Academic Common Market (ACM)
The Academic Common Market (ACM) is a cooperative agreement for sharing educational programs and facilities, allowing residents of a participating state to pursue academic degree programs not offered in their home states without having to pay out-of-state tuition charges. The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) coordinates the activities of the Academic Common Market for the twelve participating states, which include Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
In our department, only students majoring in GEOLOGICAL ENGINEERING can benefit from the ACM.
Use the SREB website to determine if a particular state will certify admission to the ACM program in Geological Engineering.
ACM Policies and Procedures for Geological Engineering
Admission requirements
To be eligible for the Academic Common Market program in GE, students must reside in one of the twelve participating states.
Freshmen: For direct admission into Geological Engineering, a student must meet one of the following requirements:
-
- Earn a minimum ACT math score of 24
- Earn a minimum SAT math score of 580
- Earn a minimum high school core GPA of 3.2
If your meet the minimum math ACT/SAT requirement, you will be placed in the first suggested math class (MATH 261: Calculus I, for Geological Engineering). Please understand that starting from a lower level of math class can result in more than 8 semesters to graduate.
If you were admitted only on the basis of your core GPA or Cambridge score and did not meet the minimum ACT/SAT math requirement or if you have not submitted any ACT/SAT math scores, you MAY be required to take the ALEKS PPL Placement Assessment to place you in the proper math class. A score of 61 to 75 will allow to be placed in MATH 125 (Pre-Calculus), a score of 76 or above, will be sufficient to be placed in MATH 261 (Calculus I).
For information about the ALEKS placement test and to see if you qualify to take it, please go to: https://mathlab.olemiss.edu/aleks.
Change of Major Applicants and Transfer Applicants
For a current UM student or a transfer student from another domestic institution to declare a major within the GGE department, the student must have a cumulative collegiate GPA of 2.25 or higher on a minimum of 12 hours on a quality grade scale AND meet one of the following:
-
- 24 or higher on the Math portion of the ACT (or SAT equivalent)
- 76 or higher on the ALEKS PPL Placement Assessment
- B or higher in MATH 125 (or in both MATH 121 and 123), or a higher mathematics course.
If you have any questions regarding your specific degree program, please contact the School of Engineering Dean’s Office at 662-915-5780 or engineer@olemiss.edu.
It is the student’s responsibility to contact the State Coordinator about possible access to the Academic Common Market.
How to Apply to the ACM
For students wishing to enter a program as an Academic Common Market student, the following steps must be followed.
- Apply for admission through the Office of Undergraduate Admission at the University of Mississippi. Students must first be accepted for admission into the program for which his/her state has access through the Academic Common Market. If accepted, the student will receive a letter of acceptance for the approved ACM undergraduate degree program.
- Request the ACM application from your home state coordinator. This application must be completed and returned to your ACM state coordinator along with your acceptance letter from the University of Mississippi. The listing of all state contacts is found at SREB under Academic Common Market and Participating States. Only your state ACM office can approve the degree program, verify your residency and issue a letter of acceptance for the ACM program. Please be aware that each state has developed its own forms and procedures for certifying students.
After certifying the residency of an applicant, the State Coordinator sends a notice of certification to the student and to the Institutional Coordinator at the University of Mississippi. The Institutional Coordinator will make arrangements to ensure that the student will receive in-state tuition fees.
Important: The certification must be received by the University of Mississippi prior to the last date to register for the term in which the student enrolls.
Students accepted in the ACM program must take at least 12 credits in the Fall and Spring semester. The ACM applies also to the inter-sessions, during which students are allowed to take one or more courses.
ACM students are required to follow the prescribed GE course curriculum and maintain a 2.5 Resident GPA to benefit from the scholarship. Reviews of student records and majors are conducted each semester to determine ACM eligibility for the next term.
For further assistance in applying to the Academic Common Market for Geological Engineering and specific participation requirements, please contact:
Mandy Dowdy
Geological Engineering
120 Carrier Hall
P.O. Box 1848
University, MS 38677-1848
(662) 915-7498
amdowdy@olemiss.edu