Admission to the University

Westminster University seeks students whose academic and life experiences demonstrate that they are prepared to thrive in our classrooms and bring vibrancy to our campus. Applications are reviewed holistically and take into consideration the quality of a student’s academic preparation, which includes both difficulty of course work and grades, extracurricular activities, individual talents and character, recommendations, and demonstrated interest in the university. A campus visit is recommended, as it helps complete the picture for both the prospective student and the university. Westminster University admits students whose academic records indicate that they possess the preparation and skills necessary for success in university. Individuals are admitted without discrimination as to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, national or ethnic origin, disability, or a person’s status as a veteran.

Admission to the university does not constitute acceptance into all of its programs. Students applying for admission into the Nursing and Honors College programs should consult the appropriate sections of this Academic Catalog for additional admission requirements. Music students must audition to be accepted into the program as a major or minor. Students applying to graduate programs should review the appropriate sections in the Graduate Academic Catalog.

Undergraduate applicants may apply Early Action Decision by December 1 or Regular Decision by February 1. Applications for undergraduate admission are accepted on a rolling basis after the Regular Decision deadline of February 1. Westminster University reserves the right to close the application earlier than dates specified if enrollment goals are met before those dates. To accept an offer of admission and reserve a place in the class, an admitted student must submit an admitted student reply form and a non-refundable $500 tuition deposit by the National Reply Date, May 1, or within thirty days of admission.

Westminster University administers all of its educational programs, related support services, and benefits in a manner that does not discriminate against students or prospective students with regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, national or ethnic origin, disability, or a person’s status as a veteran. Westminster University seeks to provide equal access for people with disabilities to its programs, services, and activities. Please contact Disability Services at 801.832.2272 (TTY 832.2286) if you require admission information in an alternative format or if you need other accommodations.

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Admission Requirements

New First-Year

Applications are reviewed holistically on the basis of a student’s demonstrated academic preparation, motivation, and potential for success at Westminster. Academic preparation, which includes both coursework and grades, is most important. The submission of standardized test scores is optional. Other measures, including essays, extracurricular activities and accomplishments, and recommendations are given consideration and may be requested by the Office of Admission as supporting evidence of academic preparedness, motivation, or potential for success.

Westminster University recommends the following curriculum:

Subject	Number of credits/years
Math	4
English	4
World Language	2
Social Science (such as history, government, geography, psychology or other similar courses)	3
Lab-based Science (such as biology, chemistry, and physics)	3
Fine Arts (such as music, dance, theatre, visual arts, ceramics, graphic design, or other similar courses)	1

A student currently enrolled in high school may be accepted for admission on the basis of six semesters of high school work. The university may require additional grade reports during the student’s senior year, and will require final official transcripts showing the date of high school graduation.

Transfer Students

A student with a cumulative grade point average of 2.75 (B-) or better in academic courses from all previous university work, and who is in good academic standing at their previous institution(s) may be considered for admission as a transfer student. Exceptions can be made on a case-by-case basis.

Detailed information regarding Westminster University transfer credit policies can be found in the External Credit section of this catalog. Students transferring from Salt Lake Community College may find these advising pathways helpful.

Non-degree Seeking Students

Non-degree seeking students are defined as students who are enrolled at the university but have not applied for, or been accepted into, a degree program. Non-degree seeking students, therefore, are those who plan to take courses for “interest only.” Non-degree seeking students are subject to the academic regulations of the university. Credit earned while in non-degree seeking student status is not considered toward a degree unless the student applies for admission to, and is accepted by, the university as a degree-seeking student. A maximum of 30 semester hours of coursework taken as a non-degree-seeking student may be considered for credit earned toward a degree. Non-degree seeking students are not eligible to receive institutional or federal financial aid. Those who wish to pursue a degree must complete the admission process as a degree-seeking student. Non-degree seeking students must be admitted as degree-seeking prior to the first day of classes in the semester in which they wish to be considered degree-seeking.

Readmission of Former Students

Students who wish to register at the university after an absence of three or more academic semesters (not including summer terms) must apply for readmission through the Office of Admissions. Returning students are subject to the academic requirements in effect at the time of their re-entry. Westminster University makes every effort to honor coursework taken in previous years; however, due to curriculum changes, this cannot be guaranteed. Previous coursework in question must be reviewed by individual academic departments with a final agreement submitted in writing to the Registrar’s Office.

Former students who have attended other colleges or universities during their absence must apply for readmission as a returning student and must meet all applicable requirements for admission. Students will be reevaluated for transfer merit scholarships based on all university credits taken, including those from Westminster. It should be noted that students who attend other colleges or universities during a summer session are not required to reapply. Transfer credit for such courses are subject to the university’s regular transfer policies as stated in the Degree Requirements section of this catalog.

In accordance with the Higher Education Reauthorization Act, Westminster University will readmit veterans at the same academic status in which they left the institution, provided the veteran notifies the university in advance of their deployments and are not absent from the institution for more than five years, cumulatively. Those students who fail to provide advance notice may re-enroll after providing proof of service.

Readmission of Servicemembers and Veterans

In accordance with the Higher Education Reauthorization Act, Westminster University will readmit military service members at the same academic status in which they left the institution for service activation or deployments, provided the student notifies the university in advance of their deployments and are not absent from the institution for more than five years, cumulatively. Those students who fail to provide advance notice may re-enroll after providing proof of service.

To readmit a servicemember with the same academic status means that the institution readmits the servicemember:

• To the same program, unless the servicemember requests or agrees to admission to another program (if the servicemember’s program is no longer offered, the institution must admit the servicemember to the program that is the most similar);
• At the same enrollment status (for example, full-time), unless the servicemember requests or agrees to a different enrollment status;
• With the same number of credit hours or clock hours completed, unless the servicemember is admitted to a different program and the hours are not transferable;
• With same academic standing (for example, satisfactory academic progress status);
• For the first academic year, with the same tuition and fee charges as when the servicemember left, unless military benefits will pay the increase, but never more than the institution is charging other students; and
• For subsequent academic years or for a different program, by assessing tuition and fee charges that are no more than the institution is charging other students.

Concurrent Enrollment

Qualified high school junior and senior students (grades 11 and 12) may ) may apply and enroll to take university coursework during the Fall and Spring semesters at Westminster while still attending high school.

 Applicants for concurrent enrollment must:

• Be a junior or senior in high school
• Have a 3.0 cumulative GPA or higher in academic course work (confirmed by high school transcript)
• Complete the Concurrent Enrollment Application (including the Parent Permission Form and School Permission Form)
• Meet application deadlines:
  • June 1 (Fall semester)
  • December 1 (Spring semester)

A new application is required each semester that a student seeks to enroll or re-enroll for concurrent enrollment courses at the university.

Non-High School Graduates

Students who have not completed high school, or who have graduated from a non-accredited or non-traditional educational environment, may be considered for admission to the university. Westminster accepts the General Educational Development examination (GED), a state high school equivalency diploma, or demonstration of academic performance that aligns with Westminster's recommended curriculum.

Please speak to an admissions counselor for additional information.

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Applying for Admission

How to Apply

Students must submit:

• Online Common Application or Westminster Application
• High school transcript
• Official transcript(s) from each college or university attended. This is primarily, but not exclusively, applicable to incoming transfer students.
• Personal statement or essay, if requested
• Standardized test scores, if requested
• School counselor or school official report, if requested
• Letters of recommendation, if requested or required by program

Incoming first-year students must submit a final official high school transcript including a high school graduation date, a GED, or other high school equivalency diploma prior to beginning classes.

Incoming transfer students must submit a final official high school transcript documenting a high school graduation date, a GED, or other high school equivalency diploma if they do not have at least one of the following:

• 60 transfer credit hours
• An associate’s degree
• Interstate transfer passport

All records submitted to the university become the property of Westminster University as part of each student’s permanent record and are not returnable.

When to Apply

The applications for undergraduate admissions opens on August 1 for the subsequent Spring, Summer and Fall terms.

Notification of Admission

Applicants who apply as Early Action Decision by the December 1 deadline, will receive an admissions decision by the first week of January (based on open business hours). After the Early Action Decision Deadline, applicants will receive an admissions decision approximately three weeks after the Office of Admissions receives all required materials. Transfer students receive a separate summary of transfer credit evaluation. The summary of transfer credit evaluation does not guarantee admission, rather is provided to the student as a guide of which credits will transfer if admitted to the university. Once admitted, students intending to enroll at Westminster must submit an admitted student reply form and a $500 non-refundable enrollment deposit must be submitted to guarantee a place in the entering class.

Accepting Offer of Admission

The tuition deposit should be submitted by the National Reply Date of May 1 or within 30 days of receiving an admissions decision if after May 1. Students requesting an extension to the enrollment deposit deadline should contact the Office of Admissions. Students may choose to defer their admission after paying the tuition deposit for up to two years. Extensions may be considered on a case-by-case basis. New first-year students are required to live in campus housing during the fall and spring semesters of their first two years. Residence Life may grant exceptions for students with extenuating circumstances after an exemption form is submitted.

Deferred Admission (Gap Year)

Deferred admission is offered to undergraduate students who plan to delay their enrollment to a different semester than they were admitted to.

Requests for deferred admission must be submitted by August 1 and approved by the Office of Admissions. Deferred admission may be requested for up to 4 semesters. Deferred admission is not intended to allow students to begin or continue their university career elsewhere, though students may take a limited number of courses as a part-time student during their deferred admission period. Westminster assumes that any academic work pursued during the deferred admission period will be at an academic level consistent with or above the student's academic performance record with which they gained acceptance to Westminster University. Students must submit all transcripts from college-level coursework completed during the deferred admission period. The university reserves the right to reverse a prior admissions decision based on poor results of academic work completed during the deferred admission period.

Prior to their return, students must confirm their intention to enroll by submitting a second non-refundable tuition deposit of $500. Learn more about deferred enrollment and gap year.

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International Students

Westminster University is authorized under federal law to enroll non-immigrant students. The Office of Admissions begins processing I-20 Certificates of Eligibility for non-immigrant international students after they have been admitted and confirmed their enrollment to the university. 

Admission Requirements

To be considered for enrollment at the university, international students must meet the same admissions requirements as domestic students in addition to other specific international requirements. International students must submit the following materials to the Office of Admissions:

• Online application for admission.
• Personal statement or essay (optional).
• Official transcripts, academic records, diplomas, national examination results, certificates or degrees received from all secondary, post-secondary, university and/or professional schools and any necessary translations. International college or university transcripts must be submitted to an external evaluation service company for a course-by-course evaluation. World Education Services or SpanTran are two evaluation companies that Westminster University recommends using. There may be other exceptions granted on a case-by-case basis.
• International students who are non-native speakers of English must provide evidence of English language proficiency by submitting official scores from one of the standardized tests listed in the chart below. Test date must be within two years of application for scores to be valid. 
• Recommendation letter from high school counselor or teacher, upon request.
• Submit International Student Financial Aid Questionnaire in admissions portal

After international students are admitted, they will be required to provide evidence of adequate financial support to cover the total cost of attendance for two semesters. This most commonly comes in the form of a certified bank statement or bank letter as well as a Statement of Financial Responsibility as issued by Westminster University.

All applicants, regardless of citizenship status, must demonstrate proficiency in English to obtain admission to Westminster University. To fulfill this requirement, applicants must satisfy one of the following criteria:

A. Provide transcripts showing attendance for a minimum of three years at a U.S. accredited high school in a curriculum with passing grades.

B. Provide transcripts showing attendance for a minimum of three years in English education at an American International School, Cambridge affiliated school, or International Baccalaureate (IB) affiliated school with passing grades.

C. Provide transcripts showing a minimum of 15 transferable college level credits of general education or major requirements with a minimum grade of C- from a U.S. accredited college or university. Credits from ESL and orientation style courses will not be accepted.

D. Provide transcripts showing either attendance for a minimum of three years at a high school with passing grades or a minimum of 15 transferable college level credits of general education or major requirements with a minimum grade of C- from a high school, college or university in one of the following countries:

E. Provide English proficiency test results taken within the past two years that meet one of the following score requirements:

English Proficiency Exam Results:

Undergraduate: Test	Full Admit	English Bridge 2	English Bridge 1
TOEFL IBT	79	66	55 and no subset below 12
IELTS	6.5	6	5.5 and no subset below 5.0
PTE	53	44	39
MET 4-Skill (Michigan English Test)	53-63	40-52
CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference)	B2	B1
Duolingo	105
Norwegian Upper Secondary School English Course	4	3
SAT-EBRW	560	510	430-500 and Duolingo required
ACT-English & Reading	22 English and 22 Reading	19 English and 19 Reading	15 English and 15 Reading (Duolingo required)

Westminster University will consider scores from the IELTS Indicator and the TOEFL iBT Home Edition. The university will accept TOEFL iBT superscores for the purpose of meeting TOEFL iBT requirements.

F. Complete English language instruction through one of the following programs:

Articulation Agreements	Program Level	Westminster Level
Associates in Cultural Exchange ACE	6	Full Admit; take WRIT 110
ELS Language Schools	112	Full Admit; take WRIT 110
English Language Institute (ELI)	8 "B" Average	Full Admit; take WRIT 110

Westminster University reserves the right to require demonstration of English proficiency, even if a candidate demonstrates eligibility for a proficiency waiver.

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International Exchange Students

The university accepts and enrolls students from our partner institutions who are citizens of countries other than the United States for exchange programs. Full-time international exchange students are issued Forms DS-2019 forms to enable them to apply for student visas.

Admission Requirements

Exchange students must submit the following materials to the Office for Global Engagement:

1. Exchange student application for admission (application fee is waived)
2. Nomination letter from an academic advisor, professor, dean or exchange coordinator at the partner institution.
3. Official transcripts, academic records, diplomas, national examination results, certificates or degrees received from all secondary, post-secondary, university and/or professional schools. All transcripts must be submitted with an official English translation
4. Evidence of adequate financial support to cover the total cost of attendance for the duration of the exchange program (one or two semesters). This most commonly comes in the form of a certified bank statement or bank letter.
5. Statement of Financial Responsibility completed by the student and/or financial guarantor.
6. Evidence of English language proficiency as described in the International Student Admission requirements above.
7. Copy of the identification page of the applicant’s passport

All materials submitted to Westminster University become the property of the university and cannot be returned to the student or sent to another school. If the student’s school or ministry of education issues only one copy of secondary school grades or examination scores, the Office of Admissions will make a certified copy and return the original to the student; however, in all cases copies must be made from originals. Duplicated copies will not be accepted. Once all required documentation has been received and the student has been accepted for admission, a Form DS-2019 will be sent to the student.