Undergraduate Admission

General Undergraduate Admission Policies

University of Mobile solicits applications from all persons who desire a quality college education and who are in agreement with the philosophy held by the University. A candidate for admission 1) is a graduate of an accredited high school, or equivalent; 2) is of good moral character; 3) provides evidence of academic ability; and 4) provides evidence of maturity. An accredited high school, for admission purposes, may be Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges accredited or State Board of Education approved. The equivalent of graduation from an accredited high school is defined as graduation from, or successful completion of a regular High School Diploma or High School Diploma with Advanced Academic Endorsement or equivalent, a reputable private high school, home schooling curriculum, or GED credits. Home-schooled applicants may be considered for equivalency credit provided some measurable standard is submitted, such as the ACT* or other test(s) recommended by the Director of Enrollment Services. Questions concerning high school accreditation or equivalency credit may be referred by the Director of Enrollment Services to the Admissions Committee for review.

Applicants are best prepared to do college work when they have completed the following high school preparatory work: 1) four years of English with emphasis on grammar and composition; 2) three years of mathematics including algebra and geometry; 3) two years of a foreign language; 4) and three years of social sciences: history, government, and geography.

An applicant previously charged, arrested, or convicted of any crime other than a minor traffic violation, is required to complete the criminal conviction questionnaire before a final admission decision can be made. The university reserves the right to require additional documentation. After the applicant has met the entrance requirements, the Admissions Committee will review the applicant’s file to determine if the student is eligible for admission. Initial admittance to University of Mobile does not imply automatic admission in future semesters. Any student admitted by giving false information may be dismissed.

University of Mobile classifies entering students into one of the following categories: freshman, transfer, re-admission, international, transient, special (non-degree), audit, or early enrollment. Former students who have discontinued their studies for at least one term (fall or spring) are classified as re-admission students. Students who are not citizens or legal residents of the United States of America are considered international students. Students desiring college credit, but not planning to pursue post-baccalaureate degrees, are classified as special students. Students who take courses at University of Mobile to be applied toward degrees at other colleges or universities are transient students. Applicants who wish to take courses on a noncredit basis may apply for admission as audit students.

Admission Requirements (Undergraduate)

Requirements for Regular Admission

Students who are admitted as freshman or transfer and are pursuing degrees at University of Mobile are classified as regular students. In addition to the admission criteria required by University of Mobile, nursing students, worship leadership students, business students, teacher education students, and athletic training students have specific program admission requirements established by the respective schools and required by external approval agencies. The requirements are described in the appropriate sections of University of Mobile Catalog.

Freshman Applicants

Freshmen applicants must submit the following:

1. completed application for admission;
2. non-refundable application fee;
3. official high school transcript reflecting date of graduation, with at least a 2.75 un-weighted GPA or an official GED score report with a score of at least 50 (test date prior to 2014) or at least 170 (test date 2014 and beyond), mailed directly to the admissions office;
4. official ACT scores* report stating a minimum composite score of 21, or comparable test scores report;  (Applicants twenty-three years of age or older are not required to submit ACT scores reports for general admission.);  See ACT requirement for the School of Nursing; and
5. immunization certificate for measles, mumps, and rubella.  Applicants age 23 or older are exempt from immunization requirement. All students enrolled in fully online programs are exempt from immunization requirement.

Freshman applicants who graduated from non-accredited high schools may be admitted conditionally to University of Mobile.  Home-schooled applicants may be considered for equivalency credit provided some measurable standard is submitted such as the ACT* or other test(s).  Questions concerning high school accreditation or equivalency credit may be referred to the Associate Vice President for Enrollment Services for review.

*The University of Mobile is a test-optional institution.  Test-optional means we will consider a student’s high school GPA, course load and similar academic indicators that highlight their achievements.  Students will still be eligible for possible institutional grants and need-based aid offered by the University of Mobile, for those who qualify, as well as state and national education entities.  Students can choose whether to submit test scores as part of their application or select the test-optional choice during the application process.

Transfer Applicants (Undergraduate)

Transfer applicants must submit the following:

1. completed application for admission;
2. non-refundable application fee;
3. final official college transcript (two official transcripts if seeking teacher certification), mailed directly to the admissions office from each college previously attended, whether or not credit was earned;
4. official ACT* scores report stating a minimum composite score of 21, or comparable test scores report;  (Applicants twenty-three years of age or older, or students who have earned 15 or more acceptable semester hours at regionally accredited colleges or universities with GPAs of 2.0 or higher are exempt from this requirement); See ACT requirement for the School of Nursing;
5. official high school transcript reflecting date of graduation, with at least a 2.75 un-weighted GPA or GED score report with a score of at least 50 (test date prior to 2014) or at least 170 (test date 2014 and beyond), mailed directly to the admissions office; (Transfer applicants and applicants not applying to the nursing program who have earned 15 or more acceptable semester hours at regionally accredited colleges or universities with GPAs of 2.0 or higher are exempt from this requirement. See Criteria for Accepting Transfer of Credits   for more information about acceptable transfer credits.);
6. immunization certificate for measles, mumps, and rubella.  Applicants age 23 or older are exempt from immunization requirement. All students enrolled in the Adult and Professional Studies Programs are exempt from immunization requirement.

Freshman applicants, including those transferring up to 14 semester hours, who graduated from non-accredited high schools, may be admitted conditionally to University of Mobile.  Home-schooled applicants may be considered for equivalency credit provided some measurable standard is submitted such as the ACT* or other test(s).  Questions concerning accredited high school or equivalency credit may be referred to the associate vice president for enrollment services for review.

*The University of Mobile is a test-optional institution for Fall 2020 through Fall 2021.  Test-optional means we will consider a student’s high school GPA, course load and similar academic indicators that highlight their achievements.  Students will still be eligible for possible institutional grants and need-based aid offered by the University of Mobile, for those who qualify, as well as state and national education entities.  Students can choose whether to submit test scores as part of their application or select the test-optional choice during the application process.

Criteria for Accepting Transfer of Credits (Undergraduate)

1. Courses in which applicants have earned grades of F are not accepted as transfer credit. 
2. Courses in which applicants have earned a grade of D are accepted only from Alabama community colleges for students transferring on or after July 19, 2010.  Grades of D are not accepted as transfer credit for courses in the major, minor and competency areas.
3. Coursework transferred in, or accepted for credit toward a degree, must represent collegiate coursework relevant to the degree, with course content and level of instruction equivalent to that of the University’s own undergraduate program.
4. A maximum of 62 semester hours of credit may be transferred from community colleges toward a bachelor’s degree. 
5. A maximum of 30 semester hours of credit earned through correspondence or extension courses may be applied at the bachelor’s level. 
6. Transfer applicants who have earned 15 or more acceptable semester hours at regionally accredited colleges or universities with GPAs of 2.0 or higher and who are not applying to the nursing program are exempt from the ACT requirement and are not required to submit high school transcripts.  See ACT requirements for the School of Nursing.
7. Coursework transferred in, or accepted for credit toward a degree, must have been completed at institutions accredited as degree-granting by post-secondary regional accrediting commissions at the time the coursework was completed.  Coursework taken from non-accredited institutions must be validated before it can be considered as part of the student’s permanent record.  Successful completion of 24 semester hours of coursework at University of Mobile (12 hours of the core curriculum and 12 hours in the major) with a minimum GPA of 2.00 is required before this coursework may be considered for validation.  Students seeking Alabama teacher certification may not apply coursework validated from non-accredited institutions since the Alabama State Department of Education does not recognize this credit.
8. Transcripts from non-accredited colleges or universities are not required for an applicant to be considered for admission. However, students who wish to pursue course validation for credit earned at non-accredited colleges must submit those transcripts.

9. Students who transfer 30 or more credit hours from an accredited institution and who were exempted from EN 101 at the previous institution based on ACT or other recognized standardized test scores, will be exempted from EN 101 at the University of Mobile.  No credit hours will be awarded for the exempted  course. Students must fulfill the total credit hours required for general education as well as graduation at the University of Mobile.

10. Transfer applicants must be eligible to return to each institution previously attended to be considered for admission to the University of Mobile.  The admissions committee evaluates transfer applicants who have received academic discipline from other institutions.  Based on this review, applicants whose GPAs fall below 2.00 may be admitted conditionally.

1. Students admitted conditionally must achieve a minimum GPA of 2.00 before their status is changed to regular. Two consecutive academic periods (semesters) are usually allowed for the student to do so.
2. The admissions committee honors academic suspension earned at other institutions. Unusual cases with extenuating circumstances may be considered after one full academic period (semester) (four months) has elapsed. Coursework taken while on suspension must be validated before work can be considered as part of the student’s permanent record. Successful completion of 24 semester hours of coursework at University of Mobile (12 hours of the core curriculum and 12 hours in the major) with a minimum GPA of 2.00 validates otherwise acceptable credits earned while on suspension.
3. University of Mobile admissions committee also honors academic dismissal from other institutions. Unusual cases with extenuating circumstances may be considered after three or more calendar years have elapsed. If admitted, a student in this category is usually allowed two academic periods (semesters) to achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00. Coursework taken while on dismissal must be validated before work can be considered as part of the student’s permanent record. Successful completion of 24 semester hours of coursework at University of Mobile with a minimum GPA of 2.00 is required before coursework taken elsewhere while on dismissal from University of Mobile may be considered for validation.
4. University of Mobile honors academic bankruptcy granted by regionally accredited colleges and universities. A final official transcript from the granting institution must document the academic bankruptcy. The transcript must be received prior to admission to the University. All grades for the bankruptcy period are omitted from the overall GPA calculations by University of Mobile’s registrar’s office.

Requirements for Re-Admission Applicants (Undergraduate)

A student who was not enrolled for the preceding semester (excluding summer) at University of Mobile; a student placed on academic suspension; or a student who was academically dismissed more than one calendar year ago, must apply for readmission. A student graduating from an undergraduate program at University of Mobile planning to re-enter for a second bachelor’s degree the following semester, must also reapply.

1. A returning student who has not attended another institution since last enrolled at UM is readmitted based on their previous academic standing at UM.
2. A returning student who has attended institutions since last enrolled at UM will be readmitted based on the transfer GPA, as calculated by the registrar’s office, for credits earned at universities attended since leaving UM. This GPA must be equal to or higher than a 2.0 GPA as calculated by the registrar’s office.
3. If GPA calculates less than a 2.0, applicant must submit additional information as requested by the university and readmission may be approved either on a probationary status or denied by the academic affairs committee.
4. Students who fail to report attendance at a previous college will be placed on suspension for one year.
5. No fee is required for readmission.
6. A readmitted student must meet graduation requirements as listed in the catalog in effect at the time of re-entry.
7. The applicant must be eligible to re-enter the last institution attended.
8. The Academic Affairs Committee evaluates transfer applicants who have received academic discipline from other institutions and applicants whose GPA falls below 2.0. The applicant may be considered for conditional admittance.
9. If a service member or reservist is temporarily unable to attend class or has to suspend their studies due to service requirements, they will be readmitted to their program of study once the application for readmission has been completed.

Readmission applicants must submit the following to the enrollment services office:

1. completed application for reinstatement;
2. final official college transcript (two official transcripts if seeking teaching certification) mailed directly, or electronically transferred from each college attended since enrollment at University of Mobile to the enrollment services office, whether or not credit was earned; and
3. any outstanding documents required for enrollment.

Requirements for International Applicants (Undergraduate)

Students who are not citizens or legal residents (Permanent Resident) of the United States of America are considered international students. International applicants must submit the following:

General Requirements: Following items required for all applicants.

1. Completed international student application;
2. Non-refundable application fee;
3. Financial affidavit to be completed by applicant and sponsor (F-1 visa only);
4. Photocopy of passport;
5. Photocopy of visa.

Freshman Requirements: Following items required in addition to all general requirements for incoming freshmen.

1. Official certificate of completion of secondary school education [Students who have earned 15 or more acceptables hours from another regionally accredited college (or U.S. equivalent) may be exempt from this requirement];
   1. See Criteria for Accepting Transfer of Credits for more information about acceptable transfer credits.
2. Evaluation and English translation of certificate of secondary education not located in the United States;
3. Official TOEFL score: (Paper Based score of 500 or better/iBT score of 61 or better). IELTS score of 6.0 or better. PTE score of 51 or better. An ACT or SAT may be used in lieu of the TOEFL. A minimum composite score of 21 on the ACT or 980 on the SAT is required.

Transfer Requirements: Following items required in addition to all general requirements for incoming transfer students.

1. Official certificate of completion of secondary school education [Students who have earned 15 or more acceptable hours from another regionally accredited college (or U.S. equivalent) may be exempt from this requirement];
   1. See Criteria for Accepting Transfer of Credits for more information about acceptable transfer credits.
2. Evaluation and English translation of transcripts of college(s) not located in the United States;
3. Final official college transcript (two official transcripts if seeking teacher certification), mailed directly to the enrollment office from each college previously attended, whether or not credit was earned;
4. Photocopy of the following, if transferring from an institution located in the United States: SEVIS I-20 (F-1 visa only);
5. Evaluation and English translation of certificate of secondary education from colleges or universities not located in the United States.

Requirements for Special (Non-Degree) Applicants (Undergraduate)

Students not planning to graduate from University of Mobile, nor enroll as regular students, are classified as special students. Students entering under the special category who later wish to change to degree-seeking status must meet all requirements for regular admission to be considered as degree-seeking students. Special applicants must submit the following:

1. completed application for admission;
2. non-refundable application fee; and
3. official transcript from the educational institution most recently attended (college or high school) mailed directly to the admissions office.  Students who are not high school graduates and have not attended college are required to submit official GED score reports.  Students planning to enroll as special students must provide evidence that they have achieved a 21 or better on the ACT and a minimum 2.75 GPA, have a GED score report with a score of at least 50 (test date prior to 2014) or at least 170 (test date 2014 and beyond), or have achieved a 2.75 GPA on 15 or more transferable college semester hours.  Students who wish to be considered as a special students but do not meet the admission requirements may be reviewed by the admissions committee for special consideration.

Requirements for Transient Applicants (Undergraduate)

Students who wish to enroll in courses at University of Mobile to be applied toward degrees at other colleges or universities will make application as transient applicants. Transient applicants must submit the following:

1. completed application for admission;
2. non-refundable application fee; and
3. completed transient student application, including an approval statement signed by a designated college official of the institution from which the student wishes to be a transient.

Transient students are admitted to the university by the registrar’s office for one term.

Requirements for Audit Applicants (Undergraduate)

Applicants wishing to enroll in courses on a non-credit basis may apply for admission as audit students. Audit applicants must submit the following:

1. completed application for admission; and
2. non-refundable application fee.

Classroom seating is open to auditing students on a space available basis only. Priority is given to degree-seeking students.

Requirements for Early/Dual Enrollment for High School Applicants

University of Mobile allows eligible high school students to enroll in college classes prior to the completion of their high school coursework and/or concurrently while attending high school classes, either on the college campus or at the high school.  Students may enroll in courses for which high school prerequisites have been completed and may receive college credit for their work. Any high school credit awarded is a matter between students and their high school and/or the appropriate local/state board or agency. Early Enrollment students are automatically eligible for full admission to the university upon acceptance into the Early Enrollment program. Requirements for admission of dual enrollment or early enrollment are: 

1. Submission of a high school transcript
2. Have successfully completed the tenth grade and be at least 16 years old at the time of enrollment;
3. Provide a written recommendation from a teacher, guidance counselor, or principal.  Student participation in the Early Enrollment program is dependent upon both academic readiness and social maturity. Recommendation from a school official indicates that the student has demonstrated both;
4. Meet or exceed the grade point average and standardized test score admission requirements at the University of Mobile; and
5. Participate in an orientation program prior to attending class.

Requirements for Conditional Admission (Undergraduate)

An applicant who does not meet the established admission criteria may be considered for conditional admission. Applicants with GED score reports indicating scores between 45 and 49 (test date prior to 2014) or between 150 and 169 (test date 2014 or beyond) are included in this category. An applicant considered for conditional admission may be required to take the following courses based on high school grades and area ACT or GED scores: Academic Writing and Reading Enhancement 199  , Success Strategies 100 , and Mathematics 101 . Grades earned by students admitted conditionally are reviewed at the end of their first academic period (semester). Students who demonstrate satisfactory academic progress and fulfill the conditions of admission will be allowed to continue studies without restrictions.

Alabama students who received a credit-based endorsement diploma may not be eligible for unconditional admission but can be considered for conditional admission providing they submit acceptable ACT/SAT scores and grade point averages.

Specific Program Requirements (Undergraduate)

Admission of Students to the Alabama College for Professional and Continuing Studies

Academic programs for post-traditional students are an integral part of University of Mobile. These are designed to meet the needs of working adults and other non-traditional aged students. Students may earn the following degrees: Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Management track), Bachelor of Science in Accounting (Public Accounting track), Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood or Elementary Education, Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership, Bachelor of Science in Christian Leadership and Ministry, Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN-to-BSN or Accelerated BSN), Bachelor of Science in Psychology, or Bachelor of Science/Associate of Science in General Studies. Interested applicants should submit applications and associated materials to the Alabama College for Professional and Continuing Studies office. In addition to the admission criteria required by University of Mobile, individual areas of study have specific program admission requirements. Please see the appropriate sections of this catalog for information on admission to the programs.

Early Admission Into Graduate School

The MBA program allows University of Mobile students early admission into graduate school. The MBA is paired with undergraduate majors in Accounting, Business Administration, or Computer Information Systems. Interested students should contact the dean of the School of Business.

Americans with Disabilities Act

It is the policy of University of Mobile to provide reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities as defined in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The University coordinates support services for students with disabilities and is an accommodation resource for faculty and administration. Eligibility for service requires prior documentation of the disability. The Student Services Coordinator can provide additional information at 251.442.2284.