Admissions
Admission to Southern Wesleyan University is dependent upon scholastic attainment, character, and potential to profit by the programs offered. The university welcomes applicants without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, or physical handicap, so long as they have a genuine desire for a post-secondary education and possess character traits that will enable them to fit into a Christian collegiate environment.
Each application is considered individually, taking into account basic admissions requirements and the individual’s unique abilities and circumstances. Acceptance is determined by the Director of Admissions in consultation with the Admissions Committee. Applicants are notified in writing as soon as a decision is made. Admission requirements vary depending on the program for which the student has applied.
Graduate Admission Information
Regular–Applicant meets all requirements and has completed all program prerequisites.
Conditional–Applicant is admitted by action of the Dean of the School of Education, the Dean of the Benson School of Business, and/or the Dean of SWU Global.
Master Degree Program Admission Requirements
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A completed SWU Global online application.
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Bachelor’s degree from an institutionally accredited college or university.
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The specified minimum cumulative grade point average on all undergraduate course work or on the final 60 hours of undergraduate course work. Based on a 4.0 scale, the MBA, M.Ed. and D. Clifton Wood MS in Counseling Psychology require 3.0.
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Official transcripts of all degree-conferring colleges.
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For applicants for whom English is a second language, official TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo score.
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Satisfactory interview with designated dean, committee, or academic department, if required.
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Experience or employment, as specified for each program.
Additional Requirements for International Student Admission into SWU Global
International students seeking admission into a fully online graduate program must provide evidence of English proficiency using one of the following, taken within the past two years:
On the request of the prospective students, if one of the above test scores is unavailable, one of the following criteria may be used to demonstrate proficiency in English.
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Completion of equivalent of U.S. bachelor’s degree at a university where the curriculum and instruction were exclusively in English.
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GRE scores of no less than 287 overall, with at least 150 on Verbal Reasoning and 4 in writing, taken within the past two years.
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GMAT scores of no less than 550 overall, with at least 35 on the Verbal section, and an AWA score of at least 5, and IR score of at least 6, taken within the past five years.
Doctorate Admission Information
Doctor of Education (EdD) Admission Requirements
For a candidate to be considered for admission, he or she must:
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have earned a master’s degree in education or related field from an institution that is fully accredited by an institutional accrediting agency or a comparable degree from an international institution with a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4-point scale. Master’s degrees earned in a related field must be approved by the Dean of SWU Global. Alignment of coursework foundational to and supportive of the EdD-curriculum and assessment is taken into consideration, e.g., research-related coursework.
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be in good standing at all previous institutions of higher learning. Students who, for academic or disciplinary reasons, are not eligible to register in the college or university last attended will not be admitted for graduate study.
Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) Admission Requirements
For a candidate to be considered for admission to the DBA program, he or she must:
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Have earned a master’s degree in business or related field from an institution that is fully accredited by an institutional accrediting agency or a comparable degree from an international institution with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4-point scale. Master’s degrees earned in a related field must be approved by the Benson School of Business.
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Have a minimum of three (3) years of professional work experience. A resume documenting professional experience in an organization will be requested.
Admission Statuses for Doctoral Programs
Accepted
Accepted students may enroll in the upcoming fall or spring semester. If a student earned accepted status and does not enroll in the upcoming semester, the student must re-apply.
Denied
An applicant denied admission may not reapply for future admission to the program.
Amend
A student with amend status may be required to provide additional documentation or information (e.g., additional professional recommendations) prior to review of the student’s application for admission. Failure of the student to respond will result in the student being denied admission.
Admission Status Appeal
An applicant who is denied admission may appeal this decision only in the case of one of the following:
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bias or perception of bias in the admission decision-making process;
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extenuating circumstances, which for good reason, the applicant did not inform the University in the application process, and the extenuating circumstances may have had a material impact on the admission decision.
In the case of an appeal that meets either of these criteria, the applicant must:
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appeal in writing to the Dean of SWU Global within 10 days of receiving the admission denial, as documented by the date on the status letter.
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state the reason for the appeal and provide supporting evidence.
The Dean will consider the appeal and supporting evidence, will evaluate application documents, and will review the basis for the admission denial.
Additional SWU Global Admissions Information
Additional SWU Global Admission Information
If you have any questions regarding admission requirements for your degree program, please contact your admissions coordinator.
Requests for general information about SWU Global or questions about the application process should be directed to (864) 644-5508 or online@swu.edu.
All students are required to submit an application at https://www.swu.edu/online/apply/. Students must have their prior institution submit official transcripts to the Southern Wesleyan University Admissions Office or SWU Global offices. Official transcripts may be obtained from online services such as Parchment or National Student Clearinghouse. Note: Transcripts must be sent directly from prior instutitions to Southern Wesleyan University and not through the student.