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Admission Requirements

Notre Dame de Namur University welcomes applications from all students regardless of religious preference, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, or financial need. Each applicant is evaluated on the basis of academic and personal achievement. Interviews are strongly encouraged and all interested students are welcome to visit the campus; please call the Office of Admission at (650) 508-3600 or (800) 263-0545 to arrange a visit.

Applying as a Freshman: Required Documents

  1. The Common Application is NDNU's primary application.  This may be submitted online with the required fee, or by printing and mailing the completed application with an approved fee waiver.
  2. An official high school transcript showing, at minimum, completion of the following University preparatory courses:
    • English - four years
    • Mathematics - Algebra and Geometry
    • Foreign Language - two years of the same language
    • Laboratory Science - one year in grades 10-12
    • Social Science - two years in grades 10-12
    • University Preparatory Electives - a total of three full-year courses. This equates to one full-year course in three of the following areas: advanced mathematics, advanced foreign language, advanced laboratory science, computer science, advanced social science, or fine arts.
  3. Official scores from the Scholastic Achievement Test (SAT) or the American College Test (ACT). International students may substitute the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
  4. A letter of recommendation from a teacher or counselor.
  5. Application essay (instructions appear in the application).

Note: All documents submitted for the application file become property of NDNU and cannot be released to any individual or organization.

Note: If you are an International student, please refer to International student admission requirements below.

Freshman applicants are evaluated on an individual basis according to the strength of university preparatory course work, grades in university preparatory courses, and standardized test results. The application essay, the recommendation, and extracurricular achievement also weigh in the admission decision.

Offers of admission are contingent upon high school graduation* and continued high performance in the senior year. Notre Dame de Namur University reserves the right to revoke acceptance should the final transcript change admission eligibility or if any application materials are false or misrepresented.

* Students who are not high school graduates may be considered for admission with satisfactory scores on the California High School Proficiency Examination or the General Educational Development Test (GED).

Applying as a Transfer: Required Documents

Notre Dame de Namur University considers anyone who has previously attended a regionally accredited college or university to be a transfer applicant. (A transfer applicant may not disregard a previous college record and apply for admission as a first-time freshman.) Transfer applicants are accepted at all class levels according to the following policies:

  1. Applicants transferring with fewer than 30 transferable semester units must also meet freshman admission requirements;
  2. The minimum cumulative college grade point average for consideration is 2.0;
  3. Applicants on probation or disqualification from the last college attended are not eligible for consideration unless the probation or disqualification occurred at least seven years prior to the intended semester of matriculation at Notre Dame de Namur University or until they have completed 12 transferable semester units or more at a subsequent institution with a GPA of a 2.0 or higher.

Transfer applicants must submit the following:

  1. The Common Application is NDNU's primary admission application.  This may be submitted online with the required fee, or by printing and mailing the completed application with an approved fee waiver.
  2. Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended;
  3. Official high school transcript and SAT or ACT scores if the applicant has completed fewer than 30 transferable semester units;
  4. A letter of recommendation, preferably from a teacher or counselor;
  5. Application essay (instructions appear in the application).

Note: All documents submitted for the application file become property of NDNU and cannot be released to any individual or organization.

See our Articulation Agreements for details on how courses taken at other colleges can meet Notre Dame de Namur University requirements. These are listed on the University web site or are available from Admissions.

Note: If you are an International student, please refer to International student admission requirements below.

On-Campus Residence

On-campus residence is available to full-time NDNU students. On-campus residence is required for full-time freshmen and sophomores under 22 years of age as of August 1. For more about housing and policy details, see Housing and Residence Life in the Campus Life section.

Second Bachelor's Degree

Notre Dame de Namur University offers the opportunity for students to pursue a second bachelor's degree. Applicants who hold an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited college or university with at least a 2.0 cumulative grade point average will be considered for admission to a second degree program. The SAT is not required, but students whose first language is not English must demonstrate a TOEFL score of at least 450. See the Undergraduate Academic Information section for degree requirements.

Evening and Professional Studies Programs

Admission is granted to programs in Computer Science or Psychology according to the following policies:

  1. The minimum cumulative college grade point average for consideration is 2.0;
  2. Applicants on probation or disqualification from the last college attended are not eligible for consideration unless the probation or disqualification occurred at least seven years prior to the intended semester of matriculation at Notre Dame de Namur University, or until they have completed 12 transferable semester units or more at a subsequent institution with a GPA of 2.0 or higher.

Note: If you are an International student, please refer to International student admission requirements below.

Admission is granted to the Accelerated Evening Degree Program in Business Administration, Liberal Studies, or Human Services according to the following policies:

  1. Applicants must have completed a minimum of 45 transferable semester units. Applicants with 35 to 44 semester units may be accepted as "Special Status" students in the Evening Degree Program and may enroll in 15-week semester classes until they qualify to transfer to the Accelerated Program;
  2. Applicants must be 25 years of age or older;
  3. Applicants must have three years of demonstrated professional work experience;
  4. The minimum cumulative college grade-point average for consideration is 2.0;
  5. Applicants on probation or disqualification from the last college attended are not eligible for consideration unless the probation or disqualification occurred at least seven years prior to the intended semester of matriculation at Notre Dame de Namur University or until they have completed 12 transferable semester units or more at a subsequent institution with a GPA of 2.0 or higher.

Any student who meets the above requirements and seeks admission to the Accelerated Evening Degree Program in Business Administration, Liberal Studies, or Human Services must submit the following:

  1. Completed Degree Completion Program application with required fee. You may also apply online through the web site at www.ndnu.edu.
  2. Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended;
  3. A letter of recommendation, employer preferred;
  4. Application essay (instructions appear in the application).

Note: All documents submitted for the application file become property of NDNU and cannot be released to any individual or organization.

Note: If you are an International student, please refer to International student admission requirements below.

International Students

International student applicants must meet the admission requirements for freshman or transfer students, respectively. If English is not the applicant's first language, a minimum score of 61 from the internet-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), is also required for consideration. Students submitting a TOEFL score are not required to submit SAT or ACT scores.

International University transcripts from outside the U.S., Canada, or the Philippines must be evaluated by a professional credential evaluation service. We recommend World Education Services, Inc. (WES). Please refer to their website www.wes.org for an explanation of their services.

Students must also complete the International Student Certification of Finances, as part of the application process. This form is available from the Admission office or it can be downloaded as a printable document in PDF format from the University web site.

Admitted international students with TOEFL scores below 100 on the internet-based test must agree to take an English placement examination upon arrival at the University, and to take any English as a Second Language (ESL) course required by the English department based on the result of this examination. International students with TOEFL scores of 100 or above on the internet-based test are exempt from the ESL test, but must take the University's writing test.

Immigration Services: For international students and applicants, the Office of Enrollment processes immigration and intergovernmental documents related to enrollment at NDNU.

Nonnmatriculated Enrollment

Undergraduate students may enroll in classes at Notre Dame de Namur University in nonmatriculated status. A nonmatriculated student is a part-time student who is not formally admitted to the University but is permitted to enroll in undergraduate classes, up to a maximum of 30 units. After 30 units, a student must meet with an appropriate Department Chair to discuss future academic plans. These units that are earned will not apply to a degree at Notre Dame de Namur University unless and until the student is admitted. Nonmatriculated students are not eligible for financial aid.

An undergraduate student wishing to take classes in nonmatriculated status should submit an Application for Enrollment as a Nonmatriculated Student form with the required application fee to the Registrar's Office. (Students holding baccalaureate degrees are processed through Graduate Admission, regardless of whether they are taking undergraduate or graduate courses.) Permission to enroll requires evidence that any prerequisites for the selected course(s) have been met. Students on probation or disqualified at another institution are not eligible for nonmatriculated status unless the probation or disqualification occurred at least seven years prior to the intended semester of nonmatriculated enrollment.

Since units earned in nonmatriculated status do not apply to the University residency requirement, students intending to pursue a Notre Dame de Namur University undergraduate degree should, in their own best interest, apply for formal admission as soon as possible.

Applications for nonmatriculated enrollment are available from the Registrar's Office. Students with permission to enroll in nonmatriculated status may register for approved classes during Final Registration at the start of the semester, or during the Drop/Add period. Should a class become over-enrolled, priority will be given to matriculated students. Full payment of tuition or suitable arrangements must be made at the time of registration. Tuition is fully refundable if enrollment is denied due to over-enrollment.

Policies for Awarding Transfer Credit

With the exception of remedial and nonacademic vocational courses, NDNU accepts credit for courses completed with grade "C" or higher at any degree-granting regionally-accredited two-year college or four-year college or university. Courses from California Community Colleges completed with grade "C" or higher are generally accepted according to the published recommendations for transfer of courses to the California State University system, provided that these courses are applicable to NDNU academic programs. (See our Articulation Agreements for details on how courses taken at other colleges can meet Notre Dame de Namur University requirements.)

In general, technical, trade, vocational, and remedial courses are not accepted for transfer credit. These include: any English preliminary to freshman composition; elementary algebra and geometry, and any course preliminary to these; typing, keyboarding, and shorthand courses; and Introduction to College and college re-entry courses.

Transfer unit limitations exist in physical education, co-op education, ROTC, and English as a Second Language. Maximum allowable transfer unit totals apply as follows:

  1. Co-op Education/Career Development — 12 units total
  2. Physical Education — eight units
  3. ROTC — 15 units
  4. ESL— nine units (eligible for use as elective credit only)

A total of 78 lower-division transferable units are applicable to a Notre Dame de Namur University degree. Reasonable consideration is given to equivalent courses of transfer students in fulfillment of the University's Core Curriculum Requirements. Articulation Agreements are available in the transfer centers at many California community colleges. Courses completed pass/credit may be used in fulfillment of Core Curriculum or major requirements only if the pass/credit is validated as grade "C" or higher.

Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)

Students attending a California Community College may complete the requirements in the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC). The IGETC is not an admission requirement for Notre Dame de Namur University and does not guarantee admission.

  • Students may complete the IGETC requirements for either the CSU or UC system, allowing them to transfer without the need to take additional lower-division, general education courses at Notre Dame de Namur University.
  • Students may complete a portion of the IGETC requirements, and then complete any additional lower-division, general education courses after transferring to Notre Dame de Namur University.
  • Students may transfer to Notre Dame de Namur University without following the IGETC or completing their lower-division and general education courses. A course-by-course evaluation will determine the need, if any, for additional lower-division general education courses.

Note: Students completing IGETC may be required to take additional upper-division courses at NDNU to satisfy Core Curriculum Requirements (e.g., Religious Studies).

Credit by Examination

The University awards credit for certain external examinations (e.g. AP, IB, CLEP). See details in Undergraduate Policies and Procedures.

Military Credit

Credit is granted for various levels of active service in the United States military as follows:

  1. Basic military service of more than one year = maximum of six semester units lower-division.
  2. Completion of Officers' Candidate School (one year) = maximum of nine semester units lower-division plus 6 semester units upper-division.

Students in any of the above categories may also be granted credit for courses taken in military schools according to the recommendations for institutions of higher education in the American Council on Education's "A Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services". An original Form DD214 is required for all military credit.

R. N. Transfer Credit

Notre Dame de Namur University offers registered nurses the opportunity to complete studies leading to a degree other than Bachelor of Science in Nursing. A two-year associate degree registered nurse is granted up to 35 semester units for course work in nursing as well as credit for transferable general education courses taken during the nursing program. A three-year diploma registered nurse is granted up to 60 semester units for the hospital nursing program as well as any transferable units in general education (not part of the nursing core courses) completed at an affiliated college or university.

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