Admissions

Applicants for freshman admission must be graduates of accredited high schools.* Freshman applicants are required to submit official college entrance examination scores. Minimum scores for full admission are one of the following:

• 480 Critical Reading and 460 Math on the SAT
• 16 Composite Score on the ACT

Undergraduate transfer students with fewer than 30 credits must meet freshman admissions requirements. Undergraduate transfer students with 30 credits or more must have a minimum GPA of 2.5.

Applicants for graduate admission must have completed an undergraduate degree at the Bachelor’s level from an accredited institution with a minimum GPA of 2.5.

*Special cases. If you have any questions about your transcripts, test scores, were home schooled, or have any unique circumstances, please contact the College of Athens Office of Admissions to determine the necessary admissions documentation. Students who graduated from high school more than five years prior to application may not be required to take the ACT or SAT exams if those exams were not taken previously.

Students concurrently enrolled in other colleges or universities who wish to earn college credits at the College of Athens while continuing their enrollment in another accredited institution are welcome to enroll in CoA as a Transient Student. Transient Students must present a written statement from the Registrar or appropriate official at their institution stating that they are a student in good standing and eligible to re-enroll. Transient Students are not required to submit transcripts or letters of recommendation.
CLICK HERE to complete the Transient Student Application.

The College of Athens may admit students who do not meet the minimum academic requirements if a student demonstrates both the interest and the ability to succeed at the institution (e.g. students’ poor grades at a prior institution were the result of a significant life challenge, etc.). In the case of such students, additional letters of recommendation may be required. Such students may be admitted under academic probation and will be required to demonstrate an average G.P.A. of 3.0 or greater at the conclusion of the first 30 credit hours of study. The decision to admit students under academic probation is made in collaboration with Admissions Office and the Director of Undergraduate Studies or the Director of Graduate Studies as appropriate. For students admitted under academic probation:
·         A notice of their probationary status will be made in the student’s online profile for the purpose of alerting faculty.
·         Faculty must notify the student’s Academic Adviser if at any point their course work drops below a C level of performance.
·         These students must meet with their Academic Adviser twice per semester to check on their success and to provide suggestions for improving performance as needed.

At the discretion of the Office of Admissions, College of Athens may accept transfer credits from accredited colleges and universities as follows:

• up to 30 semester hours for incoming undergraduate transfer students who intend to complete an Associate’s Degree;
• up to 60 semester hours for incoming undergraduate transfer students who intend to complete a Bachelor’s Degree;
• up to 30 semester hours for incoming graduate transfer students who intend to complete a Master of Arts in Christian Ministry; and
• up to 60 semester hours for incoming graduate transfer students who intend to complete a Master of Divinity.
• Transfer credits are not accepted for students who intend to complete the undergraduate Certificate in Christian Ministry or the Master’s Certificate in Christian Ministry.

Transfer credits may not be added to a student’s academic record until the College of Athens’s Registrar has received official copies of transcripts from the institutions attended. Credits considered for transfer should have been earned within ten years prior to the date of admission and will only be granted for coursework receiving a grade of “C” (or the equivalent) or higher. Decisions to count transfer credits towards CoA program requirements will be made by the heads of the Graduate Studies and Undergraduate Studies programs respectively. Credits that do not fulfill CoA program requirements may be accepted as elective credits. Exceptions and appeals to the above-stated policies may be made to the CoA Chief Academic Officer.

Transfer Credits from a Non-accredited Institution. On some occasions, the Chief Academic Officer may approve transfer credits from a non-accredited institution, provided that the character and reputation of the institution is on par with institutions that offer similar programs. Students seeking approval from non-accredited institutions will be asked to provide some or all of the following information:

• History and mission of the institution attended;
• Description of courses studied; and
• Instructor credentials.

Undergraduate students may receive credit by examination from approved sources (e.g., Advanced Placement, C.L.E.P., etc.). All credit awarded by examination, on the basis of certificates, or by assessment of prior learning, must be within the guidelines of the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL), and documented in students’ files by official records from the credit-granting agency. Credits that do not fulfill CoA program requirements may be accepted as elective credits Credit by examination or prior learning (except graduate-level transfer credit as described above) is not awarded at the graduate level.

Students with extensive work experience and training, who can demonstrate and document learning that corresponds to specific learning outcomes of CoA courses, can apply for PLCs through a portfolio process.

Students who have graduated from an accredited undergraduate institution of similar theological background within the last five years and have earned at least a “B” in equivalent courses have the opportunity to enter a master’s degree program with advanced standing.

Students seeking information about transferring credits to or from the College of Athens and another institution should contact the Chief Academic Officer, Dr. Jesse Coyne (jcoyne@collegeofathens.edu), for advice and information.

Admitted students may decide to suspend enrollment in CoA for a period of up to two consecutive terms. After two terms of suspended enrollment, students must re-enroll or their status will be changed to inactive. Once a student reaches inactive status, he or she will no longer have access to CoA student privileges until a new Application for Admission has been received. Exceptions may be made by the President circumstances related to out-of-area ministry service.

The College of Athens is dedicated to the principle of equal opportunity – its programs, services, and policies are guided by that principle. The College of Athens will engage in a personal, individualized review of applicants’ files giving full consideration to the ways in which the applicant might contribute of the College of Athens’s environment. No policy, either explicitly or implicitly, will lead to automatic acceptance or rejection of students or faculty based on any specific diversity consideration.