Enrollment for graduate study in business is granted in the following categories. FULL ADMISSION
An applicant who meets all of the formal requirements for admission to the MBA, MAcc or IMBA degree program is granted full admission. These requirements are listed in the Application Procedure section, and, among other things, include the following specific requirements:
1. Graduate from a regionally accredited institution of higher education with a bachelor's degree;
2. Complete undergraduate course prerequisites or equivalents with a “C” or better. Persons who have not completed this requirement may be given “applicant admission,” and after satisfactorily completing the required courses at Gardner-Webb University or elsewhere may be granted full admission (see Course of Instruction section);
3. Present a minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale for MBA, IMBA or MAcc Program on all undergraduate course work completed or the last 64 hours of
undergraduate or graduate work attempted; 4. Original transcripts;
5. Detailed resume of professional experience;
6. Three confidential letters of recommendation on official Gardner-Webb graduate admissions forms; 7. A satisfactory GMAT or GRE score according to the Quantitative Acceptance Index (QAI) formula. PROVISIONAL ADMISSION
Applicants who show potential for graduate study but do not meet the criteria for Full Admission may be admitted for up to 6 hours of graduate work under Provisional status. Deficiencies may include low graduate admission test scores, or low undergraduate grade point average. All students must complete the GMAT or GRE test to be considered for Provisional Admission. No student may be admitted to a degree program who has a grade point average lower than 2.25 on all college work attempted or on the last 64 hours of work attempted. The Admission Committee strives to take a holistic view of the applicant in order to determine the likelihood for success in the graduate business programs. The Admission Committee of the Graduate School of Business may grant Provisional status based on the following:
1. QAI-GMAT between 750-949 or a QAI-GRE using the GRE® Comparison Tool for Business Schools to convert the GRE score to GMAT equivalent, or
2. Acceptable GPA and proof of significant years of experience or substantive managerial/leadership experience that may be evidenced through resumé review, employer recommendations, personal interviews, or telephone interviews.
A student admitted with provisional status must meet any condition attached to his/her admission before being granted full admission. The Admissions Committee may elect to place additional application requirements on the student, including submission of a written essay, taking extra prerequisite classes, among others.
A student admitted with provisional status may be granted permission to register for no more than six graduate credit hours. The student's progress will be monitored and the student may be granted full admission status if all other requirements for admission are met and the student receives an “A” or “B” in both courses. If a “C” is made, the student may be given one opportunity to repeat the course with the “C” grade. If the student does not
make an “A” or “B” on the second attempt, the student will be barred from continuation in any of the programs. Credit earned will be considered graduate level work but may not be counted toward any of the degree
programs at Gardner-Webb University until the student meets admissions criteria after all credentials are assessed, or until the student has full admission. Students must have full admission in order to register for graduate course work beyond six-credit hours, and must submit all supporting documentation.
CONDITIONAL STATUS
An applicant with undergraduate course prerequisite deficiencies may be granted “Conditional Acceptance” and permission to register for undergraduate business course prerequisites from any of the programs prior to the completion of the admission procedure. Gardner-Webb University generally offers undergraduate courses encompassing Accounting, Economics, Finance, Marketing, Statistics, and Management Science at various times throughout the year. An individual having prerequisite deficiencies may not enroll in any of the program's graduate courses until all deficiencies have been removed.
The table below presents the requirements for Full Admission, Provisional Status, or Applicant Status. Applicants will be considered under any one of the following criteria:
Requirement or Condition Full AdmissionProvisional Status Conditional Status 1. GMAT score exceeds 500
2. QAI-GMAT* ≥ 950
3. QAI-GMAT* between 750-949
4. Acceptable undergraduate GPA from an accredited school and two or more years of relevant professional experience as determined by Admission Committee of the Graduate School of Business (see Provisional Admission)
5. Students will be granted Conditional Acceptance status due to undergraduate course prerequisite deficiencies. A student having prerequisite deficiencies may not enroll in any of the graduate program's courses until all deficiencies have been removed or the student has been granted Provisional or Full Status.
*QAI-GMAT = [GMAT+(200XGPA)] or for GRE use the GRE® Comparison Tool for Business Schools to convert the GRE score to GMAT equivalent.
SPECIAL STUDENT
A student entering any of the programs to take courses for professional or career enhancement as a non-degree seeking student is granted special admission. Although students may earn as many credit hours as is desired to fulfill their professional or personal goals, a maximum of six semester hours of credit may be earned as a Special Student and applied toward any of the degree programs at Gardner-Webb University.
TRANSIENT STUDENT
Transient status is assigned to an applicant from another recognized graduate institution who desires enrollment at Gardner-Webb University to take courses for transfer to the institution in which he or she is enrolled as a degree candidate. A transient student must submit an application for admission and a letter that indicates good standing from the director or dean of the School or program in which he or she is currently enrolled.
TRANSFER OF COURSES FOR GRADUATE CREDIT
With approval, a maximum of six semester hours may be accepted from a regionally accredited masters
business program or equivalent toward the fulfillment of requirements for the graduate business (MWTM, MBA, IMBA or MAcc) degree or certificates at Gardner-Webb University. Credit will not be given for courses taken more than six calendar years before applying for admission to graduate study. Only courses with a grade of “B” or “A” will be considered for transfer and must be substantially parallel to Gardner-Webb University courses. Credit will not be given for courses taken to obtain another master's degree. Students currently enrolled in any of the programs at Gardner-Webb University must have prior written approval to take courses from
another institution for transfer credit. Courses accepted in transfer admission are recorded as credit only. Grades are recorded on a transfer evaluation form, but no grade points or grade point averages are computed. The grade point average used for administering policy and for graduation is computed on academic credit earned at Gardner-Webb University. The Registrar interprets the transfer policy and certifies students for graduation. The primary purpose of the transfer credits policy is to grant incoming students credit for work previously completed. Students are expected to take the appropriate courses offered by Gardner-Webb
University once they enter the program. Permission may be granted to take courses offered by other institutions when the appropriate course is not offered by Gardner-Webb University or when it is more convenient for the University to approve a course for transfer than to offer the course by special arrangement.
Strong undergraduate students at Gardner-Webb University may be permitted, under special circumstances, to register for graduate courses with the permission of the Dean, Associate Dean, or Director of Graduate Studies in Business. Graduate-level courses may not be counted toward both the bachelor's and master's degrees. A student seeking to transfer courses must fill out the Request for Transfer of Credit Form available at
http://www.gardner-webb.edu/academics/academic-publications/graduate-catalog/academic- information/index