Admission Procedures - Doctor of Management Degree
Students desiring to enter the Doctor of Management program must follow the admissions procedure outlined in the Doctor of Management section.
Admission Procedures - Master’s Level Degrees
Students desiring to enter the master’s level graduate program must submit the following documents:
- A completed graduate application for admission.
- An application fee of $50 (non-refundable). Any student who previously paid an application fee for undergraduate or graduate degree seeking status is exempt from this fee.
- Official transcripts from each institution attended. A transcript is official if received 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. It is the responsibility of the student to provide official transcripts of all college 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.
- Application files will not be evaluated until all of the above requirements have been met.
- Wayland will consider for admission those students with earned degrees from institutions accredited by an agency recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the U.S. Department of Education. Students with earned degrees from verified international institutions will also be considered for admission.
- Students may apply a maximum of four (4) times for admission to the graduate program.
A student who desires to enroll in graduate courses may be admitted to graduate study under one of the following categories.
Degree-Seeking
For degree programs other than the Master of Divinity, 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 admission 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 an accredited institution and meets one of the following conditions is eligible for admission as a degree seeking student in degree programs other than the Master of Divinity. (See Degree-Seeking - Master of Divinity ):
- Applicants with a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher on the last 60 graded hours earned at the time of application are considered for admission to the graduate program with no requirement for a writing sample or admissions interview.
- Applicants with a GPA of 2.70 to 2.999 on the last 60 graded hours earned at the time of application must submit a writing sample approved by the university. The cost for the writing sample is $10 per attempt and must be paid in advance. The writing sample will be available online for 30 days following notification of the student by the graduate studies office. After 30 days, incomplete writing samples will be removed from the online site. An additional fee of $10 will be charged for subsequent attempts. A maximum of four attempts is allowed. Additional instructions will be given to the student by the Graduate Studies Office concerning the writing sample. The Graduate Studies Office will inform the student of scoring levels that meet admissions requirements.
- Applicants with a GPA of 2.50 to 2.699 on the last 60 graded hours earned at the time of application may be admitted on a probationary status. Students under this category must submit a writing sample approved by the university. The cost for the writing sample is $10 per attempt and must be paid in advance. The writing sample will be available online for 30 days following notification of the student by the graduate studies office. After 30 days, incomplete writing samples will be removed from the online site. An additional fee of $10 will be charged for subsequent attempts. A maximum of four attempts is allowed. Additional instructions will be given to the student by the Graduate Studies Office concerning the writing sample. Upon receipt of a writing sample score that meets admissions requirements, the student may be required to participate in an admissions interview. Admissions interviews for external campus students will be arranged by the external campus executive director/dean. Admissions interviews for students on the Plainview campus or in fully on-line degree programs will be arranged by the dean of the appropriate school.
- Applicants with a GPA below 2.50 on the last 60 hours earned at the time of application will not be considered for admission.
Degree-Seeking - Master of Divinity
The Degree-Seeking - Master of Divinity category is available for students who wish to pursue the Master of Divinity, who have completed the graduate application process, and who meet all admission requirements outlined below. Application for admission to the Master of Divinity degree program is made concurrently with application to the Graduate Program. Applicants for the Master of Divinity must have the following:
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
- 2.0 or better GPA on all undergraduate and graduate hours earned at the time of application.
- Letter of endorsement from a Christian congregation in which the applicant is actively involved.
- One academic and one personal letter of recommendation.
Conditional Degree-Seeking
The conditional category exists for students who wish to pursue a graduate degree but have not 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 an accredited university, submit a completed application for degree-seeking students, pay the related application fee and arrange for 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 academic term of 10 weeks or more. Students in this category may not take more than six semester hours of graduate work and must earn a grade of B or better (‘C’ for Master of Divinity students) in each course attempted. Students will not be allowed to enroll in graduate classes unless all the prerequisites required for the class have been met. If it is discovered during the course of the semester of conditional enrollment that the student does not meet graduate requirements, he or she may be asked to withdraw from graduate classes.
Non-Degree Post-Baccalaureate
The non-degree post-baccalaureate category is available to any student who already holds a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university and who desires post-baccalaureate 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 student visa are not admitted under this category.
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 at the time of application.
- A non-refundable fee of $50 is required. Any student who previously paid a WBU application fee is exempt from this fee.
- A completed application for admission.
- An official copy of their most recent transcript with the baccalaureate degree posted and an official copy of all transcripts documenting all post-baccalaureate hours completed. (Students pursuing teacher or school counselor certification or educational administration licensure must submit official transcripts from each institution attended.)
- 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 semester hours of graduate courses in the first term. Students in this category will not be allowed to enroll in graduate classes 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, the student will be withdrawn 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 a grade not lower than C to satisfy graduate degree requirements. A student may change degree status by filling out the appropriate application and meeting all the requirements for that category.
Five categories of non-degree admissions are available.Some groups of international visa holders including F-1 visa holders, may not be eligible for non-degree seeking status:
- Certificate or Licensure - students who desire to earn certification through the Don Williams School of Education and Exercise and Sport Science 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 Don Williams School of Education and Exercise and Sport Science.
- Educational Administration Licensure - for those students with a valid teaching license and graduate degree and who wish to take only the hours required for principalship certification. Financial aid is not available for non-degree students seeking this licensure.
- Health Care Licensure - for those with a baccalaureate or graduate degree who want to take the hours for state licensure in the health care field. Financial aid is not available for non-degree students 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 must complete a non-degree seeking application, pay the application fee (if required), and submit official transcripts from every institution attended. 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 2.7 or better on the last 60 hours earned, and has obtained written approval from the academic dean of the school 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 of the appropriate application of credit.
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. A student will not be allowed to enroll in any more graduate classes until admitted to the graduate program and the baccalaureate degree has been posted. Courses taken to be used toward a graduate program may have financial aid implications. 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 non-degree students in 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 while classified as temporary students. Financial aid is not available for non-degree students in 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 non-degree students in this category.
Applicants who are denied admission as degree-seeking or non-degree seeking status may be eligible for admission as temporary undergraduate for the purpose of raising the grade point average to be admitted to the graduate program at a later date. Students should contact the office of undergraduate admissions for further information.
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 a 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 https://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 https://www.wbu.edu or by contacting the international admissions representative.
Appeal of Admission Decision
An applicant may appeal an admission decision to the graduate council. The appeal should be routed through the external campus executive director/dean or through the vice president of academic affairs on the Plainview campus.
Admission to Candidacy
In order to continue beyond one term of attendance of graduate work, a degree-seeking student must be admitted to candidacy. Candidacy will be based upon the student’s demonstrated competency and compliance with University requirements. To be admitted to candidacy by the
Office of Graduate Studies, the student must:
- Have on file all required admissions documents and be admitted to the Graduate Program.
- Have on file an official degree plan approved by the office of graduate studies.
- Have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better (2.0 for Master of Divinity students) in all graduate courses attempted at Wayland.
- Have no grade lower than C (D for Master of Divinity students) in all graduate courses attempted at Wayland.
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