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Admissions Requirements
- A signed, completed application and a non-refundable application fee.
- A bachelor’s or graduate degree from a regionally accredited institution.
- An official transcript* from the institution granting the bachelor’s degree and/or graduate degree.
- Recommendation from the Division Chair/Program Director granted during the interview process.
- Program specific grade point average.
- Letter(s) of Recommendation (number required dependent upon specific program)
*If 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. Evaluations must include U.S. equivalency, graduation date and cumulative GPA. If graduate-level work has been completed, the evaluation must also include a course-by-course evaluation, U.S. course equivalency, and number of earned credit hours. The official evaluation from a NACES accredited service or InCRED must be sent directly to Friends University.
A student may transfer their admissions application from one graduate program of study to another at any time during the application process. Students are encouraged to work closely with their Admissions Program Representative during this process.
Admission Statuses
Regular Admission
In addition to the above-stated application materials, the requirements for regular admission to graduate study are the following:
- A grade point average of 2.75 or better as specified by the program.
- No more than nine credit hours of background deficiencies in the major field of graduate study.
- All specific requirements of the selected program of study.
Admission on Academic Probation
Students who do not meet the minimum grade point average requirement for regular admission may be admitted on probation when there is reasonable evidence to indicate their ability to do satisfactory graduate work.
Tentative Admission
Tentative admission may be granted for students who:
- have not submitted all required official transcripts.
- have not submitted all required references.
- have not submitted required official test scores.
- have not completed bachelor’s degree and/or degree has not been awarded by granting institution.*
*Students will be allowed to start a Graduate Degree Program if their bachelor’s degree will be completed and posted within the 1st eight weeks of their Graduate Program. An official transcript must be received and the student must be in good academic standing. If those conditions are not met, students will be withdrawn from the Graduate program and will be financially responsible for all costs incurred up to the point of withdrawal. In addition, all coursework completed and final grades will be expunged from the student’s record.
Note: 4+1 programs allow students to pursue graduate-level coursework beyond the 1st eight weeks of the graduate program; however, students may not be fully admitted to a graduate program until a bachelor’s degree has been earned.
Students who have Tentative Admission Status have a registration hold placed on their record and cannot register for any subsequent terms until the conditions have been met.
Financial Aid is not released to students who have Tentative Admission Status. Students without full admissions must have a tuition payment plan arrangement on file with Student Account Services.
International Students
A non-refundable international student application fee is required of all international students with the exception of those who are moving directly from the undergraduate program at Friends University, those students will be assessed the regular non-refundable graduate school application fee.
An international student application may be attained through the Friends University Admissions Office or online at www.friends.edu. The applicant should airmail or express mail the following to the Friends University Admissions Office:
- Application for Admission and non-refundable application fee.
- Proof of English Proficiency using one of the following:
- A minimum score of 83 on the Internet Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), OR
- A minimum score of 6.0 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), OR
- The satisfactory completion of one year of study at another U.S. college or university. This requirement can be waived by the Division Chair/Program Director for students from English-speaking countries (not including ESL programs).
- If Post-secondary experience is from an institution within the United States, an official transcript from the institution must be sent directly to Friends University.
- If Post-secondary experience is from an institution outside of the United States, transcripts may be evaluated through a reputable source (such as AACRAO Edge) or an official transcript evaluation from a NACES accredited service (www.naces.org). (Student-athletes are required to have transcripts evaluated through InCred.)
- Degree’s equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree will be considered for admission. Specialized post-secondary degrees relevant to the Friends University graduate degree program of study will also be considered for admission.
- Proof of sufficient financial support to cover the first year of school which includes: tuition, books, fees, housing, health insurance and personal expenses. This includes:
- 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 is also required.
International students must also complete a personal interview with a designated representative of Friends University.
Students transferring from another SEVIS university within the United States must complete items 1-5 above as well as a “Transfer-In Request form.” This form is completed by the previous institution’s International Student Advisor (P/DSO). This form verifies that the student has the immigration status necessary to transfer. The transfer process is complete once the student enrolls in class and Friends University registers this enrollment in SEVIS. The student must also sign their new transfer I-20 no later than 15 days from the start of the program.
For a prospective F-1 visa student from outside the United States, a one-time I-901 fee must be paid to the United States Department of Homeland Security. This 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.
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 at least half-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.
Non-Degree Seeking Students
All non-degree seeking admissions classifications are ineligible for financial aid. Students should submit an admissions application and must meet course pre-requisites. Students who wish to continue at Friends University beyond the limits of non-degree seeking enrollment must apply for admission as a degree-seeking student.
Students enrolling in Graduate Professional Education Workshops are not bound by the earned credit hour limits of special and guest admissions classifications.
Special Status
Students who are not seeking a graduate degree at Friends University, but who wish to continue personal and professional development beyond the bachelor’s level, may be admitted to graduate programs as non-degree students. Such students should submit the regular graduate application, fee, and transcripts showing the earned bachelor degree.
Students wishing to enroll in graduate-level badge and/or certificate related courses offered through Friends University or agencies associated with Friends University should apply for non-degree admission as a special student. There is no limit on the number of badges a non-degree seeking student may accumulate.
Guest Status
A guest applicant is limited to 9 credit hours with the intent purpose of transferring credit back to his/her parent institution. A letter of good standing from the Registrar of the parent institution is required.
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