Friends University is committed to providing a quality liberal arts education in the context of a Judeo-Christian perspective. Undergraduate students are admitted based on their potential for achieving academic success.
Admissions Requirements - College of Business, Arts, Sciences, and Education
Traditional Admission
All students applying for admission to the Traditional Undergraduate program are required to meet the following admissions criteria:
- ACT Composite Score of 18 or higher (an adjusted scale is used for students submitting SAT scores).
- Minimum High School cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher or equivalent.
Students applying for test-optional admission are required to meet the following admissions criteria:
- Minimum high school cumulative GPA of 3.25 or equivalent.
Applicants who have completed a home school education need to pursue Friends University admission through the traditional admission process.
Applicants meeting the admissions criteria will be fully admitted to the University. Applicants who do not meet the minimum criteria are not fully admitted to the University; these applicants will have the option to appeal to the Admissions Appeals Committee to be admitted on Academic Probation.
Applicants with an ACT composite score lower than 16 or a cumulative high school GPA lower than 2.0 will be denied admission without the right of appeal. Students applying through the test-optional admissions policy with a cumulative high school GPA lower than 2.5 will be denied admission without the right of appeal unless a test score is submitted.
Academic appeals will not be reviewed more than one academic semester prior to the student’s desired start date. All academic appeals are due by the end of the business day prior to the first day of the semester. Appeals received after the deadline will be reviewed for the following semester.
*Please note: Test scores, such as the ACT or SAT, may be required for specific scholarship consideration, athletic eligibility through the NAIA, admission to specific programs, and will be considered by the Academic Appeals Committee for all academic appeals.
Transfer Admission
Transfer students with fewer than 15 transferable semester credits must apply under the traditional admission as either test-optional or by submitting ACT/SAT scores and official high school transcripts. Consideration for admissions will fall under traditional admission standards.
Transfer students with 15 or more transferable semester credits and a grade point average of 2.0 or higher are to be fully admitted to Friends University. Applicants who do not meet the minimum criteria will not be fully admitted to the University. Applicants with a GPA of 1.8 or higher have the option to appeal to the Admissions Appeals Committee to be admitted on Academic Probation.
Note: Transfer courses with “D” grades may not be used to meet major or grade-based graduation requirements but will be posted to a student’s transcript.
Applicants with a cumulative 1.8 GPA or lower will be denied admission without the right of appeal. All academic appeals are due by the end of the business day prior to the first day of the semester. Appeals received after the deadline will be reviewed for the following semester.
Art Education Transfer Students: Proficiency Requirement
All art students who transfer art hours from other colleges or universities must submit an Art Proficiency Portfolio. Art Education students may not enter student teaching until this requirement has been met. For students who do not meet the initial portfolio review, a proficiency development plan will be developed so that the student will have a clearly defined process for reaching proficiency.
This is not a formal admissions requirement but may delay entry into professional teaching programs at Friends University until satisfied.
Required Items for the Art Proficiency Portfolio:
- 6 to 8 pieces of BEST work
- Photographs of large or heavy works like sculpture
- One example of the artistic process from start to finish
- A variety of art media represented in the 6 to 8 pieces of artwork
Portfolios will be rated using an Art Placement Portfolio rubric which includes the following components to be rated: Content, Formal order/composition, Mastery of media & Presentation of artwork, and problem-solving process.
Development Plan: For students who do not meet the initial portfolio review, a proficiency development plan will be developed so that the student will have a clearly defined process for reaching proficiency. The deficiency areas will be determined on the Art Proficiency Portfolio Rubric. For example, a score of 1 in the Mastery of media component requires a student to take a Drawing 1 or Painting 1 course. A score of 2 or below in the formal order/composition component or the problem-solving process component requires the student to take the Design 1 course. These courses can be used as elective credit.
Admissions Requirements - College of Adult and Professional Studies
All courses and majors in the College of Adult and Professional Studies are designed to meet the specific needs of working adults.
Traditional Admission
Applicants with fewer than 15 attempted semester hours of college credit, excluding withdrawals, must meet the following admissions criteria:
- Minimum High School cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher or equivalent.
Transfer Admission
Applicants with 15 or more attempted semester hours of college credit, excluding withdrawals, must meet the following admissions criteria:
- Have a “C” average (2.0 on a 4.0 scale) for all transfer work attempted
- Be in good standing at the last college or university attended
- Provide official transcripts* from all institutions previously attended prior to admission.
Applicants who do not meet the traditional or transfer admission requirements may appeal by writing an appeal letter to be reviewed by faculty in consultation with the Associate Academic Dean.
*If secondary or post-secondary experience is from an institution outside of the United States, the applicant must provide an official transcript to a NACES accredited service (www.naces.org) or InCRED (www.playnaia.org/InCred) for evaluation. Secondary school evaluations need to include U.S. equivalency, graduation date, and GPA. Post-Secondary school evaluations need to include U.S. equivalency, course-by-course evaluation, number of earned credits, and cumulative GPA. The official evaluation from a NACES accredited service or InCRED must be sent directly to Friends University.
Note: Credit is transferred with the grade earned in the course at the institution where the course was taken. All grades are calculated for a transfer GPA, except courses that might have been deleted from consideration by an “academic fresh start” at the transferring institution. Students should be aware that credits may be transcribed but not counted toward major or graduation requirements. “D” grades in major courses and certain other courses are not accepted toward graduation. No remedial coursework will be accepted as either earned hours or hours toward graduation. Friends University will not transcribe credit for any coursework that did not receive credit at the transferring institution.
Applying for Admission
In order to apply for admission, prospective students should:
- Complete and sign the admissions application. For an application, call 316-295-5100 or 1-800-577-2233; or visit http://www.friends.edu.
- Submit a non-refundable application fee.
- Order official transcripts* from all institutions attended, sent directly from the institution to the Admissions Processing Office - 2100 W University Ave, Wichita, KS 67213.
*If secondary or post-secondary experience is from an institution outside of the United States, the applicant must provide an official transcript to a NACES accredited service (www.naces.org) or InCRED (www.playnaia.org/InCred) for evaluation. Secondary school evaluations need to include U.S. equivalency, graduation date, and GPA. Post-Secondary school evaluations need to include U.S. equivalency, course-by-course evaluation, number of earned credits, and cumulative GPA. The official evaluation from a NACES accredited service or InCRED must be sent directly to Friends University.
Admissions Deadline
Students are encouraged to complete all enrollment processes at least two weeks prior to the start of classes.
Students who seek admission/enrollment later than two weeks prior to the start of classes may be accepted under Tentative Admission status. Any financial aid, for which the student is eligible, will not be dispersed until the requirements for admission are completed.
If complete and acceptable transcripts have not been received by the Admissions Processing Office by the end of the 100% refund period of the term of enrollment, the student will be: 1) administratively withdrawn and 2) obligated for the cost of attendance during this tentative admission as established in the published refund policies.
Students who have been administratively withdrawn must reapply to Friends University and may not re-enroll until the next term.
Admission Statuses
Full Admission: Students who have met the admission requirements.
Admission on Academic Probation: Students who do not meet the specified requirements for full admission but successfully appeal may be admitted on Academic Probation. Students admitted on probation will follow the probation standards as outlined in the Academic Probation and Dismissal section of the Undergraduate Student Academic Policies.
Tentative Admissions: In some circumstances, students who have not submitted all official documents (including an eight-semester high school transcript) may be admitted tentatively. Any financial aid, for which the student is eligible, will not be disbursed until the requirements for admission are completed.
If complete and acceptable transcripts have not been received by the Admissions Processing Office by the end of the 100% refund period of the term of enrollment, the student will be: 1) administratively withdrawn and 2) obligated for the cost of attendance during this tentative admission as established in the published refund policies.
Admissions Appeal
Applicants who have been denied admission to Friends University must first confer with their admissions counselor to start the appeals process. Denied applicants who are eligible to appeal must make their request in writing to the Admissions Appeals Committee. The request should include a written statement of academic goals and objectives.
The Admissions Appeals Committee will review all applicants requesting admission appeals. The Admissions Appeals Committee will be appointed on an annual basis by the Academic Dean. The applicant’s academic advisor and/or Division/Program Chair may provide additional information and be a voting member of the Appeals Committee. The Committee may solicit input from the University Registrar, Academic Affairs, Admissions Processing, the student’s academic advisor (particularly in the case of former students), and/or the Division/Program Chair to make an appeal decision.
The applicant will be informed in writing of the decision of the Admissions Appeals Committee.
CBASE traditional applicants with an ACT composite score lower than 15, a cumulative high school GPA lower than 1.5, or a GED content score lower than 410 in any content area will be denied admission without the right of appeal. Transfer applicants with a cumulative GPA of 1.25 or lower will be denied admission without the right of appeal.
Applicants, if approved, must comply with conditions as determined by the Admission Appeal Committee.
Admissions Requirements for International Students
An international student application may be attained through the Friends University Admissions Office or online at www.friends.edu. The applicant should submit the following documentation directly to the Friends University Admissions Office:
- Application for Admission and non-refundable application fee. Recommended timeline for international students:
- 180 Days - Application received prior to program start date.
- 120 Days - All admissions supporting documents and deposits received to admit the applicant to Friends University prior to program start date
- 15 Days - Applicant arrives and sets a meeting with the International Student Advisor, Designated SEVIS Officer (DSO) prior to program start date.
- International students with an F1 visa who are already in the United States attending another institution may have a shorter timeline for application and documentation, however, they need to report to the International Student Advisor (DSO) within 15 days of the program start date.
- Financial Documents
- Proof of sufficient financial support to cover the first year of school which includes: tuition, books, fees, housing, health insurance, and personal expenses.
- Most recent bank statement and/or letter from the bank of the account of the financially responsible party. The bank statement and/or letter must specify the name of the account holder and the current balance in US Dollars.
- If the applicant is being sponsored by another party, a certificate of support will also be needed.
- Deposit of $5000 to be applied toward one-year medical insurance, tuition, and other deposits/fees.
- The remaining balance of one-semester tuition is due prior to enrollment and must be cleared through Student Account Services before enrolling in classes.
- English Proficiency
- International students from countries in which English is not the national language will be required to show proof of English proficiency through one of the following methods:
- A TOEFL (Internet-based) score of 63 is to be considered for admission. A TOEFL score of 72 or above is highly recommended. Students presenting scores below 63 may be considered for Admission on Academic Probation if they can provide compelling evidence of their ability to succeed within the level of academic rigor at Friends University.
- A minimum score of 5.5 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
- A minimum score of 45 on the PTE Academic.
- An ACT/SAT score is acceptable for full admission.
- Graduation from high school where the language of instruction is English.
- Native speakers of English from a country in which English is a national language will not be required to submit an English language proficiency test score.
- The Director of Admissions has the right to waive the English language proficiency requirement for students presenting a grade of B or better in an introductory composition class from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university.
- Education Documents
- All international students must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 on a 4.0 point scale to be admitted.
- If secondary or post-secondary experience is from an institution outside of the United States, the applicant must provide an official transcript to a NACES accredited service (www.naces.org) or InCRED (www.playnaia.org/InCred) for evaluation. Secondary school evaluations need to include U.S. equivalency, graduation date, and GPA. Post-Secondary school evaluations need to include U.S. equivalency, course-by-course evaluation, number of earned credits, and cumulative GPA. The official evaluation from a NACES accredited service or InCRED must be sent directly to Friends University.
- If secondary or post-secondary experience is from an institution within the United States, an official transcript from the institution must be sent directly to Friends University.
- Government Documents
- SEVIS I-901 fee must be paid BEFORE applying for an F-1 visa at a United States embassy/consulate and/or before entering the United States. For more detailed information, please visit the Student and Exchange Visitor Program at www.ice.gov/sevis.
- After receipt of the letter of admission from Friends University, international students transferring from another United States school must complete and sign a Transfer-In Request Form. This form verifies that the student has the immigration status necessary to transfer.
- Initial F1 Visa international students and transfer students must report to a Designated School Official (P/DSO) within 15 days of the program start date.
- Health Documents
- Acquire Friends University-sponsored health insurance.
- Comply with the Friends University Health and Wellness office prevention and immunization requirements before living in on-campus housing or attending class.
International students wishing to take coursework at another institution, while studying at Friends University, may do so on a guest basis. To be a guest student, an international student must maintain full-time enrollment with Friends University and must maintain a full course of study. Authorization to be a guest student must be granted by the International Student Advisor (DSO).
Non-Degree Seeking Admission
Persons who do not intend to complete a degree at Friends University but who wish to take courses may be admitted under as Non-Degree Seeking students. All non-degree-seeking admissions classifications are ineligible for financial aid.
The following Non-Degree Seeking statuses are available:
- Special Status: Students who are not seeking a degree at Friends University, but who wish to continue personal and professional development may be admitted under Special Status. A maximum of 15 CBASE semester hours or 16 CAPS semester hours may be accumulated under this status.
- No transcript or ACT scores are required.
- CAPS students wishing to enroll in badge and/or certificate-related courses offered through Friends University or agencies associated with Friends University should apply for non-degree admission. There is no limit on the number of badges a non-degree-seeking student may accumulate. Middle school students are ineligible to enroll in certificate-related courses.
- Students who wish to continue at Friends University beyond the limits of non-degree seeking enrollment must apply for admission as degree-seeking students.
- Guest Status: Students who are not seeking a degree at Friends University, but whose sole intent is to transfer credit back to their parent institution may be admitted under Guest Status. A maximum of two CBASE semesters or 16 CAPS semester hours may be accumulated under this status.
- A letter of good standing from the Registrar of the parent institution is required.
- Students who wish to continue at Friends University beyond the limits of non-degree seeking enrollment must apply for admission as degree-seeking students.
- High School Guest Status: Students currently enrolled in high school and classified as a junior or senior may be admitted to the College of Business, Arts, Sciences, and Education under High School Guest Status. High School juniors will be limited to two courses per semester; High School seniors will be limited to three courses per semester. High School Guest students may not enroll in applied lessons.
- Students must have a minimum high school cumulative grade point average of 3.0 and submit the following:
- Admissions application
- Official High School transcript designating junior or senior status
- A written recommendation from a high school administrator or counselor
- Students will be charged a per credit hour tuition fee. See Fee Schedule for the current rate.
- Students who do not meet the high school guest student admissions standards will be denied early admissions with no right to appeal.
- Dual Credit Enrollment Status: Upon yearly agreement with identified local high schools, students classified as a sophomore, junior or senior may be admitted to the College of Business, Arts, Sciences, and Education under High School Guest Status. These students may enroll in approved courses for concurrent high school and Friends University credit. (Note: Dual credit is typically taught at the local high school by a high school instructor)
- Students must have a minimum high school cumulative grade point average of 3.0 and submit the following:
- Admissions application.
- Approval from an instructor, principal, or counselor.
- Permission from a parent or guardian.
- High School courses must be approved by the CBASE division in which the high school course is equivalent.
- Concurrent credit is awarded on a course-by-course basis. Course credit may be awarded for semester-length or full-year-length courses. If the high school course is a full-year course, high school students must earn a minimum grade of C in the 1st half (or semester) of the course in order for full credit to be awarded.
- The student will be charged a per credit hour tuition fee. This non-refundable charge will be collected with the registration materials at enrollment. There will be no late enrollments or refunds of charges. Student fees and new student fees will not be assessed.
- The college admission and registration will be done at the beginning of the semester in which the student seeks to enroll.
- Letter grades submitted by the high school instructor of A, B, C, D, or F will be posted to the student’s Friends University academic record. All other grades will be transcripted as ‘NC’ or no credit awarded.
- Auditor: Persons wishing to audit courses may do so by completing an application for admission and paying all regular fees.
- Tuition is charged at the current academic year audit rate; no credit is awarded and there may be less obligation for coursework.
- The ability to enroll in a course for auditing purposes is subject to seat availability.
- Senior American Program: Senior citizens 65 years of age and older are eligible to take classes through the Senior American Program at a reduced tuition rate.
- Applicants to this program will pay the current fee schedule rate associated with this program.
- Enrollments will be permitted on a space-available basis and will be subject to admission and course-related fees.
- This program is restricted to enrollments in the College of Business, Arts, Sciences, and Education (traditional undergraduate coursework).
Reactivation and Readmission of Former Students
Students who wish to return to Friends University after interrupting their enrollment for one or more semesters, but less than two years, must complete a Re-activation Form prior to enrolling in courses. Students who have attended another institution since last attending Friends University must reapply for admission.
Students who wish to return after interrupting their enrollment at Friends University for two or more years must reapply for admission and become subject to the Catalog and program in effect at the time of their re-entry; exceptions must be approved by the University Registrar and Academic Dean or his/her designee.
Students who have been academically dismissed from another institution or from Friends University may apply for readmission after sitting out for at least one semester. Students who have been academically dismissed must meet the admissions standards for full admission, including GPA, to be re-admitted as a degree-seeking student; exceptions must be approved by the Academic Dean or his/her designee and will require documentation that demonstrates the capacity for future academic success.
Students who have been academically dismissed from Friends University as a result of an academic honor code violation are subject to all stipulations set forth by the Academic Integrity Board.
Teacher Education Degree Program Admission
Students must meet the following Division of Education academic standards to be admitted to any Teacher Education Degree Program:
- General Education Courses
- COMP 110 /COMP 111 or COMP 201 AND COMP 202 (or course equivalents) with a minimum GPA of 2.5.
- SPCH 100 or SOCI 250 /PSYC 250 (or equivalent course) with a grade of “C” or better.
- MATH 101 or higher with a grade of “C” or better.
- Minimum of 50 cr hrs in General Education courses (includes Pre-professional Courses listed below).
- Pre-Professional Courses (completed with a grade of “C” or better)
- Academic Achievement
- Cumulative GPA of 3.0 in all post-secondary coursework including high school dual credit courses. (GPA of less than 3.0 may be accepted with the permission of the Department Chair).
- OR One of the following:
- ACT Composite score of 24 or higher
- SAT Composite score of 1160 or higher
- Passing Core Praxis Score (Writing 162; Math 150; Reading 156) AND Professional GPA of 2.75 with no grade lower than “C” in a professional education course AND Content Area GPA of 2.75.
- National Background Check
- Application for Admission to the Teacher Education Program
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