2023-2024 University Catalog

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Admission

Multnomah University welcomes applications from all qualified prospective students – regardless of race, color, national origin, gender, age or disability – who are personally committed to faith in Jesus Christ and whose standards and lifestyle are in line with the mission, goals, and core values of Multnomah.

Undergraduate Admission Standards

Qualitative Requirements

Personal Faith

To qualify for admission, Multnomah requires that students have committed his/her life to Jesus Christ as personal Savior.

Doctrinal Statement

To qualify for admission, Multnomah requires that students review Multnomah's Doctrinal Statement and affirm they are comfortable studying at a university that holds stated viewpoints.

Educational Qualifications

High School Coursework

Students applying to Multnomah must have graduated from high school or earned an equivalent degree, such as the GED.

It is recommended that freshman applicants have completed 14 college preparatory units, with no individual course grades below C- in the 14 recommended courses. The core college preparatory recommendations are:

  • English – 4 years
  • Mathematics – 3 years
  • Science – 2 years
  • Social Studies – 3 years
  • Other College Preparatory Courses – 2 years

Multnomah recommends that freshman applicants have a cumulative high school grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 or better; however, applicants with a GPA below 2.5 will be given full consideration. 

Residential Undergraduate Application Requirements

Applications are considered complete upon receipt of the following:

  • A signed Undergraduate Application Form
  • $40 non-refundable application fee
    • On occasion the non-refundable application fee may be waived; contact Admissions for additional information.
  • Official Transcript(s)
  • Any required academic documents

 At the discretion of the Admissions Committee, you may also be required to submit supplemental application materials, such as essays or references.

Online Undergraduate Application Requirements

Applications are considered complete upon receipt of the following:

  • A signed Online Undergraduate Application Form
  • $40 non-refundable application fee
    • On occasion the non-refundable application fee may be waived; contact Admissions for additional information.
  • Academic or Professional Reference Form
  • Official Transcript(s)
  • Any required academic documents

 At the discretion of the Admissions Committee, you may also be required to submit supplemental application materials, such as essays or references.

Categories of Undergraduate Student & Associated Application Requirements

Freshmen Students

Freshman applicants are required to submit an Official High School Transcript through at least their junior year (or GED Score Report). If the applicant has not yet graduated, he/she will be required to submit a final transcript upon graduation. 

Transfer Students

Transfer students are defined as any student who has previously earned credits at another regionally accredited institution of higher education. In many cases, Multnomah University recognizes credit earned at institutions with national accreditation, including ABHE accredited institutions.

To be considered for admission based on a college record alone, a transfer applicant must have earned a minimum of 24 college-level semester credit hours, or 36 quarter credit hours.

Transfer students applying to Multnomah are required to submit:

  • An Official Transcript from each college or university attended, currently attending, or from which the transfer student will receive credit.
  • High school transcripts or GED results, if the transfer student earned fewer than 24 semester hours (or 36 quarter credit hours) of college level credit.

Homeschooled Students

Students who were homeschooled during their high school years are regularly admitted to Multnomah University. In addition to the applicable Undergraduate Application Requirements, homeschooled students applying to Multnomah must submit the following: 

  • If the student is currently attending high school, he/she must submit a transcript that shows at least six completed semesters.
  • Upon completion of coursework, the student will need to submit one of the following:
    • An official transcript of all secondary education from an institution or umbrella organization;
    • A signed parental statement indicating that the student fulfilled the homeschool requirements for that state along with a written transcript identifying each course taken in grades 9-12, grades received, and graduation date; or
    • General Education Development (GED) test scores. 

GED Applicants

Applicants who have not graduated from high school and who are applying on the basis of GED scores must submit official test results.

  • Applicants that completed the fifth test series (2014-present) must have earned a minimum score of 145 on each of the four content area modules.
  • Applicants that completed the third (1988-2001) or fourth (2002-2013) test series must have earned a minimum battery average scores of 450 (45 on GED exams administered prior to 2002) with a minimum score of 410 on each GED subtest (40 on subtests administered prior to 2002).

Graduate & Seminary Admission Standards

Qualitative Requirements

Spiritual

To qualify for admission, Multnomah requires that students provide a written testimony of personal faith, having committed his/her life to Jesus Christ as personal Savior. Students are expected to be in essential agreement with Multnomah’s Doctrinal Statement, including a firm commitment to the inspiration, authority, and inerrancy of Scripture.

Academic

Academic qualifications are listed in the catalog’s program descriptions for each degree program.

Professional Experience

Some graduate programs require students to have attained a prescribed level of professional experience prior to admission.

Graduate & Seminary Application Requirements (excluding the Doctor of Ministry & M.A. in Applied Theology programs)

Applications are considered complete upon receipt of the following:

  • A signed Application for Admission, including an essay (included within the application)
  • $40 non-refundable application fee
    • On occasion the non-refundable application fee may be waived; contact Admissions for additional information.
  • Two Reference Forms:
    • Christian Character Reference Form
    • Academic or Professional Reference Form
  • Official Transcript from each institution the applicant has attended, is currently attending, or from which the applicant will receive credit.
    • If the student completed more than 90 credit hours at the institution that granted his/her Bachelor's degree, the requirement of transcripts from additional institutions where he/she earned undergraduate credit may be waived.
  • Online Master of Arts in Christian Leadership and Master of Divinity applicants must also supply a completed Mentor Affirmation Form. This form is to be completed by the person agreeing to serve in that capacity.
  • Upon the receipt of all application materials, all programs excluding the Multnomah University Online programs (Master of Science in Management and Leadership and Master of Arts in Nonprofit Management) will have a required interview with their respective Program Head.
  • Master of Arts in Counseling candidates will be required to complete a background check upon a successful interview.
  • Additional items as listed for specific degree programs.

Doctor of Ministry & M.A. in Applied Theology Application Requirements

Applications are considered complete upon receipt of the following:

  • A signed Application for Admission, including four essays (included within the application).
  • $40 non-refundable application fee
    • On occasion the non-refundable application fee may be waived; contact Admissions for additional information.
  • Two Reference Forms:
    • Church Leadership Reference Form
    • Ministry Colleague Reference Form
  • Official Transcript from each institution the applicant has attended, is currently attending, or from which the applicant will receive credit.
    • If the student completed more than 90 credit hours at the institution that granted his/her Bachelor's degree, the requirement of transcripts from additional institutions where he/she earned undergraduate credit may be waived.
  • Married applicants: If the applicant is married, the applicant's spouse must submit a form affirming his or her support for the applicant's pursuit of the degree. We believe it is important to have the full support of the applicant's spouse in this venture.
  • Additional items as listed for specific degree programs.

Application Deadlines

Students are encouraged to apply for admission on or before the priority deadline. However, applications will continue to be received and processed on a space-available basis after the deadline, provided it is possible to complete the admission process prior to the start of classes.

Deadlines for each term are made available on the Dates and Deadlines page of our website here - https://www.multnomah.edu/dates-deadlines/. 

Re-Enrollment

All former Multnomah students returning to complete programs are handled by the Admissions Department.

  • If it has been less than two calendar years from the date of a student’s last completed semester at Multnomah, the returning student will submit:
    • a signed Re-Enrollment Application; and
    • Official transcripts from all schools and colleges attended in the interim.
    • At the discretion of the Admissions Committee, you may also be required to submit supplemental application materials in order to remove stops on the student's account. 
  • If it has been more than two calendar years from the date of a student’s last completed semester at Multnomah, the returning student will need to submit:
    • a new, complete application for his or her desired program of study.  

International Student Admission

In addition to the applicable program application requirements, international applicants must provide the following, preferably at least nine months prior to the term he/she wishes to begin at Multnomah:

  • Evidence of the applicant's ability to meet educational expenses.
    • The applicant must complete the 2023-2024 Financial Responsibility Statement Form and submit it with the appropriate documentation.
  • Official academic transcript of all secondary (high school) and post-secondary (university) coursework sent directly to Multnomah.
    • If the applicant's degree was completed outside the USA, the transcript showing the degree will need to be reviewed by an evaluation service.
      • The evaluation service must complete a basic evaluation stating the type of degree earned and the kind of institution attended.
      • Multnomah will accept an evaluation from any business that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) or Association of International Credential Evaluation Services (AICE).
        • As of January 15, 2021, all international student-athletes are required to utilize InCred credential evaluation services. InCred is the NAIA's international academic credential evaluation service and these evaluations are used for player eligibility purposes. 
  • Provide proof of proficiency in the English language.
    • This requirement may be waived for some students whose primary language is English.
    • For all others, Multnomah requires that international students score:
      • At least 550 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). This is equivalent to a 79 on the Internet-based TOEFL (iBT). (Multnomah's school code is 4496); or
      • An overall band score of at least 6.5 for undergraduate applicants and a 7.0 for seminary and graduate students on the IELTS exam.

Exceptional Admission

Under the University’s Exceptional Admission Policy, applicants without the requisite bachelor’s degree, may be considered for admission into certain graduate and seminary programs. Admission under this policy is highly selective. Applicants should complete the regular application forms and request consideration for exceptional admission. In addition, applicants will need to interview with the program chair and/or provide an academic writing sample. Additional documentation may be requested.

The qualifications for exceptional admission vary by program but typically include some of the following considerations:

  • Spiritual maturity
  • Academic achievement
  • Professional and/or ministry experience
  • Potential for academic and vocational success
  • Extenuating circumstances that affected prior undergraduate studies
  • Demonstrates qualities expected for graduate level education

Applicants pursuing exceptional admission to the Master of Arts in Counseling program must also submit the following materials:

  • A copy of the institution’s catalog (where prior studies were done) that provides information concerning forth the program of instruction, faculty credentials, and learning resources.
  • Additional information to establish the equivalency of the prior education with accredited institutions.

In the situation where current students, who have been admitted under the "exceptional admit" policy, want to switch programs, students should notify their current program chair of their intent before seeking approval from the chair of their desired program.  Upon approval, students need to submit an "Application for CHANGING or ADDING Graduate Degree Program" form to the Registrar.

Admission Decisions

Completed application files are reviewed by the Admission Committee on a rolling basis. Official notification is sent by mail, though applicants are also contacted by phone or email. 

On occasion, the Committee may accept an applicant on a provisional or probationary basis. 

Enrollment Deposit

Accepted applicants are encouraged to submit a $200 enrollment deposit.  The enrollment deposit is refundable until May 1 for Fall semester or December 1 for Spring semester. This deposit must be paid prior to class registration.  Accepted applicants will not be able to enroll in classes for his/her first semester until they have paid the enrollment deposit.  Re-enrollment applicants are able to use their previous enrollment deposit, and are not required to submit an additional enrollment deposit as long as they fit the requirements of being a re-enrollment applicant.

FAFSA

A financial aid application will be required for all incoming undergraduate students as a part of the enrollment process.  This is to ensure students have a financial plan in place prior to registering for courses.

See the Financial Aid section of the catalog for details. 

Health

Accepted applicants must complete a self-report furnishing information on required immunization and testing.