Frequently Asked Questions

See Also: Frequently Asked Questions About the External Degree Program

Q: What exactly is "temporary" admission status?

A: As an adult institution, TROY University - Montgomery Campus admits students on a temporary basis based on the information supplied on the application for admissions. The student is then given the first quarter to get all official documents in to the Office of Enrollment Management for a formal review of the admission file. Usually this is a matter of just getting transcripts to the office. For graduate students this will also include an office test score.

Q: What is meant by "official" documents?

A: They are official transcripts sent directly from institution to institution. They cannot be hand carried. Official transcripts are required from all institutions attended and should be sent to:

For students with less than 15 quarter or 9 semester hours of "C" or 2.0 college work, an official high school transcript is also required.

Q: What documentation is required of students just graduating from high school or who have a General Education Development (GED) Certificate?

A: Students who have just graduated from an accredited high school must submit a transcript with an official graduation date. Students with a GED Certificate must submit an official score.

Q: I have already taken English and speech, do I have to take COM 110?

A: A student may satisfy the COM 110 requirement one of three ways:

1. Take the reading placement test and score 26 or higher. Since the student has already completed English 101 and a speech course, the student should contact Dr. Gordon Pickler, Dean of Arts and Sciences, at 334-241-9602 to request a bypass for COM 110. If given the bypass, the student still must satisfy that five hours through free electives.
2. Take the reading placement test and score 30 or above, then enroll in the COM 110 course. During the first week, the instructor individually works with the student in the writing of a creative essay, in administering the post placement test, and in setting the student up with a speech instructor. The student then contacts the speech instructor and sets up a time to give an oral presentation. If the student is successful in all these things, then the student is told by the COM 110 instructor that he has earned the grade of ‘A' for the course, and it is the student's option to attend classes.
3. The student may take the reading placement test and score 16 or above. The student may then enroll in the COM 110 course and complete it as with other courses.

Students admitted on conditional status may not bypass COM 110 and must complete it within their first 20 quarter hours at TROY - Montgomery.

Q: Is a bachelor's degree in the same field of study required for entry into a graduate degree program?

A: The answer varies according the program being studied. In the Computer Science Division a student without a bachelor's degree in CIS would be required to take bridge courses or prerequisite undergraduate courses to prepare the student for the CIS graduate program. Students should contact the division which the program they are interested in come under for a correct answer.

Q: How many courses may a graduate student take each quarter?

A: One a student has been admitted to the graduate program, a full-time load is ten hours, which is usually two courses, but a student may register for as many as 15 quarter hours.

Q: Do graduate students have to see a graduate advisor every time they register?

A: If a graduate student has a completed contract, which is a degree program guide, signed by a graduate advisor, he or she only has to present that at registration to register. However, if the student does not have a contract, the student must see a graduate advisor.

Q: How long does it take to complete a graduate degree?

A: The amount of time required varies by the degree and division. For example, the Master of Arts in Teaching is a 50 quarter hour degree program and the MBA is 55 quarter hours. If a student took two courses per quarter every quarter, it would take a year and a half or less to earn a degree.

Q: What is a Learning Contract?

A: A Learning Contract is an independent study version of a Troy University, Montgomery Campus classroom course. You study at your own pace at your home and contact your professor whenever you need help. There are about 75 Learning Contracts available.

Q: Does Troy University, Montgomery Campus offer telephone registration?

A: Yes. Telephone registration is conducted prior to regular registration and students talk to a live human operator instead of an automated telephone system.

Q: Who can register by telephone?

A: All students (graduate and undergraduate) who have attended TROY - Montgomery at least one quarter since Fall Quarter 1990 and have NOT attended another college or university since last attending TROY - Montgomery are eligible to register by telephone with a few exceptions. These exceptions include students who:

• Last attended TROY - Montgomery as a transient student from another institution
• Enrolled as an undergraduate last quarter and plan to enroll as a graduate student this quarter
• Will enroll as a graduating senior and plan to enroll in both undergraduate and graduate courses
• Are enrolled as a graduate student and do not have a degree plan signed by their advisor.
• Are indebted to the university

Q: Does Troy University, Montgomery Campus offer the technology courses for teachers designated in the TSPAT scholarship program funded by the Alabama Commission on Higher Education?

A: Yes, the three course sequence can be taken as part of the Master's Degree in Education or as Post Master's work.

Q: What is a free elective?

A: A free elective is a course that a student may complete or transfer to TROY - Montgomery that does not satisfy a degree requirement. A student may take any course from any discipline. There are exceptions, such as preparatory or remedial courses.

Q: What are preparatory or remedial courses?

A: Preparatory courses are designed to prepare students to complete an academic requirement. These courses are not college level courses. They are to prepare a student for college level work. Credit earned from these courses is used to calculate the grade point average, but do not count toward any degree.

Q: How can a student find out what classes TROY University - Montgomery Campus will accept as transfer credit?

A: After a transfer student has cleared admissions their transfer work will be consolidated based upon their chosen major. A postcard will be sent to the student informing them that a check sheet showing their transfer work and the courses still required is available for their review with an advisor.

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