Westfield State University offers quality undergraduate and graduate programs in the liberal arts, sciences, and professional studies. The university offers Bachelor’s and Master's Degree in more than 50 different areas of study distributed across its four colleges, each of which is focused on specific disciplines, with explicit career and professional outcomes.
The college also provides extensive online programs in as many as six different domains. The university has a selective admissions policy. Hence, in selecting students for admission, it looks for the potential for academic success, the capacity and desire to learn, and evidence that the individual will thrive in a constantly evolving academic environment.
The admission requirements in the university vary according to different levels and types of degrees offered. The various admission requirements are explained below.
Undergraduate Admissions Requirements
All students applying for admission to an undergraduate degree program must supply the following:
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The Continuing Education undergraduate application.
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A $50 application fee.
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A high school transcript or official score report of the General Education Diploma (GED) or High School Test (HiSET).
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College Board Scholastic Assessment Test Scores (SAT-I) or American College Testing Scores (ACT) (unless applying more than three years after high school graduation).
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Official transcripts of any college work attempted.
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First-year applicants participating in a dual enrollment program as part of their high school experience also must submit a complete listing of college courses attempted. A final official transcript of the dual enrollment experience must be submitted immediately upon its completion.
Recent high school graduates (students who have been out of high school fewer than three years and have earned fewer than 24 college credits from a regionally accredited college) are subject to an Eligibility Index, established by the Commonwealth, based on class rank and SAT or ACT scores, and must complete the following 17 college preparatory courses:
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4 courses of English.
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4 courses of Mathematics (Algebra I and II; Geometry or Trigonometry; or comparable course work, including Mathematics during the final year of high school).
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2 courses of Social Sciences, (including 1 unit/year of U.S. History).
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3 courses of Science (from Natural Science and/or Physical Science and/or Technology/Engineering), including 3 units with laboratory work.
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2 courses of the same foreign language.
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2 courses of electives (taken from the above list and/or the Arts and Humanities and Computer Science).
Freshman Requirements
Freshman applicants are required to submit the following information:
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Application and Fee - Freshman applicants can complete and sign the paper application or submit the online application. The application fee is $50. The application fee is waived for veterans and active members of the US Armed Forces. These applicants must submit a paper application.
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Official high school transcript(s) - Freshman applicants must submit an official high school transcript, beginning with grade 9 and including first-quarter senior year grades. Applicants who attended more than one high school are required to submit official high school transcripts from all high schools attended. Applicants who earn a high school equivalency diploma (GED) are required to submit an official GED scores report and an official copy of their high school transcript(s).
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SAT and/or ACT scores - The applicants are requested to arrange to have their respective SAT and/or ACT scores sent directly to the Admission Office. The WSU College Board code is 3523 and th,e WSU ACT code is 1912. The SAT/ACT requirement is waived for those applicants to the Learning Disabilities Program or for those applicants who wish to receive the SAT/ACT waiver through the general admission application process. These applicants must submit a full battery of diagnostic testing (including both cognitive and achievement testing) administered within the last 3 years in lieu of the SAT and/or ACT scores.
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College Essay (optional) - Students are not required to submit an essay with their application to Westfield State but may submit one if they choose. There is no specific essay question that students must answer; students are welcome to submit an essay with a topic of their choosing. Students applying to the Banacos Academic Program and the Urban Education program are encouraged to submit an essay. Any student wishing to submit an essay should submit the essay to essays@westfield.ma.edu. The email should include the applicant’s name, address, and date of birth. Any email that does not include this information will not be accepted or considered by the Admission Staff.
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Letters of Recommendation (optional) - Students who wish to submit letters of recommendation are welcome to do so. Recommendations should come from Educators (Teachers, Advisors, Guidance Counselors, etc.), and students should submit no more than 3 letters of recommendation. Students applying to the Banacos Academic Program are encouraged to submit letters of recommendation. Students applying to the Urban Education are required to submit 2 letters of recommendation with their application.
Transfer Applicants Requirements
If an applicant is or will be a Massachusetts Community College graduate, he/she needs to submit the following to fulfill the requirements for transfer applicants’ application procedure at WSU:
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Application (It’s free! You will be given a waiver code in your application).
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Official transcripts for all colleges or universities you’ve attended.
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A list of your current course schedule, including course number, title, and credits.
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Optional Items include College Essay and Letters of Recommendation.
If an applicant is NOT a Massachusetts Community College graduate, he/she needs to submit the following to fulfill the requirements for transfer applicants’ application procedure at WSU:
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Application and Fee.
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Official transcripts for all colleges or universities you’ve attended.
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A list of your current course schedule, including course number, title, and credits.
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Your official high school transcript or GED score report.
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SAT/ACT scores if he/she was applying with fewer than 24 credits and graduated from high school less than three years ago.
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Optional Items include College Essay and Letters of Recommendation.
Graduate Requirements
The prospective candidates must meet all of the following requirements to graduate with a baccalaureate degree:
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A cumulative institutional GPA of 2.00 or better.
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A cumulative overall GPA of 2.00 or better in their major. Major requirements are those in effect at the time the student matriculates into the major. Some departments have higher minimum standards and qualifications for the major GPA. Please refer to the departmental pages in the appropriate Bulletin year.
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120 earned credits, of which 30 credits must be completed at Westfield State University. Earned credits require a grade of “D-” or better.
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Successful completion of core requirements.
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Successful completion of the major requirements.
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Successful completion of the minor requirements, if any has been declared.
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Have no outstanding Incomplete grades.
Applicants should refer to their degree audit and check with their advisors before their senior year (84 credits) to ensure that they have planned a course of study that will meet all of these requirements for graduation. Upon graduation, the student’s undergraduate record is “closed” meaning that no academic programs (majors, minors, concentrations, and/or certifications) can be added after the degree is initially conferred even if the requirements have been met.
Once these requirements are fulfilled, the applicants need to submit the following to complete the admissions process:
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An application (available in the Office of the College of Graduate and Continuing Education or at www.westfield.ma.edu/dgce .
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Official transcript(s) of a bachelor’s degree (including all transcripts of coursework leading to the bachelor’s degree) from an accredited college or university and any subsequent collegiate studies you wish considered for transfer credit (maximum six (6) credits of graduate coursework).
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Three (3) letters of recommendation from professional or academic sources.
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Official scores of the Miller Analogies Test (MAT) or the Graduate Record Exam General Test (GRE) (scores older than five years are not valid please see departmental admissions requirements). Alumni of Westfield State University, with a cumulative GPA of 3.5, are exempt from this requirement. Academic departments may have additional exemptions. Applicants should see program admission requirements for further details.
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Narrative statement.
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Any additional admission requirements are specific to the particular department of study.
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A nonrefundable application fee.
The application materials should be sent to:
College of Graduate & Continuing Education
Westfield State University
577 Western Avenue
Westfield, MA 01086-1630
Applications are considered complete only when all required credentials are received. No admission decision may be made until the application is complete. Admission to the university is granted without regard to race, color, gender, religion, or national origin. Application materials (references, narrative statement, standardized test scores, transcripts) are the property of the College and cannot be returned to the applicants or submitted to other parties for any other use.