Admissions

General Information

Requests for application forms and general information about degree programs in the School of Graduate Studies should be directed to:

Telephone: 386.481-2342; toll free: 866.274-0733
Bethune-Cookman University
640 Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Blvd.
Daytona Beach, FL 32114-3099

All admissions decisions are made by August 1st for the fall semester, November 15th for the spring semester and April 12th for the summer semester. 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 its equivalent from a foreign institution. Students are admitted as either Degree Status students or as Non-Degree Status students.

Students with a bachelor’s degree and a cumulative GPA of 2.75 may be admitted as non-degree status students and earn up to 9 graduate credit hours that may be eligible for transfer into a B-CU graduate program. Before non-degree status students can be accepted fully into one of the master’s degree programs, the student must submit 3 letters of reference.

B-CU graduating seniors who have submitted a Graduate Enrollment Form may enroll for up to 6 graduate credits in their last semester in an undergraduate program if they have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 and advisor approval. Courses available to undergraduate seniors are 500 level courses only.

Degree Status students may be admitted provisionally, with conditions to be met during their first semester of matriculation, i.e., maintenance of a 3.0 or above average for the first semester. Failure to meet this requirement can result in dismissal from the program.

Admission Requirements for Graduate Degree Status

The following materials must be submitted before an applicant will be considered for admission as a degree status graduate 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, unless eligible for a GPA waiver.
4. 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.
5. Entrance essay as outlined in the application packet.
6. Students applying to the Master of Science in Transformative Leadership must return the Research Participation Form. Employment where the student can undertake an action research thesis project is preferred. If student is not employed, the student may undertake an 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.

Admission decisions are determined through a rubric score by a committee of program faculty who take the following into consideration:

1. Items (1) through (6) as noted above (required).
2. Three recommendations from persons who can attest to the applicant’s ability to perform at the graduate level.
3. Submission of GRE (Graduate Record Exam) or MAT (Miller Analogies Test) official scores.
4. Previous work or supervisory experience and/or research interests.

Provisional Admission

Applicants who are not admitted as fully accepted students may be admitted to the degree program as Provisional Candidates. Provisional 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 provisional admission status and any specifically required conditions. The Graduate School requires that all of the stated conditions be met at the time of completion of the first semester of graduate courses.

Readmission

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

A student who withdraws voluntarily and who does not enroll for two or more semesters must reapply for admission.

To reapply, the former student should submit an application for readmission along with a $25 Readmission Application fee.

Transfer Status

Transfer credits will not normally be accepted for a graduate degree at Bethune-Cookman University. Students may petition the Dean for the School of Graduate Studies for up to six (6) credit hours to award credit for graduate courses taken at a regionally accredited institution which are equivalent to courses required in his or her graduate program.

Admission Requirements for Graduate Non-Degree Status

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

• All official transcripts of all previous undergraduate coursework and any graduate transcripts.
• Entrance essay as outlined in the application packet.
• 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.

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. 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

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, the President of the Faculty Association, graduate department heads, graduate Assessment Coordinator, two graduate student representatives, and the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies.