Admission to the University

University of the Cumberlands has established qualitative and quantitative requirements for the admission of students whose education preparation evidences the potential for high-level performance. All admissions materials must be received in the Graduate Admissions Office or the Department of International Graduate Services Office (DIGS) Office (for Executive Format program students).

Additional requirements for each program are contained within the School/Department sections.

Academic departments may have varying GPA requirements. Please see the academic department section for specific requirements.

Admission requirements shared among all programs are:

1. Completed Graduate Application with payment of required Application Fee.
2. Request that official transcripts of undergraduate and graduate work be sent directly from the respective institution(s) to:

University of the Cumberlands
Graduate Admissions
649 S. 10th Street Suite C
Williamsburg, KY 40769

OR

The (DIGS) office for Executive Format Program students:

University of the Cumberlands
Department of International Graduate Services
649 S. 10th Street Suite B
Williamsburg, KY 40769

The transcript(s) must include the degree and date on which it was conferred. All graduate work as verified by official transcripts:

1. Master’s degree admission requires a grade point average of at least 2.5* on a 4.0 scale from a bachelors’ degree or higher from a United States Department of Education accredited institution or an institution approved through the International Evaluation firms listed below.
2. Doctoral degree admission requires a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0** on a 4.0 scale from the conferred master’s degree as well as in any subsequent graduate study. Admission to a Doctoral degree program requires a master’s degree or higher from a United States Department of Education accredited institution in a field related to the doctoral degree of application. For example, application to a Ph.D. in Information Technology would require a master’s in Information Technology, Computer Science, Computer Information Systems, or closely related area.

*Conditional admission may be applicable for certain programs for online students.

** Certain programs require a 3.5 GPA for Admission (PhD CES)

Students must be in good standing in order to be admitted into any program.

1. If a student has been on probation for more than one semester in an unfinished program at University of the Cumberlands or has been suspended from a program at University of the Cumberlands or any other IHE, the student cannot be admitted into a new program at University of the Cumberlands.
2. Graduation from a program in which a student has been on probation causes those probation semesters to be forgiven in a newly admitted program.

Documentation of language fluency for non-native speakers of English, such as a score report from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). This requirement is waived for students who have completed a bachelor’s program in the U.S. or have completed at least nine hours of master’s level coursework in the U.S. at regionally accredited institution. The minimum acceptable TOEFL or IELTS scores for admission are:

1. Paper-based TOEFL (PBT) - 550
2. Internet-based TOEFL (IBT) - 79
3. IELTS - 6
4. Duolingo-100

Any international coursework completed must have official transcript evaluations completed and submitted to the University by the evaluation firm.

Evaluations MUST include a cumulative GPA and U.S. equivalency for admission. Approved Evaluation Firms are:

1. World Education Services (WES)
2. American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO),
3. Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) D. International Education Research Foundation (IERF) EvalDirect
4. Educational Perspectives (EP)
5. SpanTran
6. Incred

*The transcript evaluation requirement is waived for any student who has completed a bachelor’s degree in the U.S., or who has completed at least nine hours of master’s courses in the U.S. Applicants seeking doctoral admission are required to provide a certified evaluation as proof of a U.S. master’s degree equivalency.

Re-admittance to the Institution

Students are expected to maintain good academic standing in holding appropriate GPA levels as outlined elsewhere in the Catalog. If a student has been dismissed from the institution after following the outlined procedures and recommendations for poor Academic standing, the student can be readmitted to the institution through a written appeal to the Academic Standing Committee.

Continuous Enrollment Model

University of the Cumberlands’ programs permit students to begin their studies in any term in which courses are offered. Classes are designed to facilitate the development of a community of learners that provide not only a sense of camaraderie but also a collegial academic support system.

Veteran Students

Veterans Administration Educational Assistance

The following degrees are approved for the enrollment of Veterans and eligible persons under the provisions of Chapters 30 (Montgomery GI Bill®), 31 (Vocational Rehabilitation), 32 (VEAP), 33 (Post 9/11), 35 (Dependents Educational Assistance), 1606 (Selected Reserve) and 1607 (REAP) under Titles 10 and 38 of the United States Code.

1. All Associate level degrees
2. All Bachelor level degrees
3. All Master’s level degrees
4. All Doctorate level degrees
5. Selected Graduate-level Certification programs

Veterans and other students eligible for Veterans Administration education assistance should contact the VA Certification Officer located in the Office of the Registrar.

Vocational Rehabilitation

This program provides educational assistance for individuals with physical or mental disabilities. Eligibility is determined by a general medical examination from a medical doctor in accordance with the Vocational Rehabilitation Program. For further information on eligibility, consult your local Vocational Rehabilitation Office.

Tuition Assistance Course Approval Process Purpose

This policy is set forth to assist Service members in the pre-enrollment and Tuition Assistance (TA) course approval process.

Policy

Once an eligible Service member decides to use TA benefits to cover tuition expenses at University of the Cumberlands, it is in the best interest of the Service member to obtain approval of courses through their Educational Services Officer (ESO) and/or counselor within their Military Service branch, prior to enrolling in the courses. All Military TA benefits must be requested and approved prior to the start date of the course(s).

If the eligible Service member decides to enroll in course(s) prior to approval from their respective ESO, and/or counselor in their Military Service branch the Service member is solely responsible for the tuition of these course(s). This does not indicate that Service Members may not enroll in courses prior to their respective start date, if the sole purpose of enrolling is to secure a spot in the course(s). However, the Service member could be responsible for this tuition, and it may or may not be covered by Tuition Assistance benefits.

Policy on the Return of Tuition Assistance (TA)

At University of the Cumberlands, Military Tuition Assistance (TA) is awarded to a student under the assumption that the student will attend school for the entire period for which the assistance is awarded. If a student withdraws, the student may no longer be eligible for the full amount of TA funds originally awarded. In compliance with Department of Defense policy, University of the Cumberlands will return any unearned TA funds on a prorated basis through at least the 60% portion of the period for which the funds were provided. TA funds are earned proportionally during an enrollment period, with unearned funds returned based upon when a student stops attending.

Withdrawal and Refund by Week and Session

16 Week Main Session

8 Week Session

Readmission Following a Period of Active Military Duty

Policy Statement

University of the Cumberlands recognizes the importance of contributions and the sacrifices made by our service members. In support of these students, the University has developed the following procedures to ensure maximum flexibility is afforded to assist these students. Students seeking readmission following a period of deployment/active duty for more than thirty (30) days, will be promptly readmitted into the next class or classes in the student’s program beginning after the student provides intent to reenroll.

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to inform students receiving military tuition assistance of the required actions the University must take to comply with the Department of Defense Memorandum of Understanding (DOD MOU) when students are called to active duty.

Scope

This policy only applies to students in the National Guard Reserves and to some prior active-duty personnel who may be called/recalled to active duty.

Procedure

A student must give notification of intent to return to school. This notification should be given to the Department of Admissions. This notification may be oral or written and must be given within three (3) years of completion of the period of service. A student who is hospitalized or healing due to the need to recovery from an illness or injury must notify the University within two (2) years after completion of the period needed for recovery. Students who fail to apply for readmission within these time frames do not automatically forfeit eligibility for readmission but would then be subject to the University’s general leave of absence practices.

Students seeking readmission following a period of deployment/active duty for more than thirty (30) days, will be promptly readmitted into the next class or classes in the student’s program beginning after the student provides intent to reenroll. There is an exception when the student requests a later date or unusual circumstances require the school to use a later admission date.

Students are admitted: to the same academic status, in the same program they were last admitted for. When the program is no longer available, the most similar to that program, unless the student chooses a different program; at the same enrollment status, unless the student wants a different enrollment status; with the same number of credit hours previously completed, unless the student is readmitted to a different program and the completed credit hours are non-transferable; and with the same academic standing the student previously had. If the student is readmitted to the same program, for the first academic year in which the student returns, the University will assess the tuition and fee charges the student was or would have been assessed for the academic year during which the student left the school. However, if the veteran’s education benefits or other service member education benefits will pay the higher tuition and fee charges other students in the program are paying for the year, the University may assess those charges to the student as well. If the student is admitted to a different program, and for subsequent academic years for a student admitted to the same program, the University will assess no more than the tuition and fee charges other students in the program are assessed for that academic year.

The cumulative length of the absence and of all previous absences from the University for military service may not exceed five (5) years. Only the time the student spends actually performing service is counted.

Military Admission Recruitment

Military Admission Recruitment Tactics Policy

Purpose: This policy is set forth to eliminate and prevent any possible fraudulent and/or aggressive recruitment of students; including but not limited to veterans, Military Service members and their dependents or spouse.

Policy:

1. University of the Cumberlands will ensure compliance with regulations set forth by the Department of Education (34 C.F.R 668.71-668.75 and 668.14) related to restrictions on misrepresentation of the nature of the educational program, financial charges, employability of graduates, relationship with Department of Education and compliance with the student financial assistance program authorized by Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (Title IV, HEA program) as they are related to the recruitment of Service members and prospective students.
2. No university employee(s), third parties or agents may offer any inducement (including any gratuity, favor, discount, entertainment, hospitality, loan, transportation, lodging, meals, or any other item) to any individual for the purpose of securing enrollment of students, or gaining access to federal Title IV funds, federal Tuition Assistance (TA), and/or Veteran Affair (VA) benefits.
3. No university employee(s), third parties or agents will be provided any commission, bonus, or other incentive for the sole purpose of securing enrollments, Title IV funds, TA funds, or VA benefits as it relates to the recruitment, admission, and enrollment of the veteran, Service member, and their dependents or spouse.
4. No university employee(s), third parties or agents will engage in high pressure sales or recruitment tactics such as unsolicited contacts (3 or more) by phone, email, or in person, and will refrain from same day recruitment and registration for the purpose of securing Service member enrollments.

Retention of Documentation for Veteran Students

University of the Cumberlands will retain the records and account information of VA students for a minimum of three (3) years following the ending date of the last period of attendance certified to VA. University of the Cumberlands will make these records available for inspection upon request for the purpose of verification of compliance with the program requirements stated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.