Catalog 2019-2020 > School of Graduate and Professional Studies > Admissions Information > Additional Policies and Procedures

Additional Policies and Procedures

In addition to the standard and program-specific admission requirements of GPS undergraduate and graduate programs, the following policies and procedures apply (as necessary) to any applicant to a GPS program.

Admission on Academic Probation

An applicant with a GPA of less than 2.00 may apply to be admitted on academic probation. Decisions to grant probationary admittance will be made by the appropriate GPS Program Coordinator in accordance with all policies and procedures as determined by the student’s chosen GPS program. 

Transfer Credit

Transfer credit is granted only for those courses for which a grade of C- or better was earned. Transfer credit policies may vary by degree program. Please refer to GPS program-specific sections of this Catalog for more information.

Students entering MVNU who have earned college credit after earning a high school diploma or equivalent are considered transfer students. Students earning college credit concurrently during high school from programs such as dual enrollment options are considered "first time in college" upon entry to MVNU. In either case, official transcripts must be sent directly to MVNU from all higher education institutions attended.

Guest Students

Students admitted to a degree program at another institution may enroll at MVNU as a guest student by presenting a letter of authorization from the academic dean or registrar of the other University. Guest students may enroll in courses not leading to degrees by showing evidence of ability to profit from the course and by accepting the ideals of MVNU. When a course the guest student wants to enroll in at MVNU has a prerequisite, the student must present an official transcript from any institution(s) showing the prerequisite is completed.

Right of Refusal

Mount Vernon Nazarene University reserves the right to refuse admission to any applicant if there is evidence that the applicant's lifestyle or behavior is contrary to the University's culture and lifestyle expectations, or when an applicant's criminal record compromises the safety of the University's students or employees.

International Students

Prospective international students who are not citizens of the United States of America and desire admission to MVNU must complete the regular admission process with the following provisions:

• The prospective student must complete and return an application to the University’s Admissions Office.
• International students must have their non-North American/non-English-speaking secondary school (or equivalent) and university transcripts evaluated by the following independent evaluation service (or equivalent evaluation organization) and request that all official transcripts and evaluation results be mailed directly to the School of GPS Admissions Office.

  Website: http://www.ece.org

  Email: eval@ece.org

  Fax: 414-289-3411

Telephone: 414-289-3400

Milwaukee, WI 53203-3470 USA

PO Box 514070

Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE)

• If a prospective student has attended a secondary school and/or university in North America, official transcripts from each institution must be submitted to the School of GPS Admissions Office.
• Applicants from countries and US territories in which English is not the primary language must also provide recent evidence of proficiency in English by one of the following:

  1) scoring 80 or above on the Internet-based TOEFL with subscores in writing, reading, speaking and listening of at least 20, or

2) scoring 550 or above on the written TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) with subscores in writing and reading of at least 50.

• All tests of English proficiency must have been taken in the last two years to be considered for acceptance. An official score report must be mailed directly to the School of GPS Admissions Office.

If a prospective student is already in the United States on a visa, copies of current immigration documents must be submitted to the School of GPS Admissions Office. These may include:

• current I-20
• current visa
• receipt/approval notice from United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
• any legal documents pertaining to immigration status

For those seeking an initial F-1 student visa, once the above steps have been completed and the student has been accepted, the University will issue an I-20 form for the students to use in obtaining an F-1 student visa. Students who are citizens of a country other than the United States of America (USA) must fold the F-1 visa in order to register for classes and enroll at the University. Persons who have entered the United States on a visitor's visa must convert it to an F-1 visa before the University will consider admission. A SEVIS fee of $200 must be paid in addition to the visa application fee. International students on academic or disciplinary probation at another institution, or who have been dismissed from another institution, are not considered for admission.

Applicants with a Felony Record

When an individual with a felony record applies for acceptance, the following procedure will be implemented:

• The applicant will write an essay of petition to the Dean of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies, including:

1) the incident, the date of the crime, what kind of crime was committed, and where (county and state) the crime was committed;

2) whether or not the applicant is on probation and, if so, the name, address, and phone number of the probation officer(s);

3) a summary of what the applicant believes has changed in his/her life since the conviction and how a degree will help accomplish any personal goals.

• If probation is ongoing, the applicant must supply a certified copy of the sentencing entry of court from each court where convicted.
• After receipt of the above documents, an interview with the Dean of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies and appropriate GPS Program Coordinator may be required. If so, the Dean and Program Coordinator will confer with the Chief Academic Officer (CAO) for the final decision.

When an individual has been convicted of a violent crime (e.g. sexual offense, assault and battery, murder, etc.) the above procedures will be followed, along with these additional procedures:

• The applicant will be scheduled for a mandatory interview with the Dean of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies and appropriate GPS Program Coordinator.
• If probation is ongoing, the applicant must be recommended in writing by the probation officer responsible for the applicant's case.
• In consultation with the program leadership, the Dean of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies will meet with the CAO and legal counsel to review all information and documentation.
• All information and documentation, including any recommendation by legal counsel, will be considered in the admission decision.