Admission to the University

Office of Admissions

The Office of Admissions is responsible for processing applications of first-year and transfer students, and requests for readmission and non-degree status. For graduate and professional studies admissions, please refer to the table of contents.

Office hours: Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and selected Saturdays.

Academic Admission Requirements

1. A candidate for admission should have been graduated from an approved secondary school. Applicants who have not completed four years of high school must submit a High School Equivalent Diploma (GED) issued by their state department of education.
    
2. Candidates for admission must submit an official transcript indicating the successful completion of at least 16 academic units of work (grades 9-12) earned at a secondary school approved by state and regional accrediting agencies. The 16 units are to be distributed as indicated below:

Application Procedures for Freshman Admission

Applications may be submitted at any time after the candidate’s junior year of high school up to August 1, for the fall semester. A complete application for admissions consists of:

1. The Application for Admission. Saint Francis University provides three options:

          A. Complete on-line at www.francis.edu

          B. Submit Common Application at www.commonapp.org

          C. Contact Office of Admissions to receive a paper application

2. $30 non-refundable application fee. Saint Francis University does participate in the University Board Fee Waiver Program.

3. Official High School Transcript

4. One letter of recommendation from an academic source.

5. SAT I or ACT scores. Score must be part of the official high school transcript or sent directly from the testing agency. Visit www.collegeboard.org or www.actstudent.org for more information.

6. An interview is not required but highly recommended for all prospective students.

Deadlines for Fall 2013:

Physician Assistant Sciences December 1, 2012
Occupational Therapy January 15, 2013
Physical Therapy January 15, 2013
All other programs rolling admission*

* Students should submit complete applications by March 1, 2013 for full consideration for academic merit awards.

Applicants should review the application for admission for 2012-2013 for specific application instructions. It is the responsibility of the applicant to arrange to have all supporting credentials on file with the Office of Admissions prior to deadlines.

Application Procedures for Transfer Admission

Saint Francis University operates on a rolling admission basis. The Occupational and Physical Therapy program have an application deadline of December 1 and May 1 for the spring and fall semesters. The University has a flexible transfer policy for students transferring from accredited community/junior and four-year institutions.

The application procedures are as follows:

1. Obtain, complete and file the Application for Admission with the Office of Admissions.
2. Include the $30 non-refundable application fee with the application form. Saint Francis University does participate in the University Board Fee Waiver Program.
3. Submit official transcripts from all colleges or universities previously attended.
4. Candidates who have left an intuition for reasons other than graduation must complete a College clearance Form (provided by Saint Francis University) at the time of application.
5. Submit high school transcript and SAT or ACT scores. Candidates who have been out of high school for five or more years are not required to submit SAT or ACT results.
6. Candidates for the Nursing and Physical therapy programs are required to submit a letter of recommendation and complete an interview with the respective department.

Documents received by Saint Francis University become the property of the University and will not be returned to students. Copies of the documents will be made only for internal University business.

A transfer student must have a minimum of 12 transferable credits and at least a 2.0 Q.P.A. (“C” average) to be considered for admission to the university. The occupational therapy and physical therapy programs can accept students on a space available basis. To be considered for admission into those programs, competitive applicants should have a minimum Q.P.A. of a 2.75 and 3.0. Students transferring into the nursing program students must have a 3.0 cumulative Q.P.A. and a 2.75 Q.P.A. in required science courses. The physician assistant sciences program does not accept undergraduate transfer students.

Acceptance of Transfer Credit

Transfer students receive an official credit evaluation of advanced standing after an offer of admission has been made. A preliminary evaluation, even before application, may be requested. Transfer students should contact the Director of Advising concerning evaluations. Changes in the transfer evaluation will not be made after the student has completed one semester at Saint Francis University.

1. Transfer credits will be evaluated on a course-by-course basis.
2. A maximum of 64 credits can be transferred to the university.
3. Only courses with a grade of “C” or better will be approved for transfer, however, courses that were graded a C-minus, and carried two quality points, are acceptable.
4. Transfer credits are not used in the computation of a student’s cumulative quality point average at Saint Francis University.
5. 5. A course for which no credit is given at the original institution cannot be transferred for credit at Saint Francis University; developmental, review or remedial courses are not transferrable.
6. Students may transfer up to six credits of Religious Studies at the original time of transfer, but three of those must be from another Catholic college. Except by permission of the appropriate department chair,
   RLST 105
     or
   RLST 205
     must be completed at Saint Francis University.
7. Students who, upon admission, transfer 28 or more credits including a two-semester, six credit sequence in college-level English composition classes (excluding Placement and CLEP credits), will be exempt from the
   ENGL 103
     requirement.
8. Military credit may also be considered.

Degree Completion Requirements

Candidates for the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees must fulfill appropriate degree requirements. At least sixty-four (64) credits of study must be completed at Saint Francis University for a student to be eligible for a bachelor’s degree, except those students studying for a second bachelor’s degree (see second degree requirements listed here ), selected non-traditional degrees through the office of Adult Degree and Continuing Studies, or a teaching certificate. The last thirty (30) of those credits must be taken at Saint Francis University.

Students are required to follow the course curriculum as stated in the Saint Francis University catalog in effect at the time of the student’s entrance into the University or when the student declares a major. A student who wishes to follow a curriculum, in its entirety, adopted after that time, must file a Policy Waiver Request Form available at the Registrar’s Office. A student wishing to follow parts of both the old curriculum and the new curriculum must file a Course Waiver/Substitution Form for each new curriculum course.

Once a student has matriculated at Saint Francis University, all courses in the major must be completed at Saint Francis University. Likewise, it is expected that all collateral courses will be completed at Saint Francis University. Applications for exception may be directed to the Registrar.

Students who matriculate at Saint Francis University with credits from other institutions must complete at least half of the total credits in the major discipline at Saint Francis University. Department chairs will decide which specific courses will be required.

The Provost resolves any questions regarding transfer policy.

Admissions personnel and faculty members are available for interviews, registration for courses, and advising.

For Those Currently in the Military Service 

The Military Affairs Office educates veteran-students on Federal and State programs that are in place to assist with funding an education. This includes but is not limited to Veterans Affairs and ROTC benefits. The Certifying Official submits all Veteran enrollments to the appropriate VA Regional Processing Office (VARPO).

The Military Affairs Office assists Veterans with the application, financial aid, and scheduling processes at Saint Francis University as well as overseeing the Military Science curriculum as acting liaison for the program on campus. The staff educates Veterans about physical and mental health services that are provided on campus and throughout the surrounding area. For additional information or questions, please contact: Laura Papcunik, Military Affairs Representative, (814) 472-3077, lpapcunik@francis.edu. 

Saint Francis University has been designated as an institutional member of Service members Opportunity Colleges (SOC), a group of more than 400 colleges and universities providing voluntary postsecondary education to members of the military throughout the world. As a SOC member, Saint Francis University recognizes the unique nature of the military lifestyle and has committed itself to easing the transfer of relevant course credits, providing flexible academic residency requirements, and crediting learning from appropriate military training and experiences. SOC has been developed jointly by educational representatives of each of the Armed Services, the Office of the Secretary of Defense and a consortium of 13 leading national higher education associations; it is sponsored by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) and the American Association of Community and Junior Colleges (AACJC).

Admission of International Students

Saint Francis University welcomes applications from international students. In addition to meeting the requirements for admission, international students must submit satisfactory scores from one of the following: Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), the International Test of English Proficiency (iTEP), Pearson Test of English, (PTE) or International Baccalaureate score of 5 or higher on the English A-1 or 2 exams. Applicants whose native language is English are exempt from this requirement.

Any applicant, who does not meet the English proficiency requirement, but, has a strong academic record, may be admitted to the University and will enroll in the University’s intensive English program, for appropriate course work until suitable English proficiency is acquired.
International students must send their transcripts to an international agency (such as: World Education Services (W.E.S.), where the transcripts will be converted to the American academic scale.

International applicants also need to submit an affidavit of financial support after acceptance to the University. Instructions about this disclosure may be obtained by contacting the Office of Admissions. International students should apply for admission and the required testing well in advance in order to ensure evaluation of their credentials in a timely manner.

Readmission

Students previously in attendance at Saint Francis University who have interrupted their studies for financial or personal reasons do not need to submit another application form. However, they do need to contact the Office of Admissions for the reactivation of their credentials. The Admissions Office will process their request for readmission through the Provost, the Vice President for Student Development, and the appropriate academic department chair.

Students who are academically dismissed from the University may not reapply for admission for at least one calendar year, at which time the Academic Standing Committee will determine whether re-admission is granted or not. Further details can be found in the Academic Policy  section of this catalog.

Students who have attended another institution in the interim will need to submit an official transcript from the institution in which they have enrolled, be in good academic standing at that institution, and submit the University Clearance Form.

Students who are readmitted to Saint Francis University, either in their original major or a new major, will be governed by the degree requirements as stated in the University’s catalog in effect at the time of readmission. Readmitted students will be assigned their former departmental advisors for scheduling purposes where appropriate.

Non-Degree Students

Students wishing to take courses of interest may do so on a space-available basis. Applications for non-matriculated status can be obtained in the Admissions Office.

No more than 24 credits may be taken by any student in the non-degree category.

Advanced Placement

Saint Francis University participates in The Advanced Placement Program of the University Entrance Board on the assumption that exceptional students can complete college-level courses while they are still in secondary school. The Advanced Placement Examinations are given in 17 subject areas and are based on college-level courses. The results of the examinations, determined by the University Board Examination Committee, may qualify a student for receiving credit and exemption from a course which is required for graduation or allow for the substitution of an advanced course in place of a general-degree requirement. Under the guidelines of the Saint Francis University Core Curriculum, English can no longer be waived by way of Advanced Placement. Elective credit, however, may be awarded for scores of 3, 4, or 5 on the Advanced Placement English Exam.

The degree of proficiency in a given subject is determined by the chair of the department concerned, in accordance with the procedures described in the University Board Guide to the Advanced Placement Program, as well as waivers from appropriate requirements. Stu dents with scores of “3” receive appropriate course waivers but no credit. Under this circumstance, students replace these courses with free electives. Students scoring “4” or “5” on an Advanced Placement exam will receive credit for the two Saint Francis University equivalent courses with only a few exceptions. A student may fulfill a maximum of 30 credits by means of Advanced Placement and/or College Level Examination Program examinations for a bachelor’s degree and 15 credits for an associate degree. A complete listing of Saint Francis University Advanced Placement Program equivalencies is available upon request.

Graduate Degree Programs

The requirements for graduate admissions vary by program. Please visit the department’s page for admission requirement information.