Brigham Young University is founded, supported, and guided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Church of Jesus Christ). BYU exists to provide an education in an atmosphere consistent with the ideals and principles of the Church of Jesus Christ. Applicants who meet the admission requirements and agree to abide by the Church Educational System Honor Code and the Church Educational System Dress and Grooming Principles and Expectations are eligible for admission. Applicants are accepted for enrollment based on their qualifications and university capacity.

To maintain an educational atmosphere consistent with the ideals and principles of the Church of Jesus Christ, BYU gives a lawful admission preference to Church members in good standing. BYU complies with all applicable nondiscrimination laws. For more on BYU’s commitment to nondiscrimination, see the Nondiscrimination and Equal Opportunity Policy.

Admission Procedures

From year to year, the director of Admissions Services (Admissions) will publish the admission procedures and guidelines for undergraduate applicants to the university on the Admissions website, and Graduate Studies will publish the admission procedures and guidelines for graduate applicants on the Graduate Studies website. To be considered for admission, applicants must follow the current published procedures.

Admission Deadlines

All application materials must be submitted on or before the deadline for the semester or term for which the applicant intends to apply. Admission deadlines are reviewed periodically and amended by the director of Admissions for undergraduate applicants and the assistant dean of Graduate Studies for graduate applicants.

Full and Accurate Disclosure

Applicants must submit transcripts from each institution in which the applicant has been or is currently enrolled. Failure to disclose all information and submit all documents required for admission consideration, including any intentional failure to provide full and accurate disclosure or any falsification of information, may result in the immediate revocation of an offer of admission, suspension, or loss of all credit earned at BYU.

Inadmissible Individuals

An individual who is currently incarcerated; on felony probation, supervised release, or parole; or listed on a sex offender registry is not admissible.

Admission Status

Admissions determines the admission status (admitted or denied) for all undergraduate applicants. Graduate Studies and the relevant graduate program determine the admission status for their respective graduate applicants.

Honor Code Standing

Applicants must have a current ecclesiastical endorsement to be admitted to BYU and must commit to abide by the Church Educational System Honor Code and the Church Educational System Dress and Grooming Principles and Expectations after admission, whether on or off campus. Unless granted an exception (see below), an applicant whose Church membership is withdrawn, who has formal Church membership restrictions, or who has resigned membership in the Church is not admissible until restrictions are removed and/or the individual is readmitted to the Church.

Application for Exception

Applicants whose Church membership is withdrawn, who have formal Church membership restrictions, who have resigned membership in the Church, or who otherwise lack an ecclesiastical endorsement, may request an exception to this policy by completing an Ecclesiastical Endorsement Exception Application (Exception Application). Undergraduate applicants may obtain the Exception Application from the Enrollment Services executive director, and applicants to graduate programs may obtain it from the dean of Graduate Studies. The burden of persuasion is upon the applicant to demonstrate to the university through the information submitted that the relevant facts and circumstances warrant an exception to this policy.

Depending on which program the applicant is applying for, the Exception Application will be reviewed by the Enrollment Services executive director, the dean of Graduate Studies, or the dean of Continuing Education, as appropriate. The reviewer may interview the applicant to give the applicant an opportunity to further explain circumstances that might justify an exception. The reviewer may not speak to the applicant’s present and former ecclesiastical leaders without the applicant’s express written consent. If the applicant does not consent, then the response to the Exception Application will be based on the information available.

After reviewing the Exception Application, the reviewer will make a recommendation to the president of the university, who has the sole authority to grant exceptions. The president will grant an exception only in very limited cases where the president determines in his or her sole discretion that the relevant facts and circumstances warrant an exception to this policy.

The Student Standing Policy provides a separate Exception Application process for students who cannot obtain an ecclesiastical endorsement in support of their continued enrollment at the university.

High School Graduation

Undergraduate applicant admission to BYU is contingent on the applicant graduating from a fully accredited high school or completing their secondary education through home school or other programs that meet their individual state requirements. Applicants who seek enrollment at the university and have not graduated from high school or completed their secondary education must be beyond the age of compulsory school attendance for the state of Utah, which is 18. Additionally, BYU does not admit applicants who will be younger than 17 years of age by the first day of class of their first enrollment because of the intellectual, social, and emotional maturity required of university students.

ACT or SAT Tests

Applicants are required to complete the ACT or SAT unless they have earned at least 24 graded college semester credits after high school graduation or completion of the applicant’s state equivalent high school graduation requirement. An applicant’s performance on the ACT or SAT is one of the competitive factors reviewed by the Admission Committee for determining admission status. Testing requirements may be suspended for a specific applicant pool at the discretion of the university.

Holistic Review

Applicants are reviewed for admission based on their academic preparation as well as their alignment with the Mission and Aims of a BYU Education. Additionally, BYU seeks to admit students who are aligned with the Statement on Belonging.

Church Participation and Seminary

Individuals are encouraged to attend, participate in, and graduate from the seminary program of the Church of Jesus Christ. BYU recommends that applicants regularly participate in meetings, programs, and activities sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ. Having a spiritual foundation will help admitted students contribute to the spiritual environment fostered at BYU. An applicant’s Church and seminary participation is considered during the holistic review for admission.

International Academic Work

Undergraduate applicants who complete secondary schooling in a non-U.S. accredited program must pay for and submit a foreign credential evaluation as part of the admission application.

Graduate applicants with non-U.S. degrees generally are not required to complete and submit a foreign credential evaluation until after they have been recommended for admission by their respective graduate program. Graduate programs may elect to pay for these evaluations on behalf of their applicants. Programs requiring foreign credential evaluations before an applicant can be recommended for admission are identified in the published admissions procedures and guidelines.

English Proficiency

As part of the admission process, applicants whose primary language is not English will be required to demonstrate evidence of competency in English through an approved English proficiency exam.

Transfer Applicants

Undergraduate students who have completed post-secondary academic work from an accredited institution after graduating from high school are considered transfer student applicants. The university will accept transfer credit from U.S. institutions that are regionally or nationally accredited. The university may accept transfer credit from institutions that are internationally accredited. The director of Admissions will establish the minimum number of post-secondary credit hours required of undergraduate transfer students necessary to disregard performance in high school course work and standardized test scores. Graduate-level transfer applicants may be accepted in accordance with procedures and guidelines established by Graduate Studies.

Admission of Non-Degree Seeking Students

An applicant for undergraduate admission who has already obtained a bachelor’s degree or postbaccalaureate degree is not normally admitted as an undergraduate to the university. Under rare circumstances, the university will consider admitting applicants to the university in non-degree-seeking programs for limited periods of time as space permits. The director of Admissions will annually establish and publish the conditions under which applicants will be considered for admission as nonmatriculated students (e.g., concurrent students, postbaccalaureate students, and visiting students).

Official Notice of Admission

Admission for undergraduate applicants can be granted only by Admissions and not by any other university department. Only Graduate Studies may grant admission for graduate applicants. Oral communication does not constitute a valid offer of admission.

Early Enrollments and Non-Missionary Deferments of Initial Admission

Undergraduate students are expected to enroll and attend for the entry date to which they applied. Students are typically admitted into one of two cohorts: 1) spring, summer, fall and 2) winter. Students may switch the starting enrollment period within the same cohort. The university may deny non-missionary deferment requests. Graduate Studies may grant a non-missionary deferment for graduate students only for valid medical conditions, military deployment, or visa issues. Graduate students must request permission from Graduate Studies and their respective graduate programs before the add/drop deadline of the original intended semester or term of entry.

Missionary Deferment

Undergraduate and graduate students may defer their enrollment to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ. Students who intend to defer their enrollment to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ must notify the university prior to leaving and must complete a deferment form. The notification procedure can be completed only after receiving a mission call and must be submitted in accordance with published procedures and guidelines.

Students returning from missionary deferments may enroll under the following conditions:

• They have received an ecclesiastical endorsement.
• They will return for the semester or term indicated on the missionary deferment form. (Admitted undergraduate students who are unable to return for the semester or term indicated on the deferment form, may seek exceptions by petitioning Admissions. Graduate students may seek exceptions by consulting with Graduate Studies.)

The granting of a missionary deferment is for enrollment and undergraduate scholarships only, and it does not imply the deferment of any graduate scholarships, fellowships, or assistantships. Likewise, commitments to affiliate with specific faculty members, labs, or research projects are not deferred.

Student Leave of Absence

Newly admitted students may not take a leave of absence until they have completed an initial enrollment. Except for newly admitted students, daytime eligible undergraduate students may take a leave of absence as described in the Registration Policy.

Former Student Readmission

Undergraduate students who do not enroll in at least one term or semester per academic year, without a missionary deferment, must apply for readmission (see Registration Policy). Former graduate students who started but did not complete their course of study may submit an Application to Resume Graduate Study according to published procedures and guidelines. Previous coursework may be re-evaluated, and degree requirements may be changed to reflect current expectations.

Military Leave

The university will readmit students following voluntary and involuntary service in the Armed Forces of the United States, including service in the National Guard or Reserve, in compliance with applicable federal and state laws. Students seeking readmission after military service must qualify for an ecclesiastical endorsement or follow the exception process at the time of readmission.