Freshman candidates for admission should complete a secondary school course of study (or equivalent) which includes the following college preparatory units:

• four units of English
• three units of mathematics
• three science units
• two units of history/social science
• two units of the same foreign language
• two college preparatory elective units

Freshman applicants must also submit the results of the SAT I: Reasoning Test or the ACT. Students whose native language is not English may submit the TOEFL or the SAT II English Language Proficiency Test (ELPT). Interviews are not required; however, students are encouraged to attend one of the Information Sessions we offer throughout the year.

• Fall semester applications are due February 15. Notification of the admission decision will be mailed by April 15.
• January admission applications are due November 1

We require all full-time freshmen students to have a notebook computer. For more information, please visit the BSU notebook computer program website.

Bridgewater State University follows the admissions standards as outlined by the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education.

To apply under the Early Action Program, an applicant must take the SAT I or ACT on or before the November test dates and must have the application complete and transcripts on file in our Admission Office by November 15. Early Action applicants are notified of the admission decision by mid-December. Applicants are either offered admission, denied admission, or the decision is deferred and the application is reviewed again during the Regular Decision process in the spring. Freshmen offered admission under the Early Action Program have until the May 1 Candidates Reply Date to respond to our offer.

Transfer applicants work with Bridgewater to transfer college credits and establish the correct academic status upon admission. Transfer students may begin in the fall or in January. Transfer applicants are evaluated on the basis of their previous college work and must provide an official transcript from each college attended. To be eligible for admission, transfer students must have earned one of the following:

• 12 or more transferable college credits and a 2.5 college GPA or
• 24 transferable college credits and a 2.0 GPA

Please note that these are minimum grade point averages and do not guarantee admission. Transfer candidates that do not meet the above guidelines are evaluated on the basis of the freshmen requisites and are required to submit their high school transcripts and standardized test scores, if applicable.

Transcripts must be sent DIRECTLY from your previous college(s) addressed to the OFFICE OF ADMISSION at Bridgewater.

• Fall semester transfer applications are due April 1. Notification of the admission decision will be mailed by April 15.
• January admission applications are due November 1

Most courses are acceptable in transfer from accredited two- and four-year institutions. If the courses do not satisfy specific subject requirements at Bridgewater, they will be accepted for elective course credit. A minimum grade of C- is necessary for the transfer of credit. For access to information on how credit from your home institution will transfer to Bridgewater State University, visit B.E.A.R.S (Bridgewater Equivalency and Articulation Report System).

All transfer students are required to fulfill the Core Curriculum. Also, at least one half of a student's academic major as well as a minimum of thirty semester hours must be completed at Bridgewater.

All transfer students are required to have a notebook computer.

Transfer applicants who would like additional information about the transfer process are encouraged to visit our Transfer Central.

Students may also transfer to Bridgewater State University from a collaboration of institutions that participate in the CONNECT program. CONNECT is a partnership of public higher education institutions in Southeastern Massachusetts, including Bridgewater State University, Bristol Community College, Cape Cod Community College, Massasoit Community College, and the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. One of CONNECT's primary missions is to ease the transfer process for students among the participating institutions.

Through our Joint Admission Program, Bridgewater guarantees the admission of Massachusetts community college students who have completed an eligible associate degree program with a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher.

Joint Admissions students who graduate from the community college with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher are also eligible for a tuition discount under the Tuition Advantage Program. Interested Massachusetts community college students are urged to contact their transfer counselor for an application and details. Please note that students must check off the Joint Admissions box on the Bridgewater State University regular application for admission. For participants in the Joint Admission program, the Bridgewater State University application fee is waived. To receive the benefits of the Joint Admissions Program, students are required to complete their associate degrees by August 2013 and must matriculate at a Massachusetts state college or University of Massachusetts campus by fall 2014.

• Fall semester priority application deadline: March 1
• Fall semester file completion deadline: April 15
• Spring semester priority application deadline: November 1
• Spring semester file completion deadline: December 15

Joint Admissions Intent to Enroll Form (pdf)

If you are transferring from one Massachusetts public higher education institution to another, the new MassTransfer program makes the process easier. For complete and detailed information, visit the Department of Higher Education's website.

MassTransfer has two main purposes:

• To provide community college students who complete associate degrees and enroll in linked MassTransfer Programs with full transfer of credit, guaranteed admission, and a tuition discount (each based on final GPA); and
• To provide any student in the Massachusetts public higher education system who completes the MassTransfer Block the benefit of satisfying the core (general education) requirements at any other public higher education institution, with the receiving institution able to add no more than six additional credits or two courses.

The MassTransfer Block refers to a set of core (general education ) requirements, consisting of 34 college-level credits. These credits, when completed together with a 2.0 or higher GPA, fully transfer to any Massachusetts public higher education institution, even if you don't have your associate's degree. These credits also satisfy the core (general education) requirements at any other Massachusetts public higher education institution, with the receiving institution being able to add no more than six additional credits/two courses.

For participants in the MassTransfer program, the Bridgewater State University application fee is waived. For additional information on this program, please visit the MassTransfer section at Bridgewater’s Transfer Central.

Downloadable MassTransfer Application

For students interested in pursuing a degree in the evening, Bridgewater offers the following evening degree programs: Accounting & Finance, Art, Communication Studies, Criminal Justice, Economics, English, Management, Psychology and Sociology.

Evening students may choose from three evening applications: new freshman, transfer or joint admissions. Please review the admission requirements for freshman, transfer and joint admissions listed above to determine the application which best describes your status.

Students may mix day, evening and Distance Education courses in pursuit of a degree program.

Downloadable Evening Application

Bridgewater welcomes international applicants and recommends that international students begin the application process at least eight months prior to the semester for which they are applying.

International students should submit an Affidavit of Financial Support Form in addition to the Undergraduate Admission Application. Students are asked to submit official transcripts and credentials in English. Students for whom English is a second language must submit results from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and results of the SAT I: Reasoning Test or the ACT. Financial assistance is not available for international students through Bridgewater.

Downloadable International Admissions Application Information Form (pdf)
Downloadable Admissions Application Form (pdf)
Affidavit of Financial Support Form (pdf)

Former Bridgewater students who left in good academic standing and wish to return or students who were separated from the college because of academic deficiency must reapply through the Office of Admission. Official transcripts of any course work attempted after leaving Bridgewater must be provided. The deadline for re-application is December 1 for the spring semester and June 1 for the fall semester.

Downloadable Readmission/Reinstatement Application Form (pdf)