Admission and Registration - Wesley Seminary

Indiana Wesleyan University welcomes applications for admission from any academically qualified person whose motivation is in keeping with the university's purposes. Admission is based on the careful review of all credentials presented by an applicant, but in no case is admission denied due to race, color, national origin, disability, religion, or sex. Students are admitted in one of the following categories:

1. Regular - Students who satisfactorily meet all requirements will be granted standard admission with no restrictions.
2. Probation - Students whose entering grade point average (GPA) falls below the minimum required by the program may be accepted on probation. Probationary status will be removed after the student has completed the first three courses of the core with a satisfactory GPA (2.50). In case of extended probation, the number of courses to be completed in order to change status will be determined by the Dean of the Seminary. Any student failing to remove the probationary status will be academically suspended from the program.
3. Provisional - Students whose files are incomplete may be accepted provisionally at the discretion of the Associate Vice President for Student Services if it appears from the available documentation that eligibility for the program has been met. The student is given until the end of the first course to submit the required materials. Failure to meet the required deadline will result in the student being dropped from the roster and not being allowed to continue.
4. Unclassified - Unclassified admission may be granted to students who do not wish or plan to become candidates for the master’s degree from Indiana Wesleyan University, or who do not meet the above requirements. Such students must complete the unclassified application form (contact a Program Representative) and submit a copy of a transcript showing the conferred undergraduate baccalaureate degree. A maximum of 15 credit hours can be earned as an unclassified student. Students wishing to change from unclassified to regular status must follow normal admission procedures and meet all stated admission requirements.

Admission of Students Without a Baccalaureate Degree

Students without an undergraduate degree may apply for admission if they meet the following conditions:

• A minimum of at least 15 years of extensive life, ministry, and/or business experience, or a bachelor's degree from an unaccredited institution.
• A high school diploma or equivalent.
• Completion of a college-level composition or writing course with a minimum grade of 3.0 or equivalent. If not completed at time of application, s/he must take such a writing course and submit the score prior to final committee review.
• At least 60 credit hours of undergraduate academic work (in the semester system or equivalent in another system) or an associate degree, with a cumulative GPA average of 2.5 or equivalent.

In addition to the admission requirements listed above, students without an undergraduate degree must submit a two-four page essay indicating the student's educational experiences, goals, and experiences, an extensive portfolio detailing ministry, life, and work experience, artifacts demonstrating this experience, and a five page writing sample. Applications from students without an undergraduate degree will be reviewed by the Seminary Admissions Committee.

Admission of Students Without an Accredited Degree

Students whose undergraduate degree is from an unaccredited institution may apply for admission if they meet the following conditions:

• Completion of the equivalent of a bachelor-level college degree with a cumulative GPA average of 2.5 or equivalent.
• A high school diploma or equivalent.
• Completion of a college-level composition or writing course with a minimum grade of 3.0 or equivalent. If not completed at time of application, s/he must take such a writing course and submit score prior to final committee review.

Optional Qualifications

• GRE: The Admissions Committee may at any point in the process require the applicant to complete the GRE. Minimum scores are 400 Verbal, 400 Quantitative, and 4 in Analytical Writing.

To apply for this form of admission, a student must:

• Write a 2-4 page essay in which you: 
  • Describe the academic strengths of the institution you attended for your undergraduate education.
  • Indicate why you have decided to pursue a seminary education at this stage in your life.
  • Indicate your long term goals after the degree and how you think the degree will help equip you to achieve them

• Provide a 5 page sample of your writing ability
  • Take a current debate in contemporary society over an ethical or political issue.
  • Demonstrate that you can write an organized presentation of an issue, represent the viewpoints of others fairly, do research, and defend a position with good grammar, spelling, and some standard format for referencing sources.

Applications will be reviewed by the Seminary Admissions Committee which will include appropriate faculty representation. The Seminary Admissions Committee may request additional information and/or documentation as part of the review process. All “Accredited Degree Exemption” students will be accepted on probation.

Dual Undergraduate/Graduate Enrollment

A senior who is currently enrolled at Indiana Wesleyan University and who is within the last semester of completing course requirements for the baccalaureate degree may, with the approval of the Dean, register for a maximum of two graduate courses per semester. Such students who desire to take additional graduate courses after earning the baccalaureate degree must follow the regular admission procedure.

Graduate courses may not be counted both for graduate and undergraduate requirements.

International/Non-English Speaking Students

Except for those in the Spanish M.Div. program, students who do not speak English as their first and primary language must submit satisfactory scores from one of the following prior to admission to the university:

• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). For graduate students, a score of at least 600 (paper-based), 250 (computer-based), or 100 (Internet-based) is required for regular academic admission.
• International English Language Testing System (IELTS). For graduate students a score of at least 6.5 is required for regular academic admission.

Student visas (I-20's) are not issued for students wanting to enter the United States to enroll in programs offered for non-residential students.

Registration

Registration occurs at the beginning of the student's core program. At this point, students are registered for all courses within the major. Therefore, if a student needs to miss an individual course, official withdrawal must be made through the Office of Student Services. Staff will work with the student to make arrangements to retake this class with another core group at a time that will minimize the impact on the student's financial aid. Students need to be aware that temporary withdrawals could impact their eligibility to receive financial aid based on the standards outlined in IWU's Satisfactory Academic Progress.

Students in programs that require additional credits outside the major are responsible to meet with their advisor to facilitate registration in these courses.

A student who has failed to make arrangements for the payment of tuition for a course will have registration in that course cancelled.