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APPLYING FOR ADMISSION

Click here to apply for GRADUATE STUDIES admission.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Application material must be submitted to the Office of Admissions by the program deadline.  After screening for minimum criteria, the application and all supporting materials will be forwarded to and evaluated by the graduate admissions committee of the appropriate program to which the student is applying. The recommendation of the program committee and/or the program director is sent to the Office of Graduate Studies for final approval by the Graduate Dean. The Office of Graduate Studies will then notify the student of his/her admission status.

All foreign nation students must provide evidence of visa status and F-visa students must have an I-20 form on file with the Admissions Office.

DEGREE SEEKING APPLICANTS

To be admitted to graduate studies at MWSU, an applicant should submit an Application for Graduate Admission by the end of the first week of classes of the preceding academic term.  Admission to graduate programs at MWSU is based upon the following minimum criteria:

1. A Bachelor’s degree or Master’s degree from an accredited college or university. Transcript(s) must be submitted with application.
2. Entrance to Graduate School requires a minimum 2.75 undergraduate grade point average (GPA) or previously earned masters degree.
3. A minimum graduate-level entrance exam score, as designated by the department or graduate program.
4. Individual programs may have further requirements for admissions such as resume, letters of recommendation, and interview. Requirements specific to the program are given in the graduate program section of the University’s Graduate Catalog.
5. Degree-seeking students admitted to a graduate program must enroll and begin classes at MWSU within the next academic year after receiving official notice of acceptance from the Graduate Office.  An extension may be granted under extreme circumstances.
6. Applicants who are non-native speakers of English must receive a minimum score of 500 paper test, 173 computer-based, or 61 internet-based on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or a 5.5 academic IELTS score unless they possess a baccalaureate degree from a college or university in which instruction is given in English.  Tests taken more than two (2) years prior to the date of application cannot be accepted.

NON-DEGREE SEEKING APPLICANTS

The following policies apply to students who are not seeking a graduate degree and wish to enroll in graduate courses:

1. Students with a bachelor’s degree who wish to take courses for graduate credit but who do not intend to seek a master’s degree must submit transcripts from an accredited college or university showing a degree date and a minimum undergraduate grade point average of 2.75.
2. Senior undergraduate students desiring to take courses for graduate credit may take up to six total credit hours of graduate-level courses (500 or 600 numbers) for graduate credit during only the last two semesters before receiving the bachelor’s degree, provided they meet the following criteria:
   1. Are within 24 hours or less of meeting the requirements for the baccalaureate degree.
   2. Have a cumulative undergraduate grade point average of not less than 3.0;
   3. File an application for graduate admission and receive approval before registering for the graduate course.
   4. Have the consent of the instructor(s) of the graduate course(s).
   5. A course taken for undergraduate graduation credit will NOT be allowed to count as graduate credit
3. Students with a bachelor’s degree who do not have appropriate program-required courses for admission to graduate work but are otherwise admissible to a graduate program may, with permission of the appropriate graduate program, take as many undergraduate courses as required for a degree-seeking graduate application.
4. Students interested in taking in-service/Professional Development courses or Workshops for graduate credit may do so by seeking admission through the Graduate Office.  They must show proof of a bachelor’s degree by submitting appropriate academic transcripts.

Provisional admission applicants

If a graduate applicant fails to meet one of the admissions requirements the student may request a provisional admission for their first graduate semester.  Requests for provisional admission must originate from the student in writing stating a justification for the exception.  The student must attain departmental/program support, approval by the Academic Dean, and forward all written materials to the Graduate Dean for final approval.  Full admission will be granted if the student attains a 3.0 GPA or better during the first semester of graduate studies at MWSU.  Failure to achieve a 3.0 GPA will cause dismissal from the program.  If dismissed, the student may re-apply for admission one year after the dismissal, subject to departmental review.