Admissions Policy
1.) CONTINUOUS ADMISSIONS POLICY
A candidate may apply to and be accepted into a Contemporary Technology University (CONTECH) program anytime during the year on a continuous basis. Once accepted and enrolled, the student may start his/her program whenever a new module/class starts.
2.) OVERVIEW OF THE ADMISSIONS PROCESS
A candidate’s application for admission and enrollment in a CONTECH program will follow this process to be officially enrolled in a CONTECH program:
a.) A CONTECH Admissions Officer (AO) responds to an initial inquiry by a candidate for admission for a CONTECH program. Via a (telephone, in-person or video) interview, the AO determines the candidate’s interest and overall eligibility. The AO also provides support and assistance to the applicant to complete and submit an Application for Admission.
b.) The candidate submits an Application for Admission.
c.) The candidate’s application will be reviewed by the AO to verify that the candidate meets all of the eligibility requirements for the MSCS or the MSDM program.
d.) If eligibility is met for a CONTECH program, the AO will recommend the candidate’s application for admissions be approved by Academics (usually the Program Director, Dean or Provost). Academics may also decide to interview the candidate. Academics will make the final decision regarding granting the candidate’s application for admission to CONTECH.
e.) If the Academics staff member approves the candidate’s application, the AO will then notify the candidate that he/she has been offered admission and will send the candidate an Enrollment Agreement and other applicable paperwork.
f.) If the candidate accepts CONTECH’s offer of admissions, he/she will need to sign and return the Enrollment Agreement and make the required payment.
g.) Upon CONTECH’s receipt of the Enrollment Agreement and all required enrollment paperwork and payment, the candidate will officially become a student of CONTECH.
3.) STEPS OF THE ADMISSIONS & ENROLLMENT PROCESS
This policy and the set of procedures apply to both candidates who are citizens or permanent legal residents of the United States as well as to candidates who are not citizens or permanent legal residents of the United States.
STEP 1: ADMISSIONS OFFICER FOLLOW-UP TO CANDIDATE’S INQUIRY
After receiving an inquiry from a candidate, the Admissions Officer (AO) will conduct a telephone interview with the candidate to determine overall interest and overall eligibility for a specific CONTECH program. The AO provides support and assistance as needed for the candidate to complete and submit an Application for Admission if qualified.
STEP 2: CANDIDATE SUBMITS APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION
The candidate submits the following application paperwork:
● CONTECH Application for Admissions
● Copy of high school and all college/university academic transcripts*
● If applicable, proof of English language proficiency (See section 4 below)
All of the above documents must be submitted by email to admission@contech.university or through my.contech.university admission portal.
*Evaluation and verification of all academic transcripts are required if the candidate’s degree(s) have been obtained outside the US. The candidate must use one of the approved credential evaluation services listed in section 5 below.
The requirement for official transcript submission is within one enrollment period, not exceeding 12 semester credit hours.
STEP 3: ELIGIBILITY REVIEW OF CANDIDATE’S APPLICATION
The AO will review all of the required application materials provided by the candidate to verify that he/she is eligible for the CONTECH program for which he/she is applying.
If the determination is made that the candidate does not meet all programmatic eligibility requirements, the Admissions staff member will contact the candidate in writing to notify him/her that his/her application for admission has been denied due to failure to meet the minimum eligibility programmatic requirements.
If the determination is made that the candidate does meet all programmatic eligibility requirements, the Admissions staff member will recommend the candidate be granted admissions to Academics.
STEP 4: ASSESSMENT OF CANDIDATE’S SKILLS
The AO will provide candidates with an online assessment for the following tests: Analytical Thinking test, Digital Literacy test and Python Skills test for candidates who apply for Computer Science program; Analytical Thinking test, Digital Marketing test and Digital Literacy test for students who apply for Digital marketing program. The candidates who get 60% score from all tests will be directed to the next step.
All tests are being updated by our faculty members regularly to stay up-to-date with the changing technological advancement.
STEP 5: APPROVAL/DENIAL OF ADMISSIONS BY ACADEMICS
Academics will review the candidate’s application materials as well as the recommendation from the AO. Academics may also decide to interview the candidate. Academics will make the final decision regarding granting the candidate’s request for admission.
STEP 6: CANDIDATE NOTIFIED OF ADMISSIONS DECISION
If Academics does not approve the candidate’s application for admission to a CONTECH program, the AO will then notify the candidate in writing that he/she has been denied admission.
If Academics does approve the candidate’s application for admission to a CONTECH program, the AO will then notify the candidate that he/she has been granted admission to a CONTECH program. The candidate will be sent an Enrollment Agreement and other applicable paperwork.
STEP 7: CANDIDATE SIGNS ENROLLMENT AGREEMENT
For the candidate to accept CONTECH’s offer of admissions, he/she must submit the following to CONTECH Admissions:
● Enrollment Agreement
● Signed Fact Sheet and CONTECH’s catalog receipt
● Signed media consent form
● Payment of the first installation of the program tuition fee (when applicable)
The above documents need to be submitted to admission officers via email or through my.contech.university portal or other online forms.
4.) CONTECH ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY ELIGIBILITY
FOR MSCS AND MSDM PROGRAM ADMISSIONS
MSCS and MSDM prospective students whose native language is not English and who have not earned a degree from an appropriately accredited institution where English is the principal language of instruction must demonstrate college-level proficiency in English through one of the following for admission:
a.) A minimum score of 530 on the paper-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL PBT), or 71 on the Internet-Based Test (iBT), a 6.5 on the International English Language Test (IELTS), or 50 on the Pearson Test of English Academic Score Report.
b.) A minimum score on the College Board Accuplacer ESL Exam Series as follows:
ESL Language Use: Score of 85
ESL Listening: Score of 80
ESL Reading: Score of 85
ESL Sentence Meaning: Score of 90 ESL Writeplacer: Score of 4
Comprehensive Score for all exams of 350
c.) A minimum grade of Pre-1 on the Eiken English Proficiency Exam;
d.) A minimum B-2 English proficiency level identified within the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) Standards and assessed through various ESOL examinations, including the University of Cambridge;
e.) A transcript indicating completion of at least 30 semester credit hours with an average grade of “B” or higher at an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the United States Secretary of Education and/or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), or accepted foreign equivalent that is listed in the International Handbook of Universities where the language of instruction was English.
f) A passing score of 70 on the Duolingo English Test: Passing the Duolingo English Test fully qualifies the applicant for any of the CONTECH programs. The test costs $49 and can be completed online and/or at home for the convenience of test-takers.
g) A letter from the university issuing the Bachelor degree indicating that the language of study of the program was the English Language
5.) CONTECH APPROVED CREDENTIAL EVALUATION SERVICES
Any candidate who has graduated from a college or university outside the United States must have his/her academic transcripts evaluated and verified by a credential evaluation services approved by the Bureau of Educator Certification.
CONTECH recommends that candidates use the credential evaluation services of World Education Services (WES). Information is available at www.wes.org
WES is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping international students and professionals achieve their educational and professional goals in the United States and Canada. Founded in 1974, WES evaluates and advocates for the recognition of international education qualifications. For over 40 years, WES has set the standard of excellence in the field of international mobility with its credential evaluations, research and consulting services, and ongoing support for international students and skilled immigrants. WES has provided credential evaluations for more than one million people worldwide. WES evaluations are widely recognized by more than 2,500 educational, business, and governmental institutions throughout the U.S. and Canada.
However, if the candidate does not want to use WES, he/she may use any of the credential evaluation services listed below:
● Academic and Professional International Evaluations, Inc., CA
● ACREVS, Inc., Milpitas, CA
● American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO)
● American Evaluation and Translation Service, Inc. (AETS), Miami, FL
● C.E.I.E Specialists, Inc.
● Center for Educational Documentation, Boston, MA
● Consultancy on International Education (CIE), IL
● Education Evaluators International (CA, RI, NY)
● Educated Choices, LLC
● Foreign Consultants, Inc. (FCI), Westminster, CO
● Foreign Credentials Service of America, Austin, TX
● Global Education Group, Inc., Miami, FL & Tucson, AZ
● International Education Evaluations, Inc., Charlotte & Harrisburg, NC
● International Education Evaluators, Surfside, FL
● Institute of Foreign Credential Services, Dobbs Ferry, NY
● Jack Phillips, NJ
● North American Education Group (NAEG), Swampscott, MA
● Visiting International Faculty Program (VIF), NC
● Worldwide Education Consultant Services, TX Criteria for approval of credential evaluation agencies are outlined in State Board of Education Rule 6A-4.003.
● Educational Credential Evaluators | ECE® https://www.ece.org/
5. MSCS and MSDM CONDITIONAL ADMISSIONS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Students who meet all of the application eligibility requirements for either program and who earned their bachelor’s degree from a country other than the United States will be granted conditional admission to either program. These students will be required to pass a 2-week, 15-hour non-credit course in academic research and writing. Once the student passes this course, his/her admissions status will be changed from conditional or “full” admissions.
A student who is not able to pass this course will be denied admission to CONTECH programs.
6. CANDIDATE APPEAL OF DENIAL OF ADMISSIONS
A candidate may appeal a denial of admission to a CONTECH program. The candidate must send a written appeal with a detailed justification for reconsideration. The appeal may include supporting documentation.
All appeals of denial of admissions must be received by the CONTECH Provost within thirty (30) calendar days from the date of the denial of admission. Any appeals received after this time period will not be considered.
It is highly unlikely that a candidate whose admissions denial was based on not meeting the minimum eligibility requirements for a CONTECH program of study will be approved. The candidate will be encouraged to reapply once he/she meets all programmatic eligibility requirements.
The Provost has the final authority to act on all candidate appeals of admission denial. The Provost may decide to conduct an interview (telephone, video conference or in-person) with the candidate as part of his/her review and decision-making process regarding the candidate’s appeal.
The Provost will act on the candidate’s appeal within fourteen (14) calendar days after receipt of the candidate’s written appeal.
A candidate who has been denied admission has the right to reapply for admission at any time.
6. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Tuition Fees
Below are the Tuition and Fees schedules, approved by the Board of Directors, for the stated academic years 2023-2024. The University reserves the right to update the tuition and fee schedule at any time upon final approval of the Board.
Master of Science in Computer Science Program 12 Month $12,000
Master of Science in Digital Marketing Program 12 Month $12,000
Tuition includes and provides for:
1. Access to the Learning Management system (Canvas) – this does not include books and other reference materials.
2. One (1) Examination per course. As students are given 3 chances to pass each course, extra exams are charged extra* per course per instance. If the student does not pass the course after a 3rd attempt, the course has to be redone, and new exams can be granted.
3. Printing for one degree/diploma certificate and one transcript when the course has been passed. (Excluding sending originals. Any fee for forwarding will be invoiced separately).
Late Tuition Fees Payment:
In case of students being late more than one month in paying the tuition fees, the university holds the right to apply late fees penalty and/or un-enroll the student from the semester, course or year. If the student is over 3 months late in payment, the university holds the right to expel the student totally from the program.
Extra Charges:
o Printing of extra certificates: 25 USD per Certificate without shipping and 30 USD with shipping
o Extra Exams: 200 USD per Exam
o Extra Grading of assignments: 50 USD per Grading
o Extra transcript of records: 30 USD
o Fee for issuing and mailing one extra transcript to locations outside of the US: 100 USD
STATE OF CALIFORNIA STUDENT TUITION RECOVERY FUND (STRF)
The State of California established the Student Tuition Recovery Fund (STRF) to relieve or mitigate economic loss suffered by a student in an educational program at a qualifying institution, who is or was a California resident while enrolled, or was enrolled in a residency program, if the student enrolled in the institution, prepaid tuition, and suffered an economic loss.
Unless relieved of the obligation to do so, you must pay the state-imposed assessment for the STRF, or it must be paid on your behalf, if you are a student in an educational program, who is a California resident, or are enrolled in a residency program, and prepay all or part of your tuition.
You are not eligible for protection from the STRF and you are not required to pay the STRF assessment, if you are not a California resident, or are not enrolled in a residency program.
It is important that you keep copies of your enrollment agreement, financial aid documents, receipts, or any other information that documents the amount paid to the school. Questions regarding the STRF may be directed to the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education, 1747 N. Market Blvd. Ste.225 Sacramento, CA 95834, (916) 574-8900 or (888) 370-7589.
To be eligible for STRF, you must be a California resident or are enrolled in a residency program, prepaid tuition, paid or deemed to have paid the STRF assessment, and suffered an economic loss as a result of any of the following:
1. The institution, a location of the institution, or an educational program offered by the institution was closed or discontinued, and you did not choose to participate in a teach-out plan approved by the Bureau or did not complete a chosen teach-out plan approved by the Bureau.
2. You were enrolled at an institution or a location of the institution within the 120 day period before the closure of the institution or location of the institution, or were enrolled in an educational program within the 120 day period before the program was discontinued.
3. You were enrolled at an institution or a location of the institution more than 120 days before the closure of the institution or location of the institution, in an educational program offered by the institution as to which the Bureau determined there was a significant decline in the quality or value of the program more than 120 days before closure.
4. The institution has been ordered to pay a refund by the Bureau but has failed to do so.
5. The institution has failed to pay or reimburse loan proceeds under a federal student loan program as required by law, or has failed to pay or reimburse proceeds received by the institution in excess of tuition and other costs.
6. You have been awarded restitution, a refund, or other monetary award by an arbitrator or court, based on a violation of this chapter by an institution or representative of an institution, but have been unable to collect the award from the institution.
7. You sought legal counsel that resulted in the cancellation of one or more of your student loans and have an invoice for services rendered and evidence of the cancellation of the student loan or loans.
To qualify for STRF reimbursement, the application must be received within four (4) years from the date of the action or event that made the student eligible for recovery from STRF.
A student whose loan is revived by a loan holder or debt collector after a period of non collection may, at any time, file a written application for recovery from STRF for the debt that would have otherwise been eligible for recovery. If it has been more than four (4) years since the action or event that made the student eligible, the student must have filed a written application for recovery within the original four (4) year period, unless the period has been extended by another act of law.
However, no claim can be paid to any student without a social security number or a taxpayer identification number.
STUDENT’S RIGHT TO CANCEL, WITHDRAW AND REFUND POLICY
Course Drops and Withdrawals
The MSCS or the MSDM program is made up of a number of courses. Students are responsible for managing their time at the University and balancing their studies with their non-University commitments. There is, however, some flexibility to enable students to manage their workload. There may be circumstances and occasions when it is necessary for students to change their University activities by dropping a course or withdrawing from a course. Should students need to do so, they must follow the process and should understand the implications that are outlined in this section.