Admissions

Timeframe

The acceptance of a student for admission into the School as a degree-seeking student (master's, bachelor's, certificate, or graduate certificate) remains in effect for a period of 12 months from the date of official notification by letter. Following acceptance, a student must enroll in the term of admittance, excluding summer. If that does not occur, the student becomes "inactive" in Banner and must contact the Office of Enrollment Management and Student Services to be re-activated during the first 12 months of admittance. After the 12-month period, the student must re-apply to the School of Professional and Continuing Studies, pay the application fee, and if additional college work has been completed, submit additional transcripts.

Admissions Conditions

English Proficiency

Applicants whose native language is not English, or whose collegiate level or secondary level instruction was not in English, must demonstrate English proficiency by examination prior to admission to and/or enrollment in the School. The University may require additional evaluation for language proficiency through testing or individual interviews for students with scores near the minimum score.

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) requires a score of at least:

• 550 on the paper-based test
• 213 on the computer-based test
• 80 on the internet-based test

IELTS (International English Language Testing System) requires a score of 6.5 on the test.

Information on the TOEFL may be obtained by visiting the TOEFL website, ets.org/toefl. The TOEFL score must be no more than five years old at the time of application.

Information on the IELTS may be obtained by visiting the IELTS website, ielts.org.

Ineligibility to Return to a College or University

A student who is not eligible to return to another college or university may not attend any degree or certificate program, even with unclassified status, until a minimum of one semester has elapsed. Official transcripts from all institutions previously attended by such a student must be filed in the Office of the Dean.

Past Sexual Offense Conviction

Virginia law requires all public and private two-and-four-year institutions of higher education to electronically transmit information about applicants accepted for enrollment at each institution to the State Police for comparison to the Virginia Criminal Information Network and National Crime Information Center Convicted Sexual Offender Registry. If the University is notified that an admitted student has committed a sex offense, the admitted student is subject to the admission being revoked.

Maintenance of Active Status & Readmission to Undergraduate Degree Programs Following Inactive Status

Students who do not register for a fall or spring term become inactive during that semester and must contact the Office of Enrollment Management and Student services to be reactivated. If the student has not enrolled in a course within 12 months, the student must reapply to the SPCS following the policy identified in “Timeframe.”

Students who are reactivated are subject to the SPCS Catalog requirements in effect at the time of original matriculation.

Admission/Registration Committee

A standing committee will be appointed to deal with issues of student admissions, enrollment and registration from among SPCS staff and faculty. Members will include the Senior Associate Dean (who will chair the committee), the Director of Student Services and Enrollment Management, a Program Chair representing the student’s program area (if applicable), an Academic/Career advisor, and the Associate Dean for Administration, as needed.