Admission Procedures and Policies

Samford seeks students who have demonstrated high standards of scholarship, outstanding personal character, and serious educational aims. Admission standards are competitive and selective. The Admission Committee for each academic program selects the entering class from among those whose academic performance gives the strongest promise of success in college. It is Samford’s intent to maintain a graduate student body with diverse backgrounds, interests, and abilities.

Each graduate school at Samford maintains its own admissions procedures. From the main Samford website, identify the graduate program of interest and follow the links to apply for admission. Please contact the individual school’s administrator for more information.

Student Classifications

Audit Student - A student who neither receives a grade nor participates in classroom examinations.

International Student - A student who is not a U.S. citizen.

Readmission Student - A student who previously attended Samford, left, and desires to return to Samford, including students who were required to withdraw.

Special Status Student - A student who is enrolled but is not seeking a degree.

Transfer Student - A student who has attended another accredited college or university and desires to attend Samford to pursue a degree.

Transient Student - A student who is regularly enrolled in another college or university but desires to take a course(s) at Samford.

International Student Applicant

International students should allow a minimum of six months to complete all the necessary paperwork prior to admission and enrollment.

International Student Applicant Procedures

Competitive international applicants for admission are encouraged to provide the following:

1. Complete an application form online at www.samford.edu/admission or submit a Common Application available at www.commonapp.org, and include a $40 nonrefundable application fee.

2. Have an official transcript with your undergraduate school academic work sent to your graduate program admission office. This includes any college credit earned in a university not in the United States. Certified copies of all academic work not completed in an English-speaking school should be submitted to the World Evaluation Service (WES), or Education Credential Evaluators (ECE), requesting a Course-by-Course Evaluation. Information regarding WES and ECE is available from the Office of Admission.

3. If students are not native English speakers, have official scores on the ACT or the SAT sent to the Office of Admission by the respective agency. If official ACT or SAT testing agencies are not available, students may have official scores on the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS sent directly from the Educational Testing Service to the Office of Admission. A competitive score of 575 (paper) or 90 (Internet) is expected for TOEFL and 6.5 for IELTS.

International students interested in Samford aid should submit a financial affidavit of support, supplied by Samford, in order to be considered.

Graduate Transfer Student Applicant

Academic Record

Transfer students generally receive favorable admission review when they present a minimum cumulative 3.00 grade point average on all graduate-level coursework at institutions accredited by one of the regional accrediting agencies.

Transfer Credits

Please contact the academic program director to discuss which graduate credits, if any, will transfer to Samford.

Special Category Applicants

Audit Student Applicant

As an alternative to full participation in a credit course, students may audit the course. Audit students do not receive grades and do not usually participate in examinations; however, instructors have the option of establishing requirements for a satisfactory audit. Graduate students need approval from their department chair/dean to audit courses.

Guidelines

1. Audit as Credit Student-Students choosing this option must be admitted to Samford either as a Regular or Special Status Student. Students should enroll in the course to be audited using registration procedures and paying the same tuition as regular enrollees. Provided the instructor’s requirements are met, the course will appear on the credit transcript with the notation AU and zero credits. If these requirements are not met, a W will be entered on the transcript.
2. From a Grading/Credit Basis to an Audit Basis-A student can change from a grading basis to an audit basis any time prior to the deadline for withdrawing from a class without academic penalty. There will be no financial refunds made as a result of change in grading basis.
3. From an Audit Basis to a Grading/Credit Basis-An audit student may not receive regular credit for a course begun as an audit, unless the change is made by the last day to add a course for the semester or term.

Readmission Student Applicant

Former Samford Students in Good Standing

Former students desiring to return to Samford University after attending another college must file a readmission transfer application. Students who left in good standing may be readmitted but must meet all current criteria for admission and adhere to current performance standards, progression policies, and graduation requirements.

Readmit application requirements are listed below:

1. An official transcript from each college attended in the interim.
2. A letter of intent describing the following:
   a. Student’s evaluation of previous academic performance, including an analysis of what factors led to his/her dismissal/withdrawal.
   b. Reassessment of career and educational goals.
   c. Explanation of readiness to resume a college program.
   d. Description of activities during absence from Samford, such as work, marriage, military service, etc.
3. In person or phone interview with academic program personnel.

Special Status Student Applicant

Special status is a classification for students that are non-degree seeking, although credit is given for completed courses. Special status applications are available from the Office of Admission. No transcripts or recommendations are required.

Restrictions of the Special Status Classification:

1. If you are currently under suspension from another institution you may not attend Samford University until the suspension period imposed by the previous institution has expired.
2. You are ineligible to receive federally funded financial aid until your admission status has been changed to a degree-seeking category.
3. A maximum of 18 credit hours earned as a special status student will count towards a Samford degree program. Each academic department reserves the right to determine the acceptability of credits earned under this classification.
4. Credits earned as a special status student will not count towards a graduate degree.

To apply, contact the Admission Office directly at (205) 726-3673 or admission@samford.edu.

Transient Student Applicant

Transient students are students who are regularly enrolled in other colleges and universities yet desire to take courses at Samford. A transient student must submit a transient application and have all coursework authorized by the student’s primary institution. The application form is available in the Office of Admission.

Currently enrolled Samford students who take one or more classes at another institution are considered transient students at that college/university. See the Transfer Policies section for more information.