Samford Online offers six opportunities for admission throughout the annual application cycle.

Summer Term I & III - 2024

• May 1st – Recommended submission date for all application materials
• May 15th – Admission notifications begin
• June 3rd - Classes begin for Summer I & II

Summer Term II - 2024

• June 1st – Recommended submission date for all application materials
• June 15th - Admission notifications begin
• July 10th - Classes begin for Summer II

Fall Term A - 2024

• August 1st  - Recommended submission date for all application materials
• August 9th – Admission notifications begin
• August 26th – Classes begin for Fall Term A

Fall Term B - 2024

• September 15 – Recommended submission date for all application materials
• October 1st – Admission notifications begin
• October 21st  – Classes begin for Fall Term B

Spring Term A - 2025

• December 1st – Recommended submission date for all application materials
• December 15th – Admission notifications begin
• January 13th – Classes begin for Spring Term A

Spring Term B - 2025

• February 1st – Recommended submission date for all application materials
• February 15th – Admission notifications begin
• March 10th – Classes begin for Spring Term B 

All students applying to Samford Online programs are required to provide the following:

Essay

Your essay should answer the following questions:

• Why do you want to attend Samford University?
• What is your goal once you graduate from Samford?

Each answer should be between 200–250 words typed in a word document.

Letter of Recommendation

Provide a letter of recommendation from a non-family member, preferably a pastor, supervisor, boss, mentor, or co-worker.

Professional Resume - Optional

Submit an updated professional résumé with your educational and employment history. Résumés should not exceed two pages in length.

Academic Transcripts

Official transcripts from all colleges where you were admitted as a student are required. If you have earned less than 24 college credits, you must also submit your high school transcript. Official transcripts can be obtained by contacting the respective institution. Have official electronic transcripts sent to admission@samford.edu or have them mailed to:
Samford Admissions
800 Lakeshore Drive
Birmingham, AL 35229

Students transferring from other institutions must arrange to have official transcripts from each college/university attended be sent to Samford University. New students should have all official transcripts sent directly to the Office of Admission (admission@samford.edu); current Samford students who have taken transient coursework at other schools should have official transcripts sent directly to the Office of the Registrar (transient@samford.edu ).

While an official decision regarding the treatment of your transfer credit will not occur until after you have been accepted into Samford Online; our Director of Student Success can review your unofficial transcript to determine which courses are likely to transfer. Please contact Cameron Barnes, cbarnes1@samford.edu, to request a review or, see how your courses might transfer into Samford by clicking the button below.

Transfer Status

Transfer by Regional Accreditation Status

Transfer work from regionally accredited institutions will be accepted if the student has earned a grade of C- or higher (D grades will not transfer into Samford).

Non-Accepted Work

• Non-academic courses
• Remedial courses
• Highly technical courses
• Vocational courses
• Duplicate credit
• Pass/Fail graded courses, unless documentation is received from the awarding institution stating that a grade of P is equal to a C- or better.
• Participation beyond limits in sports and music ensembles. NOTE: Not more than eight credits in music ensembles, drama participation, and physical education activity courses may apply toward the minimum of 128 credits required for graduation. No more than two credits in physical education activity courses beyond those required for graduation may be part of the combined eight credits.

Transfer work from institutions that are not regionally accredited will be considered for transfer credit where such credit represents coursework relevant to the degree sought, with course content and level of instruction resulting in student competencies at least equivalent to those of students enrolled at Samford.

CLEP Credit

College-level credit is awarded for scores of 50 or higher in most subject areas; however, students should consult with their advisors or the Registrar before scheduling any CLEP examinations. With the sole exception of UCR 101, CLEP credit is not acceptable for university core curriculum courses.
CLEP Website

Military Credit

The Joint Services Transcript (JST), issued through the JST Operations Center, reports courses that may be considered for transfer credit from any of the military branches, one source for all. “The American Council on Education’s (ACE) Military Programs evaluates formal service courses and occupations approved by a central authority, employing the services of teams of subject-matter specialists from colleges and universities (professors, deans, and other academicians) that, through the discussion and the application of evaluation procedures and guidelines, reach consensus on content, description, and amount of credit to be recommended for selected courses and occupations.” (Quoted from the JST Official Transcript Explanation.)

Samford will consider for transfer credit any course reported on the JST that has potential for academic credit. Courses that fall into vocational/career/technical areas are not considered for transfer credit. The course description reported on the JST transcript is forwarded to the appropriate academic department chair for evaluation. If a comparable Samford equivalent is approved, credit is applied for the ACE recommended credit hours and level. If additional course information is needed, the online Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services may be consulted.

In addition, the Defense Language Proficiency Test (DLPT) may be considered for world language credit if reported on the JST. The language and scores with ACE recommendations in listening, reading, and speaking are sent to the chair of the World Languages and Cultures Department for evaluation and assignment for comparable credit.