Suggested Timeline for Applicants

Admission Categories
There are three graduate admission categories: regular admission, conditional admission, and graduate non-degree.

Regular Admission
An applicant achieving high scholarship in previous academic work, especially in the field of study in which he or she wishes to specialize, is eligible for regular admission to the Graduate College contingent upon completion of the application procedures and approval of the degree program and the Graduate College.

Conditional Admission
Conditional admission status may be assigned to an applicant admitted to a degree program with deficiencies in the quality of course work or other admission criteria submitted, contingent upon the recommendation of the degree program and the approval of the Graduate College. To subsequently qualify for regular status, a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 (B), with no grade lower than a B, must be earned during the semester in which the first nine graded graduate hours (e.g., no S/U or audit), or of approved graduate enrollment are completed. (Degree programs may specify additional requirements of students granted conditional admission status.) If regular status is not achieved during the semester in which the nine hours are completed, the student may be dismissed from the degree program and the Graduate College. A student with conditional admission status is not eligible for an assistantship until regular status is achieved, but may qualify for assistance through the financial aid and student employment office. For further information, see the Graduate College financial aid brochure.

Graduate Non-degree Status
Graduate Non-degree status represents a non-degree classification within the Office of Continuing Education, International, and Summer Programs. This classification allows students to pursue personal or professional goals by taking graduate courses without enrolling in a degree program. Admission to graduate non-degree status and successful completion of non-degree course work neither indicates nor assures subsequent admission to a degree program, nor does it qualify a student for financial aid.

A graduate non-degree student who wish to be considered for admission to a degree program should follow the procedures outlined in the next section: Degree Program Admission Requirements. Upon acceptance to a degree program, a student’s admission classification is changed to regular or conditional admission status.

Some courses completed while on graduate non-degree status may be applied toward a degree program, contingent upon the approval of the degree program and the Graduate College. It is recommended that no more than nine hours of graduate-level course work be taken while the student is a non-degree graduate student. In high demand academic areas, degree candidates will have priority over graduate non-degree students in registering for courses. Some specialized and clinical areas of study are not available for enrollment with graduate non-degree status.

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