Graduate Admission and Application

Semester and Quarter Term Programs

Admission Standards

Lindenwood University-Belleville consciously seeks a diverse student body and welcomes applicants from all socioeconomic, religious, and ethnic backgrounds. The University also values geographical diversity and welcomes international students. Admission to graduate programs is granted to students who demonstrate academic preparedness and the potential for academic excellence.

Applications for admission to Lindenwood University-Belleville graduate programs will be reviewed by the Office of Evening and Graduate Admissions and may be reviewed by the dean of the specific discipline of the degree being sought or the designated faculty advisor within that discipline.

For admission standards and criteria specific to semester graduate programs, please refer to the section of this catalog that describes those programs specifically.

Program-Specific Admission Standards

Master of Business Administration

Master of Science in Administration

Master of Science in Healthcare Administration

Master of Science in Information Technology

Admission to the Graduate Business Programs or Information Technology Program in LCIE is granted to students who demonstrate academic preparedness and the potential for academic excellence. Once accepted, students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0. Students whose GPA falls below the 3.0 minimum will be subject to academic probation or suspension, as outlined in the Academic Standards section of this catalog. For more information about academic standards, please refer to that section of the catalog.

Criteria for Admission

To be considered for admission to the Graduate Business Programs or the Information Technology Program in LCIE, applicants must complete the following steps:

1. Submit an official transcript showing the completion of a bachelor’s degree with a GPA of 3.0 or higher in undergraduate studies.
2. Submit a personal statement describing the applicant’s personal business or information technology experience or philosophy or describing the applicant’s decision to attend business school or the information technology program and addressing his or her personal or business goals upon completion of the program.
3. Submit a current resume.
4. Provide three letters of recommendation.
5. Interview with the dean of LCIE or the appropriate program director.

Applicants to the Graduate Business or Information Technology Programs in LCIE who do not meet the required 3.0 grade point for admission may be granted conditional acceptance. In this case, the submission of a GRE or GMAT score may be considered in support of an application for admission. Conditional admit students may remain in conditional status for no more than 18 credit hours. Before advancing to degree candidacy, conditionally accepted candidates’ academic performances will be reviewed twice by the LCIE dean—once upon completion of the first nine credit hours and again upon completion of 18 credit hours. Failure to meet the required 3.0 cumulative grade point average upon the completion of 18 credit hours will result in dismissal from the degree program. In addition, any conditionally accepted student receiving one course grade of “F” or two course grades of “C” during the first nine credit hours will be dismissed from the program without the option to complete 18 credit hours.

Graduate LCIE Programs

The Lindenwood College for Individualized Education (LCIE) is specifically designed for the student with significant employment experience. Graduate students are challenged to expand their knowledge with exercises, techniques, and instruments to update and reinforce learning and enhance understanding of difficult concepts. In addition, students continue to develop their analytical and conceptual skills by enlarging their perspectives and identifying a balance between theory and practice with regard to their particular areas of study. At the completion of the program, students will be prepared to contribute to their organization’s goals by effectively administering and developing its resources.

Throughout their course of study, LCIE students will have the opportunity to develop their communication skills, demonstrate workplace responsibility, use interpersonal skills, practice working within a team, and develop an appreciation of the importance of continuing growth and education with an emphasis on values-centered thinking. Students are encouraged to engage in speculative thinking and to develop original work and/or research in their major areas of interest. This work should be analytical rather than descriptive, demonstrating a distinct, defensible, methodological and theoretical perspective.

The LCIE Student

The prospective LCIE student is 24 years old or older with several years of employment in a responsible position. He or she is seeking a degree to enrich advancement opportunities or to make career changes through the acquisition of new skills. LCIE graduates constitute a strong network of people in leadership positions throughout the greater St. Louis, St. Charles, and Belleville metropolitan area.

Admission and Program Requirements

Admission to a graduate degree program in LCIE is granted to students who have undergraduate grade point averages of 3.0 or better (on a 4.0 scale). Students who do not meet that grade point or other admissions standard will be given individual consideration. Conditional degree candidacy may be granted to students who have grade point averages between 2.5 and 2.99 or whose program overviews have not yet been approved. Probationary degree candidacy may be granted to students whose grade point average is less than 2.5. A student may be in the probationary status for no more than one quarter. Once accepted for full degree candidacy, graduate students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 or run the risk of suspension.

Students are assigned a faculty advisor to guide them through their specific degree program. Each degree program is designed to meet both student needs and accreditation requirements. Consequently, students may not deviate from any cluster requirements. Degree programs typically consist of five core clusters, and either a directed thesis/ culminating project or a capstone course. Students may, however, take additional clusters or courses to meet individual needs once their core requirements have been met.

A student who is not seeking certification or any degree with Lindenwood University may be accepted as a “Non-Degree, Special Status” student. Students accepted with Special Status will not take more than twelve (12) credit hours of regular, graduate credit without being fully admitted. This policy does not apply to Cooperative (Workshop) Credit. Students accepted with Special Status will not be eligible for financial aid or student loans as they are not fully admitted to the university. Payment arrangements must be made with the Business Office prior to attending class.

Degree Requirements

To receive the master’s degree from LCIE, students have two educational alternatives depending on the major.

1. Complete a 45-hour degree program that includes four 9-semester hour clusters, three semester hours of research methods, and a six semester-hour directed thesis/ culminating project, or
2. Complete a 48-hour degree program that typically includes five, nine credit hour clusters and a three credit hour capstone course.
3. In addition, all students must meet the following requirements:
   1. Have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 to graduate from LCIE.
   2. Complete the objectives set forth in the program overview.
   3. Demonstrate graduate level writing and speaking as evaluated by the faculty advisor and instructor each term.
   4. Complete all practicum, apprenticeship, and residency requirements connected with the degree program, as specified by the program overview.

Application Process

Domestic Student Application

To be considered for admission to the University, an applicant’s file must include each of the following documents:

• Electronic or paper application, along with a non-refundable $30 application fee.
• Current résumé.
• Personal statement indicating why the applicant wishes to further his/her education or describing the applicant’s long-term goals or a specific life experience.
• An official undergraduate transcript showing that a baccalaureate degree has been conferred as well as official transcript(s) from any graduate school(s) attended if transfer credit is desired.
• Additional requirements, such as a portfolio or an interview, as required by the specific program.

Once the application is submitted, an admissions counselor will contact the applicant to answer any questions and assist in the admissions process.

Note: A student must have a completed file and be admitted to the University before any financial aid will be processed.

Additional Application Requirements

Students applying for admission to the Master of Science (MS) programs in Healthcare Administration and Human Resource Management, and the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program must also submit three letters of recommendation and participate in an interview conducted by the Associate Dean of Academics or his/her designee.

Electronic admissions applications can be found at http://belleville.lindenwood.edu/admissions/index.html; paper applications can be obtained from the Office of Evening and Graduate Admissions. For further questions regarding the application process, please call the Lindenwood University-Belleville switchboard at (618) 239-6000.

Paper applications should be mailed to

The Office of Evening & Graduate Admissions

Lindenwood University-Belleville

2600 West Main Street

Belleville, IL 62226

Application Deadlines

Applications must be received for the Master of Science (MS) programs in Healthcare Administration and Human Resource Management, and for the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program as follows:

Note: International student applications must be received 14 calendar days prior to the deadlines above.

International Student Application

• To be considered for admission to the University, all international students are required to submit the following documents: Electronic or paper international student application, along with a non-refundable $100 application fee.
• Current résumé.
• Personal statement indicating why the applicant wishes to further his/her education or describing the applicant’s long-term goals or a specific life experience.
• Applicants to graduate programs must submit official transcripts (or certified copies of university transcripts) showing that a baccalaureate degree has been conferred. Transcripts must be in their original language and accompanied by a certified English translation(s). These documents will not be returned to the student. They will become part of the student’s official file at Lindenwood University.

  Note: International applicants to graduate programs should complete the International Application not the Evening & Graduate Admissions Application.

• Official TOEFL or IELTS score. For score reporting, the Lindenwood University code is 6367.
  • TOEFL/IELTS scores required for all graduate programs:
    • 550 (paper-based)
    • 213 (computer-based)
    • 80 (Internet-based)
    • IELTS score: 6.5
• Affidavit of support verifying the amount of personal or family funds (in U.S. dollars) available for tuition, personal costs, and educational expenses (books, insurance). The affidavit should provide an official document or statement from the applicant’s bank. Documents must be in English.
• Passport (clear, readable copy of the identification page).
• Housing application, along with a $300 housing deposit, made payable to Lindenwood University. (International residential students are required to pay the housing costs for the entire academic year once a housing form is signed and submitted to the Housing Office.) Campus housing will be assigned upon receipt of the housing application and deposit. Students should include an email address on the housing form.

Application for the Transfer of International Credit

If an international candidate wishes to transfer credit to Lindenwood University-Belleville from an international institution, the applicant must submit, along with all documentation required for international application, a course-by-course evaluation and translation of all international transcripts, performed by World Evaluation Services (WES). No application for the transfer of international credit will be complete until the WES evaluation is provided. Applicants should list Lindenwood University-Belleville as the recipient of the evaluation. WES will also provide a copy of the evaluation directly to the applicant. The applicant should keep this copy of the evaluation for his/her records. For more information about transcript evaluation, contact WES at www.wes.org. Also see Transferring Credit from International Institutions from the Academic Services section of this catalog.

Notes: (1) Students must request a course-by-course evaluation (not a document-by-document evaluation) in order to transfer credit to Lindenwood University-Belleville for particular coursework.

(2)The cost for the evaluation of international transcripts will be incurred by the applicant. However, once the applicant obtains a visa and arrives at Lindenwood University-Belleville, the cost of the evaluation will be refunded, provided that the applicant brings in the receipt for the evaluation service to the Lindenwood-St. Charles Office of International Students and Scholars.

International Transfer Students from other U.S. Programs

In addition to submitting the materials required for admission, international students wishing to transfer to Lindenwood from a SEVIS sponsored school should also submit the following documents:

• Official transcripts from the college or university previously attended, sent directly to Lindenwood University from the institution previously attended.
• The transfer applicant should also complete the transfer student application (found on the University website on the international homepage) and forward it to the appropriate official at the school the student previously attended, where it will be processed by the previous school and returned to the Lindenwood University Office of International Students and Scholars. The student’s transfer will not be considered complete until Lindenwood University-Belleville receives the completed transfer paperwork. Once the transfer application has been processed, Lindenwood University will issue the student a Lindenwood University I-20, permitting the student to legally reside in the U.S. as a full time international student.

Students should send all required documents and any other relevant information to complete the application to:

Lindenwood University-Belleville

Day Admissions: International Counselors

2600 West Main Street

Belleville, IL 62226

The telephone number for the Office of Day Admissions is (618) 239-6057 and the fax number (618) 277-6001.

International students must arrive on the designated date prior to the start of classes each semester to move into housing. Upon arrival, international students will receive an orientation to the University and an introduction to academic programs and requirements.

International Application Procedures

International residents or non-resident aliens living in the US who wish to apply to a graduate business program in the Lindenwood College for Individualized Education (LCIE) should visit the University website and select International Admissions. Visit the Admissions Process, Required Documents, and Application links. For further details regarding International Applications refer to the International Application Procedures section of this catalog.

Application

Prospective students wishing to apply to the graduate business or information technology degree programs in LCIE should visit the Office of Evening and Graduate Admissions at the Welcome Center on the Lindenwood-St. Charles campus, at one of our regional extension locations, or online at www.lindenwood.edu/admissions (select Evening and Graduate Admissions.) When the application and application fee are received, an admissions counselor will contact the applicant to answer any questions and assist in the admissions process. Once all documents are obtained, the counselor will submit them for review by the dean or department chair who will contact the student to schedule an interview.

Health Insurance for International Students

Students are encouraged to be insured while studying in the United States. Lindenwood University does not provide insurance for students. Students may carry any health insurance policies they choose.