California Baptist University (CBU) seeks to provide academic programs that prepare students for professional careers, as well as co-curricular programs that foster an environment supporting the intellectual, physical, social, and spiritual development of each student. Hence, the admissions process of the university ensures that only deserving candidates get in and make optimum use of the opportunities provided by the university.
Any student seeking an educational experience that integrates academics with exciting spiritual growth and service opportunities, CBU is an excellent choice.
Acceptance Rate
California Baptist University has an acceptance rate of 80%. This means that out of a hundred students applying for the university, about 80 students would be selected for admission. So, it can be inferred that getting into the university is not quite selective and competitive.
CBU Admissions Process
CBU offers various levels of degrees for their students - associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral. At the undergraduate level, CBU offers more than 80 majors, with more than 150 major concentrations, and more than 50 minors.
At the graduate level, it offers more than 30 masters and 5 doctoral programs. Apart from traditional education in classes, CBU also offers plenty of opportunities for online education. CBU Online was designed for working professionals. 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 Process
Here are the requirements a prospective candidate will need to complete in order to be considered for undergraduate admission into CBU:
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Fill out an application: Complete and submit an application for undergraduate admission.
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First-Time Freshman: Students that are currently enrolled in high school or have completed less than 24 units of transferable college credit.
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Transfer: Students who have completed 24 or more units of transferable college credit.
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Write a brief essay: The application includes a 3–5 paragraph essay asking "What do you hope to gain from your experience as a student at California Baptist University?" The applicants should provide examples from an academic, social, and spiritual standpoint.
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Pay the application fee: The $45 non-refundable fee can be paid through the application portal.
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Send the official transcripts.
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First-Time Freshman: The normal requirement is official, sealed transcripts from the applicants’ high school and college or university (if applicable) and have them sent directly to the Undergraduate Admissions Office.
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Home educated/school students: Applicants should contact their respective admissions counselor regarding proper formatting standards for their official transcript.
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Transfer: Such a category of applicants will need to order official, sealed transcripts from each college or university attended and have them sent directly to the Undergraduate Admissions Office. If anyone has completed less than 60 units of transferable college credit, then he/she must send proof of high school graduation to the Undergraduate Admissions Office.
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First-Time Freshman: Such applicants should arrange to take the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or American College Test (ACT) or the Classical Learning Test (CLT) and have the scores sent to the Undergraduate Admissions Office. Test scores are used for scholarship and grant opportunities, as well as for placement.
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Transfer: Applicants do not need to send in their test scores, but may want to send them in for placement.
All the admissions documents must be sent to the attention of the Undergraduate Admissions Office:
Undergraduate Admissions
8432 Magnolia Avenue
Riverside CA, 92504
FAX: (951) 343-4525
Graduate Admissions Process
The goal of California Baptist University Graduate Programs is to provide avenues for students to better themselves personally and professionally through practical, ethical, and Christian education. Apart from various program-specific requirements, the admissions process for graduates at CBU has some general admission requirements. They are explained in detail below.
Traditional Admissions
Application requirements common to all graduate programs are as follows:
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Application: Applicants to graduate study at California Baptist University must apply for acceptance into a specific graduate program. Applications can be submitted online on official website.
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Application Fee: A non-refundable $45 application processing fee is required. The fee is waived for current and former CBU students, excluding Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies applications.
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Completion of a Bachelor’s Degree: A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution or the evaluated equivalency of a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution is required.
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Official Transcripts: Official transcripts from a college or university reflecting completion of a baccalaureate degree. Additional transcripts may be required for prerequisite or GPA verification; see program-specific requirements for required prerequisites. An official transcript is one the University receives directly from another institution, electronically or by mail.
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GPA Requirement: Applicants must meet a minimum cumulative or last 60 semester (or 90 quarter) unit grade point average specified by each program.
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Recommendations: Recommendations are required for most programs and are submitted electronically through the online application. Recommendations may not come from family members or friends. Please see the specific program requirements for additional recommendation criteria.
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Essay: Most programs require an application essay. Please see the specific program admission requirements for essay information.
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English Language Proficiency: An applicant whose first language is not English and/or does not have a degree from an institution where English is the primary language of instruction is required to demonstrate English language proficiency by submitting a recent test score from Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic), or International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The minimum score required to display English language proficiency for standard admission to a graduate program is 80 IBT TOEFL, 53 PTE Academic, or 6.0 IELTS with no individual area under 5.0. Applicants who do not meet the minimum scores may be admitted to the Intensive English Program (IEP) and a graduate program while taking required language courses to meet the minimum TOEFL/PTE Academic/IELTS requirement.
Online and Professional Studies Admissions
Online and Professional Studies (OPS) develops degree programs in fully-online and hybrid formats at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. All programs incorporate a Christian perspective, and a year-round semester system speeds students toward graduation. Each program of study has specific admission and application requirements; however, application requirements common to all graduate programs are as follows:
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Application: Applicants to graduate study at California Baptist University must apply for acceptance into a specific graduate program. Applications can be submitted online or paper applications can be obtained by contacting the Online and Professional Studies Admissions Office at 951.343.3927.
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Application Fee: A non-refundable application processing fee is required.
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Completion of a Bachelor’s Degree: A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution or the evaluated equivalency of a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution is required.
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Official Transcripts: Official sealed transcripts from all colleges and universities attended must be submitted to the Admissions Office. An official transcript is one the University receives directly from that institution and bears an official seal. A summary of credit transferred from an institution previously attended and recorded on another transcript is not acceptable.
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GPA Requirement: Different levels of programs requires a different GPA:
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Applicants must meet a minimum cumulative or last 60 semester (or 90 quarter) unit grade point average.
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Masters programs require a minimum 2.75 GPA for unconditional admission and a minimum 2.5 GPA for conditional admission.
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Doctoral programs require a minimum of 3.0 for unconditional admission and a minimum of 2.75 for conditional admission.
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Prerequisites: Required prerequisites should be completed with a “C” or better.
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Personal Statement: All programs require a written personal statement. Please see the specific program admission requirements for information.
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English Language Proficiency: An applicant whose first language is not English and/or does not have a degree from an institution where English is the primary language of instruction is required to demonstrate English language proficiency by submitting a recent test score from Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic), or International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The minimum score required to display English language proficiency for standard admission to a graduate program is 80 IBT TOEFL, 53 PTE Academic, or 6.0 IELTS with no individual area under 5.0. Applicants who do not meet the minimum scores may be admitted to the Intensive English Program (IEP) and a graduate program while taking required language courses to meet the minimum TOEFL/PTE Academic/IELTS requirement.
Additional requirements for some programs include, but are not limited to, the items below:
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Interview
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Prerequisites
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Resume
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Official test scores: GRE, GMAT, TEAS, CBEST, CSET
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Research Writing Sample
CBU Admissions Office
Phone -
(877) CBU-8866
Email -
admissions@calbaptist.edu.
