Entering Belmont University | Admissions

Admission to the Department of Art
In addition to meeting the general requirements for admission to the university, students desiring to major in art are required to submit a slide or photographic portfolio that includes 12-20 examples of visual art that reflect his or her best original work. A portfolio may include painting, drawing, digital media, mixed media, photography, printmaking, and/or sculpture. All portfolios must be accompanied by a corresponding inventory, which lists title, date completed, size, and media of each piece. Applicants must also include an appropriate self-addressed, stamped envelope for the return of their portfolios. Personal interviews and other supporting documents are recommended and in some cases may be required. Applicants to the B.F.A. program are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. The Department of Art bases its decisions on 1) the quality of the portfolio; 2) personal supplement essays that communicate the student’s desire to pursue an art degree and that articulate a personal vision; 3) the quality of prior academic background. Students must be accepted into the Department of Art before they may be advised for registration as art majors.

Admission to the Honors Program

Prospective freshman applicants may be considered for admission to the Honors Program if they are in the top 10% of their high school graduating class and have an ACT score of 28 or higher or an SAT score of 1260 or higher. After submitting the application for admission, applicants should complete the Honors questionnaire available at www.belmont.edu/honors. Normally, a maximum of thirty-six students are admitted to the program.

Admission to the School of Music

In addition to meeting the general requirements for admission to the University, applicants for a major or minor in the School of Music must:

1. Submit all application materials required by the Admissions Office of Belmont University and the School of Music. Applications must be stamped as 'Received' in the University Admissions Office four (4) weeks prior to the requested audition date.
   
2. Complete the School of Music Supplement, including the following :
   a. List of music activities from school, church, and community.
   b. Repertory list (title and composer) of solo pieces studied and performed.
   
3. Complete a live or videotaped audition (after application to the University and School of Music Supplement have been received by the University Admissions Office) following the guidelines in the 'Your Audition' leaflet available from the School of Music and found on the School of Music website at www.belmont.edu/music. If submitting a videotape, follow the specifications for preparing the videotaped audition as listed in the audition guidelines.
   
4. Complete the School of Music Basic Musicianship Test at the time of audition. This test is included as part of the evaluation process for admission to the School of Music. Information about this test can be found on the School of Music website at www.belmont.edu/music.
   
5. Be admitted to Belmont University and the School of Music.
   
6. Take the following placement tests, which will be given during Towering Traditions orientation just prior to advising and registration:
   
   Secondary Performing Area Placement:
   All students except keyboard principals will have piano as the required secondary performing area. Keyboard principals in some majors have a voice secondary but in others may elect an instrument as their secondary area. (Music minors are not required to complete the Secondary Placement Test.)
   
   Music Theory and Ear Training Placements
   All students are required to take the Music Theory Placement Test and may take the Ear Training Placement if they desire advanced placement in Ear Training.

7. Have applied study, piano study and theory courses taken at other institutions validated by audition and/or placement test in order to count toward graduation.

Admission to the School of Nursing

In addition to the general requirements for admission to the university, a student desiring admission to major in nursing must meet the following:

1. All applicants who are not currently licensed registered nurses must submit their high school information, including high school transcripts, and SAT-1 or ACT scores.
   
   
2. Applicants who have 30 semester hours or more of prior university work must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale. Preference is given to applicants with a GPA of 3.0 and above. GPA will be calculated on courses required by nursing curriculum.
   
   
3. Persons who have been convicted of a crime other than a minor traffic violation could be ineligible for registered nurse licensure in the state of Tennessee even though they successfully complete the program.

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   Admission to the Department of Social Work

   Students who have been admitted to Belmont and are interested in pursuing the Bachelor of Social Work degree, should enroll in the Intoduction to Social Work course, (SWK 2000). After successful completion of SWK 2000, students may make a formal application to officially major in Social Work. Contact the department for further information regarding admission to the Department of Social Work.

Applications for admission may be picked up from the Department of Social Work, Wheeler Humanities Building, Room 306. Further information may be found in the Social Work Handbook.

Admission to the Journalism Program

Applicants to the Journalism program are required to submit a portfolio as part of the admissions process. The portfolio should include a minimum of 3 samples that showcase writing skills in broadcast, online or print media. The portfolio may be submitted on VHS, cd-rom, or as hard copy and mailed directly to the Department of Media Arts, Attn: Journalism. DO NOT SEND YOUR ORIGINAL WORK. Please send copies and be sure to include the applicant's name and social security number. Submissions will not be returned.

Directed Self-Placement for Composition

The Department of English administers the Belmont University Directed Self-Placement for all new students who have not successfully completed ENG 1100 or its equivalent. The guided self-placement determines the best course for students: English 1100 (The Writer’s Seminar), or English 1030 (Composition Writing Lab). See full course descriptions in the Department of English.

Mathematics Placement Test

Placement into Mathematics courses will be determined by the student's Math ACT or Math SAT scores. Alternatively, students may take the Belmont Math placement exam, which is available on-line to all incoming first-year and transfer students during Towering Traditions. Math faculty members will be available to advise students about their Math courses during Towering Traditions, as well.

Questions about which courses taken at other colleges and universities may be substituted for Math requirements at Belmont should be directed to the chairperson of the Department of Mathematics/Computer Science or the associate dean of the School of Sciences.