Admission Requirements

Prospective students of American College of Education will complete a process for admission to either a specific program or to the College at-large. Each level of entry has requirements addressed in this catalog, in addition to expectations for both professional and personal conduct.

Admission Requirements

All applicants to academic programs at American College of Education must:

• Complete the application form.
• Submit the application fee. The fee is valid for three hundred and sixty-five (365) days from the date of the initial application.
  • The non-refundable application fee is charged and collected and then applied towards tuition for the following groups of applicants, but applied as a credit to their tuition in the first course: 
    • Graduates of ACE degree programs.
    • Completers of ACE certificate and micro-credential programs.
    • Students at large who have completed select ACE professional development courses.  
    • U.S. Veterans, active military members, National Guard and Reserves members, and current spouses of each as verified through submission of a valid military ID or copy of DD214.
    • First responders are defined as EMT/EMS, Firefighters, or Law Enforcement Officers.
  • Once the student has started school, a tuition credit for the application fee will be applied for their first/next course term charge. If the student doesn’t start school or is administratively withdrawn, the application fee will not be refunded, unless required by state law.
• For Bachelor’s and Post-Baccalaureate Level (excluding RN to BSN/MSN) Applicants:
  • Provide official transcripts from an institution indicating successful completion of the level of education required for entry to the program and any credits to be considered for transfer to a program.
    • Institution must be accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the US Department of Education (DOE) or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
    • Transcripts are considered official when mailed in a sealed envelope or through secured electronic transmission, directly from the institution attended to American College of Education. 
    • An exception applies to students applying through concurrent enrollment at an institution with which ACE has a Concurrent Enrollment Partnership agreement. Specific requirements and verification details will be provided directly to the applicant in these cases.
• For RN to BSN and RN to MSN Applicants:
  • Provide official transcripts from an institution indicating successful completion of the level of education required for entry to the program and any credits to be considered for transfer to a program.
    • The institution must be accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the US Department of Education (DOE), the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), or a state board of Nursing approved program. 
    • Transcripts are considered official when mailed in a sealed envelope or through secured electronic transmission, directly from the institution attended to American College of Education.  
    • An exception applies to students applying through concurrent enrollment at an institution with which ACE has a Concurrent Enrollment Partnership agreement. Specific requirements and verification details will be provided directly to the applicant in these cases.
• Submit an Enrollment Agreement.

International Transcript Requirements

Transcripts that are international and/or not in English must be evaluated through an evaluation agency credentialed through the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) (www.naces.org) or the Association of International Credential Evaluators (AICE) (https://aice-eval.org/).

International applicants must request the course-by-course evaluation. The evaluation report must show that the non-U.S. education is equivalent to the education/accreditation level required for the program.

English as Second Language Applicants

All applicants whose degree was earned in a country where English is not the official language must demonstrate competence in the English language by submitting an official, qualifying score for one of the following*:

*Test must have been taken within two years of the term start date. 

Waiver of the English language test requirement may be granted if any of the below statements are true: 

• Proof of US citizenship or citizenship from an exempt country (Canada, except Quebec, Ireland, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, or the Commonwealth Caribbean).
• Degree was earned in a country where English is the official language. 
• Submissions of an official transcript showing a degree from a US secondary school or one full year of post-secondary education in the US with at least 24 credits taught in English with a minimum GPA of 2.5 earned. 
• The medium of instruction at degree-granting institutions was English.
• Proof of holding a valid, initial teaching license, school personnel certificate, or active RN nursing license issued by a state-level agency in the United States.
• Documentation demonstrating at least five years of professional experience within an English-speaking work environment in the United States.

Texas applicants whose first language is not English must demonstrate proficiency in one of the following ways:

• Submission of a valid SBEC-issued Texas certificate. 
• Obtained the equivalent of a US bachelor’s or master’s degree from an approved exempt country per Figure: 19 TAC §230.11(b)(5)(C).  
• Official TOEFL IBT score of 24 for speaking, 22 for listening, 22 for reading, and 21 for writing.   

Additional evidence may be required to fulfill state requirements, verifying of professional experience, test scores, or an interview. 

Admission Limitations

Applicants to some programs must submit a written essay and/or recorded interview as part of the admission requirements. Candidates who are required to submit a written component or interview as part of the application process will be limited to two attempts within one calendar year and three attempts total during their application to the college.

Notification of Admission Decision

The applicant’s file is reviewed once all required admission documents are received. If the applicant meets the admission requirements, they are either fully admitted or provisionally admitted. Applicants are notified of their acceptance through an email.

Admissions Appeal Procedure

Any applicant may appeal their admission decision for a variety of reasons: GPA, TOEFL, a teaching certificate, etc. However, consideration for the appeal may only occur if specific requirements are met. Requirements may vary from state to state.