Marymount University

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Admission

Undergraduate students are admitted to Marymount University as freshmen, transfer, certificate-seeking, and nondegree or visiting students. Qualified freshman and transfer students also may apply to the Honors Program. Through Marymount’s Educational Partnerships program, individuals may be enrolled off-site as degree- or certificate-seeking students. The university offers post-baccalaureate certificate programs for those who already hold a bachelor’s degree, and such students are also considered undergraduates. Application procedures for students in each category follow.

Undergraduate Student Admission

Marymount wishes to attract students whose educational interests and intellectual abilities are consistent with the goals and character of the university. The university’s undergraduate curriculum provides a balance between liberal arts education and career preparation. The curriculum also prepares students to become educated citizens in a complex society and equips them with the skills and knowledge necessary for entry or advancement in their chosen career fields.

In reviewing applications for admission, Marymount University places primary emphasis on the strength of an applicant’s academic record — the high school record for an entering freshman or the prior college studies of a transfer student. The university also takes into consideration national test scores, breadth of academic preparation, positive recommendations, and personal character in making its decisions. All submitted documents become university property and cannot be returned.

Freshmen Applicants

At Marymount, a freshman student is defined as a first-time college student. Most freshmen enroll at the university directly out of high school.

Freshman Student Admission Requirements

Applicants to the freshman class may be considered for admission if their high school grade point average (GPA) is 2.6 or better on a 4.0 scale; their combined SAT scores are within 100 points of the national average; and their academic preparation, recommendations, and character indicate that they are qualified to undertake Marymount University programs.

The following minimum high school courses are recommended:

English

4 units

Foreign Language

3 units

Mathematics

3 units

Science

2 units*

Social Sciences

3 units

*It is strongly recommended that applicants to the Malek School of Health Professions programs have completed high school biology and chemistry.

Applicants who do not meet these regular admission standards are referred to a committee that evaluates each student’s academic potential to admit those who have the best prospect for success.

All applicants must submit the following items to be considered for admission:

  • a completed application form with the nonrefundable application fee of $40
  • the recommendation form completed by a high school counselor or other appropriate school official
  • official scores on the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT-1) of the College Entrance Examination Board or a Student Profile Report of the American College Testing Program (ACT) taken in the senior year. Marymount’s school code for the SAT is 5405 and for the ACT is 4378
  • evidence of graduation or expected graduation from an accredited high school (Marymount will also consider on a case-by-case basis students who have participated in an approved home-school program)
  • essay or untimed writing sample of at least 250 but no more than 500 words
  • a high school transcript showing academic performance and a minimum of 15 high school credits in preparatory courses

In reviewing an applicant’s high school record, the Admissions Committee is more concerned with the quality of preparation than with the numerical distribution of courses. The Admissions Committee also takes into consideration the educational objectives and specific needs of the particular applicant.

Students entering Marymount with college-level coursework or work experience may be eligible for credit. See Credit Acquisition Opportunities for further information.

Transfer Applicants

A transfer student is a student who has completed at least one semester of college coursework at another accredited college or university, as well as any student who holds an associate or bachelor’s degree.

Transfer Student Admission Requirements

To be considered for admission, transfer applicants with 30 or more college credits must present a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale from previous postsecondary institutions. Transfer applicants with fewer than 30 credits must also meet freshman admission requirements. Please refer to individual school sections for additional requirements for specific programs. All applicants to the traditional B.S.N. program should note additional requirements; applicants to the accelerated second-degree nursing program should review additional requirements.

Applicants who have been enrolled in a college or university prior to applying to Marymount must submit the following:

  • a completed application form with the nonrefundable application fee of $40
  • the recommendation form completed by the dean of students at the last college attended, a college professor, or current employer
  • official transcripts from all postsecondary institutions (delivered in a sealed envelope that bears the registrar’s signature and/or seal or via an authorized online delivery system)

Students who have been admitted for transfer to Marymount University will receive a formal transfer credit evaluation by the university registrar. It is the responsibility of the student applicant to provide the transcripts necessary for this evaluation. Marymount only accepts coursework for transfer credit from an institution accredited as degree-granting by a regional accrediting body for higher education at the time the coursework was completed. See transfer policies for more information. Transfer students may also receive credit for Advanced Placement coursework or similar programs, as well as for work experience. See Credit Acquisition Opportunities for further information.

Articulation Agreements

To facilitate the entrance of transfer students from Northern Virginia Community College and Montgomery College in Maryland into baccalaureate programs, the university has articulation agreements with these institutions. These agreements inform students of course equivalencies between institutions. Information about these equivalencies is available from counselors at Northern Virginia Community College and Montgomery College, from Marymount University’s Office of Admissions, Marymount’s Center for Teaching and Learning, and online at www.marymount.edu/Admissions/Transfer/Transfering-Credits.

International Student Applicants

An international student is defined as an individual wishing to enroll who is neither a U.S. citizen nor a permanent U.S. resident.

Visitors in B-1/B-2 status are not eligible to register. These individuals must change their status to an F-1 student visa in order to study at Marymount University. Contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office or International Student Services Office for more information regarding this immigration regulation and other immigration-related questions.

International Student Admission Requirements

All applicants must submit the following to be considered:

  • a completed application form with the nonrefundable $40 application fee
  • a letter of recommendation from the applicant’s school principal, teacher, or academic advisor, which must be written in, or translated into, English
  • official academic records translated into English

There are additional items based on the applicant’s status as a freshman or transfer student, as follows:

International Freshmen Applicants

An international freshman applicant is defined as a first-time university student with fewer than 12 completed university credit hours. The following must be submitted in addition to the aforementioned items:

  • one official transcript, sent directly from the high school attended or authenticated by the Ministry of Education or the U.S. Embassy in the applicant’s home country, and if applicable, include official exam results and evidence of high school graduation
  • official standardized exam score report

For the exam score report, students for whom English is their first language must submit either an SAT or ACT score report. Students for whom English is a second language must submit official results from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English Language Testing System (IELTS), Pearson Test of English (PTE), SAT, or ACT, meeting minimum scores, or successfully complete ELS Educational Service's Level 112.

International Transfer Applicants

An international transfer applicant is defined as a student with 12 or more completed university credit hours. The following must be submitted in addition to the aforementioned items:

For the language proficiency requirement, students for whom English is a second language must submit a satisfactory score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or Pearson Test of English (PTE) or have successfully completed ELS Educational Service's Level 112. Applicants providing evidence of completion of English composition at a U.S. university with a minimum grade of C and at the same institution where the completion of 30 or more credit hours from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university are exempt from this test score requirement.

If a student is seeking to waive the language proficiency requirement, they must submit the following:

  • application +40 application fee
  • official high school transcript in English (no evaluation needed if in English)
  • essay
  • recommendation letter
  • certificate of completion of Level 112 intensive program and an official transcript from ELS
  • certificate of completion of Level 8 intensive program and an official transcript from Inlingua
  • certificate of completion of Level 10 intensive program and an official transcript from LADO

Minimum Score Requirements for Nonnative Speakers of English

SAT

450 Critical Reading,
950 Critical Reading/Math

ACT

18 English section,

19 composite

TOEFL

550 paper-based, 79 Internet-based

IELTS

6.0 overall

PTE

54 overall

Conditional Admission

Conditional admission is an option for international graduate applicants who meet all admission requirements except demonstrated English proficiency. Students seeking conditional admission must enroll in one of Marymount University's Partner Language Institutes. These programs help students develop their reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills to a level appropriate for university study. Completion of an intensive English program other than the programs listed does not meet the conditional admission requirement.

ELS Educational Service's English for Academic Purposes Program: Students who successfully complete ELS Level 112 will be fully admitted and may enroll in a degree program without presenting a TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE score. More information about the program can be found at www.els.edu.

Inlingua: Students who earn a Certificate of Completion of Level 8 intensive program and present an official transcript from Inlingua will be fully admitted and may enroll in a degree program without presenting a TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE score. More information can be found at www.inlinguaenglish.edu.

LADO International Training Institute: Students who earn a Certificate of Completion of Level 10 intensive program and present an official transcript from LADO will be fully admitted and may enroll in a degree program without presenting a TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE score. More information can be found at www.lado.com.

Transfer nursing applicants and accelerated second-degree B.S.N. applicants are not eligible for conditional admission.

International Student Application Deadlines

Admission applications and all supporting documents must be received no later than the date indicated for the corresponding semester:

For fall semester (late August to mid-December): July 1

For spring semester (mid-January to early May): November 1

For summer semester (late May to early August — freshmen may not begin in the summer semester): March 15

Obtaining an I-20

An I-20 is a certificate of eligibility for F-1 visa status. Marymount University issues the I-20 for admitted students who submit the following items:

  • a completed International Student Supplemental Information (ISSI) form upon admission, available at www.marymount.edu/admissions/international
  • an enrollment deposit to reserve a space at Marymount. This deposit is credited to the student’s account. The deposit must be in the form of a check drawn on U.S.-based branches of U.S. banks in U.S. dollars, or with a valid credit card. A deposit of $100 is required for commuter students and $300 for resident students
  • a legible photocopy of passport ID pages
  • a valid international address
  • an official original bank statement showing sufficient funding in U.S. dollars for one year of study, as outlined on the current International Student Supplemental Information (ISSI) form. This statement must be signed and stamped by a bank official and dated no earlier than six months prior to the issuing of the I-20

Students currently enrolled in a U.S. high school or university must submit the following additional items:

  • a completed Transfer Clearance Form, available on the Admissions website under International Students
  • photocopies of all previous I-20s
  • photocopies of all previous U.S. visas
  • photocopies of the front and back of all previous I-94 cards (the applicant’s arrival/departure record)

For the most current and accurate information about immigration and visa requirements, please visit www.travel.state.gov/visa.

Honors Program Applicants

Marymount is dedicated to fostering the intellectual development of each individual student. To this end, the university offers educational opportunities to students of various qualifications, and the Honors Program is the most prestigious opportunity for academically gifted students. All academic schools are represented within the program, and students from all majors are encouraged to apply. Established in 2003, Marymount’s Honors Program has been founded on a traditional understanding of the liberal arts and works toward two main goals: building a supportive intellectual community and maintaining academic rigor in its distinctive curriculum.

The Honors Program at Marymount University reflects the principles of the original liberal arts (artes liberales), literally "the subjects of study proper to free persons," as developed at the Universities of Paris, Oxford, and Cambridge in the Middle Ages. At Marymount, these principles of the traditional liberal arts are inculcated both at home and abroad. Both a specially designed, academically stimulating curriculum and a commitment to encourage "the life of the mind" through evening lectures create an environment where honors students will continuously seek intellectual challenge. See The Honors Program curriculum.

Honors students at Marymount receive substantial scholarship support; priority registration; formal recognition during graduation ceremonies; exclusive lounge facilities; travel funds for academic conferences; and opportunities to participate in trips and programs — most chosen by the students — in the Washington area as well as Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York. Honors students choose officers to represent them in the Honors Student Organization and nominate faculty for the annual Honors Fellow.

Incoming freshmen and sophomores, as well as students transferring from other honors programs, may apply to the Marymount Honors Program, but admission is competitive and limited to 20 new participants each year. The following criteria are recommended for those seeking program admission:

  • minimum high school or college GPA of 3.5
  • minimum composite (Math and Critical Reading) SAT score of 1200 and/or composite (English, Reading, Math, and Science) ACT score of 26
  • strong background in English composition and literature
  • For international students who took the Test of English as a Foreign Language, a minimum score of 617 on the paper-based test or 105 on the Internet test. For applicants who took the test of the International English Language Testing System or Pearson Test of English, consult the Office of Admissions for score requirements.

Those seeking admission to the program must submit an Honors Program application, including an essay and faculty recommendations, in addition to the general university admission application. Additionally, applicants must participate in an interview with the Honors Program director or an Honors Committee member.

Honors applicants entering Marymount with college-level coursework may be eligible for credit. See Credit Acquisition Opportunities for further information.

Additional criteria and application requirements can be found on the Honors Program’s website. Visit www.marymount.edu, and search for "Honors Program."

Undergraduate Certificate-Seeking Applicants

Marymount offers undergraduate certificate programs for individuals seeking specialized knowledge and skill. Individuals who wish to enter Marymount solely to earn a certificate, not in combination with a degree, must submit the following:

  • a completed application form with the nonrefundable application fee of $40; and
  • a final high school and/or postsecondary transcript indicating a minimum GPA of 2.0.

F-1 international students are not eligible to enroll solely in undergraduate certificate programs.

Students who have already earned a bachelor’s degree and wish to enroll in a post-baccalaureate certificate program should see admission information.

Nondegree Applicants

A nondegree undergraduate applicant is an individual who intends to enroll in a limited number of courses to increase vocational fitness, learn about recent developments in a field of interest, or transfer credits to a home institution. Nondegree applicants must submit the following items:

  • a completed application form with the nonrefundable application fee of $40
  • a final high school and/or postsecondary transcript indicating a minimum GPA of 2.0

An F-1 visa student who is not concurrently enrolled at another U.S. college or university is not eligible to apply as a nondegree student.

Nondegree Enrollment

An undergraduate nondegree student can apply no more than 15 credit hours earned under nondegree status to a degree. Nondegree students are not eligible for financial aid, may not live on campus, and may be unable to enroll in courses in some highly selective undergraduate programs.

All nondegree students, including visiting nondegree students from institutions outside the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area, receive academic advising through the Center for Teaching and Learning.

Off-site Special Program Applicants

Students enrolled in off-site programs through Marymount's Educational Partnerships program are required to submit official transcripts and, depending upon their academic objective, follow admission requirements consistent with degree- or certificate-seeking students.

Students who complete certificate programs and wish to be admitted as degree-seeking students must apply for admission to the degree program. Completion of a certificate offering does not guarantee admission to a degree program.

Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Student Applicants

Students who already have a bachelor’s degree and wish to complete further study may apply to a post-baccalaureate certificate program. Applicants seeking a post-baccalaureate certificate must submit the following items to be considered for acceptance:

  • a completed application form with the nonrefundable application fee of $40
  • official transcript(s) showing at least a bachelor’s degree

Applicants should also read the school section offering the desired certificate program to learn of possible additional admission requirements.

F-1 visa students are not eligible to enroll in post-baccalaureate programs.

Post-baccalaureate students are not required to submit a medical record form.

Unless otherwise noted, post-baccalaureate students follow the same academic policies as undergraduate students.

Courses needed to complete post-baccalaureate certificate requirements do not fulfill any graduate program course requirements.

Medical Requirements

A confidential medical examination record that includes a complete record of immunizations is required for all undergraduate students. This record must be completed before the student may register for classes. The form is available from the Admissions Office or the Student Health Center.

Some students are also required to have accident and/or health insurance. For details, please see Insurance.

Notification

Marymount University has a rolling admissions policy, unless otherwise noted in this catalog or on the Admissions web pages at www.marymount.edu/admissions. The university notifies applicants as to whether they have met the criteria for admission after the application procedure is completed and the Admissions Committee has acted on the application.

All acceptances to Marymount University are tentative until the applicant’s final high school or college grades are received and conditions of the acceptance, if any, are met.

Deferral of Enrollment

For certain programs, offers of admission may be deferred for one year. A request for a deferral of enrollment must be in writing. Updated transcripts must be provided prior to enrollment.

Catalog Contents

General Information

Admission

Financial Information

Academic Support Services

Academic Information and Policies

University Requirements and the Liberal Arts Core

Academic Opportunities

Undergraduate Programs

Course Descriptions

Accounting Courses

Applied Arts Courses

Astronomy Courses

Biology Courses

Business Law Courses

Center for Career Services

Chemistry Courses

Communication and Media Design Courses

Criminal Justice Courses

Economics Courses

Education Courses

English Courses

EN 090 Introduction to College Reading

EN 100 Introduction to College Writing

EN 101 Composition I

EN 102 Composition II

EN 150 Introduction to American Sign Language

EN 200 Elements of Literary Study

EN 201 World Literature: The Ancient World

EN 202 World Literature: The Middle Ages

EN 203 World Literature: Renaissance through Enlightenment

EN 204 World Literature: Romanticism through Post-Modernism

EN 205 American Literature I

EN 206 American Literature II

EN 207 Theater History

EN 211 Principles of Language

EN 212 Topics in Acting

EN 220 The Movie or the Book? Narrative Adaptation in the Cinema

EN 225 Literary Superheroes

EN 227 Short Fiction

EN 230 American Multicultural Literature

EN 240 Introduction to Visual and Cultural Studies

EN 250 Introduction to Shakespeare and Elizabethan Literature in London

EN 270 Approaches to Creative Writing

EN 280 Perspectives on Language Acquisition

EN 290 Literary Theory and Practice

EN 301 The Writing Process: Theory and Practice

EN 303 Literary Nonfiction

EN 305 Topics in Creative Writing

EN 308 Style and Revision

EN 321 Modern Drama

EN 322 19th-Century British Poets

EN 323 Modern Poetry

EN 330 Chaucer and the Courtly Love Tradition

EN 340 Major Women Writers

EN 350 The American Dream

EN 351 Literature of Childhood and Adolescence

EN 355 Shakespeare

EN 357 Topics in Literature Before 1800

EN 385 Approaches to Teaching Secondary English

EN 400 Internship

EN 421 Project

EN 424 Senior Seminar

EN 426 Studies in the Novel

EN 428 Studies in Contemporary Literature

EN 429 Topics in Performance

EN 433 Research

EN 490 Major Author(s)

Finance Courses

Fine Arts Courses

First-Year Seminar Courses

French Courses

Geography Courses

Geology Courses

German Courses

Global Scholars Courses

Health And Human Performance Courses

Health Care Management Courses

Health Information Management Courses

History Courses

Honors Courses

Human Resource Management Courses

Humanities Courses

Information Technology Courses

Interdisciplinary Studies Courses

Interior Design Courses

Legal Administration Courses

Liberal Studies Courses

Literature Courses

Management Courses

Management Science Courses

Marketing Courses

Mathematics Courses

Multidisciplinary Studies Courses

Nursing Courses

Philosophy Courses

Physical Science Courses

Physics Courses

Politics Courses

Psychology Courses

Sociology Courses

Spanish Courses

Theology and Religious Studies Courses

University Leadership

Notices to Students

Index