Steps for Admission and Entrance Classifications

Freshman Students

Freshman students are those who have not previously attended college post-high school and who have graduated from an accredited high school, completed the GED, or have been homeschooled and can prove competency through the 12th grade level. Students who are 18 years of age or older, have not earned a high school diploma, and have never attended college will be considered for admission as a freshman if they can present evidence of having scored one of the following on the General Education Development (GED) test:

• 165 on each content module for test dates after 2013.
• 550 overall, with no subsection score below 500 for test dates through 2013.

Freshman Application Review:

Students are evaluated for admission on an individual basis. Each application is evaluated based on academic merits (both high school grade point average, recalculated for all students on a weighted 4.0 scale, and entrance exam scores*) and extracurricular activities. This holistic approach allows McMurry to evaluate students on an individual basis and look for each student’s strengths.

*McMurry is a test-optional university. Upon applying, students applying as domestic freshmen will be asked if they would like to apply as a test optional student. Students who choose to be test optional will not be required to send in ACT and/or SAT scores to receive an admission decision and be considered for merit-based scholarships. Students who do not choose to be test optional will be asked to submit scores before their applications are reviewed for admission. If a student wishes to change to, or from, test optional admission after applying, they may do so. The Office of Admission may also choose to admit students with or without test scores if their high school GPA alone would qualify them for admission to the university. Freshmen applicants over the age of 21 will automatically be considered with test optional admission.

Freshman Application Requirements:

1. Complete the application for admission.
2. Have a current high school transcript (complete through the junior year) or GED scores sent directly to the Office of Admission. A final official transcript with GPA, class rank and graduation date posted will be required prior to enrolling in second semester courses at McMurry.
3. Submit an ACT or SAT score report, if not applying as test optional. An official score report will be requested in the registration process.

Students who do not meet automatic admission requirements for GPA, class rank, and/or test scores may be invited to submit additional items such as letters of recommendation and an essay. While these items are not required, they are encouraged. A committee of faculty and staff will review applicants who are invited to submit additional documentation. 

Transfer Students:

Transfer students are those who have graduated from an accredited high school or completed the GED and who have been or are enrolled at regionally accredited college or university since completing high school coursework.

Transfer Coursework:

Transfer grade point average (GPA) is computed on the basis of transferable coursework only. Transferable coursework is coursework that could be used toward an undergraduate degree at McMurry. Developmental or vocational coursework is not accepted for transfer credit but is taken into consideration in admission decisions. Transferable coursework with grades of “D” or below is not accepted for transfer credit but is used in determining transfer GPA. No more than eight semester hours of Health Fitness courses will be accepted as credit toward a bachelor’s degree or used to calculate transfer GPA.

Transfer Admission Requirements:

Students admitted as transfers may begin enrollment at the beginning of a fall term, spring term, summer I or summer II term. Initial enrollment is not permitted as a new transfer student in fall or spring subterm 2 for on-campus programs. Transfer students who wish to pursue an online degree through the McMurry Virtual Campus may begin enrollment at the beginning of a fall term, spring term, fall subterm 2, spring subterm 2, summer I, or summer II. Students who have completed only developmental work at the college level will be evaluated as freshmen. Transfer students will be considered for admission based on the standards listed below:

1. Those who have completed fewer than 24 hours of non-developmental college credit are evaluated based on high school grades, entrance examination scores (if available and under the age of 22), and subsequent college work. Specifically:
   1. Acceptance: those who have earned a cumulative 2.0 college GPA and qualify for admission based on high school academic record
   2. Probational Admission*:
      1. Transfer students who have earned a cumulative 2.0 college GPA but do not qualify for admission based on high school grades and test scores.
      2. Transfer students who have below a cumulative 2.0 college GPA but qualify for admission based on high school academic record.
      3. Transfer students who qualify for admission but have not successfully completed developmental coursework with a C or better.
   3. Denial: those who have earned below a cumulative 2.0 college GPA and do not qualify for admission based on high school academic record.
2. Transfer students who have completed 24 or more hours of non-developmental college credit are evaluated based on college grades only and must have earned a 2.0 cumulative GPA.

Students who have not completed the above courses, who have taken fundamental (developmental) courses, or whose scores on placement exams indicating a need for developmental coursework may be required to complete university preparatory courses or denied admission.

*Probational Admission:

Students admitted on probation must select courses with advisor approval. Minimum GPA requirements for good standing must be met at the end of the first semester. In addition, students admitted on probation may be required to take certain courses to better prepare for higher level college coursework (See “Academic Probation and Suspension” later in the catalog for definition of good standing.)

Transfer students will be considered for admission only if they are eligible to return to their previous college or university.

Transfer Application Requirements:

1. Complete the transfer application for admission.
2. Submit a complete set of transcripts from each college or university attended. Official transcripts must be recently requested from previous schools and received prior to enrolling for a second semester at McMurry University. Transcripts older than 1 year will not be accepted.
3. Those who have completed fewer than 24 hours of college credit must submit an official, final high school transcript and entrance exam scores (if applicable).

Transfer of Courses to McMurry University

Final acceptance of transfer courses, course equivalency, and credits awarded toward a degree at McMurry is subject to the approval of the Registrar. It is the student’s responsibility to secure an official transcript from all previously attended institutions of higher learning. As a general rule, McMurry University will accept and award credit for college-level academic courses taken at regionally accredited institutions of higher learning. The credit must be recorded on the college or university’s academic transcript. Credit will be posted only after the receipt of an official transcript sent directly from the transferring institution to McMurry University.

McMurry University has adopted the plan for transfer of course work from two-year institutions as set forth by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. The following exceptions apply:

1. Developmental and vocational course work and grades of “D” and below will not be accepted for transfer but are considered in the admission decision.
2. Students who have completed only developmental work at the college level will be evaluated as freshmen. Please refer to the “Freshman Student” section for the necessary criteria.
3. Courses generally viewed as non-academic courses are not accepted for transfer credits.
4. Athletic/sports participation and conditioning type courses taken in conjunction with or specifically for athletic participation are not accepted for transfer credit.
5. A student may not transfer more than 66 semester hours from a two-year college. No course taken at a two-year college can be transferred as upper division (3000 and 4000) work.
6. No coursework will be accepted from an institution that is not regionally accredited.

Military service school courses are evaluated and may be accepted for credit by McMurry University according to the recommendations of the American Council of Education’s Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services (ACE Evaluation Guide), current edition. Anyone in the military services may request an unofficial evaluation of credit which will be awarded upon successful completion of appropriate CLEP or subject examinations. Any credits that are to be awarded by evaluation, CLEP, or examination will not be officially recognized by McMurry University until a minimum of 12 semester hours has been successfully completed in residence at the main campus or at McMurry-Dyess Air Force Base Program.

McMurry Online Degree Program

McMurry University’s Virtual Campus currently offers three degrees that are delivered completely online: a B.S. degree with a major in Cybersecurity, a B.S. degree with a major in Criminal Justice, and a B.B.A. degree with a major in General Business.  Admission for the online degree program follows the policies for new freshmen or transfer students. Virtual Campus students are not eligible for campus housing, some institutional scholarships and grants, a M.O.V.E computer, or to participate in university athletics. The online courses are offered in 7-week terms and federal and state financial aid is available for students who qualify.

Transient Students

Transient students are those enrolled at another institution who wish to take coursework at McMurry and then return to the institution where they were previously enrolled. In order to enroll, a transient student must be eligible to return to the previous institution. A transient student who subsequently pursues academic credit at McMurry University must first apply for admission and be accepted as a degree-seeking student before the work taken as a transient student will be applied toward a McMurry degree.

Transient Applicants:

1. Complete the application for admission.
2. Submit an unofficial* transcript from the college or university currently enrolled.

*In order to register for a course that has prerequisites, an official transcript from the institution in which the prerequisites were completed will be required.

Dual Credit Students

Dual credit students are high school students with written permission from their high school principal or counselor to enroll in course work at McMurry while enrolled in and completing high school graduation requirements. Dual credit is limited to freshman and sophomore level courses, and generally limited to courses required for high school graduation.

The McMurry Dual Credit Academy is a set of fully online courses available for dual credit students through either high school partnerships or individually offered through partnership with TEL Education. While these classes are preferred for dual credit students, students may also be approved by the Admission and Registrar’s Offices to take in-person courses on campus. Dual credit students taking on-campus classes will be required to submit current bacterial meningitis vaccination records before registering.

Dual Credit Academy students who complete 45 semester credit hours will be eligible to declare for an associate degree from McMurry University. Eligible students will be contacted by the university to notify them of their qualification and the process to declare.

Dual Credit Applicants:

1. Complete the application for admission.
2. Submit a current official high school transcript.
3. Receive endorsement from a high school official, or parent if homeschooled. This endorsement will be submitted electronically by the official directly to the Office of Admission.

Non-degree Students

Non-degree students are those who wish to enroll but do not plan to receive academic credit for work completed towards a degree. In order for work completed as a non-degree student to be applied toward a degree, the student must apply for admission and be admitted as a degree-seeking student.

Non-degree Applicants:

1. Complete the application for admission.

Submission of the Non-Degree Student Application acknowledges that work completed under the non-degree status does not count toward a McMurry degree until the student applies and is admitted as a degree-seeking student.

Special Admission

Student may be admitted under the Special Admission category when unusual or special circumstances exist, as determined by the Vice President for Enrollment Management. A special admission student who subsequently pursues academic credit at McMurry University must first apply for admission and be accepted as a degree-seeking student before the work taken as a special admission student will be applied toward a McMurry degree.

Special Admission Applicants:

1. Complete the application for admission.
2. Submit an official transcript or statement of good standing from the college or university that you presently attend.

International Students

Students who are not permanent United States citizens or are living internationally without immigrant status are considered international students. Students currently living in the United States without immigrant status will follow the domestic freshman or transfer student admission process and policies. International students applying for admission must meet the same admission requirements as other students in the same category (freshman or transfer). Once the student has been admitted and all other paperwork supplied, students may submit documentation for an immigration form I-20 to be issued. a $2,500 enrollment deposit is required prior to class registration and 30 days before the first day of classes for the respective start term. McMurry University reserves the right to cancel international student applications who do not meet the deposit requirements. The $2,500 deposit will be applied to the student’s tuition in his/her last semester of attendance, or refunded if no balance is due.

International Applicants:

1. Submit an international student application for admission online.
2. Provide official transcripts of all academic work attempted in the United States or abroad (transcripts must be translated to English and include all courses attempted and grades earned).
3. Submit proof of English proficiency. Students who attended secondary schools where English is the primary language will satisfy proof of English proficiency with the submission of their school transcript. All other students must submit one of the following:

• Duolingo English Test score. A minimum score of 105 is required.
• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score. A minimum score of 213 is required on the computer-based TOEFL. A minimum score of 550 is required on the paper-based TOEFL. A minimum score of 79 is required for the internet-based TOEFL.
• The Academic Examination results of International English Language Testing System (IELTS). A minimum score of 6.5 is required.
• 24 semester hours of transferrable coursework from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university.

4. Scores from the American College Test (ACT) or the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) are encouraged. These scores may also fulfil the proof of English proficiency requirement listed above. Students may also be asked to provide these scores if necessary.

Once admitted to McMurry, students must submit proof of financial backing or support. International students are eligible to receive their immigration form I-20 and apply for their F-1 visa when all required paperwork and fees are received. Students are also required to register with SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) and pay the user fee using the I-901 Form. This may be completed online at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement website.