The Graduate School Admissions

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• General Admissions Requirements
• Admissions Requirements
• Non-degree Seeking Students

1. A signed, completed application and a non-refundable application fee.
2. An official transcript from the institution granting bachelor’s degree or Graduate degree.
3. A bachelor’s or graduate degree from a regionally accredited institution.
4. Approval from the program director granted during the interview process.
5. Program specific grade point average.
6. Letter(s) of Recommendation (number required dependent upon specific program)

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.

Regular Admission

In addition to the above-stated application materials, the requirements for regular admission to graduate study are the following:

1. A baccalaureate or graduate degree from a regionally accredited institution.
2. A grade point average of 2.75 or better as specified by the program.
3. No more than nine hours of background deficiencies in the major field of graduate study.
4. All specific requirements of the selected program of study.

Tentative Admission

Tentative admission may be granted for students who:

1. have not submitted all required official transcripts.
2. have not submitted all required references.
3. have not submitted required official test scores.
4. have not completed bachelor’s degree and/or degree has not been awarded by granting institution

Students who have tentative status are not fully admitted and will not be until all conditions for admissions have been met. If admission application requirements are not met by the eighth week of classes, enrollment will not be allowed to continue.

Students will be allowed to start Graduate programs 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  If those conditions are not met, students will be withdrawn from the Graduate program and will be financially responsible for all costs incurred up to the point of withdrawal.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. 

Exception:  The MIS program allows students to pursue graduate level coursework beyond the 1st eight weeks of the graduate program.

NOTE: 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.

Provisional Admission

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. Students who are provisionally admitted are placed on probation and must earn a 3.0 cumulative GPA by the completion of their first term of enrollment.

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 via the Internet at www.friends.edu. The applicant should airmail or express mail the following to the Friends University Admissions Office::

1. Application for Admission and non-refundable appplication fee.
2. A minimum score of 83 on the Internet Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), OR
3. A minimum score of 6.0 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), OR
4. The satisfactory completion of one year of study at another U.S. college or university. This requirement can be waived by the program director for students from English-speaking countries. (not including ESL programs).
5. Official College or University Transcripts if the applicant has U.S. post-secondary education experience.   If post-secondary experience is non-U.S., student must provide an official transcript evaluation from a NACES accredited service (www.naces.org) and the official transcript from the foreign institution.
6. A personal interview with a designated representative of Friends University.
7. Completed and signed Declaration of Support along with the most recent bank statement on the applicant’s account. A letter, signed by the applicant’s bank manager on bank letterhead, must also be provided, which specifies the name of the account holder and the current balance. This document should show that the applicant will have sufficient financial support for at least the first year of school. Costs that must be considered include tuition, books, fees, housing, health insurance and living expenses.

Students transferring from another SEVIS university within the United States must complete items 1-8 above as well as a “Transfer Request Form.” This form is completed by the previous university’s international student advisor. 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, there is a requirement of a one-time fee to 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.

Late Admissions

Students will be allowed to join Graduate programs in progress up to and including the 4th week of the 1st course of the program.  Late Admissions require the approval of the Program Director and the course instructor.

Students will be allowed to join Graduate programs in progress starting with the 2nd course of the graduate program if they failed to start within the 1st 4 weeks of the initial course of the program. 

Late Admissions after the 2nd course of the program will require an exception by the Graduate School.

All non-degree seeking admissions classifications are ineligible for financial aid.  Students enrolling in Graduate Professional Education Workshops are not bound by the earned credit hour limits of special and guest admissions classifications.

Special

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 with permission from the Program Director. Such students should submit the regular graduate application, fee, transcripts and recommendations, as well as complete the interview by the program director.  A special student is limited to nine earned hours of coursework at the University.

Guest

A guest applicant is limited to nine hours with the intent purpose of transferring credit back to his/her parent institution. Such students should submit the regular graduate application and fees. A letter of good standing from the Registrar of the parent institution is required.