How to Get Started
Admission Overview
It is important you understand how a web course is conducted. You can test your readiness and appropriateness for distance learning by completing the distance education survey.
The best starting point for you is to have your past course work evaluated by a PLAN Coordinator. This will help determine future courses needed at Washburn University to obtain one of our degrees offered in the PLAN online degree completion program. Coordinators are available to answer general questions about the admission process, academic choices, transferability of previous academic work and other issues facing the PLAN student. E-mail 2plus2@washburn.edu for more information.
Once you have decided the PLAN program is the way to complete your bachelor’s degree, you should complete the admission process. Washburn University makes the application process simple:
Step One: Apply Online. Be sure to complete the entire application and pay your application fee.
Step Two: Have official transcripts from all previously attended colleges sent to:
Washburn University
Office of Admissions
1700 SW College
Topeka, KS 66621
Admission into the 2 + 2 PLAN online degree completion program is based on an overall 2.0 grade point average. All other students applying for admission will less than a 2.0 grade point average will be considered on a case-by-case evaluation.
Financial Aid Overview
If you have obtained your associates degree and it is posted on your academic transcript, Washburn University will be your awarding institution. If you have not completed the requirements for an associate’s degree, your community college will be your awarding institution.
Each semester you must obtain and complete a Student Contract from the Washburn University Office of Financial Aid. You can get this document and more information regarding financial aid at Financial Aid Online or by calling 1.800.524.8447. The Student Contract will keep both institutions aware of your intention to participate in the 2 + 2 PLAN online degree completion program.
Orientation for New and Returning Students
The PLAN program sponsors online Student Orientations to increase your knowledge of WebCT, the online classroom for Washburn University. Students who complete the orientations are more likely to succeed in this format of learning. If you are close to the main campus, we also offer on-campus student orientation sessions before each fall and spring semesters. View the enrollment calendar for dates and consider attending one of these informative sessions to help you get started in online courses.
Additional Resources
You are not required to travel to our main campus in Topeka, Kansas for any reason. Some students prefer to visit campus at least one time to receive a student identification card (iCard) or to attend their Commencement ceremony, held in December and May. Otherwise, you can access all you need by the Internet.
You can visit our University Bookstore to purchase your textbooks and other WU wear. However, you are not required to visit campus to order your textbooks or WU wear. Just visit them online at www.washburnbookstore.com.
For library resources, please visit the Mabee Library or call 800.332.0291, ext. 1179.
View the hardware/software requirements [pdf] necessary for your computer.
MyWashburn
We understand how busy you are with family, work and other commitments and that is why Washburn University has implemented MyWashburn. MyWashburn is a personalized web interface that provides 24-hour access to WU campus resources and information. MyWashburn conveniently links students, faculty and staff to one another and to relevant information they need by integrating the power and access of the Internet with the security and functionality of our existing university-wide computing systems. MyWashburn is a portal-type system -- similar to popular Internet portals (like Yahoo, for example) that is exclusively for our campus. The portal is one way to make access to technology both simpler and more effective. The system allows campus constituents (Students, Faculty, Staff) to get information that resides in different systems (such as E-mail, calendars, student information, WebCT courses, etc.) without having to go through separate login processes for each one.
