Admission

Offered Degrees and Certificates

Associate of Arts Degree

An Associate of Arts (AA) Degree comprises sixty (60) credit hours of instruction. Thirty-six (36) of those credit hours must come from the general education requirements from the six “Ways of Knowing”(WOK) outlined by the State of Idaho. The remaining twentyfour (24) credit hours will be chosen from the pathway of the student’s choice. In the AA Degree, of those twenty-four (24) credit hours, a greater emphasis will be put on social sciences and humanities. Students can earn the degree in approximately two (2) years.

Associate of Science Degree

An Associate of Science (AS) Degree comprises sixty (60) credit hours of instruction. Thirty-six (36) of those credit hours must come from the general education requirements from the six “Ways of Knowing” (WOK) outlined by the State of Idaho. The remaining twentyfour (24) credit hours will be chosen from the pathway of the student’s choice. In the AS Degree, of those twenty-four (24) credit hours, a greater emphasis will be put on science and mathematics. Students can earn the degree in approximately two (2) years.

Associate of Applied Science Degree

The Associate of Applied Science (AAS) Degree requires the successful completion of Career and Technical Education (CTE) and General Education coursework. The AAS degree requires students to complete at least sixty (60) credit hours, which includes a minimum of fifteen (15) General Education credits, and represents mastery of a defined set of competencies. This degree is designed primarily for students who plan to enter the workforce after graduation. Students can earn the degree in approximately two (2) years.

Advanced Technical Certificate

The Advanced Technical Certificate (ATC) requires successful completion of at least fifty-two (52) credits in an approved career-technical program and represents mastery of a defined set of competencies. The ATC contains a recognizable core of related instruction or general education with identified outcomes in the areas of communication, computation, and human relations. This certificate is designed primarily for students who plan to enter the workforce after graduation. The completion timeline for the ATC varies. Please see the specific program in the catalog for specific timelines.

Intermediate Technical Certificate

The Intermediate Technical Certificate (ITC) requires successful completion of at least thirty (30) credits in an approved career-technical program and represents mastery of a defined set of competencies. The ITC contains a recognizable core of related instruction or general education with identified outcomes in the areas of communication, computation, and human relations. This certificate is designed primarily for students who plan to enter the workforce after graduation. The completion timeline for the ITC varies. Please see the specific program in the catalog for specific timelines.

Specialized Certificate

The Specialized Certificate (SC) is awarded upon successful completion of specific courses that have been industry-validated and sequenced for the purpose of developing and upgrading skills in an occupation.

Basic Technical Certificate

The Basic Technical Certificate (BTC) requires the successful completion at least eight (8) credit hours of Career and Technical Education coursework and represents mastery of a defined set of competencies. This certificate is designed primarily for students who plan to enter the workforce after graduation. The BTC can be finished in approximately one (1) year.

Types of Degrees and Certificates Offered at CEI

Educational Locations

Main Campus
1600 S 25th E
Idaho Falls, ID 83404

Outreach Campuses

• Rexburg
• Driggs

Educational Services

Academic Transfer coursework oriented toward transfer to four-year schools.

Credit courses for high school students.

Certificate and Degrees in Career and Technical Education programs that are designed to help prepare students for the workforce.

Degree Seeking Requirements

1. Complete the Application for Admission available online at www.cei.edu/admissions.
2. Submit one of the following:
   • An official high school transcript* showing graduation
   • An official GED transcript^ with an overall Pass posted
   • An official DD Form 214 showing high school graduation or equivalent
3. Submit official college transcripts from all colleges attended.
4. Submit English and Math placement scores if required by program. See an Academic Counselor for this information.
   • CEI uses the ALEKS for Math placement and the Accuplacer NEXT for English placement.
   • CEI will accept placement testing from other institutions if clear eligibility placement scores are included with the documentation the student provides.
   • Students may be exempt from institutional testing with qualifying scores on the ACT and SAT,
   • Or with completed college level coursework that appears on an official college transcript

We welcome all students. Undocumented students are encouraged to visit with Admissions to discuss options. At this time we are unable to support F-1 Visas

Admissions accepts ONLY official transcripts. Transcripts that have been opened by anyone other than a designated Admissions official are considered unofficial and will not be accepted.

* High school transcripts must come directly from the high school or from the district office representing the high school which the student attended and graduated from.

^ GED transcripts may not come from the institution in which the student tested for their GED but instead through a third (3rd) party site such as parchment.com.

+ Some institutions of higher learning may use a third (3rd ) party (e.g., National Student Clearinghouse, or Parchment) to send transcripts. CEI will accept transcripts from these sites or transcripts that have been sent through U.S. mail or faxed directly from another institution’s records/registrar office.

Conditional Admissions

A conditional admission status occurs when a student has been admitted, but the transcript submitted is still in-progress. Upon submission, Admissions will review the student’s official transcript with final grades, and the student will be assigned a final admission status. Admission under conditional status may remain in effect for no longer than one semester. Students will not be able to register for subsequent semesters until they submit an official transcript showing graduation.

Current high school students will be conditionally accepted. Upon graduation from high school, final and official transcripts from all institutions will be required. These transcripts will be reviewed and transfer credits processed upon official admittance to CEI. Unofficial transcripts (in-progress) may be used for placement into English and Math classes. Once a student is a high school graduate (or equivalent), final and official transcripts will be used for placement.

Underage Admissions Requirements (High School Graduates)

• Be 16 or 17
• Submit one of the following:
  • An official final high school transcript or home-school transcript
  • Official GED transcripts with an overall Pass posted
• Complete the Petition for Underage Admission and Parental Consent Form

Students under sixteen(16) years of age that have completed high school early will be considered for admission on a case-by-case basis by the Dean of Student Affairs. In addition to the requirements above, students must submit a letter from a parent or guardian describing the request for an exception to admission requirements.

Deferment

Students who desire to postpone their start term at CEI can complete a Deferment form. In order to submit a deferment form, applicants must have completed the application process and be accepted to CEI. By completing a Deferment form you can postpone your start term for up to 9 semesters (3 full years) from the semester you are accepted. Students who complete deferment will maintain admissions requirements from the catalog year they were accepted to CEI. Extensions to deferments are considered on a case by case basis. Deferred students are responsible for maintaining contact with CEI at the end of their deferment.

Transfer Students

Accreditation

What is accreditation and why is it important?

Accreditation is the act of granting credit or recognition, by a governing body, of an educational institution. Accreditation is necessary to any educational institution to prove that they are maintaining suitable standards or quality. College of Eastern Idaho relies on the following accrediting associations standards to evaluate and accept college-level credits and all grades earned by transfer students:

• Accrediting Commission for Schools Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)
• Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
• Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSCHE)
• New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NECHE)
• Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
• WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC)

Credit Review Process

If your institution is not accredited by one of the above associations, then the Registrar’s office and campus departments will have to review your courses and will make the final decision if the courses will transfer. Should you wish to have your courses reviewed by the Registrar’s office, you must submit the following with your petition:

• A letter indicating the specific courses you want to have reviewed
• An official or unofficial transcript from the institution
• Course descriptions and syllabi for each course to be reviewed

The Office of the Registrar will then forward the course information to the corresponding academic department for their review. The departments at this time may request additional information from the student.

Upon approval by the departments, the decision on each petition will be returned to the Registrar’s Office, who in-turn will notify the student and record the approved courses on the transfer portion of the student’s transcript.

Credits earned at an institution that is a suspected diploma/degree mill will not be acceptable to College of Eastern Idaho.

According to guidelines under Standard Two of the Northwest Commission of Colleges and Universities (2.C.7; 2.C.8; 2.D.10), the NWCCU is in favor of utilizing prior learning assessment. Institutions may award up to 2/3 of the credits required for graduation through prior learning, including credits earned from CLEP tests, AP courses, IB courses, and military and corporate training transcripts.

Guidelines for Acceptance of Transfer Credit

• Students who apply for admission and submit official transcripts may have coursework evaluated for transfer of credit after having attended other post-secondary institutions.
• A degree-seeking student who graduates from high school or earns a GED may be admitted without submitting an official high school transcript if they have earned at least fourteen (14) or more semester hours of transferable academic college level credit from a regionally accredited college or university with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00
• CEI will NOT transfer technical credits toward an AA or AS degree.
• All credit accepted will be recorded as part of a student’s permanent academic history and will not be removed.
• The age of transfer credit may affect course content equivalents and fulfillment of specific degree or certificate requirements (i.e., math).
• College of Eastern Idaho accepts transfer credit but does not compute grades from other colleges and universities into their CEI institutional GPA.
• Transfer credit (with the exception of Idaho GEM Stamped Courses) will not be granted for any course in which a student received less than a (C-).
• Math grades used for placement purposes and older than five (5) years, will not be transferred to College of Eastern Idaho.
• Test scores (ALEKS, Accuplacer, etc.,) older than two (2) years cannot be used for placement purposes.
• ACT/SAT scores older that five (5) years cannot be used for placement.
• Idaho State Board of Education requires that all courses taken at a regionally accredited Idaho institution of higher learning and fall under the category of GEM stamped must be transcribed, however if a course is transferred to College of Eastern Idaho and does not meet the institutional grade standards of (C-) the student will be required to repeat the course if it is needed for their program.
• Some CEI CTE programs have higher grade requirements than general CEI requirements. If a grade in a transfer course does not meet program requirements, the course will have to be retaken.

Exceptions

Students may request further review of transfer credit after initial evaluation by using the Transfer Equivalency Request form to request a course equivalent, a substitution of non-equivalent transfer credit to satisfy specific degree or certificate requirements, and/or the acceptance of credit from schools not regionally accredited.

Students may be required to provide a course description or course syllabus prior to review.

Credit for Prior Learning

Colleges and universities across the country are finding ways to weave the granting of credit for prior learning into their “institutional toolbox.” College of Eastern Idaho is equally committed to assisting its learners in the accelerated completion of a college credential by recognizing the knowledge and skills that students may bring from industry and the military when returning to college.

“Credit for Prior Learning” broadly refers to collegelevel knowledge earned outside of a traditional classroom. College of Eastern Idaho recognizes that learning can happen in a variety of settings, and may award up to 2/3 of the total credits required for graduation through the transfer of credit from an accredited college or university, and/or learning that has been evaluated by the American Council on Education (ACE). Official transcripts or scores must be received and evaluated by the college before credit can be awarded. Prior learning credit may not be applied toward CEI’s residency requirement.

American Council on Education (ACE)

College of Eastern Idaho recognizes transcripts produced by the American Council on Education (ACE) and, as such, may grant transfer credit for military and corporate training.

For information regarding the Academic Review process used by faculty evaluators for ACE, visit www.acenet.edu/news-room/Pages/The-Academic-Review-Task-Force.aspx

Types of Prior Learning Recognized by CEI

Currently, College of Eastern Idaho will recognize and award transfer credit for non-traditional learning from the following sources (upon receipt of an official transcript or scores, and in accordance with current State Board of Education Guidelines):

• Course Challenge and Credit by Exam (to be designed and administered by faculty in the discipline, and approved by the Department Chair and Instructional Dean at CEI)
• Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)
• Advanced Placement (AP)
• American College Testing Program (ACT)
• College Level Examination Program (CLEP) (including disciplines of Business, Composition and Literature, Foreign Languages, History and Social Sciences, Science and Mathematics)
• DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST) (these are essentially the military version of CLEP - and include the disciplines of Business, Humanities, Math, Physical Science, Social Science, Technology). Learn more at: www.dantes.doded.mil/EducationPrograms/get-credit/creditexam.html
• Industry Certifications and Credentials (evaluated for credit by the American Council on Education)
• Joint Services Transcript (provided by the Department of Defense and/or ACE for all branches of the military, except Air Force).
• US Air Force training has been evaluated by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACSCOC) accrediting body and, as such, is documented on transcripts produced by Community College of the Air Force and/or Air University.

College of Eastern Idaho is currently working on a process and policy for awarding college credit from the following additional types of prior learning. Any credit awarded must adhere to Idaho SBOE and NWCCU accreditation guidelines, with content knowledge and learning outcomes to be verified by qualified faculty in the discipline on a case-by-case basis:

• Industry training not yet evaluated by ACE
• Conversion of non-credit to credit
• CBE (competency-based education), OE/OE (open entry, open exit) and other types of Experiential Learning (may be assessed via submission of professional portfolio and/or completion of competency-based, self-paced learning modules)

Non-Degree Seeking Students

If the student is not interested in pursuing a degree at CEI they may be admitted as a non-degree seeking student by completing the following steps:

1. Must fill out the CEI Application.
   Unofficial transcripts are required if a student wishes to take general education courses that require prerequisites.
   • Non-degree seeking students may register for ten (10) credits for the Fall, Spring, or Summer terms.
   • If students wish to take more credits a General Petition must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office for approval.
2. Non-degree seeking students are not admitted to an academic program.
3. Non-degree seeking students are expected to adhere to CEI’s student policies .
   • Non-degree seeking students must apply as a degree-seeking student if they wish to pursue a degree or certificate. Upon acceptance credits earned during non-degree seeking enrollment will be evaluated for program applicability .
4. Non-degree seeking students are not eligible to receive financial aid.
   • If a student fails courses as a non-degree seeking student, their future financial aid eligibility may be impacted if they decide to enroll as a degree-seeking student.

Acceptance into Health Professions and Career Technical Programs (CTE)

Students can contact CEI Admission Counselors or visit cei.edu/admissions for more information on admission requirements. Students may also refer to the program description section of the catalog for information regarding program specific entry requirements. Students who are admitted to CEI to complete prerequisites required for their selected program may have to complete an additional application process to be admitted into program-specific courses. Information will be communicated to applicants regarding their acceptance status into their selected majors and any additional steps they must take. Limitedenrollment programs may include those with special admission criteria.

Waitlisted Health Professions and Career Technical Education CEI Programs

Programs falling under the Career Technical Education division may have limited seating. Students who apply to these programs may be put on a waitlist. Admissions for waitlisted programs are based on criteria set up by the head of each program. These criteria can be on a first come first serve system, or by other measures.

Applicants cannot be assured admission until:

• Admission requirements are met
• The student receives a letter of acceptance from the appropriate program
• Students must be allowed to defer admission into CTE for one admission cycle. Students not matriculating will be removed from the waitlist.

Re-Admission of Former Students

If the student returns to College of Eastern Idaho after an absence of two (2) full years, they must re-apply for admissions. Check with an admissions counselor to determine if a placement test is required to be retaken.

If the student has applied within the past year but did not attend, they will need to call the Admissions Office to update their application. If the student does not maintain continuous enrollment, excluding the Summer term, they will lose the right to graduate under the original catalog program requirements and must use the current school year’s catalog at the time of re-enrollment.

Interstate Passport-WICHE

College of Eastern Idaho participates in the Interstate Passport Network, a network of regionally-accredited institutions that agree to transfer completed general education requirements as a block in a seamless and efficient process among its members. The Interstate Passport® program is designed to simplify out-of-state transfer of general education. Students who transfer with a Passport to another Network member institution will not have to repeat or take additional courses to satisfy lower-division general education requirements.

Earning a Passport recognizes that a student has achieved learning outcomes in the below nine knowledge and skill areas, which all Network member institutions agree are consistent with their own general education learning outcomes:

• Foundational Skills: oral communication, written communication, & quantitative literacy
• Knowledge of Concepts: natural sciences, human cultures, creative expression, & human society and the individual
• Cross-cutting Skills: critical thinking, & teamwork/value systems

To qualify for the Passport program at CEI, a student must:

• Complete a minimum of 36 credits of the general education requirements
• Earn a C or better in those courses

CEI General Education Requirements

Upon completing these requirements, the Registrar’s Office will notify students of the award. Students who complete a Passport will also earn their General Education Academic Certificate; however, because Passport is more restrictive, not all students earning their General Education Academic Certificate will meet the Passport requirements. Interstate Passport receiving institutions may require students who transfer with a Passport to complete other lower-division general education courses in cases where those courses are prerequisites for entry into or continuation in a particular program of study, are specific graduation requirements, or required by statue.

International Students

Applicants on student visas are not eligible for admission to a program at CEI at this time. These individuals may be allowed to take courses as non-degree seeking students and will be charged the out-of-state tuition rate. Applicants with other types of visas will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

English Language

We welcome all students. However, CEI credit-based course work is delivered in English.

Potential students who meet the following criteria are required to complete an English Proficiency Test:

• If you completed high school in a country where English was not the language of instruction.
• If less than the last three years of educational instruction was in English.

Acceptable placement tests or exceptions to satisfy the English Proficiency requirement include the following:

• TOEFL-IBT of 61 or above
• SAT- critical reading 450 or above
• Written recommendation letter from CCR staff after completing ESL program
• If you transfer in more than 24 credits from another U.S. university.

Enrollment Prior to High School Graduation

Early College Programs

Concurrent Enrollment/Dual Credit

Admission into CEI Early College Programs requires completion of an online application. Once admitted, students may participate in a variety of course delivery options by submitting a Registration Request Form each term they wish to enroll in a course. Students may enroll in up to (10) credit hours of college work per semester. Students must comply with program requirements including deadlines and placement requirements for specific courses. High school students enrolled with CEI pay a reduced tuition rate of $75 per credit. No federal financial assistance is available for Concurrent or Dual Credit courses, however, State of Idaho Advanced Opportunities funding is available Idaho public school students. When CEI courses are completed, it is the student’s responsibility to request and pay for official or unofficial transcripts as needed. Further instructions can be found on the CEI website.

Dual Credit courses take place at a high school location or via IDLA, and are taught by CEI approved instructors. Courses follow the schedules at the location where they are being taught. Deadlines apply. High school students are allowed to participate in dual credit courses if they meet the eligibility requirements set forth by the Early College Department.

Concurrent Enrollment courses take place at CEI or through CEI online, and are taught by CEI faculty. High school students must be sixteen (16) years of age or older by the first day of class in the term for which they are enrolling. High School students are allowed to participate in concurrent enrollment courses if they meet the eligibility requirements set forth by the Early College Department.

Technical Competency Credit

If a student was enrolled in CTE Technical Competency Credit (TCC) programs in high school they may be eligible to receive college credit for courses in which they successfully passed all required skillsets and the postsecondary final exam when applicable. In order for a student to request their TCC they must use the official Technical Credit Request form available on College of Eastern Idaho’s website. The cost is $10 per credit. Technical Competency Credits will be transcribed as college transfer credit. These credits must be requested within two (2) years of the completion of eligible course(s) or postsecondary final exam when applicable. The Transition Coordinator at College of Eastern Idaho can provide assistance with credit questions. Once Technical Competency credits are transcribed they may not be removed from the official transcript.