Admission Requirements

Applications must be submitted online at www.applytexas.org.

New Student Admission

General Information

Application. All new students must file an application for admission through the Apply Texas Application (www.applytexas.org) according to the posted application deadline dates (see below). A non-refundable application fee will be required as part of the enrollment process. All students must submit a non-refundable application fee or a qualifying UHD fee waiver.

NOTE: If you do not enroll for the semester you applied for admission, you must update your application using the Admissions Application Update form. A new application must be submitted if a full academic year has passed and grades have been earned. The application fee is good for one calendar year therefore if you are submitting an application form for a semester that falls after one calendar year you must pay the non-refundable application fee, and turn in any official documents by the posted application deadline dates (see below).

Residency Status Documents. International students and U.S. citizens born outside the United States must provide original, valid immigration documents such as I-551, I-688, I-94, passport or US citizenship certificate.

Transcripts. A transcript is considered official when it bears the institution’s seal, is signed by the issuing authority, and is sent directly by the issuing institution or delivered in an envelope sealed by the issuing institution. Students with prior college experience must submit official transcripts from all previously attended colleges regardless of whether college credit was earned.

NOTE: UHD prefers the use of EDI/SPEEDE transcript submission. However, if this option is not available, official paper transcripts are acceptable as long as they are unopened and bearing the seal of the sending institution.

If sending your official transcripts by a 3rd party service such as eSCRIP-SAFE, JST, National Student Clearinghouse, Parchment/DocuFide, ADDS/AVOW, etc. please use the UHDETranscripts@uhd.edu email address. PLEASE NOTE: PDF transcripts must be sent directly from the issuing company and directly to the UHDETranscripts@uhd.edu email address to be considered official.

If you are unsure as to whether or not your electronic transcripts will be considered official at UHD, please contact the Office of Admissions by phone at 713-221-8522 or via email at uhdadmit@uhd.edu before you request or send your electronic transcripts.

Texas Success Initiative. The State of Texas requires that all students take, or prove exemption from, an assessment test prior to enrolling in college-level courses in a public institution. Students who have taken the THEA (formerly TASP), ASSET, COMPASS, or ACCUPLACER, or who are exempt from testing, must submit official documentation of the scores to the Office of Admissions.

Application process. New students who are admitted for any semester and do not register for courses within one calendar year must submit a new Apply Texas Application and non-refundable application fee to apply for any future semester. Any subsequent applications must be in accordance with current admission requirements. New transcripts, test scores, and other supporting documents may be required since files for admitted students who do not register are not retained indefinitely, and to ensure the application file reflects the applicant’s complete academic record prior to enrollment at UHD.

Freshman Admission

To qualify as a Freshman applicant, the student must have completed at least the 6th semester (junior year) of high school, received a high school diploma, or hold a GED high school equivalency. Each Freshman applicant must apply online with the Apply Texas Application (www.applytexas.org) and submit an official high school transcript, and SAT/ACT test score results. An admission decision is not made until the applicant’s file is complete. All documents submitted in support of an application become the property of UHD and cannot be returned. Offers of admission are valid only for the semester indicated in the acceptance letter. In addition to the Freshman Admission criteria, all must also comply with the State of Texas Uniform Admission Policy as stated below.

State of Texas Uniform Admission Policy

Texas Education Code (TEC) 51.803-51.809 requires that all students meet one of the following college readiness standards in order to be eligible to be considered for admission at a Texas Four-Year Public Institution.

• Successfully complete the recommended or advanced high school program or complete the portion of the program that was available to them; or
• Satisfy the College Readiness Benchmarks on the SAT or ACT assessment
  • SAT - 1500 out of 2400 (Verbal + Math + Writing)
  • ACT - 18 English, 21 Reading, 22 Mathematics and 24 Science; or
• Successfully complete a curriculum that is equivalent in content and rigor to the recommended or advanced high school program at a high school that is exempt from offering such programs.

Students that do not meet one of first two requirements must prove they meet the third requirement by having their counselor fill out the High School Curriculum Certification Form and submit to the University of Houston-Downtown.

In addition to the State of Texas Uniform Admission Policy, beginning Summer 2016, University of Houston-Downtown applicants must meet the following Freshman Admission criteria:

Top Quarter 1-25%

Submit SAT or ACT score

Second Quarter 26-50%

Minimum New SAT Total* 930/Old SAT** Total 850/ACT 18 or 2.5 GPA

Third Quarter 51-75%

Minimum New SAT Total* 930/Old SAT** Total 850/ACT 18 and 2.5 GPA

Fourth Quarter 76-99%

Minimum New SAT Total* 930/Old SAT** Total 850/ACT 18 and 2.5 GPA

Home School or GED

Minimum New SAT Total* 930/Old SAT** Total 850/ACT 18

* New SAT Scores are for SAT exams taken March 2016 and after. The total consists of the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing & Math scores only.

** All other scores were taken prior to March 2016. The total consists of Critical Reading and Math scores only.

Individual Review: An applicant may be admitted without conditions or may be admitted conditionally. An applicant who is admitted conditionally will be required to successfully complete additional requirements prior to becoming eligible to enroll at UHD.

Joint Admissions with the Gator Guarantee Community College Transfer Program

Students who do not meet the UHD admissions criteria, will be referred to a partner community college. They will be jointly admitted to UHD and to the community college as a Gator Guarantee Community College student. Students that opt-in for this program will speak with an Academic Advisor and will be given a success action plan that details the courses that must be completed with a prescribed GPA to guarantee re-admission to UHD when the prerequisite conditions are met. Students who elect this program will be required to complete all developmental course work with passing scores as well as 24 hours of core courses.

Additional Information

• Freshman-Transfer applicants have less than 15 college credit hours, follow the Freshman Application procedures, and submit official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended.
• Texas Public High School Graduates must submit a high school transcript
• GED Recipients must submit their official GED certificate electronically, in person, or a true copy via mail.
• Home School Students are welcome as applicants for admission. Home schooled students are evaluated for admission on the same basis as students from public and other private high schools. Home schooled students are not required to submit TAKS scores

Official Transcripts

All transcripts sent to UHD must be official; an official transcript includes the school’s official seal, the signature of the school official, your class rank and size, and your high school coursework. Copies and faxes do not satisfy this requirement

Early Admission

A high school student with a strong academic record who wishes to attend UHD during the summer prior to or during his or her senior year may apply for early admission. With the exception of the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) requirement, a student applying for early admission must follow the procedures for admission as outlined in the section titled Freshman Student Admission. In addition to these requirements, written approval from the high school principal or counselor must be provided. The courses to be taken at UHD must be approved by both the high school counselor and the university advisor.

Transfer Student Admission

Students should apply for admission as transfer students if they have previously completed 15 or more college-level credit courses from a regionally accredited institution after high school graduation. Applicants may be attending another regionally accredited college or university and may have coursework in progress at the time of their application to UHD.

Transfer applicants must file an application for admission, application fee, and submit official transcripts from all previously attended colleges, regardless of whether credit was earned, to the Office of Admissions by the application deadline. Transfer applicants that are on Academic Suspension from the most recent institution attended prior to applying to UHD will not be offered admission.

To qualify for transfer admission, the applicant must have earned 15 or more college-level semester credit hours and must have a minimum 2.0 transfer grade point average in non-remedial and non-developmental coursework. Plus and minus grades from a regionally accredited institution (i.e. “C-“, “B+”) are not used to determine the transfer grade point average.

Students applying for admission with less than 15 semester hours of college-level credit should submit an official high school or GED transcript as well as official college or university transcripts. To qualify for admission, applicants must have a minimum transfer grade point average of a 2.0 and meet the freshman admission standards.

UHD prefers the use of EDI/SPEEDE transcript submission. However, if this option is not available, official paper transcripts are acceptable as long as they are unopened and bearing the seal of the sending institution.

If sending your official transcripts by a Third party service such as eSCRIP-SAFE, JST, National Student Clearinghouse, Parchment/DocuFide, ADDS/AVOW, etc. please use the UHDETranscripts@uhd.edu email address. PLEASE NOTE: PDF transcripts must be sent directly from the issuing company and directly to the UHDETranscripts@uhd.edu email address to be considered official.

If you are unsure as to whether or not your electronic transcripts will be considered official at UHD, please contact the Office of Admissions by phone at 713-221-8522 or via email at uhdadmit@uhd.edu before you request or send your electronic transcripts.

Academic Fresh Start

A Texas resident is entitled to apply for admission as an undergraduate student in any public institution of higher education under the fresh start program. The university shall not consider academic course credits or grades earned by the applicant 10 or more years prior to the starting date of the semester in which the applicant seeks to enroll. An applicant who is admitted with a fresh start may not receive any course credit for courses undertaken 10 or more years prior to enrollment. If a student earns a baccalaureate degree, and applies for admission to a postgraduate or professional program offered by a public institution of higher education, the institution shall consider only the GPA of the applicant established by the course work completed after enrollment under the fresh start program, along with any other criteria the institution uses in evaluating applicants for admission. Nothing prohibits a public institution of higher education from applying standard admissions criteria to persons seeking admission to the institution.

Transient Student Admission

Current students who are working towards a bachelor’s degree at another college or university and would like to attend UHD for one semester, may qualify for transient undergraduate admission to UHD.

To qualify as a transient applicant, students must apply online at applytexas.org, submit the completed Letter of Academic Standing available online on the Office of Admissions webpage, and submit official or unofficial transcripts.

Transient students are not eligible for financial aid. A transient student who wishes to remain at UHD or plans to attend in a future semester must reapply and be accepted as a transfer student.

Post-Baccalaureate Admission

Post-baccalaureate applicants seeking a baccalaureate degree from UHD must meet all requirements for transfer admission. Post-baccalaureate applicants desiring to earn an additional undergraduate degree are required to submit official transcripts from all institutions attended. Post-baccalaureate applicants desiring to take undergraduate courses only without seeking a degree, are required to submit an official transcript from the baccalaureate degree awarding institution. Post-baccalaureate applicants desiring to take graduate-level courses, but not seeking a graduate degree, must comply with all requirements of the department offering the graduate degree. All post-baccalaureate students must see an academic advisor before registering for their first semester. Additional documents may be required by a designated UHD College if enrollment in upper level courses is desired.

Return of Former Students

Students who have attended UHD but who were not enrolled during the preceding long semester must apply for readmission online by requesting that their academic record be reactivated. Students who have attended other colleges or universities since last attending UHD must submit official transcripts to the Office of Admissions. Students may apply for readmission online at http://myuhd.uhd.edu.

Eligibility for registration depends on the student’s academic status at the conclusion of the last UHD semester of enrollment and academic performance on any subsequent college or university work attempted since last enrolled at UHD. Depending on academic standing students will need to speak with an Academic Advisor for class approval.

Articulation Agreements

UHD has worked with area community colleges to develop degree articulation agreements. Students planning to transfer to UHD are encouraged to direct their questions about the transferability of their courses to their community college counselor or to the Office of Admissions at 713-221-8522. Transfer students are also referred to information on the Texas Common Course Numbering System. This system ensures that any course designated as a common course by UHD will be accepted in transfer as equivalent to the UHD course.

International Student Admission

Individuals who hold non-immigrant visas are classified as international students. International students seeking admission to the University of Houston-Downtown must apply through the Office of International Admissions. Individuals who have applied for immigrant status, but who have not adjusted their status with the Immigration and Naturalization Service, also must follow the procedures below in order to obtain an I-20 immigration form.

Application. A new international student must file an application for admission with the Office of International Admissions and pay the nonrefundable application fee according to the dates listed below:

In addition to meeting the appropriate requirements for freshman or transfer admission, an international applicant must provide the following:

Transcripts. Freshman students must provide official transcripts of secondary school scores, including mark sheets and date of graduation, in their original language. A certified English translation of all transcripts must be included if the originals are not in English. Transfer students must provide official transcripts from all colleges or universities attended. If original transcripts are not in English, a certified translation must accompany the original documents. In addition, all foreign transcripts must be evaluated by an evaluation service recognized by UHD in order to receive transfer credit. Students transferring from another college or university in the United States must submit a transfer form that has been completed and signed by the foreign student advisor at the previously attended institution. This form must be returned to the Office of International Admissions in order to complete the application.

Affidavit of Support. An Affidavit of Support must be submitted showing that a sponsor will be responsible for all educational and living expenses.

Bank Letter. A certified bank letter, indicating that the sponsor is financially capable of meeting the student’s education and living expenses, must be submitted. This letter must indicate, either in US dollars or in the local currency, the amount maintained in the account(s). The letter must have been issued within the past six months.

Language Proficiency. A valid Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score of 550 for the paper version or 213 for the computer-based version, an IBT score of at least 80 or an IELTS score of at least 6.5 is required. Students with a language proficiency score of less than the requirement may attend the English Language Institute (ELI) prior to beginning academic studies at the university. ELI students study noncredit English classes until they are either recommended by ELI for academic study or achieve satisfactory language proficiency score. Graduates of ELI are able to enroll directly into the academic program at UHD without taking the TOEFL. Transfer students may be exempt from taking the TOEFL if they have passed 12 or more college-level hours in the United States, including Composition I and II, with a grade of C or better.

Health Insurance. International students must carry health insurance for the duration of their studies. The University of Houston-Downtown requires that students have a minimum of US $50,000 health insurance coverage, US $7,500 repatriation coverage and US $10,000 medical evacuation coverage. The deductible cannot exceed US $500. Each semester, in order to receive a UHD health insurance waiver, students must provide updated proof of this coverage, written in English, specifying coverage from the beginning of the semester until the end of the semester. This proof must be in the form of a letter from the insurance company or embassy and it must be submitted to the Office of International Admissions no later than the Official Day of Record which appears in the University Calendar at the front of every Registration Bulletin. Otherwise, students will be charged for health insurance as a part of their registration fees.

Required Testing

Texas Success Initiative

On September 1, 2003, the 78th Texas State Legislature replaced the Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP) with the Texas Success Initiative (TSI). In order to enhance student success, this state-mandated program evaluates college readiness in math, reading, and writing. Unless TSI exempt or TSI complete by prior course work, all TSI obligated students entering UHD as undergraduates are required to take the New TSI test. Students who score below college readiness levels must enroll in the appropriate developmental courses.

Students will be notified of their TSI compliance and/or exemption status. Transfer students should contact an academic advisor in the Academic Advising and Transfer Center (Room 320-North) to determine exemptions or the need for testing. Students enrolling at off-site locations may consult with the designated UHD advisor at the site. Students who are not exempt or have not satisfied TSI College Readiness with coursework can contact UHD Testing Services to schedule the TSI Assessment.

Students may satisfy TSI with “College Ready” based upon the following TSI scores.

• 350 TSI MATH
• 351 TSI RDG
• 5 TSI Essay or 4 TSI Essay + 363 TSI WRT 363

TX students may be exempt from TSI testing.

Exemptions from TSI testing and Developmental course placement:

• Associate (AA or AS) or a baccalaureate (BA or BS) degree from a Texas public institution of higher education
• ACT composite score of 23 or higher with a score of at least 19 on both the math and English sections (scores good for 5 years from original test date)
• SAT score of 1070 or higher with at least 500 on both the math and verbal sections (scores good for 5 years from original test date)
• TAKS (Eleventh grade exit-level) with at least 2200 on MATH and/or at least 2200 on English Language Arts with a writing score at least 3 (scores good for 5 years from original test date)
• STAAR end-of-course (EOC) with at least 2000 on Level 2 of the English III are exempt from the TSI Assessment for both reading and writing, and at least 4000 on Level 2 of the Algebra II EOC (scores good for 5 years from original test date)
• Active duty military, Texas National Guard, or reserves or were honorably discharged, retired, or released from active duty in the military, the Texas National Guard, or the reserves after August 1, 1990.

UHD Students may satisfy TSI with college courses

Courses that satisfy TSI

RDG: Reading

College Reading with an earned graded of C or better or completion of Freshman or Sophomore level course in one of these areas:
SOC, ANTH, HIST, POLS, PHIL, ECO, PSY, ENG, CJ, GEOG.

ENG: English

UHD ENG 1300  [or transfer equivalent] with an earned graded of C or better or completion of Freshman or Sophomore level course in ENG Composition.

MATH: Mathematics

UHD MATH 1300  [or transfer equivalent] with an earned graded of C or better or completion of Freshman or Sophomore level course in one of these areas: MATH or STAT.

Questions call Academic Advising Mentoring Center at 713-221-8006,

Developmental Education Requirements

All UHD students may demonstrate College Readiness by initial testing or retesting or by making a C in the relevant developmental course. UHD Developmental education courses include:

• Writing: ENG 1300  (Fundamentals of English)
• Mathematics: MATH 0300  (Beginning Algebra) or MATH 1300  (Intermediate Algebra)