2009-2010 Graduate Academic Catalog

4 Cedarville University Graduate Education 2009–10 Graduate Education Admissions • Because of our commitment to moral purity in both thought and action (2 Cor. 7:1; 1 John 3:3), all acts of sexual immorality are viewed as unacceptable behavior (I Cor. 6:18–20; 1 Thess. 4:3–8). • Because of our commitment to moral purity in thought and action (2 Cor. 7:1; 1 John 3:3; Matt. 5:27–28), accessing, possessing, and distributing or downloading pornography is prohibited. • We believe that God has given the gift of intimacy to marriage (Hebrews 13:4). Therefore, we believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity should occur outside of marriage. We believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one woman (Gen. 2:24; Rom. 7:2; I Cor. 7:10; Eph. 5:22–23). Based on our commitment to moral purity and the gift of intimacy in marriage, we believe that all acts of sexual immorality are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex, i.e., homosexuality, lesbianism, incest, fornication, adultery (Rom. 1:21–27; I Cor. 6:9; Gen. 2:24; Eph. 5:31). Therefore, engaging in, living a lifestyle characterized by, or promoting a lifestyle that is in contradiction to this biblical position is prohibited. Graduate students living on campus will have additional standards of conduct expectations as a member of the Cedarville University residential community. Behavior that is not in compliance with the above standards of conduct or that are a felony violation of state or federal law can result in corrective action up to and including expulsion from the University. Admissions General Information Admission to Cedarville University graduate and professional programs is managed by the associated academic department in cooperation with the graduate admissions office. Some programs have distinctive requirements, but the application process is similar. All admissions are competitive and reflect the judgment of the academic department for which admission is being sought. Those making admission decisions take into account the student’s potential to complete a particular program. Standards The Graduate Admissions Committee carefully considers each applicant’s total record, seeking to make admission decisions that will result in the best fit between the applicant’s interests and abilities and the University’s expectations and values. Cedarville University invites applications for its graduate and professional programs from college graduates who are able to present strong academic records and a testimony of faith in Jesus Christ. Applicants generally have a bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited college or university, or an institution specially recognized by Cedarville University. How to Apply All forms including the admissions application are available at www.cedarville.edu/academics/graduate/admission . 1. Complete and submit the Graduate Programs Application for Admission along with a $30 non-refundable application fee. The essay section should be typed (1000-word maximum). The essay will be used to assess both content and communication factors in evaluating your potential success in completing the graduate program. 2. Submit completed recommendation forms from the following: a. Supervisor/employer b. Church leader c. Colleague 3. Request an official transcript to be sent to Cedarville University from each college and/or university attended. The transcript for your baccalaureate degree must indicate the month and date the degree was granted. 4. Submit the appropriate standardized test score as required by your particular field of study. The test must have been taken within the last five years prior to applying. Please note: The GRE is required of all degree- seeking students. However, a student who is granted conditional acceptance may take up to 11 credit hours before completing the GRE requirement. (See Conditional Acceptance.) Successful applicants typically have received competitive scores on their program-appropriate nationally standardized exams. The organizations sponsoring these national exams explicitly discourage the use of absolute cutoff scores and urge all educational institutions to consider the scores within the context of the student’s entire application package. Accordingly, scores from nationally standardized exams will be considered along with other factors in making final admission decisions. 5. International students must submit TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) scores when English is a second language. Typically a web-based score of 80 is required. The test must have been taken within the last five years unless the applicant has completed an entire baccalaureate or graduate program in residence in the United States. Applicants for graduate and professional programs may be interviewed by a member of the graduate admissions committee and, where beneficial, by representatives from the graduate program for which admission is being sought. The director of graduate admissions will be responsible for arranging these interviews. The application, its supporting documents, and a course registration form should be submitted to the graduate admissions office a minimum of two weeks before the first class session. Extenuating circumstances for late acceptance will be considered on a case-by-case basis, enabling a student to temporarily attend classes before being officially accepted. However, any student who has not completed the admissions process by the start of the second class in either the fall or spring term or by the start of the second week of the summer session will not be permitted to attend further classes. In this case, tuition payments will not be refunded.