Admission Requirements

Future Students

Degree-seeking students - have successfully applied and been accepted by the Graduate School and the degree program for admission.
Non-degree seeking students - have been successfully accepted by the Graduate School, but either have not applied or have not been accepted into a particular program of study.

Students must be officially accepted by the Graduate School AND
Students must be accepted into the degree program of their area of interest. Once information is reviewed, the Graduate School will submit applicant’s completed packet to the degree program for review.

Graduate School - Applications should reach the Graduate School no later than one month prior to the date of registration, unless department specifies sooner.
Departments - Check the Graduate Catalog and the department.

Students should submit the following items directly to the Graduate School:

The completed “Application for Admission” form along with a $40.00 non-refundable application fee ($50.00 for international applicants).
Two official copies of the student’s transcript(s) from each college or university attended.
If admitted, the official transcript showing that the baccalaureate degree has been conferred from an accredited academic institution must be submitted before enrollment is allowed.

Additional requirements:

Minimum GPA of 3.0 on the last 60 credit hours of attempted coursework prior to the receipt of the baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution; or
If GPA is less than a 3.0 but at least 2.5 on the last 60 credit hours of attempted coursework, applicant may be considered for admission by special consideration, which includes satisfactory scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test or an equivalent examination.
A conferred post-baccalaureate degree (excluding professional degrees) from a regionally accredited institution of higher education.

The following indicates the enrollment status for graduate students:

Fall and Spring Semester: Full-time = 9+ hours; Half-time = 5-6 hours 3/4 time = 7-8 hours; Less than half-time = 1- 4 hours
Summer Semester: Full-time = 6+ hours; Half-time = 3+ hours

Program Area of Study Admission:

Departments assess the potential for student admissions by student’s GPA, letters of recommendation and standardized test scores (as required).
For further requirements, students should check the admissions requirements in the Graduate Catalog for their specific area of study, or contact the Graduate Admissions office at 479-575-4401 or 1-866-234-3957 (toll free).
Standardized Test Scores (STS): The Graduate School does not require any standardized tests to be taken for admission unless the GPA is below 2.70. A satisfactory score on the GRE general test or the MAT will then be required (GMAT for business majors). However, test requirements can vary by department. Check the Graduate Catalog for specifics in your area of interest.