Admission Requirements at Durham Technical Community College

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Durham Tech Home > Prospective Students > College Catalog > Admission Information

The basic requirement for admission to the college is an enrollment application and a high school diploma or its equivalent. Students who are not United States citizens should refer to the International Students Section.

Some curriculum programs have limited capacity, and prospective students are encouraged to apply early. Some of these limited-enrollment programs may have waiting lists for courses in the curriculum. Students on the waiting list may take the general education courses required in the program, subject to an advisor’s approval.

If you have any questions about program admission requirements please contact a Durham Tech admissions counselor at 919-536-7202 .

Due to their specialized nature, the following programs have additional requirements:
Associate Degree Nursing, Clinical Trials Research Associate, Occupational Therapy Assistant, Pharmacy Technology, Practical Nursing, Respiratory Therapy, and Surgical Technology

Preparatory or Developmental Studies courses may be required before admission to one of these programs is granted.

Applicants for the Associate Degree Nursing, Clinical Trials Research Associate, Occupational Therapy Assistant, and Respiratory Therapy programs must document successful completion of general biology and general chemistry courses at the high school or college level. High school courses must have been completed within the past five years.

To be eligible to enroll in clinical courses, students in the Associate Degree Nursing, Clinical Trials Research Associate, Occupational Therapy Assistant, Pharmacy Technology, Practical Nursing, Respiratory Therapy, and Surgical Technology programs must complete physical examinations and submit a required medical form.

Students in allied health programs must submit documentation of physical examinations/ immunizations required by their specific program. Applicants must also sign a clinical form signifying that they understand and agree with the rules and regulations of hospital training facilities.

Early Childhood Associate and Early Childhood/ Teacher Associate
Applicants for these programs will be asked to read and sign a form acknowledging they understand the requirements of these career fields. Applicants for the Early Childhood program and the Early Childhood/Teacher Associate program must complete physical examinations and must submit a required medical form to enroll in practical training courses.

Associate Degree Nursing, Clinical Trials Research Associate, Early Childhood/Teacher Associate, Occupational Therapy Assistant, Pharmacy Technology, Practical Nursing, Respiratory Therapy, and Surgical Technology
Applicants for these programs are required to submit a criminal records check form before participating in clinical or practical training courses. The clinical affiliates for these programs reserve the right to deny access to their facilities based upon the results of these criminal records checks.

Acceptance

Applicants are notified in writing of their acceptance into a program of study. This acceptance is valid for one academic year which begins with the fall semester and ends with the summer semester. If accepted students do not enroll for the semester in which they are accepted or if they do not enroll for three consecutive semesters, they must reapply for admission. Readmission may also be required if the student discontinues enrollment in the sequential courses of allied health programs. In this case, the student must consult the program director to prepare a plan for re-entering the course sequence.

Transfer Credit

Transfer students applying for admission to Durham Technical Community College must meet all admissions requirements for their chosen program. However, some programs may waive placement testing if the applicant has previously completed college-level math or English courses. Students should consult an admissions counselor about transfer admission and transfer credit before taking placement tests or enrolling in courses.

For accepted students, Durham Tech evaluates transfer credit for equivalent courses with the grade of C or better from member institutions of the North Carolina Community College System and other postsecondary institutions accredited by a regional accrediting association. Transfer credit may also be granted for certain general education courses not offered by Durham Tech.

Applicants who have been enrolled in any postsecondary institution are required to submit official transcripts of previous academic work to Durham Tech’s Admissions office if they desire an evaluation of transfer credit. When transfer credit is in question, the student may be asked for supporting documentation such as a course description or course syllabus.

To be eligible for graduation, a student transferring from another institution must complete at least one-fourth of the total credit hours required and at least 9 of the last 18 hours completed while enrolled at Durham Technical Community College. Credit transferred from another institution is not used in calculating the student’s grade point average for academic progress and graduation.

When a student changes from one program of study to another within Durham Tech, all academic requirements, including the grading policies of the new program, must be met for graduation. Upon acceptance into the new program, all courses which are commonly required by more than one program may be transferred with the same grade the student originally received. Students admitted to a new program of study may choose to transfer or repeat these courses.

Professional or Occupational Certification

In certain cases, Durham Tech will award credit to students enrolled in curriculum programs who have demonstrated competencies in appropriate areas through the completion of military training programs or professional or occupational certification programs. The amount of credit awarded in such cases is established by the faculty in the subject area in which the credit will be awarded. Such credit is awarded only in areas which coincide with the college’s regular curriculum offerings and are appropriate to the student’s educational goals.

The decision concerning whether credit will be awarded is based on documentation which demonstrates academic comparability to credit earned by traditional means. The Admissions office maintains a listing of professional certification activities which have been approved for credit, the courses for which credit may be awarded, and the amount of credit to be awarded. The college uses publications from the American Council on Education as guides for evaluating military credit.

To receive credit for certification of professional, occupational, or military training programs, the student must submit documentation showing completion of such programs to the Admissions office. The maximum credit awarded must not exceed 25 percent of the total amount of credit required for graduation from the program in which the student is enrolled. Such credit may not be transferable to another program within the college or transferable from Durham Tech to other colleges or universities.

Changing Curriculum Programs

Students who want to change their program of study must apply to the Admissions office and meet all admission requirements of the new program. Students should discuss program changes with the career counseling staff to make sure their program choice will meet their needs.

Readmission

Acceptance into a Durham Tech curriculum program is valid for one academic year which begins with the fall semester and ends with the summer semester. Students who had been admitted to Durham Tech but did not enroll for the accepted semester, or who withdraw for one or more semesters, should always consult the Admissions office before reenrolling to find out if official readmission is necessary.

Eligibility for readmission depends on individual circumstances and the requirements of the specific curriculum program. In general, a student is eligible to return when an appropriate course schedule can be arranged. Readmission in limited-enrollment programs is offered on a space-available basis. Certain programs may also require students to complete individual readmission plans. Readmitted students must complete the admission requirements and the program’s graduation requirements in effect at the time of readmission.

The “Application for Readmission or Change of Major” form is to be used by a student who meets one of the following conditions:

Applied for or been admitted to Durham Tech within the past 12 months but has not enrolled in credit classes.
Applied for or been admitted to Durham Tech within the past 5 years AND has enrolled in credit classes.

Download the Application for Readmission or Change of Major form to print and mail.

Special Students

In certain programs, a student interested in taking only a limited number of courses may enroll as a special student. During registration, advisors help special students complete paperwork for registration.

Special students are not eligible for course substitution, credit by examination, financial aid, or veterans benefits; and they do not qualify for academic recognition (President’s List or Dean’s List). Documentation of prior course work or testing is required to enroll in courses with prerequisites.

Special students who intend to complete a program of study at Durham Tech should apply for admission as early as possible. Special students applying for admission must meet current admission requirements and are accepted under the plan of study in effect for the program at the time of acceptance.

Visiting Students

Students currently enrolled in another college may take university transferable courses at Durham Tech to transfer to their home college. They may do so by providing specific written permission from the academic dean of their home college and the appropriate academic dean or program director at Durham Tech. Visiting students who take courses at Durham Tech are otherwise treated as special students (see previous section).

Enrollment for Students Still in High School

Durham Tech is supportive of concurrent enrollment for high school students. The college encourages interested high school students who have progressed beyond the normal high school curriculum to take college-level credit courses at Durham Tech. Tuition costs may be waived.

Qualified high school students at least 16 years of age may enroll in classes if an official written permission form is obtained from their local educational authority. The principal must certify that the student is taking at least three high school courses (or participating in at least 1/2 day in schools with block scheduling) and is making appropriate progress toward graduation. In the case of courses being taken during the summer term, the principal must certify that the student met the above requirements during the preceding school year. High school students graduating in May or June are not considered dual enrolled students for the summer they graduate.

Durham Tech also seeks to respond to community needs through other cooperative agreements with high schools. Course work offered at high school locations and course work offered at Durham Tech locations are examples of such cooperative efforts.

Students may be required to take the ASSET or COMPASS placement test if course prerequisites exist. Developmental Studies courses are not available to high school students.

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Durham Technical Community College
1637 Lawson Street
Durham, NC 27703
919-536-7200