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Adult Learner Academic Information

Admission Information

Adult Learner Programs are designed to meet the needs of working adult students seeking to complete their undergraduate degree in an accelerated and flexible format. Programs are delivered in 7‑week long terms. Classes meet in the evening, during the weekend or online.

The programs are not designed for recent high school graduates seeking to enroll in college for the first time.

To enroll as an Adult Learner in an undergraduate program, students must have earned a high school diploma or GED. In addition, students must meet the following requirements:

  • Be at least 21 years of age

    AND

  • Be able to document a work history.

Active duty service members of the United States military seeking to enroll in an accelerated online program are exempt from the admissions requirement regarding work experience.

Admission Requirements

Criteria for Full Acceptance

  • Submit an online application form for admission at: www.barry.edu/apply
  • Submit a resume with references reflecting at least 2 years of full time work experience
  • Submit an official transcript from each college attended
  • If no college credit or fewer than 12 academic credits have been earned, request an official high school transcript indicating graduation from a regionally accredited high school or official GED transcript.

Once credentials are submitted to the Office of Admissions, they become the property of Barry University and will not be surrendered. Photocopies of credentials will not be made from the applicant’s file. Any concealment by an applicant of previous college registration or previous academic or disciplinary record in a secondary school or college will immediately cancel and nullify the admissions process at Barry University

Second Bachelor’s Degrees

Students who have earned a bachelor’s degree from Barry University or another regionally accredited institution may qualify for a second bachelor’s degree from Barry University under the following conditions:

  • A formal application must be submitted to the Division of Enrollment Management, Office of Records Management.
  • The student must fulfill all admissions, prerequisite, and course requirements in the second degree program; the majority of the major must be completed at Barry University.
  • If nine (9) credits of Theology and Philosophy are not included in the first degree, they must be completed for the second degree. Other distribution requirements are considered complete.
  • If CS-108 is not included in the first degree, students must complete the computer proficiency requirement through successful completion (a grade of C or better) of CS-180 or they may test-out of CS-180.
  • If the degree program requires submission of a portfolio, the English Writing Placement must be taken and the student must complete at least ENG 302 unless receiving an exemption.
  • At least thirty (30) semester hours in residence of upper-level credit over and above the requirements for the first bachelor’s must be completed at Barry. These courses must be completed with a letter grade.
  • The student must achieve a cumulative grade point average of 2.00 or higher, with 2.00 or higher in the second major. Each course in the major must be completed with a C or better grade. The applicant is advised to review the catalog section dedicated to the major of interest to determine the grade requirements for that major.

Continuous Enrollment/Readmission

A student who does not enroll for more than two years will be classified as inactive and will be required to apply for readmission by submitting a new application. In such cases, the University Policies in effect at the time of readmission will apply.

Transfer Applicants

Transfer applicants are required to submit official transcripts from each college previously attended. Incomplete transcripts must be updated as soon as all coursework is completed. Transcripts in the applicant’s possession will not be accepted unless in an official sealed envelope from the issuing institution.

Transfer Applicants Criteria for Provisional Acceptance

Provisional acceptance is extended to those whose transcripts reflect less than a 2.00 cumulative grade point average at the time of application. A student enrolling under this option is limited to 12 credits in which a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.00 must be achieved at Barry University. Upon successful completion of 12 credits with a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 at Barry, full acceptance will be granted.

Those who are unable to complete the admission requirements (See Criteria for Full Acceptance) at the time of application are limited to 12 credit hours at Barry University. To enroll in additional coursework, the student must submit all required credentials before subsequent enrollment.

Waiver of Transcripts

Students are required by the University to submit transcripts from all previously attended college/universities. Students may request waiver through their advisor. A signed waiver form will be reviewed by the Dean of your program. Completing the form does not guarantee that a waiver will be granted. Transcript waiver forms should only be submitted for extenuating circumstances. A waiver will not be granted if a college will not release an official transcript due to an outstanding balance.

In certain instances, federal regulations may require the Financial Aid Office to request academic transcripts from all prior schools that the student has attended. If this is the case, then waiving the transcript may not be an option.

Additional Information on Admissions

Refer to the Admissions section of this catalog for additional information on transfer credit policies and international applicant information.

New Students

ORI-202 Fundamentals of Adult Learning

New students with 45 credits or less in transfer are required to complete ORI-202 Fundamentals of Adult Learning within the first year of enrollment. The course is designed to provide information and tools to students to successfully achieve their goals as an adult learner. A minimum course grade of C is required. Online students must complete ORI-202 within the first semester of study or at first opportunity after evaluation of transfer credits.

Computer Proficiency Assessment

All Adult Learner students are required to demonstrate computer proficiency through successful completion (a grade of C or better) of CS-180. This requirement may also be satisfied through equivalent computer coursework approved by the IT Program Director and accepted in transfer by Barry University. Students in face-to-face programs must fulfill this requirement during the first year of enrollment. It is also strongly recommended that students complete CS-180 before taking an online course. Only students with excellent computer literacy skills should attempt CS-180 online, as students must have sufficient computer skills to navigate through an online course. Students may test out of CS-180, IT-190, or IT-200 courses through “Credit by Examination.” These challenge exams, which require the payment of a non-refundable fee, may only be attempted once, and are not covered by Financial Aid. The Challenge Exam results are final and cannot be discussed or disputed regardless of the circumstances..

English Placement Assessment

Before or during the first semester of study (session A or B), all students MUST take the English Placement Assessment during which they have one-and-a-half hours to write a brief essay based on an assigned reading of general interest. The essays are evaluated by the English instructors who identify the students’ first writing courses. Students prepared for the English curriculum will be placed in a course within the English writing sequence: ENG-102, ENG-202, and ENG-302. Students who wish to begin with ENG-102 course are not required to sit for the placement.

Students must fulfill the English curriculum in sequence immediately following enrollment in their first English writing course. For example, upon successful completion of ENG-202 in a given session, a student must complete ENG-302 immediately in the following session.

A grade of C or better is required for successful completion of ENG-102, ENG-202, and ENG-302. If a grade below C is earned, the course must be repeated within the next two semesters, and the student must achieve a grade of C or above. Students will not be allowed to continue their academic program until ENG-302 has been successfully completed. Students who do not successfully complete the course after two attempts will be suspended. A withdrawal (”W”) is considered an attempt.

Students may be exempt from the English requirement by demonstrating proficiency on an English challenge examination administered by the School. Only those students who place into ENG-302 qualify to take the challenge exam. Even in cases when a student is deemed exempt, the written communication requirements must still be fulfilled.

The minimum requirement for taking an online course is completion of a series of short training modules in Online Essentials—and the English placement assessment. Students must place into ENG-202 or ENG-302.

Mathematics Skills Assessment

The Mathematics Skills Assessment exam must be taken by students who do not have college-level mathematics transfer credits accepted by Barry University and must be taken before or during the first semester. The Mathematics Skills Assessment exam consists of thirty-five multiple choice questions which the student will have one hour to answer, with scores ranging from 0 to 35. A practice test will be given to students in advance of the actual exam. Students are allowed to use a battery-operated calculator on the exam.

Students will then be advised into course work based on their score; those earning a score of 21 or higher on the Mathematics Skills Assessment exam may register for MAT-106 or MAT-154. Students with an assessment score of 0 to 20 will be advised to work with the mathematics tutor and retake the Mathematics Skills Assessment exam.

Based on their field of study, and on the recommendation of their Academic Advisor, students may elect to take MAT-106 and/or MAT-154, both of which fulfill distribution and degree requirements.