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GENERAL GRADUATE ADMISSIONS

Admission to the College of Graduate Studies

Admission to the College of Graduate Studies is administered for the Graduate Council by the Dean of the College of Graduate Studies. Applicants seeking admission must present the following credentials and materials indicating they possess the ability to pursue graduate work successfully:

  1. A formal application for admission. Application forms are available from the office of the Dean of the College of Graduate Studies, Room 141, Administration Building. For U.S. citizens, applications must be received one month prior to the regular registration dates indicated in the current University Calendar. A $30 application-processing fee must accompany applications of students who will be attending Tarleton for the first time or who have not been enrolled at Tarleton for one year. Checks should be made payable to Tarleton State University.
  2. Official transcript(s) of all previous academic course work. The transcript must bear the date of bachelor's degree conferral or master’s degree if applicable, and indicate that the applicant was in good standing at the last institution attended.
  3. Scores on the Aptitude Test of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). These scores should be sent directly to the Graduate Office by the Educational Testing Service. See categories of admission for specific requirements.
  4. A 200-300 word essay addressing his/her career and academic goals.

Beyond these general requirements for admission to the College of Graduate Studies, departments may set additional standards for admission to degree programs as necessary, subject to administrative approval.

Categories of Admission

Enrollment in the College of Graduate Studies requires that students obtain the following:

  1. admission to a graduate degree program,
  2. admission to a professional (graduate) teacher certificate program
  3. provisional admission for Tarleton undergraduates, or
  4. admission as a special (non-degree seeking) student

Degree-seeking students are granted either full (unconditional) admission or conditional admission.

1. Admission to a Graduate Degree Program

Full Admission. Admission to any graduate degree program is granted by the Dean of the College of Graduate Studies upon recommendation of the department of proposed study. Full admission is awarded to applicants who meet the following requirements:

  1. a bachelor's degree from an accredited U.S. institution or the equivalent from a foreign institution;
  2. a minimum grade point average (based on a 4-point scale) of 3.0 on the last 60 hours of credit completed;
  3. acceptable scores on the Aptitude Test of the GRE; (Master of Business Administration students may substitute acceptable scores on the GMAT.)
  4. submission of a 200-300 word essay addressing professional and career goals.

Completion of specific departmental admission requirements and recommendation for admission from the appropriate department may be required for admission to the chosen field of study.

Conditional Admission. A student who does not qualify for full admission may be granted conditional admission.

Conditional admission will not be granted, however, to a student whose GPA is less than 2.5 on the last 60 hours of course work completed.

GRE, GMAT or MAT scores must be submitted at the time of application if the GPA is below 3.0.

When a student entering on conditional admission has satisfied all requirements, they may be granted full admission after being recommended by the academic department.

Applicants who for reasons beyond their control cannot provide official documents required for admission to the College of Graduate Studies by the time of initial enrollment may be admitted for one semester pending receipt of the required documents.

2. Admission to a Professional Teacher Certificate Program
Professional teacher certificate programs are open only to graduate students.

Admission to a professional teacher certificate program is granted upon the recommendation of the head of the department in which the program is offered and the submission of a certificate plan approved by the University Teacher Certification Officer.

Students who are not seeking a master’s degree are not required to submit scores on the GRE, GMAT or MAT. However, official transcript(s) that indicate the conferral of the highest degree and good standing at the last college attended are required.

3. Provisional Admission for Undergraduates
An undergraduate enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program at Tarleton may be considered for admission to the College of Graduate Studies provided that the student:

    1. is within 12 hours of graduation;
    2. is recommended by his/her major department; and
    3. has attained a minimum GPA of 3.0 on the last 60 hours of undergraduate course work
    4. may take no more than 12 hours of graduate work while in provisional status.
    5. must submit GRE scores during the first semester of graduate course work and re-apply for admission as a graduate student to enroll for graduate courses upon completion of the bachelor’s degree.

Note: No graduate course work may be counted toward an undergraduate degree.



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