Undergraduate Admissions

Wayland Baptist University seeks to attract a student body distinguished by the ability and desire to pursue academic excellence in a Christian environment. Accordingly, the admissions standards, academic policies, and Student Handbook of the university (located on the Student Services page of the WBU website) have been designed to identify, attract and retain such students. The university and the admissions committee reserve the right to refuse admission to any applicant whose admission or continued enrollment is deemed to be undesirable. Although any application for admission will be processed promptly upon its receipt, students will not be formally admitted to the university until the Office of Admissions has received all documentation required for the appropriate admission category.

Wayland Baptist University has several campus locations with multiple session start dates. Applicants interested in attending one of Wayland’s campuses should consult the calendar portion of the catalog or the campus they wish to attend to determine the dates by which admissions paperwork should be submitted for each term.

Information regarding admissions may be obtained directly from the campus the student desires to attend or may be found online at www.wbu.edu. Students wishing to attend the Plainview campus may also request information from:

Director of Admissions
Wayland Baptist University
1900 West 7th St., CMB# 1294
Plainview, TX 79072-6998
Telephone: (800) 588-1928

Wayland provides two categories of undergraduate admissions, Degree Seeking and Non-Degree Seeking. Each category has a number of admission options. Admission categories and options include:

Degree Seeking

Students who plan to seek a degree or complete the requirements for a pre-professional program (except non-traditional AAS/BAS/BCM students) may be admitted under one of the following options.

First-Time Freshman Admission

This option is available for first-time freshman applicants who have not been enrolled in any college level institution except concurrently while in high school or during the summer immediately following high school graduation and before enrolling in the University for the subsequent fall. To be considered for this option, applicants must submit the following:

1. A completed application for admission
2. An application fee of $35 (non-refundable).
3. An official transcript from an accredited high school which indicates graduation and the completion of four years of English, three years of mathematics, three years of social sciences, and three years of science.

First-time freshman applicants may be considered for conditional admission prior to high school graduation. In order to be considered, students must submit an official transcript which shows grades through at least six semesters or terms. Upon graduation from high school, such students must submit a transcript showing completion of high school requirements as listed in number 3 above.

As some college credit and merit scholarships are awarded based on ACT or SAT scores, students are encouraged to submit an official ACT or SAT score.

First-time freshman students admitted to the university will be admitted under either the regular freshman or alternative admission category.

Regular Freshman Admission

Students who fall into one of the following categories will be admitted to Wayland under Regular Freshman Admission:

1. Students who have a 2.0 or better cumulative high school GPA at the time of transcript review for admission. This includes homeschool graduates as well as students who graduate from unaccredited high schools.
2. Students who have between a 1.50 and 1.99 cumulative high school GPA, if the average of all high school-level English courses is 75 or above.
3. GED recipients at least 17 years of age.

Alternative Freshman Admission

The following students may be considered for admission to Wayland under Alternative Freshman Admission:

1. Students who have between a 1.50 and 1.99 cumulative high school GPA, but whose average of all high school-level English courses is not 75 or above.
2. Students who have a 1.49 or lower cumulative high school GPA.

Admission under this category is at the discretion of the university’s admissions committee. After consideration of all documentation the committee may:

1. Admit the student under the category Regular Freshman Admission.
2. Admit the student under an Entrance Probation category with or without additional stipulations.
3. Deny admission.
4. Defer admission and require an interview or writing sample.

Entrance probation is an admissions status that limits the number of hours in which a student may enroll during the first term of enrollment at Wayland. Entrance probation at Wayland limits enrollment in no more than 14 credit hours during the first term of enrollment. In addition, to develop knowledge and skills required to satisfactorily perform at the collegiate level, students may be placed in appropriate developmental courses. All developmental courses in which students are placed must be taken in the first term in which the course is offered.

Transfer Admission

Students who have previously been enrolled in a college or university may be admitted as a transfer student. For transfer admission, a student must be eligible to re-enter the institution(s) previously attended. To be considered for transfer status applicants must submit the following:

1. A completed application for admission.
2. An application fee of $35 (non-refundable).
3. Official transcripts from each institution attended. It is the responsibility of the student to provide official transcripts of all postsecondary work completed as of the date of the application. Failure to list all colleges attended is considered grounds for denial of admission into Wayland as well as possible immediate suspension for those currently enrolled at Wayland.
4. A letter explaining the circumstances leading to a suspension from any and all colleges within the last 5 years.
5. A letter explaining the circumstances leading to a probation from any and all colleges within the last 5 years.

For regular Transfer admission, applicants must have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 1.6 if less than 60 transcripted hours are completed or 2.0 with 60 or more transcripted hours completed. If an applicant has fewer than 24 transcripted hours, an official high school transcript and official ACT or SAT test scores must be submitted. Transfer students with at least 24 transcripted hours must supply all official college transcripts. Transfer students who are at least 22 years of age on or before the first day of class will not be required to submit ACT or SAT test scores. Students who were enrolled for 12 or more hours at their previous institutions must have passed at least six hours of non-remedial college credit, and students who were enrolled in fewer than 12 hours must have passed at least three hours of college credit. Transfer students may be required to take additional placement testing as deemed necessary by the admissions committee.

Transfer students not meeting the conditions for regular Transfer admission may be considered for admission at the discretion of the university’s admissions committee. After consideration of all documentation required for review, the committee may:

1. Admit the student under the category Transfer Admission.
2. Admit the student under an Entrance Probation category with or without stipulations.
3. Deny admission.
4. Require an interview, additional documents, and/or additional testing.

Readmission

Any fully admitted student returning to Wayland after an absence of one 16-week term at the Plainview campus must apply for readmission. Any fully admitted student returning to any other Wayland campus after an absence of one year or longer must reapply for admissions. There is no application fee required for this procedure, but the applicant must submit:

1. A completed application for admission.
2. Official transcripts from all institutions attended since last enrolling in Wayland.
3. A letter explaining the circumstances leading to a suspension from any and all colleges within the last 5 years.
4. A letter explaining the circumstances leading to a probation from any and all colleges within the last 5 years.

Students seeking readmission following attendance at another institution must be eligible to re-enter the institution(s) previously attended. Students not in good standing at the last university attended or a student on academic probation or suspension at Wayland must be approved by the admissions committee.

Non-Degree Seeking

Students who do not plan to earn a degree or complete the requirements for a pre-professional program may apply for admission through any of the following categories:

Concurrent High School Admission

Students may apply to be concurrently enrolled at Wayland following the completion of or the enrollment in 50% of the required credits for high school graduation. Students must be at least 16 years old by their first day of concurrent classes. Applicants must submit:

1. A completed application for admission.
2. An official high school transcript showing completion of required credits.
3. Required test scores for concurrent consideration
   • ACT Scores
     • Composite - 18 or greater
     • Subtests:
       • English - 18 or greater
       • Reading - 18 or greater
       • MATH 1300 - 18 or greater
       • MATH 1304 - 20 or greater
   • SAT Scores
     • Composite - 960 or greater
     • Subtests:
       • Writing - 25 or greater
       • Reading - 23 or greater
       • MATH 1300 - 23 or greater
       • MATH 1304 - 24 or greater

*Note: in the event that COVID-19 prevents student access to ACT/SAT examinations, alternative entrance requirements will be used.

Applicants must qualify in both ACT Reading and English or SAT Reading and Writing to qualify for any concurrent classes except Math courses. If an applicant wants to take a science course that has a math pre-requisite, the math placement must be met.

If an applicant has the required composite score, and a subtest score that is short by 1 point only, the applicant may retake the ACT or SAT, or take an Accuplacer test at Wayland to try to qualify for the program. The Accuplacer is free of charge, is not timed, and is computer-based. Only one Accuplacer testing per discipline is allowed per 16-week term.

4. A completed concurrent enrollment agreement, which can be obtained from the Office of Admissions. This agreement will require the signatures of the student, parent, high school principal or high school counselor, WBU vice president of academic affairs, and the registrar.

Costs for concurrent enrollment will include appropriate tuition and all stated course fees for the classes taken.

Concurrently enrolled students must abide by all university placement policies based on ACT, SAT, and Accuplacer test scores. Enrollment under this option is also subject to the approval of the instructor.

Students admitted under the concurrent high school admissions category may enroll in a maximum of nine credit hours total during a 16-week term, or nine credit hours over the course of two consecutive 8-week sessions (Fall 1 and Fall 2, or Spring 1 and Spring 2) online or at an external campus. Enrollment is restricted to lower-division courses (courses designated as freshman or sophomore level). At Wayland, these are indicated by a “1” or “2” in the initial digit of the four digit course number.

Students receiving a grade of “D” or “F” in a concurrent class must submit a letter of appeal to the Admissions Committee in order to attempt additional concurrent classes. Continued enrollment in concurrent classes will be at the discretion of the Admissions Committee.

Plainview Collegiate High School/Early College High School Admission (may be degree seeking or non-degree seeking)

Plainview Collegiate High School (PCHS) is a partnership between Wayland Baptist University and Plainview Independent School District that offers dual credit courses to eligible students. This partnership allows students the opportunity to earn an Associate of Arts degree or 60 college credits while simultaneously granting credit toward their high school graduation requirements.

In order to be admitted into the PCHS program, students must complete the following steps and/or meet the following eligibility requirements:

1. Submit an application for admission to PCHS to the Plainview Independent School District.
2. Be recommended by the PCHS principal or his/her designee (e.g., PCHS counselor) for participation in the early college high school program.
3. Submit a dual-credit/concurrent application for admission to Wayland.
4. In their freshman year of high school, be TSI College Ready on Reading and Writing prior to their fall enrollment in dual-credit classes.
5. Score a minimum composite score of 18, reading score of 18, and math score of 18 on the ACT National or Residual test by their fall core course dual-credit enrollment of their junior year, as indicated in the chart below.

*Students who do not meet the above standards will be expected to participate in a summer bridge or other classes outside the regular class day with the intent to be TSI ready by fall of their freshman year and to score the minimum required ACT National or Residual test score for dual-credit enrollment the fall of their junior year.

• ACT Scores
  • Composite - 18 or greater
  • Subtests:
    • English - 18 or greater
    • Reading - 18 or greater
    • MATH 1300 - 18 or greater
    • MATH 1304 - 20 or greater
• SAT Scores
  • Composite - 960 or greater
  • Subtests:
    • Writing - 25 or greater
    • Reading - 23 or greater
    • MATH 1300 - 23 or greater
    • MATH 1304 - 24 or greater

*Note: in the event that COVID-19 prevents student access to ACT/SAT examinations, alternative entrance requirements will be used.

6. Students must meet any course prerequisites prior to enrolling in classes.

Transient Admission

Students who desire to enroll in courses for transfer to another university may enroll as non-degree transient students. This status must be verified prior to each succeeding term. Students seeking transient admission following attendance at another institution must be eligible to re-enter the institution(s) previously attended. Applicants must submit:

1. A completed application for admission - required for each new term.
2. An official transcript or letter of good standing from the institution most recently attended.

Transient students who wish to attain degree-seeking status must complete all requirements for transfer admission. Courses taken under non-degree seeking status may or may not be applicable to a degree seeking program at a later date.

Certificate Admission

Students who desire to enroll in courses for undergraduate certificate programs–other than the Certificate of Christian Ministry (C.O.C.M.) or education certificates–may enroll as non-degree certificate students.

Students seeking non-degree certificate admission must submit:

1. A completed application for admission.
2. An official transcript from an accredited high school which indicates graduation, or if applicable, an official transcript or letter of good standing from the institution of higher education most recently attended.

Applicants who do not have the above (an official transcript from an accredited high school, or an official transcript/letter of good standing from the institution of higher education most recently attended) may apply to a certificate program as alternative non-degree certificate applicants by completing an application and submitting one of the following:

1. An official transcript which indicates graduation from a non-accredited high school or homeschool setting.
2. An official GED document (for GED recipients at least 17 years of age).

Non-degree students who seek a certificate as outlined above and wish to attain degree-seeking status must complete all requirements for regular or transfer admission. Courses taken under non-degree seeking status may or may not be applicable to a degree-seeking program at a later date.

Self-Improvement Admission

Self-improvement admission is designed for individuals who do not intend to complete a degree program but wish to take courses for credit. Applicants must submit a completed application for admission - required each new term.

After 18 credit hours of enrollment within self-improvement non-degree seeking status, an undergraduate student must apply for admissions to enter a degree program or reapply to continue in non-degree seeking status. Continued enrollment in non-degree status will be contingent upon admissions committee approval. Self-improvement students who wish to attain degree-seeking status must complete all requirements for degree seeking admission. Courses taken under non-degree seeking status may or may not be applicable or accepted to a degree seeking program at a later date.

Students seeking to transfer credit from Self-Improvement non-degree status must first satisfy requirements for admission into Transient or Transfer status.

Audit Admission

Students may attend classes for a course without receiving credit if they complete an application for admission, submit a course audit form at the time of registration, and have the permission of both the instructor of the course and the dean of the school in which the course is offered. A completed application is required for each new term. The fee is one-third tuition in addition to all course fees. No credit is awarded and no record of the student’s attendance is maintained. Students will not be given permission to audit a course until the first day of classes. Audits are on a space-available basis and no refund will be given if the course is dropped. Under no circumstance may an audit be converted to credit.

International Student Admission

An international student is defined as any student attending Wayland on an F-1 student visa issued by the United States government. To be considered for admission, international students must submit the following to the Office of Admissions:

1. A completed application for admission, see Definition of Acceptable Documents in next section. 
2. A completed Immigration Information Form provided by Admissions Office. 
3. An application fee of $35 (non-refundable) in the form of an international money order, cashier’s check, or U.S. postal money order.
4. The student must have completed -
   1. An official transcript must be submitted to an evaluation service recommended by Wayland’s Office of Admissions. The transcript and its evaluation should then be sent to Wayland by the evaluation service. If the transcript is in a language other than English, an official translated copy will be required by the evaluation service.
   2. Transfer students with fewer than 24 hours of transfer credit must see that an official secondary (high school) transcript and all post-secondary transcripts are sent to an evaluation service recommended by Wayland’s Office of Admissions. The transcripts and their evaluations should be sent to Wayland by the evaluation service.
      If the transcripts are in a language other than English, official translated copies will be required by the evaluation service.
   3. Transfer students with more than 24 hours of transfer credit must see that all post-secondary transcripts are sent to an evaluation service recommended by Wayland’s Office of Admissions. The transcripts and their evaluations should be sent to Wayland by the evaluation service. If the transcripts are in a language other than English, official translated copies will be required by the evaluation service.
5. Transcript Evaluations: 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. This evaluation determines the authenticity of the documents as well as provides the U.S. equivalence in credit hours and grade point average. A list of preferred agencies can be obtained from the Wayland Office of Admissions. For high school transcripts, a document-by-document evaluation is sufficient. However, for college transcripts, this report must be a course-by-course evaluation that includes appropriate subject identification, upper/lower level designation, and U.S. equivalent GPA calculation. A copy of the results for each transcript must be sent directly to Wayland from the evaluation service. This process will be completed for every education document from a school which is not in the United States unless otherwise approved by the Office of Admissions.
6. Language Entrance Exam: International students whose first or home language is not English must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL); the International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic) or the Pearson Test of English (PTE Academic) will be considered when a TOEFL score is not readily available. Students pursuing teacher certification must take the TOEFL. On the TOEFL, a minimum of 61 on the Internet-based test, 173 on the computer-based test, or 500 on the paper-based test is required for unconditional admission. The TOEFL is administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). 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.
7. College Entrance Exam: An official SAT or ACT test score must be submitted by students with fewer than 24 transferable hours of college credit. These scores must be sent directly to Wayland from the testing agency. The institutional code for Wayland is 6930. 
8. Financial Support Statement: All international students must certify to Wayland and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service that they have sufficient funds available to cover the first two terms of study while in the United States. Before applicants can be considered for admission, they must complete financial support documents supplied by the university DSO and submit recent bank statements demonstrating that they can pay their part of the study and living expenses. No I-20 will be issued without all financial support documentation.

Following the completion of these requirements, an international student application will be processed to determine admission eligibility.

Definition of Acceptable Documents

Various admission categories require different documents. Following is a description of those admission documents listed in above sections. All materials submitted to meet admission requirements become the property of the University.

1. Application for Admission - The Wayland Baptist University official application form which must be completed in its entirety, signed, and dated. An on-line application is available at https://apply.wbu.edu/.
2. High School Transcripts - A high school transcript is official if mailed directly from the high school to the University. The transcript may also be considered official if brought to the Office of Admissions in a sealed institution envelope or if emailed directly to Admissions officials from the transcripting institution. Final transcripts should include the graduation date. It is best if transcripts include class rank, standardized test scores and the school seal.
3. College Transcripts - A college transcript is official if mailed directly from the issuing institution. The transcript may also be considered official if it is brought to the Office of Admissions in a sealed institution envelope or if emailed directly to Admissions officials from the transcripting institution. New freshmen who have taken concurrent college courses must also submit an official transcript from each institution attended. Any student who fails to report work taken at another institution is subject to immediate suspension from WBU. 
4. A Texas GED certificate will be printed directly from the TEA website by Wayland Admissions Officials. A GED certificate earned outside of Texas must be sent directly from the issuing agency to the University.
5. Test Scores - To be considered official, test scores should come to the University from the test agency or from the test agency through the official high school transcript.

Immunization Requirements

To help in assuring a healthy environment, all new students entering the University must complete a Vital Health record, a Consent to Treat, Meningitis record and TB screening questionnaire through an online portal called “Magnus Health”. The information obtained will give the nurse important information about the student and gives her permission to treat the student. If the student is under age 18 the form must be signed by a parent or legal guardian. This completed Health record must be received by the University nurse prior to moving into the dorm and attending classes.

Pursuant to the Jamie Schanbaum and Nicolis Williams Act (Texas Education Code §51.9192), every new student or new transfer student under the age of 22 who will attend face-to-face classes or live in campus housing at any Texas college or university will be required to have an initial bacterial meningitis vaccination dose or booster during the five-year period preceding and at least 10 days prior the first day of classes. This applies also to returning students following a break in enrollment of at least one fall or spring term at the same or another institution.

This law took effect on January 1, 2012.

Face-to-face means that the students plan to attend classes that meet in person with other students and faculty. This law does not pertain to fully online students.

Students who plan to attend any face-to-face classes or live in campus housing at Wayland must provide our university nurse with official documentation of their vaccination. Acceptable documents include (1) official immunization records generated by a state or local health authority or (2) official records received from school officials.

The documentation must include the month, day, and year the vaccination and/or booster was administered as well as the official signature or stamp of the physician or his/her designee, or public health personnel.

The information will be maintained in accordance with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act Regulations.

Exemptions to the Law

A student, or a parent or guardian of a student, is not required to submit evidence of receiving the vaccination against bacterial meningitis if the student, or a parent or guardian of a student, submits to the institution:

1. An affidavit or a certificate signed by a physician who is duly registered and licensed to practice medicine in the United States, in which it is stated that, in the physician’s opinion, the vaccination required would be injurious to the health and well-being of the student; or
2. An affidavit signed by the student stating that the student declines the vaccination for bacterial meningitis for reasons of conscience, including a religious belief. A conscientious exemption form from the Texas Department of State Health Services must be used.
3. The exception noted in number 2 above does not apply during a disaster or public health emergency, terrorist attack, hostile military or paramilitary action, or extraordinary law enforcement emergency declared by an appropriate official or authority from the Texas Department of State Health Services and is in effect for the location of the institution the student attends.

Additional Immunizations Strongly Recommended

The following immunizations are recommended.

1. Adult DT booster in the past 10 years.
2. A MMR (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella) booster since 1980. Students born before 1957 are not required to have MMR.