MU Graduate College

Types of Admission

**International Students please contact the Center for International Programs.

Degree - A student who desires admission as a degree-seeking graduate student must have an overall undergraduate Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale. Individual schools and programs may require higher Grade Point Averages. A degree seeking student must also meet all criteria for full admission to the program of his/her choice.

Dual Degrees - Students who wish to seek admission to more than one degree program at a time (Dual Degree Status), must complete a separate application, pay an additional non-refundable application fee, and meet all admission requirements for each academic program for which admission is sought. Not all departments may accept a student who is already admitted to another graduate level program. Prior to submitting a Graduate Application for Admission, please check with the academic department(s) of the program(s) in which you are interested.
Professional Development - – Students who do not wish to be admitted to a degree program, but who wish to enroll in certificate/licensure programs or other programs that require the completion of specified sequence of courses should apply as professional development. Generally, requirements for admission as a professional development student are the same as for admission to degree programs, however, requirements for admission to these programs can vary. See the appropriate department section of the Graduate Catalog.
Provisional - A student may be admitted as provisional by a degree program after submission of all required application materials when he or she possesses a
a baccalaureate degree from an accepted, regionally accredited institution and shows academic promise but does not meet the criteria for full admission. A provisional student must be reclassified as fully admitted no later than the completion of the 12th graduate credit hour. This is accomplished by maintaining at least a 3.0 GPA in courses identified by the program faculty and approved by the appropriate dean.
Non-Degree - Persons who desire graduate level university instruction without becoming graduate degree candidates may be admitted as non-degree students, provided they have had registrars send official transcripts denoting graduation with a bachelor’s degree from an accepted, regionally accredited college or university. Non-degree postmaster’s candidates must have registrars send both the bachelor’s and master’s official transcripts. Before enrolling in class, non-degree graduate students must obtain permission from the instructor. Students who wish to take courses offered by the Lewis College of Business must secure approval from the MBA program advisor. Non-degree students who do not hold a master’s degree or higher may accumulate a maximum of 15 semester hours of credit. Individuals with graduate degrees may enroll in an unrestricted number of graduate courses for which they have the prerequisites and departmental permission.
Please note that non-degree students may not eligible for financial aid or graduate tuition waivers. For more information please contact the Office of Student Financial Assistance at 1-800-438-5390 or sfa@marshall.edu.
Conditional Enrollment - In some programs, applicants who are not fully admitted may register for courses with conditional enrollment status in the semester for which they have applied for entry based upon submission of (1) a properly completed Graduate Application for Admission form, (2) an official undergraduate transcript that certifies the receipt of a bachelor’s degree from an accepted, regionally accredited institution, (3) an overall undergraduate GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale, and (4) the appropriate application fee. Applicants who are permitted to enroll for one semester as conditional students (even if they do not attend the classes) are not eligible to register for subsequent terms until they complete all admission requirements and are fully admitted to the requested program. Many programs do not accept conditional enrollments and require applicants to be fully admitted before enrolling for courses.
Transient - An applicant enrolled at another accepted, regionally accredited graduate institution who wishes to enroll in Marshall University graduate coursework for one semester (up to 12 semester hours).

Graduate students who have not been enrolled during the past calendar year should contact their advisor to determine if the plan of study is still within the
required time restriction for the program.