Admissions Information

To ensure that our applicants succeed in Hallmark University’s intense academic environment, a test of English proficiency may be required. Applicants whose native or primary language is not English AND/OR has citizenship in a country where English is not the official language may be required to prove English proficiency by taking the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System) examinations.

TOEFL is an examination written by The Educational Testing Service of The College Board. For more information, visit www.toefl.org. IELTS is jointly managed by the University of Cambridge English for Speakers of Other Languages (Cambridge ESOL) Examinations, British Council, and IDP Education Australia: IELTS Australia. For more information, visit www.ielts.org.

A minimum TOEFL score of 550 (paper-based test) or 79 (on-line/Internet test), or an Academic IELTS overall band score of 6.5 is required for admissions into an associate, bachelor, or master’s degree program. The TOEFL or IELTS requirement may be waived if the applicant meets one of the following requirements if the applicant:

• Graduated from a U.S. high school and completed three years of regular English courses
• The applicant scored 500 or greater on the verbal/reading section of the SAT
• The applicant scored 21 or greater on the English section of the ACT; or
• The applicant completed college-level English Composition I with a grade of “B” or better
• The TOEFL may be waived for graduate school applicants not from a native English-speaking country who have been living and working in the United States for a minimum of five years. In other special cases, the TOEFL may be waived on a case-by-case basis by the academic dean or the provost.

A non-traditional high school student is a person enrolled in home school programs or a student from a high school that is non-accredited or not recognized by the Texas Education Agency. An applicant applying for admission based on the completion of an independent study equivalent to the high school level in a non-traditional setting (rather than through a public high school, accredited private high school, or state equivalency exam) will be considered for individual approval for admission provided is he/she complies with Hallmark University’s entrance testing requirements and presents an official transcript for homeschool education that states the student’s name, date of graduation, and is signed by the person who is responsible for the homeschooling.

To satisfy the residency requirements, the maximum number of allowable transfer credits through any combination of AP, CLEP, and Military education credits, which are deemed acceptable by the Office of the Registrar, is 75% of the undergraduate degree program and 30% of the graduate degree programs.

Service members should speak with their Educational Services Officer (ESO) or counselor within their Military Service prior to enrolling in the institution.

For more information visit our Active Duty Services Members section of our Financial Aid Page.

In addition to the general admission requirements (see General Requirements), Aviation applicants must achieve a minimum score of 70 on the Aviation Assessment for entrance into the degree level program. Each candidate for admissions will only be allowed to take the assessment two (2) times per recruiting period. All applicants must be able to clear the FAA requirement for a Background Check to be an active student at Hallmark University. Students must meet this requirement within thirty (30) days of the enrollment date. If the necessary verification is not met, the student may be dismissed from Hallmark University.

In addition to the general admission requirements (see General Requirements), a minimum score of 15 must be achieved on the admission’s assessment Wonderlic Scholastic Level Exam published by Wonderlic Personnel Test, Inc., for entrance into the Information Technology program.

An applicant who has earned at least nine college credit hours with a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA on an official transcript from an accredited college or university, or who has earned a degree, may be exempt from the Wonderlic entrance requirement. If an applicant does not initially pass the assessment exam, a second assessment may be taken on the same day. The assessment process for admission to Hallmark University may be completed once per start date and a maximum of three times in a one-year period.

To be approved for Distance Learning in Information Technology or Cybersecurity, applicants must demonstrate I.T. experience through at least one of the following:

• An associate degree in IT or equivalent (A.S. or A.A.S. acceptable)
• 9 hours of Information Technology coursework completed within the last five years with a 2.5 GPA or better
• Hold Information Technology certification in network, security, programming, data management, operating systems, or hardware management earned within the last five years
• Submit a resume showing one-plus years of IT work experience
• Meet with the Dean of the School of Information Technology

In addition to the general admission requirements (see General Requirements), to be considered for admission to the Bachelor of Science Aviation Maintenance Management degree program, an applicant must meet all of the following additional entrance requirements:

1. Verification of completion of an undergraduate degree program on an official transcript from an accredited college or university with an undergraduate GPA of 2.50 or higher.
2. Have a current Airframe and Powerplant certification issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) FAR Part 147.
3. Verification of completion of at least 30 credit hours in Arts and Science that must include:
   • 6 hours in Composition/Rhetoric
   • 6 hours in college-level Math above the remedial Math level
   • 3 hours in Humanities
4. Verification of completion of at least six credit hours of lower-division accounting with a grade of C or better.

In addition to the general admission requirements ( see General Requirements), to be considered for admission to the BSN degree program for prospective students with an RN license, an applicant must meet all of the following additional entrance requirements:

1. Have earned a current unencumbered registered nursing license in the United States.
2. Applicants are required to submit a typed essay stating their purpose for pursuing a bachelor’s degree, personal goals as a student in the program, and as a future graduate.
3. BSN students with an RN do not need to provide evidence of insurance, drug testing, shots, and a CPR card for admittance.

The BSN program for RNs expands knowledge in areas of research, theory, leadership, community concepts, healthcare policy, therapeutic interventions, and current trends in healthcare. The program offers coursework that is specifically designed for students to increase their understanding of advanced nursing roles. Students pursuing this completion degree must have a current unencumbered registered nursing license in the United States. The RN license entitles the student to be awarded 57 credit hours toward the Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Hallmark University.

The RN license grants credit for the following Hallmark courses:

• BSN 2530
• BSN 4345
• BSN 2510
• BSN 3510
• BSN 3720
• HPRS 1402
• BSN 4315
• BSN 2720
• HPRS 1337
• BSN 4520
• BSN 1505
• BSN 3530

Students are required to take a minimum of 33 hours (these courses cannot be transferred into the program) which include the following:

• HPRS1435 Healthcare Informatics
• BSN3455 Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice
• HPRS2435 Cultural Health
• HPRS1335 Health Promotion and Nutrition
• HPRS1425 Pathophysiology
• BSN3540 Community Health Nursing with Clinical
• HPRS2450 Leadership for Health Professions
• BSN4535 Management of Care

The remaining 30 hours of coursework may be granted as transfer credit, AP, CLEP, military credit, or taken at Hallmark, which, when combined with 57 credits for the RN license, and the 33 required nursing course credits, will result in a total of 120 credit hours. The remaining 30 hours must include a course in:

• English – 3 hours
• Psychology – 3 hours
• Math – 3 hours
• Speech – 3 hours
• Philosophy/Humanities – 3 hours
• General Education Elective – 3 hours
• Anatomy and Physiology – 8 hours
• Microbiology – 4 hours

*Students with an RN license can transfer in Anatomy and Physiology and Microbiology regardless of when those courses were taken, and the five-year limitation on the transferability of these courses is not applicable for these students.

In addition to the general admission requirements (see General Requirements), to be considered for admission to the Bachelor of Science Nursing degree program, an applicant must meet all of the following additional entrance requirements:

The competitive selection process is designed to give all qualified applicants an opportunity to be a member of the class while ranking the individuals that have the best potential for success. Initially, each applicant is interviewed by an admissions representative, provided detailed information about the program, and screened regarding their qualifications for the nursing program. Minimum qualifications for application include minimum scores of 60% on Composite, Math, and Reading on the TEAS entrance exam and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on any prerequisite courses already completed.

When all prerequisite courses are completed, they must have a GPA of 2.5.

There are two levels of Acceptance into this program: Full Acceptance (will be given one of 30 seats in Fundamentals of Nursing 1 (FON 1) without having to rank and compete), and Conditional Acceptance (will have to rank and compete for any of the 30 seats still available).

FULL ACCEPTANCE (Exceptional levels are TEAS Composite of 70 and above, TEAS Math of 75 and above, AND TEAS Reading of 75 and above, plus a GPA of 3.0 on prerequisite courses, if taken.):

• The student applies initially without completing any or all of the prerequisite courses, but scores at Exceptional levels on all three areas of TEAS and has a 3.0 GPA for all prerequisite courses if any have been taken. They must be scheduled for an ASAP panel interview before the Acceptance Committee. They must maintain a GPA of 3.0 during prerequisite courses.
• The student applies initially with ALL prerequisite courses completed, scores in Exceptional levels on all three areas of TEAS, and has a 3.0 GPA for all prerequisite courses. They must be scheduled for an ASAP panel interview before the Acceptance Committee.
• A student who is doing one or more prerequisite courses with us did not meet exceptional levels at admission but does later. Example: They were “conditionally accepted,” and after taking most or all of the prerequisite courses, they retake the TEAS and score in the exceptional level and have a GPA of 3.0 in the prerequisite course, then they would be changed to “full acceptance” and not have to rank. They must be scheduled for an ASAP panel interview before acceptance status changes.

CONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE:

• The student applies initially without completing any or all of the prerequisite courses, and scores above minimum requirements of TEAS Composite, Math, and Reading of 60 or higher and GPA of 2.0 if all prerequisite courses are complete, but NOT at exceptional levels in all areas. The student would have to sit for a panel interview and “rank” to get “full acceptance” after all prerequisite courses are completed.
• The student applies initially ALL prerequisite courses completed and scores above the minimum required in all areas of TEAS and GPA, but NOT an exceptional level in all areas. The student would have to sit for a panel interview and “rank” to be accepted into the program.

NOTE: Any student that applies initially without all prerequisite courses that are given a “full acceptance initially,” but must maintain a GPA of 3.0, can be changed to “conditional acceptance” if that does not occur. They would then have to ‘rank’ to be accepted into the program. Once the applicant with “Conditional Acceptance” completes or is near completion of the prerequisite courses, they are ranked using a weighted formula that includes TEAS scores in Composite, Math, and Reading, their GPA on prerequisite courses, and the nursing interview score. A waiting list will be maintained in the order of ranking for those not given a seat in FON 1.

The class size is determined by a combination of variables, namely the number of clinical groups that can be accommodated by the various healthcare facilities, the instructor’s workload and teaching schedule, and the availability of classroom and skills laboratory space. Those with Exceptional Qualifications will be placed first, and any additional seats will be filled from those according to ranking. Applicants who apply to re-enter school after a previous drop or termination, for whatever reason, must be approved by the Re-entry Committee and the Dean of Nursing. They can be readmitted on an individual and space-available basis with final approval determined by the Dean of Nursing.

Procedure

Students applying to the nursing program must complete the following admissions steps:

1. Provide official transcripts for the required prerequisite courses with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5. Applicable science courses with a grade of “C” or higher and not more than five years old may be accepted for credit. Other general education courses with a grade of “C” may be accepted. If the applicant has been accepted into any previous nursing program (LVN, ADN, BSN) and dropped or was terminated for any reason, they must disclose this information and provide official transcripts and an essay explaining the situation and why they would be successful in this program.
2. Complete the nursing program entrance exam, Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS). This exam is developed by Assessment Technologies Institute and is administered at Pearson testing centers for an estimate of $100.00. The TEAS tests reading, math, science, and English and language usage. The applicant may take the TEAS twice in the last year and no less than two weeks apart, before completion of prerequisite courses and one additional time before being “ranked,” if needed. The minimum scores required are 60% in Composite, Math, and Reading. It is highly recommended that the applicant prepares for the TEAS by obtaining the Study Manual for the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) by Assessment Technologies Institute. Applicants who have previously taken the TEAS may provide their scores for consideration for admission as long as they were taken within the last year.
3. Complete a Nursing Interview, when requested, with the nursing program Dean or their designee(s) and a representative from the office of the University Provost. This interview is scored and used for acceptance and ranking purposes.
4. Consent to a criminal background check and start the process to receive the “blue card” from the Texas Board of Nursing (TBON) before acceptance. Applicants with a felony conviction will be disqualified from admission. Applicants with misdemeanors, deferred adjudication, or other requirements of the TBON will be instructed to submit the declaratory order of license eligibility petition to TBON before initial acceptance and will have to submit that approval letter from the TBON no less than 15 days before the start of Fundamentals of Nursing 1. Applicants required to submit a request for declaratory order are strongly advised to wait until that letter is received before starting pre-requisite courses. If the TBON denies your license eligibility, you will not be refunded the cost of classes already taken.
5. Provide a urine drug screen result that is negative. Applicants can test only once. If the result is positive, the applicant is deferred from admission eligibility for one year, at which time they may re-apply and repeat the entire admission process.
6. The Nursing Acceptance Committee will meet periodically to review and make selections for the class from the applicant files of all qualified individuals that have completed steps A-H of the process. The committee will be comprised of the Dean of Nursing or their designee and a representative from the office of the University Provost. Final approval will be the responsibility of the Dean of Nursing.
7. No later than 15 days before the start of FON 1, the student must submit ALL of the following items are they will NOT be allowed to progress in the program, and a student from the waiting list will be chosen to take their seat:
   • Texas Board of Nursing “Blue” card or declaratory letter.
   • Proof of a physical exam not greater than 90-days old. The exam must be signed by a Medical Doctor, Physician Assistant, or Nurse Practitioner.
   • Proof of vaccination (or immunity by titer) for tetanus; measles; mumps; rubella; hepatitis B; varicella; and tuberculosis skin test (or chest x-ray).
   • Proof of flu shoot since the start of the current flu season, if applying for the start during August or December admission.
   • Proof of current American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers
   • Proof of Health Insurance valid for this area.
8. Complete the required forms and information for the financial aid officer (if the applicant is seeking assistance).
9. Disclose if the applicant currently has a student loan in default status, even if not seeking financial assistance.

It is a requirement for admission to the nursing program that each applicant is interviewed by the program Dean or his/her designee(s) and a representative from the office of the University Provost. This interview is scored and used for acceptance and ranking purposes. The purpose of the interview is to assess the applicant’s understanding of the demands of a nursing job, characteristics they should possess, or must learn to be successful in school and in the profession, and their plans/ability to manage time, family, and work during the program.

The guidelines for conducting the interview are clearly defined and must be followed so that scoring remains impartial. The interview is conducted after the applicant has completed the TEAS. Completion of the criminal background check and drug screen is not a prerequisite to the interview.

The interviewer will have the applicant’s file available during the interview containing all of the above items. The admissions counselor will assist the applicant in making an appointment time for the interview with the program Dean.

In addition to the general admissions requirements ( see General Requirements), for favorable admissions consideration to the Master of Business Administration (MBA) an applicant must meet specific criteria outlined in the following entrance requirements:

1. Graduates of any Hallmark University bachelor’s degree (with any or no concentration) program with at least a C cumulative average has no additional requirements.
2. No evidence of a Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) score is required.
3. Applicants with an undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher may be admitted in good standing
4. Applicants with an undergraduate cumulative GPA of 2.5 – 2.99 may be admitted with caution.
5. Applicants with graduate school credits:
   • If candidates for MBA admission have earned 12 credit hours or more of graduate coursework from an accredited university with a cumulative graduate GPA of 2.5 or higher, they may be admitted in good standing.
   • If candidates for MBA admission have earned fewer than 12 hours of graduate coursework from an accredited university with a cumulative graduate GPA of 3.0 or higher, they may be admitted in good standing.

Graduate admissions personnel will evaluate previously completed coursework for eligibility to transfer graduate-level credit hours, considering the provisions in paragraph 5. The Dean of the School of Graduate Studies is authorized to make exceptions related to MBA admissions to the above-identified requirements, on a case-by-case basis.

In addition to the general admissions requirements (see General Requirements), for favorable admissions consideration to the Master of Science in Cybersecurity (MSCS) program, an applicant must meet specific criteria outlined in the following entrance requirements:

1. Graduates of Hallmark University’s BSIS or BSCS degree programs with at least a C cumulative average have no additional requirements.
2. Other-than Hallmark University IT/Cyber graduates; verification of completion of a technology degree from an accredited university such as computer information systems, computer science, information sciences, database administration, and software engineering will need a minimum of two years experience preferably in one of the eight CISSP domains of (1) security and risk management, (2) asset security, (3) security architecture and engineering, (4) communication and network security, (5) identity and access management, (6) security assessment and testing, (7) security operations, and (8) software development.
3. For MSCS candidates not having a technology undergraduate degree, experience in one or more of the technology domains in #2 above needs to be for a period minimum of three years.
4. For MSCS candidates who do not meet the experience requirements, they must possess and present one or more active intermediate or higher-level technology certifications that can be substituted for work experience.
5. A current resume is required.
6. Applicants with an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher may be admitted in good standing.
7. Applicants with an undergraduate GPA of 2.5 – 2.99 may be admitted under caution; NOTE If potential students have earned a minimum of 12 hours of graduate coursework, this may be used to evaluate a student’s initial academic standing.

Admissions personnel will evaluate previously completed coursework for eligibility to transfer credit. See Transfer Credit for Previous Education and Residency Requirement. The Dean of the School of Information Technology has the authorization to make exceptions to the Master of Science in Cybersecurity requirements on a provisional case-by-case basis.