Admissions Information

Admissions Information

Welcome to Admissions at Springfield Technical Community College.  Whether you are looking for an education leading toward a professional career, or a solid first two years of a bachelor's degree, STCC is a wise investment in your future.

STCC is nationally recognized; major corporations such as IBM, Verizon, Microsoft, and Ford Motor Company have formed educational alliances with the College.  The National Science Foundation, which awards very few grants to community colleges, has awarded 20 grants to STCC for projects such as building specialized labs, and has named STCC as the National Center for Telecommunications Technologies.

Over 25,000 men and women have graduated from STCC in the past 36 years, prepared for the challenges of employment in their chosen field, or continued their education at colleges and universities in this area and throughout the country.

STCC maintains an open-door admission policy; however, individual academic programs set their own requirements for admission.  For instance, although admission to the College requires a high school diploma or its equivalent, admission to the Nursing program requires Algebra 2 with a C+ grade or higher or completion of a college level math with a C+ grade or higher, completion of Math for Nursing with a min. score of 80 and completion of the HESI admissions assessment test with minimum scores on various sections of the test.  Even with this background, admission is competitive, with as many as 400 applicants competing for 80 or fewer openings in the program.

Please know that applicants can only apply to and be considered for one program at a time. If an applicant changes their mind regarding which program they would like to be considered for they only need to contact the Admissions Office in writing or in person.

Placement Testing

As part of the admission process, incoming students are required to take placement tests in English, mathematics, reading, and keyboarding.  Since the test results are used to advise and schedule students into the appropriate course levels, the tests must be taken prior to registering for classes.  If a student who has been accepted into a degree or certificate program scores below college level on the STCC placement tests, he or she must enroll in developmental courses.  This will usually lengthen the time necessary to complete the desired program.

Students who have taken Accuplacer tests at another institution within the last 2 years may bring an Official Score Report (in a sealed envelope from the previous institution) to the Testing and Assessment Center (Building 17, Room 425).  The scores will be evaluated for course placement using STCC cut scores,  and students will be told which, if any, placement tests still need to taken.  Students should be sure to bring a picture ID with them so that Testing Center staff can discuss placements with them.

For students who have recently taken developmental coursework in math at other western Massachusetts community colleges (Holyoke Community College, Greenfield Community College, and Berkshire Community College), it is currently the policy of STCC to consider successfully-completed developmental coursework when determining the placement of incoming STCC students.

Applicants who have successfully completed developmental math coursework from one of the above institutions should have copies of their official transcripts forwarded directly from that institution to the STCC Admissions Office for evaluation (transcripts are generally not reviewed until an applicant has been accepted into an academic program at STCC).  Only developmental math courses taken at the above institutions no more than two years prior to transfer and for which a grade of C or better was received will be used to determine math placement at STCC. (For example, a student who has successfully completed a course equivalent to Algebra I will be placed into the Algebra II level at STCC).

The developmental coursework from the previous institution will be used only for placement purposes and will not appear as Transfer credit on the STCC transcript.  The final decision of determining math placement based on previously-completed math coursework will rest with the STCC Admissions Office.

Testing & Assessment Web Site

Fresh Start Status

A student who is returning to STCC after at least two years away from the College may apply for a fresh start status in order to begin a new quality point average.   All prior STCC credit that meets the degree and grade requirements of the current program will be changed to a grade of TS.  Fresh Start status does not apply to financial aid requirements.

Joint Admission

STCC participates in the Joint Admission program with the Massachusetts public colleges and universities.  This program guarantees participating students admission to the Massachusetts public institution of their choice, provided they graduate from an approved major at STCC with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or higher.  These students are subject to the program requirements in effect at the senior institution when they enroll at STCC, and must earn their associate degree at STCC within five years of enrolling in a degree-granting program.

Tuition Advantage

The Tuition Advantage Program is available to all Joint Admission students who graduate with a 3.0 QPA or higher, and transfer to a Massachusetts public institution with which they are participating in the Joint Admission Program.  These students are entitled to a reduction of tuition of one third the in-state rate, whether or not they are Massachusetts residents.

Challenge Exams

STCC may award up to 45 credits to individuals who successfully complete examinations in specific subject areas given through the College Level Examination Program, or a series of challenge exams developed by the College.  Credits earned through CLEP may allow the College to waive introductory courses.  Only students enrolled in an STCC degree or certificate program may receive CLEP or Challenge credits.

Testing & Assessment Web Site

Cooperating Colleges of Greater Springfield

STCC is a participating member of this eight-college consortium, including American International College, Bay Path College, Elms College, Holyoke Community College, Springfield College, Western New England College, and Westfield State College.   Through cooperative planning at the presidential level and committees at different administrative levels, CCGS provides numerous benefits to students and the Greater Springfield community.

All STCC students and faculty have immediate access to the full library collections of the public and private institutions in CCGS, numbering over one million volumes.

Also, through cross-registration, a CCGS student taking at least six semester hours in a degree program may enroll at another college for any regular-term course that is nor offered at his or her own institution, as long as the course is not over-enrolled.  The student is billed by the home institution.  At STCC, this cross-registration policy does not apply to continuing education, evening, or summer courses.  The CCGS cross-registration includes both an Army and Air Force ROTC program.

Cooperating Colleges of Greater Springfield

High School and College Accreditation Requirements

Springfield Technical Community College accepts students who have graduated from a regionally accredited high school. 

The following is a list of regional accrediting agencies for high schools and colleges in the United States that STCC will recognize:

  • Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
  • New England Association of Schools and Colleges
  • North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
  • Northwest Association of Accredited Schools
  • Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
  • Western Association of Schools and Colleges

Students who have attended college before who are seeking transfer credits can also refer to the above list regarding accreditation of their former institution.

Please know that all records submitted to STCC for admitting and transfer credit purposes become property of the College and will not be returned.