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.

Master’s Degree Program Admission Status

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 or the Benson School of Business.  The Dean may specify special admission requirements. Any specified requirements must be met no later than the end of the second graduate class. Regular admission after an “admission on condition” requires earning a minimum SWU GPA of 3.0 for the first semester in the master’s degree program.

Application to a Master’s Degree Program

For a candidate to be considered for admission, the following must be submitted to SWU’s Admissions Office:

1. Submission of a completed SWU Online application.
2. $25 non-refundable application fee.
3. Official transcripts from all colleges or universities attended; both undergraduate and graduate.
4. Two letters of recommendation from persons qualified to judge the applicant’s moral character, professional expertise, and capacity for graduate-level work.
5. Evidence of required employment and/or experience.
6. Scores on the Graduate Record Exam, Miller Analogies Test or Graduate Management Admissions Test, as specified for the degree program, if requested by the Graduate Admissions Committee.
7. Applicants to the MEd program must provide proof of teacher certification.
8. For applicants for whom English is a second language, official TOEFL or IELTS score.
9. Satisfactory interview with designated committee or academic division, if required.

If you have any questions regarding admission requirements for your degree program, please contact your admissions coordinator.

Master’s Degree Program Admission Requirements

The following criteria apply to all graduate programs:

1. Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
2. 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, M.Ed. requires 3.0; other programs require 2.7.
3. Official transcripts of all college-level course work, both undergraduate and graduate.
4. Two letters of recommendation from persons qualified to judge the applicant’s moral character, professional expertise, and capacity for graduate-level work.
5. Official TOEFL score of at least 550 (paper test), 213 (computer test) or equivalent evidence of proficiency in English (for applicants for whom English is a second language).
6. Satisfactory interview with designated committee or academic division, if required.
7. Experience and employment, as specified for each program.
8. Satisfactory score on the Graduate Record Exam, Miller Analogies Test, or Graduate Management Admissions Test, as specified for the degree program, if requested by the Graduate Admissions Committee. Official records are required from the testing organization.

Additional Requirements for International Student Admission into SWU Online

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:

• Official TOEFL score:
  • 570, with no individual score below 50, and TWE score of at least 5-paper test version
  • 80, with no individual score below 20-online version
• Official IELTS score of 7

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.

1. Completion of equivalent of U.S. bachelor’s degree at a university where the curriculum and instruction were exclusively in English.
2. 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.
3. 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.

Academic Leveling Courses for Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Business Administration with Health Care Administration Concentration (MBA-HCA)

Students applying to the MBA and MBA-Health Care programs who hold a bachelor’s degree in a non-business field will be required to take academic leveling course (ALC) exams. In addition, students who hold a bachelor’s degree in a business field may take the ALC exams in lieu of the GMAT, GRE, or Millers Analogies, if required. The ALC provides a comprehensive review of all the foundational material associated with the degree program. As a program prerequisite, the ALC ensures that students are leveled to the program of study as they start the degree program.  

Learn more about the MBA and MBA-HCA leveling course requirements.

Master of Business Administration (MBA)

Additional Admission Requirements

1. Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
2. GPA of 2.7 or better on all undergraduate course work or on the final 60 hours of undergraduate course work.
3. If GPA is less than 2.7 but better than 2.5, students may be granted conditional admission if approved by the Admission Committee.
4. If GPA is less than 2.5 and upon approval of the Admission Committee, students may take the GMAT and present a score of 450 or greater for consideration. Admission to the program is not guaranteed by taking the GMAT.
5. Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work.
6. Two letters of recommendation from persons qualified to judge the applicant’s moral character, professional expertise, and capacity for graduate-level work.
7. Applicants for whom English is a second language, applicant must submit an official TOEFL score of at least 550 (paper test), 213 (computer test) or equivalent evidence of proficiency in English. 
8. Undergraduate course work in statistics, accounting, and economics.  If this course work is missing, students may complete courses with these designations prior to the beginning of the program or students may take leveling tests from accredited organizations upon approval of the the Dean of the Benson School of Business.  Upon successful completion of statistics, accounting, and economics course work or leveling tests, the requirement for MBAM 5003 will be removed from the MBA sequence.  Otherwise, MBAM 5003 will be a required course for the program.

Master of Business Administration with Health Care Administration Concentration (MBA-HCA)

Additional Admission Requirements

1. Experience in a health care setting of at least one year.
2. Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
3. GPA of 2.7 or better on all undergraduate course work or on the final 60 hours of undergraduate course work.
4. If GPA is less than 2.7 but better than 2.5, students may be granted conditional admission if approved by the Admission Committee.
5. If GPA is less than 2.5 and upon approval of the Admission Committee, students may take the GMAT and present a score of 450 or greater for consideration. Admission to the program is not guaranteed by taking the GMAT.
6. Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work.
7. Two letters of recommendation from persons qualified to judge the applicant’s moral character, professional expertise, and capacity for graduate-level work.
8. Applicants for whom English is a second language, applicant must submit an official TOEFL score of at least 550 (paper test), 213 (computer test) or equivalent evidence of proficiency in English.
9. Undergraduate course work in statistics, accounting, and economics.  If this course work is missing, students may complete courses with these designations prior to the beginning of the program or students may take leveling tests from accredited organizations upon approval of the the Dean of the Benson School of Business.  Upon successful completion of statistics, accounting, and economics course work or leveling tests, the requirement for MBAM 5003 will be removed from the MBA sequence.  Otherwise, MBAM 5003 will be a required course for the program.

Master of Education in Classroom Leadership (MEDCL)

Additional Admissions Requirements

1. Valid teaching certificate from the State of South Carolina or equivalent out-of-state certification.
2. Current employment with a minimum of one year experience as a teacher such that the teacher’s classroom can serve as a “laboratory” for the completion of course requirements. (For those with less than one year experience, the teacher may provide two letters of recommendation-one of which must be from a school administrator stating that the teacher would have access to a classroom for completion of course requirements.)
3. Two letters of recommendation from persons qualified to judge the applicant’s moral character, professional expertise, and capacity for graduate-level work. One recommendation must be from School Administrator.
4. Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
5. GPA of 3.0 on all undergraduate course work or on the final 60 hours of undergraduate course work. (If less than 3.0, student must have satisfactory scores on the GRE and/or approval of the Graduate Admissions Committee.)
6. Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work.
7. Applicants for whom English is a second language, applicant must submit an official TOEFL score of at least 550 (paper test), 213 (computer test) or equivalent evidence of proficiency in English. 

The M.Ed. program curriculum does not lead to initial teacher certification in the State of South Carolina.

Master of Education in Administration and Supervision (MEDAS)

Additional Admissions requirements

1. Valid teaching certificate from the State of South Carolina.
2. Current employment with a minimum of two years experience as an administrator or teacher such that the teacher’s classroom can serve as a “laboratory” for the completion of course requirements.
3. Two letters of recommendation from persons qualified to judge the applicant’s moral character, professional expertise, and capacity for graduate-level work. One recommendation must be from School Administrator.
4. Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
5. GPA of 3.0 on all undergraduate course work or on the final 60 hours of undergraduate course work. (If less than 3.0, student must have satisfactory scores on the GRE and/or approval of the Graduate Admissions Committee.)
6. Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work.
7. Applicants for whom English is a second language, applicant must submit an official TOEFL score of at least 550 (paper test), 213 (computer test) or equivalent evidence of proficiency in English.
8. Background statement (supplied by the university) of disclosure concerning all prior convictions including felonies and misdemeanors.

The M.Ed. program curriculum does not lead to initial teacher certification in the State of South Carolina.

Disclaimer

The guidelines for renewing or adding an endorsement to your South Carolina Educator Licensure are established by the South Carolina Department of Education. Contact the South Carolina Department of Education for individual course requirements for licensure renewal and add on endorsements. Licensure and renewal requirements may change due to changes made by the South Carolina Department of Education. It is the candidate’s responsibility to be aware of changes and his/her course needs.

Individuals from states other than South Carolina must contact their state department of education for audits of transcripts and course requirements unique to each state.

Master of Science in Management and Leadership (MSML)

Additional Admission Requirements

In addition to the general admission requirements listed above, an applicant for admission to the Master of Science in Management program must:

1. Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
2. GPA of 2.7 or better on all undergraduate course work or on the final 60 hours of undergraduate course work.
3. If GPA is less than 2.7 but better than 2.5, students may be granted conditional admission if approved by the Admission Committee.
4. If GPA is less than 2.5 and upon approval of the Admission Committee, students may take the GMAT and present a score of 450 or greater for consideration. Admission to the program is not guaranteed by taking the GMAT.
5. Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work.
6. Two letters of recommendation from persons qualified to judge the applicant’s moral character, professional expertise, and capacity for graduate-level work.
7. Applicants for whom English is a second language, applicant must submit an official TOEFL score of at least 550 (paper test), 213 (computer test) or equivalent evidence of proficiency in English.  

Doctor of Education Program Admission Status

An applicant who is denied admission or placed on the reserve list may appeal this decision only in the case of one of the following:

• bias or perception of bias in the admission decision-making process;
• 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:

• appeal in writing to the Dean of the School of Education within 10 days of receiving the admission denial, as documented by the date on the status letter.
• 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 as was determined by the School of Education Graduate Review Committee.

The applicant will receive a written judgment from the Dean.  The Dean is not part of the School of Education Graduate Review Committee to ensure objectivity in the consideration of the appeal; therefore, the decision of the Dean of the School of Education is final.

Application to the Doctor of Education Program

For a candidate to be considered for admission, the following must be submitted to SWU’s Admissions Office:

1. Submission of a completed SWU Online application.
2. $25 non-refundable application fee.
3. Official transcripts of all college-level course work, both undergraduate and graduate.
4. Official MAT scores.
5. Two professional references from persons qualified to judge the applicant’s moral character, professional expertise, and capacity for post graduate-level work.  One of these references must be from a supervisor.
6. Writing sample.
7. TOEFL score of at least 550 (paper test), 213 (computer test) or equivalent evidence of proficiency in English for applicants for whom English is a second language.

The Doctor of Education Program is designed to allow for initial enrollment in either the fall or spring semester; new students will not be permitted to start courses during summer semester.  For questions regarding admission requirements for this degree program, please contact your admissions coordinator.

Doctor of Education Program Admission Requirements

For a candidate to be considered for admission, he or she must:

1. have earned a master’s degree in education or related field from an institution that is fully accredited by a regional 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 School of Education Graduate Review Committee.
2. 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.
3. have earned a minimum score of 350 on the nationally standardized graduate admissions test; Miller Analogies Test (MAT).  Test scores must be no more than five (5) years old.  An equivalent Graduate Record Exam (GRE) score will be accepted.

Application to a Certificate Program

For a candidate to be considered for admission, the following must be submitted to SWU’s Admissions Office:

1. Submission of a completed SWU Online application.
2. $25 non-refundable application fee.
3. Official academic transcript from bachelor’s degree-awarding regionally accredited college or university.

If you have any questions regarding admission requirements for your degree program, please contact your admissions coordinator.

Additional Graduate Admission Information

Requests for general information about SWU Online or questions about the application process should be directed to (864) 644-5557 or online@swu.edu.