GENERAL PROCEDURE

Students applying for admission to a higher education institution for the first time are classified as First-Time Freshman Applicants.

All students applying for admission to the freshman class of Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico must meet the following requirements:

1. File an application for admission. The application for admission form asks for important information which the applicant is responsible for submitting. Any false information given in the application form will be enough reason to reject said application unless the applicant is able to prove to the Registrar or the Director of Admissions that such information was given without malice aforethought.
2. Submit an official academic transcript from high school certifying graduation or the results of the high school equivalency examination (GED).
3. Pay a thirty dollar ($30.00) non-refundable application fee.

The application fee will not be applicable towards the student’s registration charges. The fee is valid for two consecutive trimesters.

Students must provide a copy of a current driver’s license or photo identification for placement in the files for official records upon acceptance to a degree program at the university.

ENTRANCE

Applicants must have a minimum high school grade point average (GPA) of 2.00.

Applicants who do not meet the stated high school grade point average can request, in writing, special consideration by the Admission Committee due to extenuating circumstances.

Transfer students applying to the university must have a minimum GPA of 2.00.

Applicants with less than a 2.00 GPA can request acceptance into the university on a conditional status from the Admission Committee. Final determination is at the discretion of the Admission Committee.

COURSE PLACEMENT AND EXEMPTIONS

Students that present Advanced Placement test scores can request course placement and exemptions. Results from Advanced Placement tests are used to grant course placement and exemptions to students. (See PUPR Catalog)

TRANSFER STUDENTS

An applicant who has studied at a recognized institution of higher education may apply for admission as a transfer student. Transfer applicants must have passed no fewer than nine transferable college credit-hours. They will be favorably considered for all academic work completed with a C or higher grade at each prior institution given that every course under consideration is required by the chosen program. Transfer credit-hours are limited to work satisfactorily completed at an accredited institution of higher education within a five-year period immediately preceding the application for admission.

A transfer applicant will not be considered for admission if he or she is on disciplinary suspension during or following the last term at the previous institution; or within one year after dismissal.

All students who have passed nine transferable credit-hours at an accredited institution of higher education prior to applying for admission to Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico must submit:

1. An official transcript from each institution of higher education previously attended. The transcript should be mailed directly from the institution(s) and must furnish a statement of good standing. Student copies of official transcripts are not acceptable. The applicant who is actively enrolled in another institution at the time of application should request a current official transcript to be forwarded immediately. An official transcript, including the final grades of the last quarter or semester of attendance, must be requested and sent to the Admissions Office.
2. Payment of a $30.00 application fee with the completed application form. The application fee is not refundable and will not be applicable toward the student’s registration charges.

Candidates from institutions of higher education, who would have met the admission requirements for high school applicants prior to their university experience, will be taken into consideration for transfer admission. PUPR reserves the right to refuse applications for admission once enrollment limits are reached.

Any undergraduate student applying for admission to Polytechnic University – Orlando Campus should know that only two thirds of the total number of credits required for the degree can be awarded as transfer credits, including no more than half of the specialization’s credit requirements. The courses and credits that will be transferred to a student for the program they are enrolling in will be based on the academic program requirement. Transferred grades will not be used for the evaluation of her/his Grade Point Average. All transfer students must complete at Polytechnic University no less than 65% of the credits required for graduation in order to be eligible for academic honors.

INTERNAL TRANSFER STUDENTS

Students transferred between Polytechnic University Campuses

Any student requesting transfer from one campus to another should:

• Complete an Authorization for Internal Transfer form and present it to the transferring campus. Transcript is not required since student’s file will be transferred.
• Transcript request is not required for internal transfer students.
• If the student has an inactive status (two consecutive trimesters), he or she should apply for readmission and internal transfer.
• The student must complete a minimum of 36 credits of the bachelor’s degree at Orlando Campus to be considered for graduation.
• Internal transfer applicants under academic probation will be transferred under the same status.
• Internal transfer applicants will have to appeal to the Admissions Committee in order to be considered if he/she is on disciplinary probation, suspension or dismissal from the previous institution.

All the courses and credits from the previous campus will be evaluated for the program he/she is enrolling in. The additional course analysis for the completion of the program will be based on the academic program requirements. However, all the attended credits under the same institution will be used to determine the student Grade Point Average.

NON-DEGREE STUDENTS

Applicants who have studied at an institution of higher education and have been authorized to take courses at Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico to complete requirements from their institution are classified as special students. Also, applicants who are not interested in obtaining an academic degree from PUPR or a grade, except for professional development coursework, are classified as special students.

An applicant desiring to enroll as a special student must submit:

1. A completed application for admission form.
2. Payment of a $30.00 non-refundable application fee with the application form.
3. Submit an authorization as Special Student.

If the person wants to change this classification to a Regular Student, he or she will have to fulfill all the requirements of the Admissions Office, take the prerequisite courses and obtain a grade of C or higher in each one. A Special Student does not qualify for financial aid until the classification to Regular Student has been made.

AUDIT STUDENTS

Audit Students are required to submit an admission application and pay a $30.00 non-refundable admission fee. These students are not interested in earning credit-hours toward a degree, diploma, or certificate. They may attend classes as auditors after paying the tuition fees, with the authorization of the Faculty Dean and Registrar, but will not receive grades or credit for work done on any subject.

HOME SCHOOLING

Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico established a system of academic credential evaluation for each homeschooler applying for admission into an academic program. The purpose is to determine whether the applicant complies with all the criteria for eligibility.

These criteria are the following:

• File an application for admission with the following attached documents:
  
  1. Non-reimbursable $30.00 fee.
  2. College Entrance Examination Board test results.
  3. Recent Birth Certificate.
  4. Home Schooling – Educated Student Certificate (PUPR will provide the form). Document must be notarized.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

All instruction and written work at Polytechnic University – Orlando and Miami campuses is in English. Students whose primary language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency. The standard measure of this ability is the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language).

The applicant should provide a minimum score of 79 (internet-based test), 213 (computer-based test), or 550 (paper test) to enter the regular program courses. If TOEFL or an equivalent test is not provided or does not comply with the minimum score, an English proficiency test will be given by the Admission Office to assess his/her abilities and prepare a development plan.

Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico (San Juan, Miami, and Orlando campuses) is authorized by the Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS) to issue a Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status (Form I-20) for qualified international students who are not citizens of the United States of America or permanent residents.

Following admission acceptance, the applicant must submit all documentation required by the INS and established in the Applicant’s Checklist. Afterward, the Admissions Office issues and delivers the Form I-20 to admitted students.

The admitted students then deliver the completed Form I-20 to the Bureau of Immigration and Citizenship Services (BICS) of their country of origin in the petition of a Student Visa Number. Subsequent to the BICS authorization of a Student Visa Number, admitted students return this Form I-20 to the Admissions Office.

Applicants are classified as international students only after receipt of all required documentation and paid registration fees for the first academic term of full-time enrollment.