Graduate Admission

General Requirements

All graduate programs at Columbus State University require that students hold a baccalaureate degree from a college or university accredited by one of the regional accrediting associations. Specific admission requirements for each graduate program are included with the description of that program in the section, Graduate Academic Programs.

Every applicant must submit a formal application to the Admissions Office along with a $20 non-refundable application fee. Transient students and Georgia residents 62 years of age or older are exempt from this fee. All applicants must provide Social Security numbers, which can be obtained at any Social Security office. As required under University System policy, a completed certificate of immunization for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) must be received before enrollment. Forms are available in the Admissions Office.

Admission credentials must be filed before the deadline date listed on the calendar in this catalog. Official consideration is given to an application only after all credentials are received. When an application becomes ready for action during a peak period of activity in the Admissions Office, notification may be delayed. Ordinarily, application processing requires from three to six weeks. Applicants who wish to delay their date of entry to the university should notify the Admissions Office. After a year has elapsed, a new application, application fee, and credentials must be submitted.

Students furnishing the university with false, incomplete, or misleading information relating to their application or academic record will be subject to denial or dismissal.

Graduate Council

The graduate council regularly monitors admission policies and academic standards for graduate programs. This committee is composed of one academic dean, the directors of each graduate program, one faculty member from each graduate program, and four at-large graduate faculty members.

Official Transcripts

Applicants seeking admission to a master's program must request that an official transcript from each college and university attended be sent directly to the Admissions Office. Applicants seeking admission to a specialist in education program need only request an official transcript from the institution where the master's degree was awarded. Transcripts received from other institutions become the property of Columbus State University and will not be released to the student or a third party.

Test Scores

Applicants are required to furnish the Admissions Office with official test scores as specified below:

• the general portion of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Miller Analogies Test (MAT) for Master of Education (MEd) programs, the Master of Science (MS) program in community counseling, the Master of Music (MM) program in music education, and specialist in education (EdS) programs
• the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) for the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program
• the general portion of the GRE, the MAT, or the GMAT for Master of Public Administration (MPA) programs
• the general portion of the GRE for the Master of Science (MS) programs in applied computer science and environmental science

Information on the GRE and the GMAT can be obtained from the Admissions Office and the Testing Center at Columbus State University and from the Educational Testing Service, Box 955, Princeton, NJ 08540. Arrangements to take the MAT at Columbus State University can be made by calling the Testing Center at (706) 568-2226. Scores from tests taken more than five years prior to application for admission to a graduate program (10 years for EdS applicants) will not be accepted.

Classification of Students

Students are admitted to graduate study under one of the following classifications:

Regular graduate student - A prospective candidate for a degree whose undergraduate record and examination scores indicate a strong possibility of success in graduate study. An applicant is admitted upon the recommendation of the appropriate graduate program director.

Provisional student - A prospective candidate for a degree who does not satisfy full admission requirements will be classified in this category under conditions specified by the appropriate graduate program director. A student initiating graduate work under this classification may continue in a degree program when the conditions specified at the time of admission have been met and the student has been reclassified. The provisional category does not apply to EdS programs.

Non-degree student - An applicant who holds a baccalaureate degree and does not wish to pursue a graduate degree program, or an applicant whose degree status has not been determined, may be admitted in this category upon the recommendation of the appropriate program director. (Non-degree status is not available in College of Education programs, and is limited in other programs.) Graduate programs may limit the number of credit hours taken in a non-degree status, which may be applied toward a degree.

Transient student - A student in good academic standing in a recognized graduate program at another institution. An applicant must submit a transient application and a statement certifying good academic standing and approval from the home institution for each semester the student wishes to matriculate.

Audit student - An applicant wishing to audit courses is required to submit an application for admission, the application fee, and a transcript showing that a baccalaureate degree has been earned, and must pay all regular fees. Credit will not be granted at a later time for courses in which a graduate student was registered as an audit student.

Transfer Credit

A maximum of nine semester hours of credit taken as a graduate student at an accredited graduate school may apply toward a master's degree provided the credit was earned not more than seven years prior to the date of completion of the degree. A maximum of six semester hours of credit transferred from an accredited graduate school may apply toward a EdS program provided the credit was earned as a degree student in an EdS or doctoral program. The student’s advisor and the director of the graduate program in which the student is enrolled must approve any course transferred.

Readmission Requirements

Former students who wish to enroll in Columbus State University after an absence of one to three years must submit an application for re-entry to the Admissions Office. A graduate student who has not been enrolled in a graduate program at Columbus State University for more than three years must reapply for admission and meet current admission requirements. Procedures for students academically ineligible to enroll following the completion of the last semester at Columbus State University are found in the graduate academic regulations section under the heading academic standing.

International Students

International students must provide all credentials required of U.S. students. In addition, a guarantee form demonstrating the financial ability to attend Columbus State University and an acceptable level of proficiency in the English language are required. Applicants whose native language is not English must provide:

• Official results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) showing a minimum score of 550; or
• Official results of the Michigan Test showing a minimum score of 75; or
• Evidence of completion of level 109 at an English language school (ELS); or
• A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university in the United States. 

Application forms and detailed procedures for enrolling as an international student can be obtained from the Admissions Office at Columbus State University.