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New Mexico State University

Information for High School Students
Placement in English and Mathematics

Students are placed in their initial English class based on their English ACT or SAT score.  An English ACT score of 16 or an SAT score of 400 or higher qualifies you for English 111G, Rhetoric and Composition; An English ACT score of 25 or an SAT score of 550 or higher qualifies you for English 111H, Rhetoric and Composition-Honors.  Students with English ACT score lower than 16 or an SAT score lower than 399 must complete developmental English coursework through the Dona Ana Community College prior to enrolling into English 111G, Rhetoric and Composition.

Initial placement in mathematics is based on the combination of your math ACT/SAT score and the high school grade point average. Information on initial placement is available on the math department's web site. You may qualify for more than one course; you will choose according to your intended major. If you wish to place into a higher level in math, you may take the Math Placement Exam given at New Student Registartion programs, and at the Math Learning Center. If you will be taking the MPE after not having taken mathematics for a few months, it’s a good idea to brush up during the week or two before the program so that your placement will be a more accurate reflection of what you know. For practice questions for the MPE, click here.

 

Basic Skills Requirements

NMSU requires all students to demonstrate basic academic competency, or "basic skills" in math and English before enrolling in courses numbered 300 or higher (regardless of whether those courses are related to math or English). You should meet these requirements as soon as possible, since many majors have only one or two lower-division courses. There are several ways to meet these requirements.
English

  1. An ACT of 30 English score or higher, SAT of 550 English score or higher will meet the requirement. It does not, however, meet the university's composition requirement; it merely allows a student to take upper-division courses prior to taking English 111G or 111 Honors.
  2.  Completion of English 111G or 111H with a grade of C or better. This is a four-credit class, but we will accept a three-credit transfer course.
  3.  Advanced placement credit for English 111G. Students must score a 3, 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement Exam. Official scores must be sent to NMSU.
  4.  Foreign students who took the TOEFL exam must complete SPCD 111G with a satisfactory grade or receive credit for it based on the Michigan Test.
  5. CLEP credit for English 111G. To receive credit, a student must score 57 or higher on the CLEP Subject Exam in Freshman Composition. Official scores must be sent to NMSU if the test was taken elsewhere.

 
Math

  1.  An ACT-math score of 23 or higher, SAT of 580 math score or higher will meet the requirement.  It does not, however, meet the university's math requirement; it merely allows a student to take upper-division courses prior to taking a math class of Area II.  Please check with major department for math requirement.
  2.  Students with an ACT-math score of less than 23, SAT-math score of less than 590 may satisfy basic skills in mathematics by earning a grade of C or higher in Area II: MATH/ALGEBRA.  If the ACT score is 15 or the SAT score is 380 and below, then one of the following courses or course combinations: (a) CCDM 112N and CCDM 113N; (b) CCDM 114N; (c) MATH 111 and MATH 112G; (d) Math 120.  New students are placed in these courses according to their high school GPAs and their ACT scores in mathematics.  However, any new student may choose to take the MPE to test towards a higher placement.  Placement does not earn academic credit, and placement in a mathematics course numbered 120 or higher does not satisfy the basic skills requirement.
  3. The math department gives a Basic Skills Exam near the beginning and end of each semester (contact the math department or the Advising Center for dates and registration deadlines). A passing score on the Basic Skills Exam will meet the basic skills requirement. However, it does not appear as credit on the student's academic record.
  4.  Students may receive credit for courses which may satisfy basic skills in mathematics by taking the math Advanced Placement Exam. See “Advanced Placement” later in this chapter for details.
  5. Students who score 15 or below on the ACT, or those who score 380 or below on the SAT mathematics exam must pass two developmental mathematics courses, CCDM 103N and CCDM 114N, to qualify to enter university-level mathematics courses in Area II: MATH/ALGEBRA. Students who score 16 on the ACT or 440 on the SAT mathematics exam must pass CCDM 114N to qualify to enter university-level mathematics courses. Students who score 17 or higher on the ACT, 470 or higher on the SAT mathematics exam, but whose mathematics placement exam scores do not qualify them to enter university-level mathematics courses, will be placed in the appropriated CCDM course, and must pass the CCDM course or courses before enrolling in university-level mathematics courses. Developmental courses are included on the transcript and will be included in the calculation of the GPA; however, credits in developmental courses will not count toward a degree.

General Education
Students must fulfill University General Education requirements as listed in the General Information section of the Undergraduate Catalog and Arts and Sciences core requirements as listed in the college's section of the Undergraduate Catalog. Many of the University General Education courses may also be used to meet the college core requirements. [Please place, Link to Undergraduate Catalog]