Adult Studies

Union University provides non-traditional programs and services aimed toward the adult student. Each program office provides central service for admissions, registration, academic counseling, and a variety of other services. 

The College of Nursing offers a program for Registered Nurses to complete the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. The College of Nursing also offers an accelerated initial licensure program as a second bachelor's degree and degree completion programs for adults seeking the first bachelor's. 

The School of Social Work offers a degree program for qualified adult students leading to the Bachelor of Social Work. 

The School of Adult and Professional Studies offers both associate and bachelor degrees for qualified adult students. The Associate of Science in Professional Studies (ASPS) degree has concentrations in Organizational Leadership, Christian Leadership, and Human Services (General and Pre-Nursing tracks). The Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership (BSOL) degree has concentrations in Organizational Management, Health Management, Church Leadership, Project Management, Criminal Justice Administration, Information Technology, and Manufacturing and Industry Management. The School also offers the Bachelor of Science in Christian Leadership (BSCL). 

Admissions Policies

Adults who have already taken college courses will apply to Union as transfer students if they have completed more than 24 semester hours of transferable credit. See below for additional details. Otherwise, the applicant must meet freshman admission requirements as detailed in the Catalogue, making application to the Office of Admissions or through specific program admission processes and unique requirements for entry within parent departments.

Transfer Students

The academic status of a transfer student will be based on his/her cumulative GPA of all accredited post-secondary work attempted. The admission file of a student having less than a 2.0 cumulative GPA will be presented to the Undergraduate Admissions/Readmissions Committee or through the parent department's Admissions/Readmissions Committee, if applicable. The student may be denied admission, admitted on probationary status (as stated in the Undergraduate Catalogue), or admitted in good standing. The determination of the above decision shall be the full academic record, recommendations, and the explanation of any extenuating circumstances.

Before admission into Union University may be granted, an adult transfer student must file the following information with the appropriate program director/coordinator:

  1. A completed admissions application.
  2. Application fee (non-refundable), $25.
  3. A completed official transcript from all institutions of higher learning attended.

Before registration for courses, a student must be admitted to the University or be granted status as a “provisional student” (as stated below). 

Provisional Students

Students may be admitted on a provisional basis to allow those with acceptable credentials, but without immediate access to official documents, to register for classes.  “Provisional Status” means that a student may be allowed to register for a course(s) for which he/she is qualified but will not be formally admitted into the program until such time that all work completed or attempted by the provisionally admitted student is fully documented in the Registrar’s Office. 

The provisionally admitted student will be bound by all the same academic requirements imposed upon regular matriculated students involving prerequisites, amount of work, and quality of work. 

According to federal guidelines, Union University is not allowed to file financial aid and Veterans benefits enrollment forms on provisionally admitted students. The student will not be eligible to graduate with provisional status until the status has officially been changed and approved by the Registrar. 

The student can remain on provisional status for only one full semester and the short term (summer) that immediately precedes or follows that semester unless special circumstances exist and permission for an extension is granted by the program director or coordinator. Provisional admission to take a course(s) does not guarantee full acceptance into a program of study. A personal conference with the Program Director is required before the student is accepted for admission on a provisional basis.

Financial Policies

Tuition and payment plans are program-specific; see the program director/coordinator of your program. Union University reserves the right to change the tuition and fees without notice. The General Student fee covers a variety of University costs, including but not limited to the following: health services fee, admissions to athletic and campus sponsored events, student activities, counseling services, student organization fees, career services, academic tutoring, wellness center membership, intramurals, post office box rental, student publications, computer lab/technology fee, online learning management system, graduation fee, printing, class dues, student ID, parking fee/sticker, and library services. Certain courses will carry an additional fee. For a listing of fees for materials, etc., see the Financial Information section of this Catalogue. Courses taken through Cross-Campus Agreement will be billed at the Union program-specific rate. University refund policies are printed in the Financial Information section of the Catalogue. Questions regarding program specific financial policies should be directed to the program director/coordinator or FACTS Coordinator.

Financial Aid

Students enrolled in non-traditional programs may apply for financial assistance to attend Union University. Acceptance to the program is required. The student must file The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Undergraduate students will be awarded Pell Grant based upon eligibility and may apply for Stafford Loans. Check with your program director/coordinator for forms and details. Information and instructions related to financial assistance and the federal student loan process can be found at www.uu.edu/financialaid/.

Employee Reimbursement

Union University offers financial arrangements for students employed by companies with tuition reimbursement programs. Forms and instructions are available through program directors. Forms must be submitted each semester/term.

Academic Policies

Academic policies of the University are considered in force throughout the Adult Studies programs unless specifically noted otherwise within the program description. Program-specific policies and evaluations of course credit toward graduation are not automatically transferable between programs; reevaluation is required with a change of program.

The General Core Curriculum requirements for Union University degrees are outlined in the “Academic Program” section of this Catalogue. These requirements are to be followed to the fullest extent possible for students lacking general education credits. Course descriptions of core curriculum and prerequisites courses are found in their respective academic departments of the Catalogue. The pattern outlined below may be followed as a guide for accepting previous transfer credits and for completing general education credits when substitutions for the General Core Curriculum are necessary. Students over the age of 24 are not required to complete PEWS 100 or any activity hours.

A. Composition/Speech, 9 hours

ENG 111
ENG 112
COM 112 or COM 235 (previously earned credits in Oral Communication, Speech or Business Communication will apply) 

B. Humanities, 9 hours:

ENG 201 or ENG 202 (previously earned credits in literature will apply)

Humanities Electives (previously earned credits in English, Humanities, Philosophy, Language, Music, Art, Theatre, Christian Studies will apply) 

C. Two courses from: 

BIO 100

CHE 102

PHY 111 (previously earned credits in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Physical Science, Earth Science, Astronomy, Environmental Science, Geology will apply) 

D. Social Science, 9 hours:

HIS 101 or HIS 102 (previously earned credits in History will apply) Social Science (previously earned credits in History, Economics, Political Science, Sociology, Psychology, Geography, Anthropology will apply) 

E. CHR 111 

    CHR 112 (previously earned credits in Christian Studies, Bible will apply) 

E. Mathematics (MAT 101 or higher), 3 hours

F. Elective (additional Mathematics, Computer Science, Natural Science, or Social Science will apply), 2 hours

Second Bachelor's Degree

Students who have earned a bachelor's degree through a regionally accredited college or university may complete a second bachelor's degree by completing a new major and its prerequisites. The new hours presented for the second degree must total no less than 30 hours and include 15 upper level hours earned in the major in residence. 

Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Licensure

The Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Licensure Program is designed to provide initial teacher licensure or additional endorsements to teach in Tennessee for students with a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. Candidates for admission should contact the Director of Teacher Education.