Graduate Admissions

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Click on any of the following links for information:

• Admission to Graduate Degree Status
• Conditional Admission
• Readmission
• Transfer Status
• Admission to Graduate Non-Degree Status
• The Graduate Council

Requests for application forms and general information about the M.S. in Transformative Leadership should be directed to:

Director of Graduate School Admissions
(telephone: 386.481.2344; toll free: 866.274.0733
Bethune-Cookman University
640 Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Blvd.
Daytona Beach, FL 32114-3099

All application materials should be filed at least six weeks prior to the semester in which the applicant plans to enroll for graduate credit. Documents submitted in support of applications become part of the files of the Office of Graduate Admissions and will not be returned, duplicated, or forwarded to another institution for any purpose

Application for admission is open to anyone with a bachelor’s degree either from a regionally accredited institution or with the approval of the Graduate Council. Admission to the Graduate School is approved by the Graduate Admissions Selection Committee in the Graduate School, subject to the recommendations of the appropriate department. Students are admitted as either Degree Status students or as Non-Degree Status students. ALL STUDENTS MUST HAVE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET.

The following materials must be submitted before an applicant will be considered for admission as a graduate Degree Status student:

1. A $50 one-time, non-refundable application fee (payable to Bethune-Cookman University).

2. A completed application form.

3. All official transcripts of all previous undergraduate coursework and any graduate transcripts. Normally an undergraduate average of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale in the last 60 semester hours is required for admission to the degree program.

4. Three letters of recommendation from persons who can attest to the applicant’s ability to perform at the graduate level. Letters from former professors are normally preferred.

5. Submission of GRE (Graduate Record Exam) or MAT (Miller Analogies Test) scores.

6. Entrance essay on purpose and intent for this degree as outlined in the application packet.

7. International Students whose native language is not English must submit TOEFL scores. A score of 550 (paper based) or 213 (computer based) is expected for academic success without special language assistance. The international applicant must also submit a statement of financial resource and supporting financial documentation indicating sources of available adequate funds to attend Bethune-Cookman University. Students will receive the United States Department of Immigration Form (I-20) only after they have been accepted to the University and have submitted the personal financial resources form.

8. Students applying to the Master of Science in Transformative Leadership must return the Employer Support Form. Employment in management or related position where the student can undertake an action research thesis project (required). If student is not employed, the student will be required to undertake a 12 month internship with an organization where the action research thesis project can be completed. Internship graduate credit up to six (6) semester hours will be granted for the internship, but this credit will not count toward the 36 semester hours required for degree completion.

The admissions decision is based on a cumulative evaluation of the required criteria using the rubric below. A score of 20 on the rubric is required for admission. Students scoring 18 or 19 may petition for conditional acceptance.

Applicants who do not meet the conditions outlined above may be admitted to the degree program conditionally. Conditional admission status may require that the student enroll for a limited academic load and be required to fulfill stated goals. At the time of acceptance, the student is informed in writing of this conditional admission status and any specifically required conditions. The Graduate School requires that all of the stated conditions be met prior to the completion of 9 semester hours of graduate credit.

A student who withdraws from the program voluntarily or is dismissed from the program is able to reapply at a date no earlier than one year after the original withdrawal unless the circumstances of the withdrawal indicate a different waiting period or were so extreme as to have excluded the possibility of readmission.

To reapply, the former student should submit a new application form and references along with a $50 application fee. Before reapplying, the student should contact the Director of Graduate School Admissions to verify whether transcripts are still on file. If they are, duplicate transcript material need not be submitted, although transcripts reflecting any additional courses taken for credit since the withdrawal should be submitted.

Transfer credits will not normally be accepted. Exceptions to this rule may be considered through a petition to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies. The Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, in consultation with the graduate council, will make the decision whether to award transfer credit. Under no conditions will more than six graduate credits be accepted for transfer.

Because of the highly stuctured nature of the Master of Science degree in Transformative Leadership, only graduate courses taken at another regionally accredited institution that mirror in content courses within the program will be considered for transfer credit.

The following material must be submitted before an applicant will be considered for admission as a graduate Non-Degree Status student:

1. A $50 one-time, non-refundable application fee (payable to Bethune-Cookman University).

2. A completed application form. (Please obtain this form from the School of Graduate and Professional Studies or apply online at www.cookman.edu.

3. Requirements, as listed below, for specific non-degree status admission categories:

Transient Student: Transient student form, statement of good standing, and permission to enroll from institution currently attending.

Auditing Student: Transcript from a regionally accredited institution showing the undergraduate degree.

Non-degree status students may enroll either for credit or for the purpose of auditing a class. Non-degree students who plan to audit a course must meet the same admissions requirements as non-degree students enrolled for credit. A professional who applies as a non-degree student in a course offered for certification purposes only or for professional development can submit a college transcript with the baccalaureate degree posted or a copy of a professional license with expiration date.

The Graduate Council is responsible for admission policy requirements; graduation requirements; curriculum and course approval; qualifications of graduate faculty; records; transfer credit; and all other relevant policies or standards (including student grade appeals). The voting membership shall consist of representatives from all academic schools, the registrar, the director of the library and the Dean of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies.

The Graduate Council meets once every month during the academic year. Faculty in each graduate program should hold monthly meetings in person or by conference call.