Student Classification
Casper College classifies students according to their educational objectives, college credits earned, and credit hour load.
Educational Objectives
Degree seeking: Students in programs leading to an associate degree, certificate of completion, or transfer to another college or university.
Nondegree seeking: Students who at the time they register do not have a degree or certificate objective and have not been admitted to the college. A student may change this status for a future term by completing admission requirements. Nondegree seeking students are NOT eligible for most forms of student financial assistance.
College Credits Earned
Freshman. Students who have earned fewer than 30 semester hours of academic credit.
Sophomore. Students who have earned 30 or more semester hours of academic credit.
Credit Hour Load
Full time. Students registered for 12 or more credit hours in the fall or spring term or six or more credit hours in the summer term.
Part time. Students registered for fewer than 12 credit hours in the fall or spring term or fewer than six credit hours in the summer term.
Admission Criteria and Process
Individuals applying for a degree or certificate program must meet the following criteria and complete the following process. Required materials must be submitted prior to the first day of the semester. If you miss the deadline, you may register as a nondegree-seeking student and apply for degree seeking status the following semester.
The admission process varies depending on the type of student: degree or certificate, nondegree, high school, transfer, or international. Some programs have a selection process with additional admission requirements that are more restrictive than the college’s general admission requirements. Requirements may include, but are not limited to, completion of specific courses, minimum grade point average, minimum test scores, interviews, auditions, and submission of a portfolio.
Nondegree seeking students are those who are taking credit courses but are not working toward a degree or certificate. Nondegree seeking students do not have to complete the admission application process.
All applicants must be age 16 or older prior to the first day of class and meet one of the following criteria to be admitted to Casper College as a degree-seeking student. Applicants may petition for an exception to the admission policy through enrollment services.
A. Applicants That Have Not Earned Any College Credit
Admission Criteria: Must have completed one of the following requirements.
1. Graduated from an accredited Wyoming high school with a high school diploma.
2. Graduated from an accredited high school located in a state other than Wyoming with a diploma recognized by that state and with a C (2.0) average or higher grade point average.
3. Successfully completed a high school equivalency certificate that is accepted by the state in which the certificate was earned.
4. Completed a home school program approved under Wyoming State Statute 21-4-101(a)(vi).
Admission Process:
1. Complete and submit an application for admission to enrollment services.
2. Submit official transcripts from the last high school attended with the date of graduation or a high school equivalency certificate accepted by the state in which the certificate was earned.
3. Submit ACT or COMPASS test scores that have been taken within one year of registering for classes. These tests are required for course placement in English and math. Applicants who plan to complete a certificate program or who have completed their English and math degree requirements may be exempt from submitting ACT or COMPASS test scores. Contact enrollment services for more information.
B. Applicants with Earned College Credit (Transfer Credit)
Admission Criteria: Must meet one of the following requirements.
1. Earned an associate degree with a 2.0 GPA acceptable for full credit towards a bachelor’s degree.
2. Earned a high school diploma or equivalency and earned a 2.0 or better grade point average from the college last attended.
Admission Process:
1. Complete and submit an application for admission to enrollment services.
2. Submit official copies of transcripts from all accredited colleges or universities attended.
3. Submit official transcripts from the last high school attended with the date of graduation or a high school equivalency certificate accepted by the state in which it was earned. Applicants who have earned 30 college credits with a 2.0 or higher grade point average may not be required to furnish a high school transcript.
4. Submit ACT or COMPASS test scores that have been taken within one year of registering for classes. These tests are required for course placement in English and math. Applicants who plan to complete a certificate program or who have completed their English and math degree requirements may be exempt from submitting ACT or COMPASS test scores. Contact enrollment services for more information.
C. Applicants Who Have Earned a Bachelor’s or Higher Degree
Admission Criteria: Earned a bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution of higher education. Applicants who have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher have fulfilled the general education requirements for Casper College.
Admission Process:
1. Complete and submit an application for admission to enrollment services.
2. Submit official copies of transcripts from all colleges or universities attended.
Casper College accepts credit from other accredited institutions of higher education based on the following guidelines.
- Credit is accepted from accredited institutions listed in the American Council on Education’s Accredited Institutions of Post-Secondary Education. Students may be required to submit course descriptions to prove equivalency if the content of any course is not readily apparent or a catalog is not available.
- Credits from an institution on the quarter system are converted to semester hours (a quarter hour is two-thirds of a semester hour). Fractions of hours are not rounded up. The registrar will determine academic status and credits acceptable towards an associate degree or certificate program at the time of admission.
- Transcript evaluations are completed for admitted students and indicate which coursework is equivalent to Casper College courses. Equivalency questions are referred to the appropriate department for determination.
- All grades of D or better will transfer to Casper College but may not meet prerequisites or program requirements. GPA does not transfer or add into the Casper College cumulative GPA.
- Casper College does not accept religion specific courses.
- Prior completed coursework may be reviewed to determine if they meet current prerequisite or course requirements. Students may challenge or retake these courses.
- Students transferring U.S. Government courses from out-of-state will still be required to complete the U.S and Wyoming Constitution requirements for graduation.
- Official transcripts submitted to Casper College become the property of the college and will not be released to a third party. Any transcripts from another institution must be requested from that institution.
D. High School Students
High school junior or senior students who possess the ability to satisfactorily complete college work and who have permission of their high school to enroll in college coursework may take college courses. Students in lower grades may be granted an exception if they are registered in an Accelerated College Education (ACE) course articulated with the Natrona County School District and as long as the course is offered through a college department that allows such exceptions in their articulation agreement. High school students do not have to complete the admission application process.
E. International Students
International students applying for admission must complete the following process. Required materials must be submitted prior to the first day of the semester. If you miss the deadline, you may reapply for the following semester.
1. Complete and submit an applications for admission and campus housing to enrollment services. Applications may be accessed at caspercollege.edu.
2. Submit Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores. You must have a minimum of 500 paper based, 61 Internet based (iBT), or 173 computer based.
3. Submit ACT, SAT or COMPASS placement test scores.
4. Submit transcripts (in English) verifying the equivalent of a high school diploma or leaving certificate and all college transcripts if you have attended college elsewhere.
5. Submit documentation of measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccinations.
6. Complete the financial statement and have your bank official verify the information.
7. Complete and submit the International Student Insurance application.
8. Casper College will issue an acceptance letter and a Form I-20 once we receive all required documents and deposits. This will give you F-1 student status. You can make the embassy visa interview appointment once you receive the Form I-20.
9. When you arrive in the U.S., come to Casper College and meet with the international student advisor who is located in enrollment services to finish your paperwork, get an ID, and receive information on student orientation.
10. Submit payment of $3,312 for tuition and fees, $3,147 for room and board, and $200 for a damage deposit. The total amount is $6,659.
11. Insurance is an estimated cost for a policy in the U.S. If you have insurance that is accepted in the U.S., you do not need to purchase a new policy. You will need to submit proof to Casper College that your current insurance will work in the U.S.
On Course
“On Course” is a two-credit class designed to teach students strategies for becoming more successful in college and in life. The curriculum focuses on building characteristics of successful students such as personal responsibility, self-motivation, self-management, interdependence, self-awareness, lifelong learning, and emotional intelligence. Any student may enroll in an “On Course” class. Students who meet one or more of the following criteria are required to take “On Course” the first semester they qualify.
1. Admitted or re-admitted on probation
2. First-time, full-time freshmen who:
- Qualify for developmental English
- Earned a high school equivalency certification such as GED or HiSET
- Registered on or after the last advisory date
Students who wish to petition not to take “On Course,” must complete the “On Course” waiver form located at caspercollege.edu/advising/on_course.
Degree-seeking Students
New students who complete the admission requirements (see “Admission Criteria and Process”) will receive a letter of acceptance, with the registration schedule and instructions for scheduling an appointment to register. Currently enrolled degree seeking students may register for classes for the following semester (during the official early registration period) after they have met with their advisor. Registration is typically held during the latter part of each semester.
Late registration is available the week before classes start and during the first two days of each semester.
Nondegree-seeking Students
Nondegree-seeking students (those who are not working toward a degree or certificate) are not required to complete a full application for admission or submit transcripts. These students are not eligible to receive most forms of student financial aid nor are they assigned academic advisors, but they may use student services staff for assistance. Nondegree-seeking students may register and make course changes via WebAdvisor, U.S. mail, or in person in enrollment services.
Course Load
Course load is measured in credit hours enrolled in each semester. Twelve credit hours is considered full-time enrollment. On average, a student will need to take a minimum of 16 credit hours to complete an associate degree within two years. The maximum recommended credit load is 19 hours per semester. The college does not grant academic credit or a grade for audited courses. Students should discuss their appropriate class loads with their academic advisors. The vice president of student services or an enrollment service director may grant an exception to this rule for a student with a good academic record.
Academic Credit
The standard for academic course credit, as identified by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, is that one credit be awarded for three hours of student work per week during a 15-week semester.
At Casper College, a “period” is defined as a minimum of 50 minutes.
Credit Formulas
• One lecture credit equals one period with two hours of outside preparation.
• One laboratory credit equals two to four periods and necessary outside preparation.
• One music studio credit equals 30 minutes of applied instruction plus three hours of practice per week.
An equivalent amount of work is expected for internships, practicums, studio work, clinicals, independent study, compressed courses, and other academic work leading to the award of academic credit.
Course Identification
Schedule Changes
Schedule changes include adding or dropping courses or completely withdrawing from the college. Schedule changes may result in additional charges, late fees, or a change in your financial aid. You may have an outstanding account balance even after dropping a course or completely withdrawing from the college. Contact accounting and financial management for information on how a schedule change may affect your account balance and enrollment services on how a schedule change may affect your financial aid.
Adding a Course
1. Adding a full semester course:
Students may add a course via WebAdvisor or in person at enrollment services. Additions must be made within the first two days of the semester.
2. Adding a less than full semester course:
Students may add a course via WebAdvisor or in person at enrollment services. Additions must be made prior to the start of the course.
Dropping or Withdrawing From a Course
Nonattendance or nonpayment is not the same as dropping a course. You must complete the required paperwork to drop a course.
1. Dropping a course:
Students may drop a course at any time prior to the census date listed in the academic calendar (usually day 10 of the semester) using WebAdvisor or by coming to enrollment services. Dropped courses are not recorded on a student’s transcript.
2. Withdrawing from a full semester course:
Students may withdraw from courses after the census date in WebAdvisor or by submitting a completed change form to enrollment services prior to the withdrawal deadline. Withdrawals are recorded on the student’s transcript as a withdrawn (W) course.
After the withdraw deadline date, the student must obtain the instructor’s permission and submit a completed petition with enrollment services by the following deadlines:
o For fall semester classes: by February 1 of the following spring semester
o For spring semester classes: by July 1 of the following summer semester
o For summer semester classes: by October 1 of the following fall semester
3. Dropping or withdrawing from a less-than-full semester course:
Students may submit a completed change form to enrollment services to drop or withdraw from a less-than-full semester course. Withdrawals made by the deadline date set by the instructor (typically one week after the middle of the course) will be recorded as a withdrawn (W) on the student’s transcript. The student must have the instructor’s permission to withdraw from a course after the deadline date and should follow the procedures above.
4. Faculty-initiated withdrawals:
Faculty members submit a faculty-initiated withdrawal (FIW) request to the registrar’s office for students who fail to attend scheduled course sessions for two consecutive weeks. Faculty may submit a FIW between the fourth week of the semester (the second week for summer semester) and the withdraw deadline date.
The registrar’s office will notify the affected student that an FIW has been submitted. The student may elect to remain in the class by responding to the registrar’s office in person or in writing within 10 calendar days and by immediately contacting the faculty. Students who do not respond within 10 days will be withdrawn from the course and a withdrawal (W) will be recorded for that course on the student’s transcript.
Dropping or Withdrawing from All Casper College Courses
Students wishing to drop or withdraw from all courses in a semester should submit a completed complete withdrawal form to enrollment services. Withdrawals for full semester courses made by the withdrawal deadline date will be recorded on the student’s transcript as a withdrawn (W) course.
After the withdraw deadline date, the student must obtain the instructor’s permission and submit a completed petition with enrollment services by the following deadlines:
o For fall semester classes: by February 1 of the following spring semester
o For spring semester classes: by July 1 of the following summer semester
o For summer semester classes: by October 1 of the following fall semester
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