements as indicated. Placement testing will not be required unless the program contains an English course or a mathematics course. Some career certificate programs do not require a high school diploma. Please review specific admissions requirements for the program. Basic admissions information follows.
1. An individual who has graduated from high school is eligible for enrollment in a career certificate (or vocational certificate) program.
2. An individual who has not graduated from high school but is at least 16 years-of-age and legally withdrawn from a regular school system may be admitted into a certificate program provided the specific program does not require high school graduation.
3. Unless required for admission into the particular program or for financial aid eligibility requirements, transcripts are not required. An application for admission and Residence Statement is required. See the Residency Classification section of this College Catalog for information.