To be considered for admission to the adult undergraduate programs at Southern Wesleyan University, candidates must meet one of the following three criteria:
- Be at least 21 years of age
- Give evidence of at least two years full-time employment (M.Ed. Classroom Leadership applicants must have one year of full-time teaching experience. M.Ed. Administration and Supervision applicants must have two years of full-time teaching experience.)
Enrollment Requirements for all Graduate Degree Programs
- Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
- The specified minimum cumulative grade point average on all undergraduate course work or on the final 60 hours of undergraduate course work. Based on a 4.0 scale, M.Ed. programs require 3.0; Business programs require 2.7.
- Official transcripts from the undergraduate degree-granting institution as well as any graduate work. (If less than 60 credit hours were completed at the undergraduate degree-granting institution, then official transcripts from all undergraduate institutions will be necessary.)
- Two letters of recommendation from persons qualified to judge the applicant's moral character, professional expertise, and capacity for graduate-level work. (For all M.Ed. programs, one recommendation must be from School Administrator)
- Satisfactory interview with designated committee or academic division, if required.
- Experience and employment, as specified for each program.
- Employment verification signed by employer (For all M.Ed. programs, it must have signature of School Administrator.)
- Applicants for whom English is a second language, applicant must submit an official TOEFL score of at least 550 (paper test), 213 (computer test) or equivalent evidence of proficiency in English.
- If requested by the Graduate Admissions Committee, applicant must submit a satisfactory score on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), Miller Analogies Test (MAT), or Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT), as specified for the degree program. Official records are required from the testing organization.
Enrollment Requirements for Master of Business Administration
In addition to the general graduate admission requirements listed above, an applicant for admission to the Master of Business Administration program must:
- Provide evidence of current employment and at least two years of significant work experience, and eighteen undergraduate semester hours in business administration, management, human resource management or marketing;
OR
- three years of managerial experience.
Appropriate work experience for those currently unemployed includes:
- five years of significant work experience and eighteen undergraduate-semester hours in business administration, management, human resource management, or marketing
OR
- five years of managerial experience.
For candidates not meeting the minimum requirements, the Graduate Admissions Committee will consider additional evidence, including internships, volunteer work, and two letters of recommendation - at least one from a professor and one from someone who has knowledge of the candidate's ability to perform in a work setting.
Enrollment Requirements for Master of Science in Management and Leadership
In addition to the general graduate admission requirements listed above, an applicant for admission to the Master of Science in Management and Leadership program must:
- Provide evidence of current employment and at least two years of employment (one of those years must be significant work experience) and twelve undergraduate semester hours in business administration, management, human resource management, or marketing
OR
- three years of managerial experience relevant to the program
Appropriate work experience for those currently unemployed includes:
- three years of significant work experience and twelve undergraduate semester hours in business administration, management, human resource management, or marketing
OR
- three years managerial experience
For candidates not meeting the minimum requirements, the Graduate Admissions Committee will consider additional evidence, including internships, volunteer work, and two letters of recommendation - at least one from a professor and one from someone who has knowledge of the candidate's ability to perform in a work setting.
*When required by the Graduate Admissions Committee, satisfactory results of a counseling interview may result in admission.
Enrollment Requirements for Master of Education in Classroom Leadership
In addition to the general graduate admission requirements listed above, an applicant for admission to the Master of Education in Classroom Leadership program must have the following criteria:
- Valid teaching certificate from the State of South Carolina or equivalent out-of-state certification.
- One year teaching experience or two recommendation letters stating that the student candidate has access to a classroom for research purposes. At least one of the recommendation letters must come from a school administrator.
- At least one of the recommendation letters must come from a current school administrator.
- Successful completion of an undergraduate program of study with a GPA of at least 3.0 (if less than 3.0, students must have satisfactory scores on the GRE and/or approval of the Graduate Admissions Committee)
*For candidates not meeting the minimum requirement for employment, the committee will consider additional evidence, including internships and volunteer work, and two letters of recommendation – at least one from a school administrator who would be willing to open a classroom for the candidate to complete course requirements, and one from someone who has knowledge of the candidate’s ability to perform in an educational setting.
**The M.Ed. program curriculum does not lead to initial teacher certification in the State of South Carolina.**
Learn more about transfer credits from accredited colleges and universities.
If you have any questions regarding admission requirements for your degree program, please contact your program representative.