General Admission Requirements
The following information regards all graduate programs with the exceptions of WCU’s Doctorate of Osteopathic Medicine; Doctorate of Pharmacy, and Doctorate of Physical Therapy.
Please use the following address if using the physical mailing option:
William Carey University
Office of Graduate Admissions, WCU #155
710 William Carey Parkway
Hattiesburg, MS 39401
Each student who is a U.S. citizen or green card holder applying to graduate programs at William Carey University must:
- complete online application for graduate admission (available at www.wmcarey.edu;
- pay the $40 graduate application fee. This fee may be paid online at the time of application, submitted by mail, or after the application is submitted, the applicant can send an email request to graduateadmissions@wmcarey.edu to receive a payment link.
- hold a baccalaureate degree or other foundational degree specified by the program of interest from an accredited college or university;
- provide final and official transcripts of all college work completed to date. An official transcript is defined as one emailed directly from one institution or agency to William Carey University. It bears the sending institution’s or agency’s seal, the signature of the registrar, and the date of issuance. Transcripts may be mailed to William Carey University or emailed to graduateadmissions@wmcarey.edu.
In addition to these requirements, the applicant must meet any additional requirements as put forth by the respective graduate degree programs.
Applications for admission to graduate programs must be submitted by the Monday of general registration week (the week before the academic term begins). Consideration will be given to applications that are late due to extenuating circumstances.
Intentionally giving false information, whether written or oral, to university officials is not permitted. The falsification, alteration, fabrication, omission, or misuse of a form, document, or record provided to the university is prohibited and can lead to rejection, expulsion, or dismissal.
Incomplete Admission Status
A student who appears to be eligible for admission but is unable to supply certain required records prior to registration may be allowed to register on an incomplete basis for one trimester. Students who do not provide all official documents required for admission by the end of the term will not be allowed to continue in the program. Permission for incomplete registration does not indicate official acceptance into William Carey University. Implementation of the incomplete admission status option is at the discretion of the program.
No financial aid will be processed or paid on students who have not been officially accepted.
Readmission
A student who has not enrolled in a course within the past 12-month period must apply for readmission at the William Carey University website (www.wmcarey.edu).
Early Admission
A candidate for a baccalaureate degree at William Carey may apply for early admission to the graduate program and may enroll for graduate credit in courses not required for completion of the baccalaureate degree provided that the student is within six hours of meeting degree requirements and has a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. A student may take only six hours of graduate courses prior to meeting the requirements of the baccalaureate degree. Participation in the early admission program is limited to one trimester only. Implementation of the early admission option is at the discretion of the program.
International Students
William Carey University is authorized by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to enroll nonimmigrant alien students on the Hattiesburg campus only. International students who wish to be admitted to William Carey University must meet the requirements listed below.
- Application—Application for admission can be downloaded from the Carey website (www.wmcarey.edu). Applications may also be requested by mail through the Office of Graduate Admissions or Office of International Admissions on the Hattiesburg campus. A US$40 application fee, which allows for a student’s application to be processed, should be mailed to the Office of Graduate Admissions at WCU #155, 710 William Carey Parkway, Hattiesburg, MS, 39401, or paid online with a credit card.
- Academic Records—Academic records indicating graduation from any institution(s) of higher education or official transcript(s) from U.S. institution(s) attended are required. An official transcript is defined as one mailed directly from one institution to another. All records must be in English before an I-20 from William Carey University is issued.
- Official college/university transcripts - Academic records from each college/university attended must be provided. Transcripts from institutions of higher learning in countries other than the United States must be evaluated by approved transcript evaluation services before being transmitted to William Carey University. The four approved services are: World Education Services (WES) http://www.wes.org; SpanTran (The Evaluation Company) https://spantran.com/web/; GCE (Global Credential Evaluators) https://www.gceus.com/; and ECE (Educational Credential Evaluators) https://www.ece.org/. William Carey University must receive an official transcript that has been evaluated by one of the four services before the admission file can be processed. The results from the evaluation must be mailed to William Carey University. This process takes from 30 to 60 days.
- Transcripts may be mailed to Office of Graduate Admissions at WCU #155, 710 William Carey Parkway, Hattiesburg, MS, 39401.
- Language Proficiency—Students who are not from nations where English is considered the official or second language are required to take either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). A minimum score of 523 is required on the paper-based TOEFL; a minimum score of 193 on the computer-based TOEFL; or a minimum score of 70 on the internet-based TOEFL. Students who wish to take the IELTS must meet the minimum requirement score of 5.5. Students who do not meet the minimum English proficiency required are invited to apply for admission the William Carey University English Language Center.
- Certification of Finances—Proof of financial support for the duration of the international student’s stay in the United States is required. This document can be downloaded from the Carey website (www.wmcarey.edu).
- Proof of Immunizations—Documented proof of two immunizations for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) if born on or after January 1, 1957. Additionally, each student must have a chest x-ray and Interferon Gamma Release Assay (IGRA) performed in the United States and submit the results to the office of international admissions prior to starting class.
- Proof of Major Medical Coverage—Proof of medical coverage while attending an institution of higher education in the United States is required. All international students are required to take a policy with the university. Students will be assessed for the policy coverage at the beginning of each trimester. More information on the health insurance policy adopted by William Carey University is available online (www.wmcarey.edu).
Additional Information—In order to receive an F-1 visa, international students must schedule an appointment with the nearest U.S. consulate or embassy in their country within 90 days of departure. They must take along their documentation, letter of acceptance, and I-20 for presentation and review. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recommends the entering student be honest and have copies of all documentation sent to William Carey University available for review by the U.S. custom official at the consulate, embassy, or U.S. port of entry. Custom officials may at any point of the student’s travel to the United States deny him/her entry into the country. WCU cannot act on behalf of students with pending visa appointments, or interfere with U.S. government functions in order to influence or expedite processes.
The Office of Graduate Admissions may receive faxed copies; however, original documents must be mailed and placed in the student’s file before any decision can be made.
International students should refer to the university and academic calendars for dates of trimester breaks and religious and national holidays (i.e. Thanksgiving, Christmas) in preparation for holiday travel or end of the year travel.
Questions or concerns should be directed to the director of international admissions on the Hattiesburg campus, 601-318-6103 or 800-962-5991 (toll free).
Transfer Courses
William Carey University accepts transfer graduate credit from other regionally accredited institutions according to the following guidelines:
- A maximum of six credit hours may be applied to an M.Ed., Ed.S., M.B.A., M.S.N., Ed.D., or Ph.D.
- A maximum of nine credit hours may be applied toward an M.S. degree in programs that require more than 36 hours.
- A maximum of 15 credit hours may be transferred into the Ph.D. in nursing education and administration. Transfer credit will not be granted for NUR 753, NUR 801, NUR 802, NUR 803, NUR 804, and NUR 805.
- Transfer credit will be accepted only for course(s) that contribute to the plan of study designed for the student.
- Graduate courses carrying a grade of less than a ‘B’ will not be accepted.
- All transfer credit must meet the six-year limit on the completion of the degree.
- Independent study credit earned at another institution will not be accepted.
Second Master’s Degree
A student holding a master’s degree may apply for a second master’s degree in another area. Moreover, students holding the M.Ed. may apply for a second M.Ed. in another certification area. Students must meet all admissions and degree requirements for the second degree. A candidate for a second degree may use six hours of graduate credit from the first degree toward a second degree in education or business and nine graduate hours toward a second degree in psychology programs. A student must complete all requirements for the first degree before applying for or beginning a second degree. This applies to all degrees. Courses to be applied toward a second degree must have the approval of the dean, and grades in such courses cannot be below a “B.”
Changing Major or Emphasis
When a student changes from one major or degree to another or changes emphasis within the major where there are different requirements for admission, the student must reapply and meet the requirements of the new program.
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