The application process is a multi-step process that typically takes 2 to 3 weeks to complete and consists of the following steps:

1. Submit the online application. Applicants will be emailed an invoice with an online payment option for the non-refundable $50 application fee.
   
   Please do not submit any of the required documentation below until you have submitted an application and paid the $50 application fee.
   
   
2. Submit two (2) letters of recommendation for all master’s programs and the Nutrition Consultant program. Three (3) letters are required for the doctoral program.
3. Doctoral candidates must also submit a CV or resume indicating work experience.
4. Submit your personal statement.  Information concerning the content of this essay is detailed on the application instructions.
5. Submit a copy of your driver's license or passport.
6. Submit a close-up photo or headshot.
7. Submit the Official Transcript(s) from your previous school. The transcript(s) must be mailed directly from the school to the Hawthorn University Registrar (see address below)
8. Once approved, you will be sent an Enrollment Agreement for your signature. Upon the Registrar's receipt of the completed Enrollment Agreement along with payment for the first course, you will be officially enrolled in Hawthorn University.

Successful applicants will be notified of the decision by email and will be emailed an Enrollment Agreement. Click here to view a sample Enrollment Agreement. All enrolled students are expected to complete Orientation.

How to Submit Application Documents

Letters of reference and a copy of the driver's license can be

1. Uploaded online during the application process and emailed to: registrar@hawthornuniversity.org
    
2. Mailed to:
   
   Hawthorn University
   PO Box 275
   Whitethorn, CA 95589
    
3. Faxed to: (866) 771-9433

Official transcripts must be sent directly to the Registrar's office.

Transfer Credit/Challenge Exam Policy

Any student interested in credits from another institution to Hawthorn University may petition for transfer credit and/or request a challenge examination when an admission application is approved and prior to enrollment into Hawthorn University.

Transferability of Credit

The transferability of credits you earn at Hawthorn University is at the complete discretion of an institution to which you may seek to transfer. Acceptance of the certificate or degree you earn in the Nutrition Consultant certificate program, the Master of Science in Holistic Nutrition, the Master of Science in Health and Nutrition Education, and the Doctor of Science in Holistic Nutrition is also at the complete discretion of the institution to which you may seek to transfer. If the credits, certificate, or degree that you earn at this institution are not accepted at the institution to which you seek to transfer, you may be required to repeat some or all of your coursework at that institution. For this reason you should make certain that your attendance at this institution will meet your educational goals. This may include contacting an institution to which you may seek to transfer after attending (name of institution) to determine if your credits, certificate, or degree will transfer.

For additional information or help during the admission's process, contact:

Kathleen McDermott, Director of Admissions, at
kathy@hawthornuniversity.org
or by phone at (707) 986-4153, Ext. 401