ADMISSIONS INFORMATION
Undergraduates in the final regular term of their senior year of study and graduates of regionally accredited colleges or universities are eligible to apply for admission to a graduate degree program. Prospective students should file their applications at least four weeks prior to the date of anticipated enrollment. Applications for financial assistance or graduate assistantships should be made to the Office of Financial Aid at least 90 days prior to enrollment.
Students desiring to enter the graduate program must submit the following documents:
- A Completed graduate application for admission.
- An application fee of $50 (non-refundable). Current and past Wayland students are excused from this fee.
- Official transcripts from each institution attended. A transcript is official if received directly by the Office of Graduate Studies or the external campus office directly from the issuing institution. It must bear the college seal, date and appropriate signature. Hand-carried transcripts are considered official only if they are presented to Wayland in a sealed letterhead envelope from the issuing institution. If the bachelor's degree has not been conferred at the time the transcript is sent, an official transcript indicating the completion of the baccalaureate degree must be forwarded after graduation.
- Application files will not be evaluated until all of the above requirements have been met.
A student who desires to enroll in graduate courses may be admitted to graduate study under one of the following categories.
The degree-seeking category is available for any student who wishes to pursue a graduate degree, has completed the graduate application process, and who meets all admissions requirements. A student in this category is eligible to enroll in all graduate courses for which he or she has completed the necessary prerequisites. Application for admission to a specific degree program is made concurrently with application to the Graduate Program. A student who holds a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution and meets one of the following conditions is eligible for admission as a degree seeking student.
- Applicants with a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher on the last 60 graded hours earned are guaranteed admission to the graduate program.
- Applicants with a GPA of 2.70 to 2.999 on the last 60 graded hours earned must submit a writing sample approved by the university.
- Applicants with a GPA of 2.50 to 2.699 on the last 60 graded hours earned may be admitted on a probationary status. Students under this category must submit a writing sample approved by the university. Upon grading of the sample, the student may be required to participate in an interview process.
The conditional category exists for students who wish to pursue a graduate degree but have not yet met all the admission requirements. Candidates admitted under this category must have applied for degree-seeking status. To be granted conditional degree-seeking status, the applicant must hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited university, submit a completed application for degree-seeking students, pay the related application fee and arrange for all official transcripts to be sent to the Graduate Studies Office.
To continue enrollment beyond the first term of attendance, the applicant must be admitted as a degree-seeking candidate prior to the beginning of the next regular term of 10 weeks or more. Students in this category may not take more than 6 semester hours of graduate work and must earn a grade of B or better in each course attempted. Students will not be allowed to enroll in graduate courses for which they have not had the prerequisites required for the class. (If during the course of the semester of conditional enrollment it is discovered that the student does not meet graduate requirements, he or she may be asked to withdraw from graduate classes).
The non-degree post-baccalaureate category is available to any student who already holds a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university and who desires graduate work for the purpose of licensure, certification, or personal goals but who does not wish to apply this work toward a graduate degree. International students holding an F-1 visa are not admitted under this category.
Admission Procedures
A non-degree post-baccalaureate applicant must meet all the criteria for admissions. Requirements for admission are as follows:
- To be admitted, non-degree seeking students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.7 or higher for the last 60 hours of courses completed.
- A non-refundable fee of $50 is required.
- A completed Application for Admission.
- An official copy of their most recent transcript with the baccalaureate degree posted and a copy of all transcripts documenting all post-baccalaureate hours completed.
- These documents must be submitted prior to the beginning of the next regular academic term of 10 weeks or more
Non-degree seeking students whose documents are not completed prior to enrollment will not be allowed to take more than six (6) semester hours of graduate courses in the first term. Students in this category will not be allowed to enroll in graduate courses for which they have not met the prerequisites. If it is discovered that a student is enrolled without meeting the requirements for a non-degree seeking student, that student may be asked to withdraw from classes.
Admission to a non-degree program is not a guarantee of admission to a graduate degree program at a later date, nor does it guarantee that credits earned in a non-degree program will count toward a graduate degree.
A maximum of 12 semester hours of graduate study earned in this category may be applied to a Wayland graduate degree. The graduate admissions committee must approve the application of non-degree hours to a graduate degree. Leveling work completed by a non-degree student must have not lower than C to satisfy graduate degree requirements. If, for some reason, a student elects to change a degree status, he or she may do so by filling out the appropriate application and meeting all the requirements for the category that they seek. A required $50 change of degree fee will be required for each time a student changes a degree status. This fee is different from the application fee; therefore, no students will be exempt from this fee if they change degrees.
Five categories of non-degree admissions are available to all students except for certain groups of international visa holders including F-1 visa holders:
Certificate or Licensure students who desire to earn certification through the Division of Education may apply for this type of non-degree status. Graduate courses may be taken, but if students wish to pursue a degree at a later time, only 12 graduate hours completed before admissions to a degree program can be counted toward a degree. Students must also apply to the teacher education program through the Division of Education.
Educational Administration (Principal) Licensure- for those students who already possess a valid teaching license and Master's degree and only which to take the hours required for principalship certification. Financial aid is not available for students who are non-degree seeking this licensure.
Health Care Licensure-for those students who already possess a baccalaureate or graduate degree and only want to take the hours for state licensure in the health care field. Financial aid is not available for students who are non-degree seeking this licensure.
Teacher Certification-for those students not currently certified who are seeking teacher certification on the elementary, secondary, or all-level. Students pursuing teacher certification have to complete a non-degree seeking application, pay the application fee (if required), and submit official transcripts from every institution attended to be considered for certification. Financial aid is available for those who are admitted into both the graduate program and the teacher education certification program. Students should contact the financial aid office for more information.
Concurrent -a senior student in the last regular or summer session term of undergraduate work may enroll in up to six semester hours of graduate work, provided that the student has completed an application to the Graduate Program, has a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better, and has obtained written approval from the chair of the division in which the work is offered. With approval from the academic advisor, the student may apply credit for graduate course work to either the undergraduate degree or graduate degree during the semester taken; however, in no instance may credit for course work be applied to both degrees. On external campuses, the advisor must notify the correct administrative office in writing as to the area for which credit is to be applied.
If the graduate course work is to satisfy undergraduate degree requirements, the student shall be governed by the existing catalog of record. If the graduate course work is to be applied to Wayland graduate degree requirements, the student shall be governed by the current catalog at the time of initial enrollment in graduate course work. Students will not be allowed to enroll in any more graduate courses until admitted and the baccalaureate degree has been posted. Courses taken to be used toward a graduate program may have financial aid implication. For clarification of financial aid contact the campus financial aid representative.
Post-Baccalaureate/Post-Graduate -students who have earned an undergraduate
or a graduate degree and desire to take only undergraduate leveling courses. Since the undergraduate courses being taken are for leveling prerequisites, students must have a grade not lower than "C" to satisfy graduate degree-requirements. Financial aid is not available for students who are non-degree seeking pursuing this category.
Temporary -students who do not seek a graduate degree, but want to take graduate
courses for personal goals/interest, raising their grade point average or continuing professional enrichment development who do not meet any of the previously mentioned categories. Students may only enroll in a maximum of 12 hours. Financial aid is not available for students who are non-degree pursuing this category.
Transient students who need to take a graduate course at Wayland to transfer back
to another graduate program. financial aid is not available for students who are non-degree seeking pursuing this category.
Additional Requirements for International Students
In addition to the admission requirements stated above, an international student (a student attending Wayland on an F-1 student visa issued by the United States government) must also submit the following to the Admissions Office:
- Visa Authorization Form
- All applicable transcripts - A student must have completed a program equivalent to the baccalaureate degree in the United States. Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended must be provided. It is the responsibility of the applicant to have all transcripts, certificates, or diplomas from institutions outside the United States sent to a credentials evaluation agency for evaluation. A list of agencies may be obtained from the Office of Admissions. This evaluation determines the authenticity of the documents as well as provides appropriate subject identification as well as GPA calculation (in many instances, this will be termed a "detailed" report). A copy of the results must be sent directly to Wayland from the evaluation service.
- Language Entrance Exam -International students whose first or home language is not English are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). A minimum of 61 on the Internet-based test, 173 on the computer-based, or 500 on the paper-based test is required for unconditional admission. The TOEFL is administered by the Educational Testing Service. A registration form and a "Bulletin of Information for Candidates" may be obtained by contacting ETS through their web site at http://www.ets.org, or writing to TOEFL Registration Office, P.O. Box 6151, Princeton, New Jersey 08541-6151, USA.
- Financial Support Statement - All international students must certify to Wayland and the U.S. Citizenship Immigration Service that the student has sufficient funds available to cover the first two semesters of study while in the United States. A completed Financial Statement form is required for the student file. This form is available on the Wayland web site at http://www.wbu.edu or by contacting the international admissions representative.
For more information, refer to the international web site at www.wbu.edu/international.
Graduate Student toll free number: 866-8944-4544