OVERVIEW
Located in historic Nassau, the capital of The Bahamas, The College of The Bahamas (COB) has earned an enviable reputation for excellence in teaching in its thirtieth year of existence. Offering Associate, Bachelor and Masters Degrees in a number of disciplines, COB has taken advantage of The Bahamas position as a leader in tourism, hospitality and financial services to create strong programmes in related areas. The College’s instructional programmes are administered and delivered through nine Schools:

• Business
• Communication & Creative Arts
• Education
• English Studies
• Hospitality & Tourism Studies
• Natural Sciences & Environmental Studies
• Nursing & Allied Health Professions
• Social Sciences
• Technology

The College comprises four major campuses – three in Nassau, i.e. Oakes Field, Bahamas Tourism Training Center and Grosvenor Close, and one in Freeport, Grand Bahama, as well as satellite campuses in the beautiful Family Islands: Georgetown, Exuma and Marsh Harbour, Abaco. Additionally, faculty and students enjoy opportunities for research in the environmental sciences through the Gerace Research Centre on San Salvador and The Bahamas Environmental Research Centre on Andros. The Centre for Continuing Education & Extension Services administers a network of adult education centres throughout the islands of the archipelago. The programmes of The College of The Bahamas are recognized by more than 200 colleges and universities in North America, the United Kingdom and the West Indies. COB graduates occupy positions of leadership in all sectors of the economy and civil society.

For more information, please contact us:
P.O. Box N-4912, Nassau, N.P., Bahamas
Tel: (242) 302-4300
Fax: (242) 326-7834

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GENERAL: ADMISSION and APPLICATION
Admission to The College of The Bahamas is open to two categories of individuals:

• Persons who have completed grade 12 or fifth form of high school.
• Mature adults - admission is determined more by potential than earlier school standing.

Admission to The College is not an automatic admission to all courses or programmes. Some college courses and programmes have specific requirements in addition to the basic standards listed below. Individual course and programme descriptions should be consulted for details. Subject passes received in the General Certificate of Education Programme (GCE) or in The Bahamas General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) must be with a ‘C’ grade or better.

For the purpose of admission, college-level placement in English Language and Mathematics in The College Entrance/Placement Examination are considered as equivalent to GCE Ordinary Level or BGCSE passes in these subjects.

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ADMISSION CRITERIA
1. BACHELOR DEGREE PROGRAMMES
The College currently offers Bachelor Degree (four-year) Programmes in a number of subjects. In general, the entry requirements for these programmes are the same as the requirements for entry into the Associate Degree Programmes. An Associate Degree will be required for entry into the third year of the Bachelor Degree Programmes.

Applicants will be required to complete the relevant deficiencies prior to beginning the upper level courses. Additional information on Bachelor Degree Programmes may be obtained from the relevant School or the Admissions Office.

2. ASSOCIATE DEGREE PROGRAMME
The Associate Degree normally requires two years of post-secondary schooling. Its aim is to provide a sound general education that will fulfill the requirements for university transfer and enable entry into a career in education, industry, business or nursing.

2.1.1 In order to meet the academic requirements needed for acceptance to the Associate Degree Programmes, the applicant must satisfy one of the following criteria listed below:

Minimum Criteria
2.1.2 Applicants must have five BGCSE/GCE or equivalent passes including English and Mathematics. However, the following categories of applicants will also be considered.

Note: Candidates who have BGCSE/GCE passes in subjects other than English and Mathematics or whose passes only include one of these subjects must pass the deficiency subject(s) at the College Preparatory level in The College’s Entrance/Placement Examination.

Applicants with:
2.1.3 Three BGCSE/GCE or the equivalent passes in subjects other than English and Mathematics, and college-level placement in English and Mathematics in the Entrance/Placement Examination.

2.1.4 Four BGCSE/GCE passes including English and Mathematics.

Note: Where a Natural or Social Science subject is not included, applicants must complete either the College Preparatory Natural and/or Social Science course.

2.1.4 An acceptable High School Diploma and transcript with a ‘B’ average for the final two years of high school and college-level placement in English Language and Mathematics in The College’s Entrance/Placement Examination or Scholastic Achievement Test (SAT) scores in at least the 1,000 range.

2.1.5 Successful completion of a relevant College of The Bahamas pre-college level programme with at least a ‘C’ average.

2.1.6 Mature Student Status

Mature student status requires the applicant to:
• Be at least twenty-five years old
• Have been out of school for at least five years
• Have a minimum of three years work experience, and
• Place at college-level in English Language and Mathematics in The College’s Entrance/Placement Examination

2.1.7 Transfer Student Status. Transfer student status will be awarded to students who are in good academic standing at an accredited tertiary level institution. Applicants must have completed a minimum of fifteen transferable college level credits into the anticipated programme with ‘C’ grades and above.

3. ASSOCIATE DEGREE - NURSING PROGRAMME
Admission requirements are the same as that for the Associate Degree Programme and include a personal interview.

4. ASSOCIATE DEGREE IN HOSPITALITY
Admission requirements are the same as that for the Associate Degree Programme and include a personal interview.

5. COLLEGE PREPARATORY PROGRAMME
(Available in Exuma, Grand Bahama and through the Centre for Continuing Education & Extension Services)

Applicants who have not obtained the necessary qualifications for direct entry into Associate Degree Programmes may achieve this college level status by successfully completing the College Preparatory or Pre-Technology Programme.

Applicants for admission to Associate Degree Programmes may be considered for acceptance to these programmes provided they fulfill all of the following conditions:

• A minimum of five BJC subjects (including a pass in English Language) obtained at no more than two sittings OR Grade Level Assessment Test (GLAT) scores at the eighth or ninth grade levels in the average range for all subjects OR SAT scores of not less than 600;
• At least College Preparatory placement in English Language and Mathematics in the College’s Entrance/Placement Examination;
• Completed grade 12 or fifth form of a secondary/high school;
• Attained the age of sixteen years;
• Bahamian citizenship.

6. PRE-TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMME
Applicants to the Pre-Technology Programme must have:

• A minimum of five BJC subjects (including a pass in English Language) obtained at no more than two sittings OR Grade Level Assessment Test (GLAT) scores at the eighth or ninth grade levels in the average range for all subjects OR SAT scores of not less than 600;
• At least college preparatory placement in English Language and Mathematics in the College’s Entrance/Placement Examination;
• Completed grade 12 or fifth form of a secondary/high school;
• Attained the age of sixteen years;
• Bahamian citizenship.

Note: Mature candidates who do not have the minimum academic qualifications listed above will be considered for admission. For this programme Mature Student Status requires the applicant to be at least twenty-three years of age. The remaining requirements for Mature Student Status are the same as outlined in 2.1.6.

7. PRE-COLLEGE CERTIFICATE PROGRAMME
7.1 Admission requirements are the same as that for The College Preparatory Programme (see 5), except where indicated differently below.

7.2 Certificate in Music: Applicants are exempted from the requirements of 2 (i), however, they must also fulfill all of the requirements below:

• Passes in Royal School of Music or Trinity College of Music Examinations (Theory and Practical) Grade 4
• A personal interview

7.3 Certificate in Art: Applicants are exempted from the requirements listed in 4 (i) however, they must also fulfill all of the requirements below:

• Review of portfolio.
• A personal interview.

7.4 Pre-school Auxiliary: Applicants are exempted from the requirements in 2 (i). However, they must have a minimum of 3 BJCs or the equivalent including English and Mathematics.

7.5 Certificate in Physical Education: The seven BJC’s should include Mathematics, English Language and General Science.

8. COLLEGE LEVEL CERTIFICATE PROGRAMME
Admissions requirements are the same as that for the Associate Degree Programme (see 2.1.1 - 2.7.1).

9. ADVANCED CERTIFICATE PROGRAMME
The following categories of applicants will be considered for admission:

9.1 Graduates in the relevant disciplines from a recognized tertiary level institution at the Associate Degree level or above.

9.2 Transfer students majoring in relevant disciplines, in good academic standing at tertiary level institutions, who have completed more than fifty-nine college level credits.

9.3 Persons with at least eight years continuous work experience in a relevant agency. Three of those years must have been spent in a supervisory capacity.

Note:
• Applicants in 9.3 must have college-level placement in English Language and Mathematics in The College’s Entrance/Placement Examination.
• A personal interview is required for all applicants.

10. COLLEGE DIPLOMA PROGRAMME
10.1 School of Education Diploma in Education Programme Applicants must have an Associate or a Bachelor’s Degree with a major in a suitable teaching subject area.

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AUDITORS
Auditors are permitted only in a limited number of courses. Students regularly registered at The College may apply to the relevant Dean for permission to attend classes as auditors.

Applicants may be approved to attend classes as auditors under the following conditions below only if space is available in the class. This means that normally auditors are not admitted in a course until the close of registration. Regular credit students are given priority over auditors.

Auditors are accepted in classes with the following understanding:
• Auditors are not required to turn in any papers.
• Auditors are not permitted to take any examinations.
• No grade or credit is given.
• No transfer from audit to credit status or the reverse is permitted.

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FOREIGN APPLICANTS
Foreign applicants must obtain the permission of The Bahamas Immigration Authorities to reside in the country while they study at The College of The Bahamas. Completed Immigration forms and supporting documents are to be submitted to The College along with the completed College application. Foreign applicants, who already have Immigration permission to reside and/or work in The Bahamas, must submit a copy of their permit. Foreign applicants can contact the Admissions Office to get information on the academic certificates considered from certain countries.

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HOW TO APPLY FOR ADMISSION
If you are a student in the fifth form, or in Grade 12 or 13 in a Secondary School, and are planning to attend The College, it is recommended that you discuss these plans with your school’s guidance counsellor or teacher. Mature students, high school graduates or others are invited to apply directly to The College.

1. Secure an Application for Admission from any of the following:

• The Admissions Office
The College Of The Bahamas
Oakes Field Campus
P .O. Box N-4912
Nassau, Bahamas

• The College Of The Bahamas
Northern Bahamas Campus
West Settlers Way
P. O. Box F-42766
Freeport, Grand Bahama

• The Guidance Department of your high school

2. Complete the application form.

3. Send this form with an application fee of $40.00 to:

Director of Admissions
The College of The Bahamas
P. O. Box N-4912
E-mail Admissions Office: admissions@cob.edu.bs
Tel: (242) 302-4499, Fax: (242) 326-7834
Nassau, N.P., The Bahamas

Note: Students transferring from other institutions are required to send an official transcript to The College. The Office of Admissions staff and faculty advisors are available, by appointment, to prospective students.

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ADMISSIONS DEADLINES
Applications must be received by:
• The end of the first week (the Friday) in February, if you intend to begin classes in the FALL SEMESTER (September).
• The last Friday in September, if you intend to begin classes in the SPRING SEMESTER (January).

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TRANSFER CREDITS
1.Statement on Policy Intent
The purpose of this policy is to enable credits to be awarded to students for relevant work done at an accredited or otherwise recognized institution. For the purpose of this policy:

• “Accredited institution” refers to those institutions (or professional programmes) whose accrediting bodies are recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
• “Recognized institution” refers to those institutions, outside the USA, whose educational standards are recognized by their national government, national accrediting agencies or approved regional organizations.

Note: The “credit hour” is the unit used for the bookkeeping of a student’s learning. These units may either be in quarterly or semester hours. Institutions such as COB, which use the semester system, use the following “credit conversion”:

2. POLICY
2.1 Transfer credits will normally only be given if applied for at the time of admission to The College. Such credits will not normally be allocated retroactively.

2.2 Students who were successful in courses in the aforementioned situation will be given credits for The College of The Bahamas courses where the former courses are equivalent. Transfer credits will normally only be awarded for courses for which there are The College of The Bahamas equivalents.

2.3 For each ‘A’ level course, credits will be awarded according to the requirements of The College of The Bahamas equivalent programme.

2.4 Credits will only be awarded for courses in which grades of ‘C’ or better have been attained.

2.5 A maximum of 50% of the required credits for any programme may be transferred. Only 50% of the major may be obtained by transfer credit.

2.1.1 A Pass grade (T) only will be awarded for any transfer credits allowed.

3. PROCEDURES
3.1 For transfer credits, students must apply to the Admissions Office on the approved form.

3.2 Students must provide the Admissions Office with:
• An official transcript forwarded directly to The College of The Bahamas from the transferring institution(s);
• A college catalogue covering period of attendance at the transferring institution;
• Course outlines provided by the transferring institution, if requested;
• Accreditation/recognition status of transferring institution, if not indicated on official transcript.

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FEES, EXPENSES AND FINANCIAL AID
Every person admitted into a programme of study leading to a Certificate, Diploma, Associate Degree, Bachelor’s or Masters Degree or other award of The College of The Bahamas shall pay fees and other prescribed charges. The institution reserves the right to refuse registration for further courses of study to persons indebted to it. Any person who is indebted to The College of The Bahamas will not be granted a Diploma, Certificate Degree or other award nor shall any transcripts be issued for such persons.

Fees are payable in cash, by money order or certified cheque which should be made payable to “The College of The Bahamas”. Credit cards may be accepted subject to a small service charge.

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TUITION AND OTHER FEES
APPLICATION SERVICE FEE
A non-refundable application service fee is charged for processing a student’s first application for admission. Students reapplying for admission following withdrawal or suspension are also required to pay this fee. An additional fee will be charged to all late applicants.

NON-REFUNDABLE ORIENTATION FEE
All new students shall pay a non-refundable orientation fee upon registration.

TUITION FEES
All tuition and fee payments are due on or before the last day of registration.

AUDITORS
Students wishing to audit courses pay the same tuition and fees as students who register for credit.

NON-CREDIT GENERAL INTEREST COURSES
From time to time non-credit general interest courses are offered through The Centre for Continuing Education and Extension Services (CEES). Fees for these courses are determined based upon related expenses.

REGISTRATION FEES: ALL STUDENTS
All students are required to pay the following:

• Student Activity Fee: This fee provides funds for the Student Government and Clubs and is payable at the time of official registration.

• Student Services Fee: This is a one-time fee that covers the cost of providing student identification cards.

• Accident Insurance Fee: The Accident Insurance Fee is mandatory for all students. It is paid annually at the time of the student’s first registration for the academic year.

• Library User Fee: The Library User Fee provides support for the maintenance of the library’s resources. The fee is mandatory and non-refundable and is payable on the day of official registration.

• Internet Access Fee: All students currently enrolled at The College of The Bahamas may request an Internet account by completing a “COB Internet Request” Form. Each semester a fee will be charged to all students and will be payable at the time of registration. Once enrolment is verified, a College of The Bahamas Internet access account will be established and the student will receive account information. Internet access shall be terminated once the student is no longer enrolled.

• Security Deposit: A refundable security deposit is payable by students in all programmes (with the exception of CEES Programmes) at the time of first registration.

For a listing of fees and listings of our Certificate, Advanced Certificate, Diploma and Graduate Programmes, contact The College of The Bahamas Admissions Office.