Registration, Enrollment, and Residency Qualifications

Washburn University welcomes applications from all interested students. As a public institution, the University recognizes a responsibility to serve a variety of educational needs manifested by its student clientele. Prospective students are always welcome to the campus and are encouraged to visit prior to enrollment. The Office of Admissions, in Morgan Hall, handles all arrangements during students’ campus visitations.

Admission Requirements for Degree Seeking Candidates

Graduates of accredited high schools who meet admission criteria, and wish to fulfill the requirements for a degree will be admitted as degree-seeking students. Admission classification will depend upon the student’s academic credentials.

An Application for Admission must be completed by all first time students and by current or former students who are changing their degree status (degree or non-degree). An Application for Admission may be obtained by going to www.washburn.edu/admissions. Former students who are returning in the same status can complete the Returning Student Reactivation form at http://washburn.edu/admissions/apply.html. Students who are or have taken classes as a high school student need to complete the undergraduate application for admission.

Official high school or GED transcripts may be required for degree seeking applicants with fewer than 24 completed hours of college or vocational work.

Official transcripts of all previous college or vocational work listed on the application must be submitted by all degree seeking applicants. An official transcript must be received from each institution attended. Official transcripts can be sent through the mail or electronically to etranscripts@washburn.edu. Official transcripts cannot be faxed.

Fall enrollment, applications for admissions and transcripts should ideally be on file in the Office of Admissions by August 1. Applicants for the spring should ideally have applications and transcripts on file by January 2. Summer applicants should ideally have applications and transcripts on file by 10 business days prior to Summer enrollment.

Application Fee Waivers

To be eligible for an application fee waiver, students must submit documentation with a guidance counselor signature proving financial need. To prove financial need, guidance counselors can provide evidence of a student’s participation in the Federal Free/Reduced Lunch Program, an ACT/SAT fee waiver form, or a NACAC Request for Admission Application Fee Waiver form.

Admission Criteria

High School and Home School Students

Students who are or will be graduates from an accredited high school or home school curriculum.

Regular Admission for High School and Home School Students

Students meeting the following criteria will be granted regular admission:

• High School GPA ≥2.25 on a 4.00 scale or;
• ACT Composite Score ≥ 21.

Admission Exceptions for High School and Home School Students

Given our commitment of access to a high-quality education, students not meeting Regular Admission criteria are granted admission by exception.  Applicants admitted by exception are required to participate in either the Passport for Success or the Ichabod Ignite Program (see https://www.washburn.edu/academics/center-student-success/index.html)

GED Students

Students who are not graduates of a high school may qualify for admission by taking the GED. The University requires receipt of official GED diploma and official ACT report of scores.

Regular Admission for GED Students

• ACT Composite Score ≥ 23 or GED Score ≥ 165 on each section (510 on the test prior to 2016)
• ACT Composite Score 21 or 22 and GED Score ≥ 475 for test prior to 2016

Admission Exceptions for GED Students

Applicants not meeting Regular Admission or Ichabod Ignite Program criteria (see below) may be granted admission by exception. Applicants admitted by exception must participate in the Passport for Success Program for placement testing, prescriptive course selection, and receive academic advising through the Center for Student Success (see section: Center for Student Success).

Graduates of non-accredited high schools will be evaluated on an individual basis.

Returning Adults (21 years or older)

Returning Adult students are classified as students who are 21 years of age or older by September 1st for the fall term, February 1st for the spring term or June 1st for the summer term who will be transferring less than 24 completed hours from a postsecondary institution. Returning adult students must have graduated from an accredited high school or have earned a GED with a score of at least 145 on each section (475 or higher on test taken prior to 2016) to be admitted.

Questions Regarding Admission

If students have questions regarding admissions they should contact the Admissions Office at (785) 670-1030.

Transfer Students

Transfer students who have completed 24 or more hours of college or vocational work must submit an official transcript from each previously attended regionally accredited post-secondary institution listed on the admissions application to the Office of Admissions at Washburn University. If the student has completed fewer than 24 college or vocational hours and is seeking a degree, additional material may be required for admittance. For more information please refer to Admissions Criteria for details.

Entering degree-seeking transfer students must have an application, $20 processing fee, and all transcripts on file in the Office of Admissions by the respective beginning term deadline. Those students unable to meet the minimum admissions standards due to unusual circumstances may be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Director of Admissions. Transfer students desiring additional information should call 785-670-1030.

A cumulative 2.0 GPA on a 4.00 scale (C = 2.0) is the minimum preferred on all completed course work of transfer students seeking admission to Washburn University. Decisions rendered for those below a 2.0 GPA will be predicated on the number of hours attempted at previous institutions. Credits and grades earned in courses which are not acceptable from a transfer school will not be counted in the final grade point average or total hours earned at Washburn. At least 60 hours required for the baccalaureate degree must be taken at a 4-year college or university.

Transfer students who have completed a baccalaureate degree at an institution of higher education accredited by one of the seven regional accrediting organizations (https://www.chea.org/regional-accrediting-organizations) are considered to have satisfied general-education requirements, and are therefore not required to meet Washburn’s specific general education requirements. This includes all aspects of the general education program including the core coursework and the general education distribution hours. Students will, however, be required to meet degree requirements that are specific to certain Bachelor and Associate degrees including required courses in correlate areas associated with an academic major.

For transfer students who have not completed a baccalaureate degree, courses completed at a college, university, or technical institution accredited by one of the seven regional accrediting organizations which have been designated by the sending institution as general education courses will transfer to Washburn University as courses within the appropriate general education distribution area without further review. In addition, courses listed by the Kansas Board of Regents as a Kansas System-Wide Transfer (KSWT) course at www.kansasregents.org/transfer_articulation will transfer as their listed Washburn University equivalent course without further review. Note: The policy is not intended to circumvent specific general education requirements for particular majors. This is a most important distinction and should be noted by students and their advisors.

Exceptions to this transfer policy include the following. 

1. The core requirements in English, Mathematics, and College Experience not addressed by KSWT must be approved as equivalent courses by the relevant departments unless the student has completed a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution.
2. KSWT courses that are lower-division at the sending institution and upper-division at Washburn University will be considered equivalent to the course at Washburn University for the purposes of program requirements, but will not count toward the minimum upper-division hours required for graduation.
3. Courses not included in the sending institution’s general education program which a transfer student believes may meet the spirit and intent of Washburn University’s general education program must be reviewed by the General Education Committee.
4. Courses that may satisfy a major requirement or a prerequisite to a major requirement must be reviewed by the major department chairperson.

Courses taken at institutions outside the United States: College-level courses completed outside the United States and recorded on official transcripts will be evaluated for transfer credit, provided that the tertiary institution where the courses were taken is accredited by the Ministry of Education (or its equivalent) in that country. International transfer students who have completed college-level courses outside the United States may be requested to submit proof of accreditation by the Ministry of Education and/or provide an evaluation from an authorized international credential evaluation agency such as Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) or World Education Services (WES). For students who have completed a baccalaureate or associate degree with a similar duration as a domestic baccalaureate or associate degree from an accredited international institution, courses satisfactorily completed in the Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences and Mathematics will be accepted towards credit in the appropriate general education distribution area.

Course Transfer Review Process (for exceptions listed above): To determine whether transfer coursework has been approved as satisfying Washburn’s general education program, students can access the online transfer guide links at https://washburn.edu/registrar/transfer.html. Department chairs determine how major courses will transfer and transfer students must provide appropriate documentation (course description and course syllabus) to the chairperson to make an informed decision. Requests for approval of a course to count for general education credit are reviewed by the university’s General Education Committee. To request approval, students must complete the General Education Transfer Course Petition with their academic advisor and submit the form to the Office of Academic Affairs. Decisions are usually made 1-2 weeks after all required information is received.

Students can appeal decisions on the transferability of general education courses through the General Education Committee if additional information can be provided which might change the initial ruling. The committee’s decisions can be appealed to the Vice President for Academic Affairs, whose decision will be final.

Academically Suspended Students

Academically suspended former students must submit a Petition for Academic Reinstatement to the Vice President of Academic Affairs Office if they wish to be considered for enrollment in a subsequent semester. Students should contact the Office of Academic Advising, in Mabee Library, at (785) 670-1942, to begin the process of reinstatement.

Non-Degree Seeking Students

Non-degree seeking students or non-credit community auditors are required to submit an application only. If the course the student wishes to enroll in has a prerequisite, an unofficial transcript with the prerequisite course listed must be emailed to the professor teaching the course. It is important to be aware that federal financial aid is not available to non-degree seeking students.

International Students

Information regarding international student admission can be found in the Office of International Programs section of the catalog.

New Student Orientation

Washburn will host New Student Orientation sessions for new freshmen and transferring students enrolling in fall and summer terms. For more information, please visit washburn.edu/orientation or contact the Office of Student Transition and Family Engagement at (785) 670-1834 or orientation@washburn.edu.

Academic Program Admission

Additional requirements are needed to be admitted in the following programs:

College of Arts and Sciences

• Art (Bachelor of Fine Arts)
• Music (Bachelor of Arts)

School of Business

• Bachelor of Business Administration

School of Applied Studies

• Medical Laboratory Science
• Magnetic Resonance
• Diagnostic Medical Sonography
• Occupational Therapy Assistant
• Physical Therapist Assistant
• Radiation Therapy Technology
• Radiologic Technology
• Health Information Technology
• Respiratory Therapy
• Bachelor of Health Science
• Education (Bachelor and Master Degrees)

School of Nursing

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing

While program admission is required for degree candidacy, some courses in these areas may be taken by non-degree candidates with approval of an advisor from the area.

High School Students

The opportunity to accelerate an educational program while in secondary school is given and a student may take courses on campus before graduation. Upon the written authorization of the high school principal or high school counselor, junior and senior students with a 3.0 average or better may enroll in day or evening classes for which they are qualified. Students are limited to a maximum of two courses (six credits) per semester. A Request to Enroll form may be obtained through the student’s local high school guidance office or Washburn’s Office of Admissions website, www.washburn.edu/admissions. It should be submitted to the Office of Admissions, along with a completed Concurrent Enrollment Program (High School) application, 15 days before enrollment. Students below high school junior standing or not presenting a 3.0 grade point average, must also have permission of the relevant academic dean prior to enrollment. It is important to be aware that federal financial aid is not available to non-degree seeking students.

ACT or ACT Residual

Prospective students who cannot take a national ACT test or are out of high school and do not have an ACT score may use the ACT Residual. This test is administered by the Center for Student Success located in Mabee Library.

Auditing Classes

Students who wish to attend classes, but do not wish to receive credit, may audit classes. Students in this category must have the approval of the instructor at the time they enroll and must pay the same fees as credit students. Audited courses are not assigned grades and students are not required to turn in class assignments or write examinations. Students enrolled in an audited class may not convert to a credit status after the first week of class. Students may not change a class from credit status to audit after the third week of classes. It is important to be aware that federal financial aid is not available to non-degree seeking students.

60 and Over Tuition-free Audit Program

Kansas residents 60 years of age and over may audit credit courses at Washburn University without paying University tuition, University fees, or student activity fee charge. Being able to audit a course is subject to availability of class space and to the enrollment of a specified minimum number of fee-paying students. The costs of materials and/or textbooks are the responsibility of the auditor. It is important to be aware that federal financial aid is not available to non-degree seeking students.

Auditors are not required to prepare homework assignments or take examinations. They may participate in classroom discussion and laboratory and field work. No college credit will be awarded for courses, thus no transcripts will be generated. Auditors are expected to follow University rules and regulations regarding parking, library privileges, and other appropriate university regulations.

Auditors must be at least 60 years old on or before the first day of the semester/term in which the class is taught and need to be prepared to have their birth date verified by showing a driver’s license or birth certificate when they register. Registration forms will be processed only after the majority of fee-paying students have enrolled which enables the identification of classes that have space available.

By filling out a non-degree seeking application, auditors may apply in the Office of Admissions, and then they will enroll through the Student One Stop (SOS), Morgan Hall 101A. Registration instructions are available in the Registration Information Guide for each semester/term under the title of “60 Years of Age and Over Audit Program”.