Admission to Graduate Study
No applicant for admission to Northwestern State University shall be denied admission on the basis of sex, race, creed, or national origin.
Application is made to the Registrar. Entry fee should accompany the application. A lapse in enrollment of 12 calendar months, or more, will require reapplication and payment of additional entry fee.
Admission to graduate study does not imply admission to any specific degree program.
Graduate students are responsible for reading and following the regulations and requirements of the Graduate School.
REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION TO GRADUATE STUDY INCLUDE:
- Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university;
- Application on file prior to registration;
- Official transcripts on file prior to registration; and
- Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores, as required, on file prior to registration.
Graduate students intending to pursue a degree program must furnish official transcripts from each college or university attended. Non-degree graduate students must furnish an official transcript from the institution granting the highest degree and a letter of good standing from the last institution attended. The GRE is not required for non-degree students.
All students applying for entry or re-entry to graduate study at Northwestern must be eligible to return to their former institutions to be considered for admission to Northwestern. No credit will be granted to a student by Northwestern for work done while suspended or dismissed from any institution.
Northwestern does not award graduate credits for portfolio-based experiential learning.
Non-degree students meeting the requirements listed above may continue to enroll for graduate credit. No more than nine semester hours of graduate credit earned as a non-degree student may be subsequently applied toward a graduate degree program.
PROVISIONAL ADMISSION FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
An undergraduate student, registered for graduation, who has a 3.0 quality point average on all work pursued, and who lacks no more than nine semester hours (six in a summer session) for the completion of the baccalaureate degree may register for a maximum of six semester hours (four in a summer session) of graduate credit IN COURSES NUMBERED BELOW 5000, provided the total load during the semester shall not exceed 15 semester hours (ten in a summer session) and the student shall have obtained PRIOR approval from the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research, and the head of each department involved. Failure to receive a bachelor's degree after one semester will result in the voiding of graduate credit.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
For admission to graduate study, international students must present to Northwestern State University an evaluation of their educational credentials by a United States professional evaluating service. International students must also meet all requirements for regular admission given above. In addition, an official copy of results of one of the following must be submitted: (1) the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a minimum score of 550; or (2) the American Language Institute at Georgetown University English Proficiency Test (ALL/GU EPT) with a minimum score of 250. The Dean of Graduate Studies and Research may waive this requirement for foreign students in instances where English is the native language. All admission records must be on file at least 30 days prior to the date of registration. Foreign students are admitted to a degree program only on conditional status but must meet all the requirements given above to achieve and maintain regular status.