Admission Information

Applying to Adventist University of Health Sciences

The Office of Enrollment Services assists prospective students, applicants, and current students with any needs relating to general admission to Adventist University of Health Sciences (ADU) or to a specific program. The office is located on the first floor of the Campus Center Building and can be reached by calling 407-303-7742.

It is understood that timely information regarding an applicant’s admission status is very important. The following steps are used in processing the application paperwork, once it has been received.

1. Applicants to the Healthcare Administration, Nurse Anesthesia, and Occupational Therapy programs are required to use the online application found at http://www.adu.edu/enrollment/apply for the first intake only. After that, applications will only be accepted through PTCAS. Physician Assistant applicants must apply using CASPA.
2. During the application process, students are encouraged to contact the Graduate Enrollment Specialist (407-303-7742) for information regarding processes and questions about becoming an ADU student. Applicants will not be considered for admission until all application materials have been received.
3. If an applicant discloses on his or her application that he or she may have been involved in a crime (whether convicted or not), he or she must submit the License Eligibility Form to the Office of Enrollment Services during the admission process.
4. Applicants who are not U.S. citizens must provide proof of legal residency.
5. Completed files will be reviewed for the graduate program selected on the application. Students will be notified of the committee’s decision in writing after the admission deadline. Admission status is available at http://my.adu.edu.
6. If applicants indicated an interest in Graduate General Studies on their application and were granted admission, it will allow them to take graduate general education courses only. To enroll in program-specific courses, a student must be admitted to that program. Once admitted to the University, students should stay in touch with the Enrollment Services Office to ensure their file is complete and ready for consideration by the specific program.

Privacy Policy for Applicants to ADU

Adventist University of Health Sciences (ADU) regards each applicant as an adult capable of transacting his or her own “business” relating to the application, enrollment, and progression processes at our University. Adventist University acknowledges the important role of family in the University decision. When applying, each applicant is given the opportunity to identify family members who have permission to discuss their admission file with our office. However, there are certain limitations to the information we can disclose to anyone but the applicant. Once an applicant is accepted, his or her information is subject to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

Screening Requirement

Adventist University of Health Sciences (ADU) requires all new students to complete a background check, drug screening, and immunization form before registering for the first time. This information is needed for participation in Service Learning projects and in clinical settings. The student is responsible for all costs incurred during this process.

Students should refer to www.adu.edu/enrollment/admission/screeningprocess for information on how to complete this process. A separate registration hold will be placed for each of the three processes listed above for all students upon acceptance. Each hold will be removed as it is satisfied. Background check reports or drug screening results from other sources will not be accepted.

Only one background check is required per degree for students unless they are not admitted to a professional program within two years of completing the first background check. If it has been more than two years, students will be required to complete a second background check. Adventist University alumni from one program will be required to complete a new background check, if they pursue another degree.

Background Check Discrepancy Policy

The Office of Student Services, in conjunction with Adventist University Human Resources, will do a preliminary review of all background checks. Any report that includes a report of an incident not previously disclosed by the applicant in his/her application for admission will be referred to the Vice President for Student Services for further consideration.

The Vice President for Student Services will speak to the applicant and then review the background check report and any additional information provided by the applicant. Adventist University may independently seek additional information about the incident that is the subject of the report. If it does so, it will share any additional information obtained with the applicant.

Each case will be considered individually, and no information will automatically result in the revocation of acceptance. A decision regarding final acceptance will be made only after careful review of factors including, but not limited to, the nature and seriousness of the offense, the circumstances under which the offense occurred, the relationship between the offense and the program to which the student is applying (including its clinical components), the age of the person when the offense was committed, whether the offense was isolated or part of a pattern of behavior, the length of time since the offense was committed, past employment and volunteer experience, past history of misconduct at prior institutions, evidence of successful rehabilitation, and forthrightness of the information about the incident in the opportunities for self-reporting.

After fully considering each referred applicant, the Vice President for Student Services will give his or her admission recommendation to the Office of Enrollment Services. If it is determined that the undisclosed incident is not the result of dishonesty or deception, the background check will be forwarded to the appropriate department chair for consideration relative to the professional accrediting body’s guidelines.

Admission Deadlines

Post-Baccalaureate Admission Requirements

Those who seek to enroll for post-baccalaureate courses in order to satisfy undergraduate prerequisites for ADU graduate programs may apply for admission to the Post-Baccalaureate program. Enrollment in this program is limited to three trimesters, and a minimum of six credit hours per trimester must be taken to satisfy financial aid requirements.

Applicants will be considered for Post-Baccalaureate admission when they:

1. Submit the Undergraduate application online and a nonrefundable $20 application fee. Paperwork received without an application on file will not be processed. Admission files will not be considered complete until the application fee is paid.
2. Submit official transcripts from all colleges previously attended. Admission GPAs will be calculated based on credits and grades from regionally accredited institutions only. Transcripts must be mailed or delivered electronically directly to the Office of Enrollment Services from each institution attended. Hand-delivered or faxed copies will not be considered official. Unofficial transcripts¹ may be used for preliminary admission calculations. Failure to disclose all colleges previously attended could result in denial or dismissal. Additionally, transcripts from institutions outside the United States must be evaluated by World Education Services (WES). This is the only company from which we will accept transcript evaluations.
3. Present evidence of graduation with a Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution. Applicants in the final term of their Bachelor’s degree will be considered for admission once a letter is received from their institution confirming that they are on track to graduate.
4. Present a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.85 (on a 4.00 scale) on all previous college-level academic work from the above institutions.
5. Submit official transcripts for any College Level Examination Program ( CLEP), Advanced Placement (AP), and/or International Baccalaureate (IB) coursework only if the applicant would like them to be considered for fulfillment of prerequisite requirements. College Level Examination Program scores reported on an official college transcript are also acceptable for this requirement.
6. Provide evidence of English language proficiency for those applicants for whom English is not their primary language or who have graduated from a non- English speaking school (see English Language Proficiency  section).

¹ The Office of Enrollment Services accepts unofficial transcripts during the admission process and will use them in part to consider granting Provisional admission status. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted from the student or by fax from the institution but must be as similar to an official transcript as possible. Key elements must include courses taken, grades earned, credit hours, quality points, term GPAs, and the cumulative GPA. Degree audits and class schedules will not be accepted as unofficial transcripts. Courses will not be transferred at any time based on unofficial transcripts.

Graduate General Studies Admission Requirements

Those who wish to enroll for graduate-level course work (as opposed to the undergraduate courses as specified in the Post-Baccalaureate section) before being admitted to a graduate program should apply for Graduate General Studies admission. This type of admission does not include admission to any other graduate or undergraduate program, nor is it required to apply to a graduate program at Adventist University. Please call the Office of Enrollment Services at 407-303-7742 for admission deadline dates. Students will be considered for Graduate General Studies admission when they:

1. Submit an application online and a nonrefundable $100 application fee.
2. Present evidence of a Bachelor’s degree in an appropriate major from a regionally accredited institution.
3. Present current official transcripts from all undergraduate and/or graduate institutions attended. Admission GPAs will be calculated based on credits and grades from regionally accredited institutions only. Transcripts must be mailed or delivered electronically to the Office of Enrollment Services from each institution attended. Transcripts will be considered official only when received directly from the institution and not hand-delivered by the applicant or faxed by the institution attended. Failure to disclose all colleges previously attended could result in denial or dismissal. Additionally, transcripts from institutions outside the United States must be evaluated by World Education Services (WES). This is the only company from which we will accept transcript evaluations.
4. Submit official transcripts for all College Level Examination Program ( CLEP), Advanced Placement (AP), and/or International Baccalaureate (IB) coursework only if the applicant would like them to be considered for transfer of credit.
5. Present a minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.50 or higher on a 4.00 scale.
6. Submit official satisfactory score on Graduate Record Examination (GRE) taken within the last 5 years. GRE scores on official college transcripts are also acceptable.
7. Provide evidence of English language proficiency for those applicants for whom English is not their primary language or who have graduated from a non-English speaking school (see English Language Proficiency  section).

Due to the type and quality of resources needed for graduate coursework, course enrollment may be limited. Students accepted to a program of study will be given preference for course enrollment.

A transcript is considered official when stamped with the official school seal/security paper, signed by the appropriate school official, and received in a sealed envelope directly from the sending institution. Adventist University of Health Sciences will not accept transcripts as official documents that have been issued to students or submitted by students. Faxed transcripts are not considered official. Recommendation forms, official transcripts, and career essays received with an Adventist University application will be retained for one year. Applications received without an official transcript(s), career essay, and/or Recommendation Forms will be retained for six months.

Applicants needing to complete undergraduate prerequisite requirements should refer to the Post-Baccalaureate section.

The Adventist University graduate programs have additional admission requirements; please refer to the appropriate section of the Graduate Academic Catalog.

English Language Proficiency

Before applying to the University, all students for whom English is not their primary language must demonstrate English proficiency in one of the following ways:

• Successful completion of a bachelor’s degree from an institution where English is the primary language of instruction in the United States; or
• A minimum score of 550 on the paper-based TOEFL exam; or
• A minimum score of 213 on the computer-based TOEFL exam; or
• A minimum score of 79 on the Internet-based TOEFL exam.

Graduate General Studies Enrollment Interruption

The following policy refers to reactivation or reapplication steps for Graduate General Studies students who were accepted but did not enroll, students with an enrollment interruption of three trimesters or less, and students with an enrollment interruption of more than three trimesters.

Accepted Students Who Do Not Enroll

Students who have been accepted to Graduate General Studies and choose not to enroll for the specific trimester for which they were admitted have two trimesters after the trimester of acceptance to enroll before all new documents will be required. For example, if a student is admitted for Fall trimester, he or she can postpone enrollment and attend during the subsequent Spring or Summer terms. However, if enrollment is postponed for a year (Fall trimester the year aft er he or she was initially admitted), the student will need to reapply. If it is within the one-year time frame, a student is required to submit updated transcript(s) for any additional college work completed since his or her initial application.

If it has been more than three trimesters, the student will be required to reapply to the University and must provide new admission documents¹. This new information will be reevaluated by the Graduate General Studies Admissions Committee and a new admission decision given at that time. Students should contact Enrollment Services for more information regarding what is required of them to reapply. Graduate General Studies admission, registration, and financial aid deadlines will apply.

¹ Recommendation forms, official transcripts, and career essays received for applicants with an ADU application will be retained for one year, if the applicant does not become a student in that time. Applications received without an official transcript(s), career essay, and/or recommendation forms will be retained for six months.

Enrolled Students with an Enrollment Interruption of Three Trimesters or Less

Students attending Adventist University of Health Sciences (ADU) with an enrollment interruption of three trimesters or less are also required to submit a Reactivation Form and any updated transcript(s) for additional college work completed during the enrollment interruption. A new GPA will be calculated for the student and a new admission status assigned, if necessary. Students have until the last day of the third trimester to reactivate their file but must still meet published admission deadlines to re-enroll. After the last day of the third trimester, students must reapply to the University. This applies to students accepted into Graduate General Studies only.

Enrolled Students with an Enrollment Interruption of More than Three Trimesters

Students who interrupted their enrollment for more than three trimesters will need to reapply and will be re-evaluated by the Graduate General Studies Admissions Committee. Students should contact Enrollment Services for more information regarding what is required of them to reapply. Graduate General Studies admission and registration deadlines will apply.

A hold will be placed on the student’s record to prevent registration until these requirements are met.

Health and Immunization Requirements

General education students must present the following:

• Yearly verification of tuberculosis screening test. If test is positive, refer to the Communicable Disease Policy in the Student Handbook.
• Updated immunization records including, MMR, and Tetanus-Diphtheria.
• Verification of varicella vaccination or immunity (titer).

Students in a professional program must present the following:

• Yearly verification of tuberculosis screening test. If test is positive, refer to the Communicable Disease Policy in the Student Handbook.
• Updated immunization records including Hepatitis B, MMR and Tetanus-Diphtheria.
• Verification of varicella vaccination or immunity titer.
• Evidence of physical examination within three months prior to beginning a professional program.
• Evidence of personal health insurance if in a professional clinical program.

In addition to the above criteria:

• Students must meet the immunization requirements of their selected professional program. Requirements can be found in the Adventist University Academic Catalog.
• All professional program students are to be in compliance with the requirements of the facility for which they practice and if they have patient contact, particularly as it relates to the flu vaccine.

Program Deposit

Each applicant accepted to a degree program is expected to pay a non-refundable deposit of $500 to reserve his or her place in the program. The applicant’s acceptance letter will contain a deposit deadline indicating when the deposit must be received by the University. Once the student enrolls in the program, this deposit will be applied toward the student’s account. Applicants who have paid the deposit, but decide not to enroll in the program, will forfeit the deposit. If that student is admitted to the same program at a later date, he or she will be required to pay the full deposit amount again. If an applicant is admitted to a program with prerequisites in progress and becomes ineligible for admission due to his or her grades, a full refund will be provided. A program deposit is not transferable to another professional program.

Readmission after Unsuccessful Progression in a Degree Program

Students who have not successfully progressed in a degree program will be withdrawn from that program, but not necessarily from the University. They must notify the program chair of their desire to be readmitted. Readmission is not automatic and is contingent upon available space. Students will be readmitted under current program policies (see individual program section in the current Academic Catalog for additional requirements and details).

Reapplication

Applicants who are not admitted to a graduate program during a specific admission cycle may reapply to Adventist University of Health Sciences for the next admission cycle as long as they have successfully met the minimum admission requirements. Requirements for reapplication are available in the specific section that relates to each graduate program. Reapplicants are expected to meet the published admission deadlines.

Foreign Transcript Evaluations

Applicants who attended college outside the United States will be required to submit a foreign credential evaluation for that coursework. Adventist University of Health Sciences will accept evaluations only from World Education Services (WES). Evaluations received from any other transcript evaluation companies will not be considered to fulfill admission requirements.

Applicants are responsible for the cost of these reports and will need to follow the instructions provided by WES at www.wes.org related to submitting documentation. Please note that documents in a foreign language must be translated into English by a separate translation company and submitted with official transcripts to WES.