Early College provides these advanced courses for high school students who are ready and willing to take on the challenge. To ensure successful outcomes, we have established some basic prerequisites for students hoping to enroll in one of our courses on the SCSU campus or in a high school early college program partnering with SCSU.
English - Student Prerequisites for English Courses
- Grade Level: Senior or rising senior (summer prior to senior year)
- GPA: Cumulative unweighted GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale by the end of junior year
- Prior English Coursework: Completed three years of high school English at the college prep level or higher. Communication courses may not be substituted for English.
ENG 119 is designed for heritage speakers. Its outcomes are equivalent outcomes to ENG 110.
- Grade Level: Senior or rising senior (summer prior to senior year)
- GPA: Cumulative unweighted GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale by the end of junior year
- Assessment: LAS-Links score of 5
- Prior English Coursework: Completed three years of high school English at the college prep level or higher. Communication courses may not be substituted for English.
- Grade Level: Senior or rising senior (summer prior to senior year)
- GPA: Cumulative unweighted GPA of 3.8 on a 4.0 scale by the end of junior year
- Prior English Coursework: Completed three years of high school English, including at least one AP or Honors-level English class
- ENG 201, ENG 217, ENG 218, or UConn's ENG 1010 also satisfy the 112 prerequisite. (Students who have completed UConn’s ENG 1010 course should NOT take English 112.)
World Languages - Language Placement (Spanish, French, Italian, and German)
Language placement is available online. After completing the exam, students will receive their results, which can be used to enroll in the appropriate course level. Contact Miaowei Weng for assistance.
Register for the World Language Assessment
A student ID is required to access the system.
Mathematics
Math courses include MAT 103, MAT 107, MAT 120, MAT 122, and MAT 150. MAT 095 does not offer university credit. The curriculum in MAT 100 is similar to Algebra 1 in high school; therefore, students should already possess these skills from high school.
Note: The prerequisites below are for an individual high school student seeking to enroll in a math course at SCSU rather than for groups of students enrolled in a Southern-sponsored EC program at a high school, which may have different prerequisites.
To be eligible to enroll in a math course at SCSU through the Early College program, high school students must meet the following requirements:
- Grade Level: Senior or rising senior (summer prior to senior year.)
- GPA: Overall high school GPA of 3.40 or higher on a 4.0 scale through the end of junior year.
- Prior Math Coursework: Must have completed three years of college preparatory math courses (see table for corresponding courses)
For students who meet the minimum requirements above, the table below shows course eligibility based on high school record.
|
High School Math Course/Grade Requirement |
Course Eligibility at Southern |
|
HS Precalculus or Calculus (grade C or better) OR Algebra II (grade B or better) OR AP Statistics (grade B or better) |
MAT 100P, MAT 100, MAT 103, MAT 105, MAT 107, MAT 108, or MAT 112 |
|
HS Precalculus or Calculus (grade B or better) OR AP Calculus (grade C or better) OR Algebra II (grade A) |
Any course above, plus MAT 120, MAT 122, or MAT 125 |
|
AP Calculus (grade B or better) OR HS Precalculus* or Calculus* (grade A) Note: Students must be able to demonstrate that the course covered trigonometry for placement into MAT 150. |
Any course above, plus MAT 139, MAT 150, and MAT 221 |
Functions, limits, differentiation of algebraic and trigonometric, exponential, and logarithmic functions with applications, indeterminate forms, elementary integrations, Riemann sums. 4 Credits Placement into Calculus
Math Placement into Calculus
- Grade Level: Student is a rising senior
- GPA: Has a high GPA
- Prior Math Coursework: Completed pre-calculus in high school (if only completed through Algebra II, not eligible for Calc)
- Introduction to Dept. Chair: If all criteria are met, proceed with a virtual introduction of the student to the Department Chair (Aaron Clark).
If the fast pace seems daunting, we encourage students to take MATH/ENG during the Fall or Spring semesters. The math placement exam may be an option, but only as a last resort: Learn more about the Math Placement Exam.
Special Considerations for Summer Session Courses
- Pacing: Keep in mind the pacing of summer is fast. One day of the 5-week summer session is equivalent to 3.5 days of college work completed during the Fall/Spring's 16-week semesters. In addition to long days, there is a heavy load of outside work (our college formula is two hours of homework for every one hour of class time – see Credit Hour definition).
- Self-Direction: Students must be self-directed. They must advocate for themselves, stay on task, on topic, and seek assistance when needed.
- Withdrawal: Keep withdrawal dates and process nearby, if struggling, we encourage you to withdraw, as there is not a lot of wiggle room to recover.
- Parental Involvement: Parents may not ask questions of instructors. Students can sign a FERPA waiver to prove parents access to college records.
Additional Notes
- The course will cover the same material as a full 15-week semester but in only 6 weeks.
- Expect daily lectures, readings, and assignments.
- Instructor support and tutoring through CASAS (Center for Academic Support and Accessibility Services) is limited.
- Students are responsible for mastering prerequisite topics if necessary, as there is not enough time to review material during summer courses.