Admission Information & Procedures

As the first step in the Admissions process, all students must complete an Admissions Application. With a target date of Fall 2011, the SSC Admissions Application will only be available for submission through our website www.ssc.edu. For more information, please contact the Admissions Office at (708) 210-5718. South Suburban College subscribes to an admissions policy that provides access to higher education for all individuals who have the “ability to benefit” from its programs and services. All students entering degree and certificate programs must submit an official high school or high school equivalency certificate (GED) transcript or verified “Ability to Benefit”. Admission to the College does not ensure entrance into a particular course or program of study. Applicants to some programs may have to fulfill specific prerequisites before being accepted.

Potential students must complete an admissions application before Placement Testing/Orientation. A student can walk in and test anytime during scheduled hours of operation on a first come, first served basis.

Testing

The College requires applicants who intend to pursue a degree or certificate to take the Placement test in reading, English, and mathematics. The Placement test is not an entrance exam. It is a placement exam to ensure that all new students are placed into courses that are appropriate for their skill level.

If the results so indicate, an applicant is required to take Developmental/College Preparatory classes during the first semester and continue in subsequent semesters until all required work is completed.

Orientation

New students are also required to attend a Orientation session to have the Placement results professionally interpreted, and for guidance with scheduling and registering for their first semester classes. Appointments for these sessions are made in the Testing center. College and program information is given to all students prior to the beginning of their studies at South Suburban College.

Registration

All registration is done through your portal, “My SSC.”

All new students who are registering for college credit courses must submit a $20 non-refundable registration fee. This fee is only assessed the first time a student enrolls at South Suburban College and is applicable to all full-time, part-time and special students who are enrolling in college credit or auditing credit courses. Students enrolling in Continuing Education and Community Education programs do not pay this fee, but must complete an application in order to register.

Although the ACT exam is not required for admission, students who have taken the exam should forward their scores to the Admissions Office.

A student may attend and earn credit as a student-at-large. This status is provided primarily for occasional students, but is not necessarily limited to them. Students attending under this status are not eligible for financial aid. Students who plan to attend SSC on a consistent basis for the purpose of attaining a specific educational objective should apply for admission to the College and submit official high school and/or college transcripts as soon as possible. Students in a non-degree status should contact the Admissions Office in order to determine the proper admissions procedures. Non-degree students who have registered for eight credit hours are required to take the Placement test to continue enrollment at the College.

All students interested in earning a certificate or a degree from South Suburban College, or seeking admission to a specific curriculum must complete the requirements for one of the five application categories listed below:

1. For all Associate Degree and Certificate programs, students who have not attended another Illinois college or university must submit official high school, GED transcripts or verified “Ability to Benefit”.
2. Students who have attended other colleges or universities will be required to submit an official high school or GED transcript and/or official college or university transcripts. Students who have earned an Associate’s, Bachelor’s or Master’s degree at an accredited Illinois college or university are only required to submit official college transcripts.
3. Students currently attending South Suburban College who are changing their curriculum to that of an Associate degree or Certificate must submit official high school/GED transcripts indicating graduation, and college/university transcripts, if they have attended another college or university.
4. Students who have previously submitted an admissions application and all transcripts, and whose attendance at SSC has been interrupted for a period of one year or more, may be readmitted to the College by completing a new admission application form. Students who are reapplying and have attended another college since they were last enrolled at SSC must submit official college transcripts.
5. Students who were academically dismissed from the College must petition for readmission and see a counselor. (See regulations regarding probation and dismissal.)

• Official transcripts consist of documents sent directly from the educational institution or agency to SSC, or transcripts hand delivered in an official envelope sealed at the prior institution(s), indicating a graduation date.
• Students applying for admission to a baccalaureate transfer program must meet certain minimum high school course requirements under Illinois Public Act 86-0954.

South Suburban College offers five types of associate degrees which are transferable to four-year colleges and universities:

1. Associate in Arts - Designed as a degree to enable a student to transfer to a four-year college/university, this degree emphasizes student completion of 37-41 hours of general education and 21-25 hours in area of concentration/electives.
2. Associate in Science - Designed as a degree for students intending to transfer to a four-year college/university in a math-science related major, this degree includes 37-41 hours of general education and *21-29 hours in area of concentration/electives.
   (*13-17 of these hours must be in program-specific courses.)
3. Associate in Fine Arts - Designed for students intending to transfer to a four-year college/university to pursue completion of a Baccalaureate of Fine Arts degree in art or music. This degree replicates the coursework required in the first two years of a four-year art or music degree.
4. Associate in Engineering Science - Designed for students intending to transfer to a four-year college/ university to pursue completion of a baccalaureate degree in engineering. This degree requires 46-52 credit hours of general education and 10-16 credit hours of coursework in engineering.
5. Associate in Applied Science - This degree is available to students in career-oriented programs. The degree is designed to prepare a student for immediate employment upon graduation. For a listing of courses required for an individual AAS program, refer to the Career Programs section on pages 58-109 of the 2011-2012 catalog. Through current articulation agreements, some AAS degrees may transfer to four-year colleges and universities; check current catalog listings.

South Suburban College awards the Associate in Arts degree, the Associate in Science degree, the Associate in Fine Arts degree, the Associate in Engineering Science degree and the Associate in Applied Science degree. In addition, Certificates of Completion may be earned by students enrolled in designated curricula. General requirements for the Associate degrees are:

1. All general and specific requirements in one of the Associate degree curricula listed in the catalog must be fulfilled.

2. An overall cumulative college-level grade point average of 2.0 (on a 4.0 point scale) must be achieved.

3. A student seeking an Associate Degree from South Suburban College must complete at least 50% of his/her final 30 credit hours at SSC with a minimum cumulative college-level grade point average of 2.0, exclusive of any combination of ECEP, CLEP, AP, military experience or transfer credit.

4. All qualified students who have completed the requirements for a degree will be sent a letter acknowledging their status. After the final grades for the semester have been recorded and the final degree audit check is completed, the degree will be posted on the student’s transcript. One annual commencement is held in the Spring; however, the Associate Degree or Certificate may be granted and issued at the end of the Summer and Fall terms following the same process. (No commencement ceremony is held at these times.) Students who have completed the Degree Verification Form will be mailed their degree approximately six weeks after the end of the term. The dates for the end of the term are: December 31 for Fall; May 31 for Spring; and August 31 for Summer. A student must complete the form to receive the actual degree; however, all degrees will be listed on the student transcript.

5. In order to be eligible for more than one Associate degree, 15 semester hours of credit, in addition to the minimum 62 hours required for the first degree, must be earned at the college. Credits for the first degree or certificate may apply toward the second degree. All requirements must be fulfilled for each degree earned.

6. As a result of many changes required by State and Federal agencies, curriculum requirements may vary under specific catalogs. If a student discontinues attendance for a full year or more, he or she will be held to the requirements of the current catalog.

7. The responsibility for proper registration each semester rests with the student. The student is responsible for satisfying all graduation requirements for degree/certificate completion.

Further information on Transfer Programs and Graduation Requirements

1. All requirements in one of the Certificate curricula in the catalog must be fulfilled.

2. A student must have earned at least at least 50% credit hours at South Suburban College with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0, exclusive of any combination of ECEP, CLEP, AP, military experience or transfer credit.

3. All qualified students who have completed the requirements for a certificate will be sent a letter acknowledging their status. After the final grades for the semester have been recorded and the final certificate audit check is completed, the certificate will be posted to the student’s transcript. Students who have completed the Certificate Verification Form will be mailed their certificate approximately six weeks after the end of the term. The dates for the end of the term are: December 31 for Fall; May 31 for Spring; and August 31 for Summer. The student must complete the form to receive the paper certificate; however, all certificates will be listed on the student transcript.

4. An overall cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (on a 4.0 point scale) must be achieved for the specific Certificate.

1. A Basic Certificate is defined as a certificate of less than thirty semester credit hours.

2. A student must have earned at least 50% of the program-specific courses must be completed at South Suburban College a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0, exclusive of any combination of ECEP, CLEP, AP, military experience or transfer credit. They are automatically generated the semester after they are earned.

3. Basic Certificates do not require a high school diploma or GED to be on file in order to be issued to the student.