Certificates & Non-Degree Seeking

Technical certificates are 1-year programs that help students get a job or learn new skills for their current job. Students enrolled in a technical certificate program are considered non-degree students. 

If the certificate has college-level coursework, you will be required to take a placement assessment in addition to the steps above. Contact the Welcome Center for details. 

You are a special student if you are not enrolled in a degree program but wish to take one or more courses in order to gain employment skills, professional growth, or personal enrichment. 

Realize that although special students are not required to complete normal assessment procedures, the content of college-level courses assumes mastery of fundamental knowledge, skills, and aptitudes required for the course. Enrollment in a college-level English or mathematics course requires evidence you are prepared for the course content – evidence such as college transcripts, or placement test scores/ACT or SAT examination scores. 

You are considered a transient student if you are already enrolled in another institution but would like to take a limited number of credit hours during a term at NSCC. As long as you aren’t working toward a degree at NSCC, you may be admitted as a transient student. If any financial aid is available for you, you would need to contact the financial aid office at your home school. 

In lieu of submitting a college or university transcript, you may complete the Transient Student Approval Request Form. 

Nashville State also welcomes audit students who want to take courses not for credit, but for their own academic exploration and personal enrichment. Every audit student is expected to attend class but does not receive a letter grade or course credit. An “AU” will appear on the student’s record for completion of an audit course. Audit hours are counted in determining a student’s maximum course load. 

Audit students enroll in classes with space available on the first day of late registration, and do not incur a late registration fee. 

As an audit student, you may not: 

• Change status from credit to audit or audit to credit once officially enrolled 
• Audit college-prep courses 
• Audit a TN eCampus course 
• Use a fee waiver to audit courses if you are a state employee