How to Apply

Request official transcripts from every college/university you have attended, including dual enrollment transcripts. If you have earned less than 24 college credits at the time of submitting an application, you will also need to request official high school transcripts. In this capacity, college credits do not include AP/IB/ CLEP, remedial or military credits. If you do have alternative credit through test scores, remember to request those scores be sent to Belmont.

Belmont is a test-optional institution. While it is not a requirement to submit official SAT/ACT test scores, applicants are welcome to send those in to be attached to their online application should they desire to do so.

If you have 24 or more college credits at the time of application, submit official college transcripts from EVERY college/university you have attended (including summer and dual enrollment courses). If you have less than 24 hours of college credits at the time of application, submit official college transcripts from EVERY college/university you have attended and official high school transcripts.

Transcripts may be submitted electronically through Parchment, eScripSafe or the Student Clearinghouse. These are the only electronic delivery services accepted. If prompted to provide an email address for Belmont, please use admissions@belmont.edu. If your school does not use an electronic transcript service, transcripts must be mailed to:

Office of Admissions
Belmont University
1900 Belmont Blvd.
Nashville, TN 37212

Note: Transcripts will not be accepted by fax.

If you are in your first semester of college or your first semester at a new school, a transcript listing your classes as “in progress” is required. If your school is unable to provide this, your school may provide Belmont with a Letter of Good Standing.

Fill out and submit your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You can complete the FAFSA online. Be sure to indicate Belmont's Title IV code on your application -- 003479 -- to ensure that our Office of Student Financial Services receives your application results. The priority date for completion of the FAFSA is February 15 each year. 

Once all application items have been submitted, you should have an admissions decision within 7–10 business days. Admissions decisions will begin to be sent out mid-to-late September. Included will be a Preliminary Transfer Report (PTR) to give you a non-official estimate of how we anticipate your college courses to transfer.

If admitted to Belmont, you will receive a Preliminary Transfer Report (PTR) with your acceptance letter. This initial non-binding estimate will show you how we anticipate your credits will transfer into our general education core. Due to factors such as placement test results and course sequencing and availability, the Office of Admissions is unable to provide students with an estimated graduation date.

Several weeks before Orientation, you will be able to view your DegreeWorks audit via your MyBelmont account. Conducted by the Registrar, this audit is an official evaluation of your transfer work as it applies to your degree progress. For courses to transfer to Belmont, they must be from a regionally accredited college/university, must not be remedial and the student must have earned a grade of “C” or better. Students should avoid taking upper-level, major specific classes before attending Belmont.

Due to the volume of inquiries, we are unable to review unofficial transcripts for potential credit transfer until a student has applied and been admitted to Belmont. Transfer counselors can provide students with a list of suggested general education transfer classes for their major that the student can use to select classes from another school. In addition to this, students are welcome to utilize Transferology to see how their courses may transfer to Belmont. Transferology is a free tool that will show students course equivalencies and help them make the best decisions on transferring. Click the button below to access Belmont’s Transferology profile.

Access Transferology

Visit our Transfer Credit Policy page for additional information.

Applicants interested in seeking a second degree at Belmont may not earn a second degree that is the same degree (B.A., B.B.A., B.S., etc.) they already hold, whether their degree is from Belmont or any other institution. This is true even if the major was different in the first degree.

Applicants interested in earning a Second Degree from Belmont will follow the same process listed above for transfer students with a few exceptions:

• Accelerated Second Degree Nursing Applicants follow a different admissions process. If you are interested in applying to Belmont’s Accelerated Second Degree Nursing Program, please click here.
• Second Degree applicants should select “Second Degree Sought” for their decision plan on their application.
• Second Degree students do not receive Preliminary Transfer Reports. Second Degree students should expect that to earn their second degree, they will need to complete all of the classes required for their new major in addition to any general education classes required by Belmont that have not been completed at previous institutions.

Belmont University will approve an application fee ($50) waiver to transfer students who are a member of Phi Theta Kappa or a military veteran. Please contact your Admission Counselor to have the application fee waived.

All applicants to the School of Nursing must submit an official high school transcript and while official test scores from either SAT or ACT are optional, students are still welcome to submit test scores for consideration. If a student does not wish to use a test score as part of the admissions process, the admission team will calculate their math and science GPA. A nursing applicant must be a licensed registered nurse or have a previous bachelor’s degree to be exempt from this requirement. Further information may be found on the nursing website.

Applicants are required to submit a portfolio to be considered for admission to the songwriting major. The portfolio will consist of the applicant’s two original songs and corresponding lyrics via YouTube, plus a written online application portion. Portfolios will be reviewed five times annually and must be submitted by 11:59 pm (CST) on October 1, November 15, February 1, March 15, or July 1 (the July 1 date is for transfer students only) for consideration. Specific instructions regarding the portfolio process as well as general information about the major can be found online on the songwriting website.

Applicants to the School of Music who wish to major or minor in music are required to complete an audition. Once a student applies to the university as a music major, the student will be prompted to complete a supplemental application to the School of Music and register for either an in-person or video audition. Those students wishing to pursue a music minor (classical study in voice or instrument) should contact the School of Music (SOM) at somauditions@belmont.edu. Applicants will not receive their School of Music decision until they complete and submit their application and receive their notification of acceptance to Belmont as a whole. Applicants who are academically admissible to the University but do not have a successful audition or portfolio review may choose to enroll at Belmont in a major outside of the College of Music and Performing Arts. An applicant who is academically inadmissible to the University cannot be considered for admission to the College of Music and Performing Arts. Additional information, including audition dates and requirements, can be found at the School of Music website.

Applicants for the B.F.A. degree in Theatre are required to either complete an audition or submit a portfolio depending upon their area of emphasis (applicants pursuing the B.A. in Theatre and Drama are exempt from this requirement). Applicants for the B.F.A. program will receive an email after they submit their Belmont application with details on how to audition or submit a portfolio. Applicants who audition or submit a portfolio prior to all application materials being received will not learn of their admission to the university until their application file is complete and a decision has been mailed. Applicants who are academically admissible to the university but do not have a successful audition or portfolio review may choose to enroll at Belmont in a major outside of the College of Music and Performing Arts. An applicant who is academically inadmissible to the university cannot be considered for admission to the College of Music and Performing Arts. Additional information, including audition and portfolio requirements, can be found at the theatre website.

The Watkins College of Art requires all students applying for a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree (Studio Art, Design Communications, Illustration, Experiential Design, Photography or Art Education) to submit a portfolio as a part of the admissions process. You must first be admitted to Belmont before hearing a decision from Watkins.

Portfolios submitted before December 1 will be considered for the Watkins Merit Scholarships. Any applications submitted after December 1 will be considered for admission, but not for departmental scholarships.

View the Portfolio Guideline Requirements.

University credit is awarded in the amount carried by the course for which the student is receiving advanced placement. This credit is recorded as “P” and is not used in calculating overall grade point average. A maximum total of 24 hours of credit may be earned through Advanced Placement, I.B., Cambridge, and / or CLEP combined.

See the AP tests accepted by Belmont University.

See IB tests accepted by Belmont University.

See Cambridge Internation credit accepted by Belmont University.

Belmont does not have a formal deferral process. Admitted students withdraw and reapply for their desired entry term. Belmont will keep all documents and an application fee waiver can be requested. Please reach out to your admissions counselor with any questions.

Students applying with GED or HiSET results will need to have their official scores sent from the Department of Education or ETS, respectively. Belmont accepts HiSET scores of 15 out of 20 on sub-scores and a minimum of 4/6 on the essay. Please also have official high school transcripts sent in for any coursework completed in the classroom. Please reach out to your admissions counselor with any additional questions.