Admission to Graduate Studies
Admission to Graduate Studies, which permits enrollment in some graduate classes, is not equivalent to admission for a particular graduate degree or certificate. Refer to the information below for specific admission types and processes.
Application Procedures for Degree- or Certificate-Seeking Students: Individuals interested in pursuing a graduate degree or certificate at the University of Central Missouri can contact the Graduate and International Student Services (GISS) office for application and program information. Graduate students may apply for admissions at giss.admissions.ucmo.edu/apply. International undergraduate and graduate students may apply for admission here. All domestic student application materials should be received by the Graduate and International Student Services office at least three weeks prior to the beginning of the semester in which the student wishes to register. International students should see the International Student Admissions section for information on application and material deadlines for immigration purposes.
All domestic degree-seeking applicants must:
- Submit an online application for admission to the Graduate and International Student Services office;
- Submit official transcripts of all undergraduate/graduate coursework. Students are required to provide UCM with official copies of transcripts from all prior colleges and universities attended. Failure to disclose a transcript may result in dismissal from UCM.
- If no graduate credit coursework has been completed, applicants must have an awarded bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution.
- If graduate credit coursework has been obtained, applicants must have a cumulative graduate GPA of 3.0 or higher for admission.
- Include a $30 non-refundable application fee.
When all materials are received, the Graduate and International Student Services office will conduct an initial evaluation. Applicants meeting the requirements for admission to Graduate Studies will be forwarded to the program, as designated by the student, for consideration and recommendation. Programs may have additional application requirements. Please review the individual catalog listing for the program of interest for detail regarding program specific admission requirements. The program, after examining the credentials, will make an admission decision regarding acceptance into the program. After a review of the student’s credentials, the program may determine that the student should fulfill certain school requirements or prerequisites for the degree before beginning program requirements. These requirements will be specified by the program at the time of acceptance into the program. The program will notify the student of action taken and admission status. If admitted to a program, a faculty advisor will be assigned and will assist the student in formulating a program of study leading to the attainment of the student’s objectives in pursuing graduate work. Students who are admitted must enroll in program coursework within 12 months or reapply for admission to the program.
Application Procedures for Graduate Non-Degree Students: An individual with an awarded bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution who is not seeking a graduate degree may enroll in graduate courses and receive credit as a non-degree student. Applicants for non-degree status must submit an application for admission, the official transcript showing the earned undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution, and pay the $30 application fee.
A student wishing to change from non-degree status to a degree program must file a new application for admission and adhere to all requirements specified for degree-seeking students. International students with an F-1 or J1 student visa are not eligible to enroll as non-degree status.
Credits earned while in non-degree status are not applicable to a degree or certificate program until a student’s classification is changed. If a non-degree student is later accepted into a degree or certificate program, the faculty advisor will determine if credit earned while in non-degree status may be applied to the proposed degree/certificate program.
Application Procedures for Graduate Non-Degree Students - Special Credit: Students with an awarded undergraduate degree from an accredited institution who wish to enroll for graduate credit in special programs or short courses for one semester may be admitted as non-degree student-special enrollment status.
Enrollment is predicated upon assurance of the student’s eligibility for regular graduate admission. The decision for special credit is made in the Online Learning and Engagement office. For further information, please contact the Online Learning and Engagement office at 660-543-4984 or extstudies@ucmo.edu (HUM 410).
Credit earned while a student is classified as non-degree special credit cannot be applied to a graduate degree or certificate program until the student’s classification is changed. After a student applies for admission as a degree-seeking student and is accepted by a school into a specific graduate program, the faculty graduate advisor will determine whether credit earned while a non-degree student-Special Credit is applicable to the student’s proposed program.
Application Procedure for a Non-Degree Visiting Student: An individual in good standing as a graduate student at another regionally accredited graduate school may present a Certificate of Acceptance of Credit by his/her home institution and enroll as a non-degree visiting student without submitting complete official transcripts of previous college records. Such a certificate allows enrollment for only one semester. Students in cooperative doctoral programs may have continued enrollment after submitting an application and letter of academic standing from the partner institution in the cooperative doctoral program.
A non-degree visiting student may at any time apply through the regular procedures to be admitted as a degree-seeking or non-degree student. Credits earned as a non-degree visiting student will not necessarily apply to a degree or certificate program. After acceptance into a program, the faculty advisor will determine whether credit earned while a non-degree visiting student is applicable to the proposed program.
Certificate-Seeking only, Non-Degree, Visiting Students - Federal Financial Aid: In accordance with federal regulations, certificate seeking-only, non-degree and visiting students are not eligible to receive federal financial aid. To be eligible, a student must be fully admitted to a regular graduate degree or teaching certification program.
Admission of a Transfer Graduate Student: A transfer graduate student is one who has completed graduate credit at another institution within the preceding eight years. Transfer students with less than a cumulative graduate GPA of 3.00 may be admitted as non-degree students and will not be eligible to become a degree-seeking student until a minimum of nine semester hours of graduate credit with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 has been achieved at UCM. A transfer student should follow the same admission procedures as indicated above. A maximum of nine transfer credit hours, for a Master’s degree, or six transfer credit hours for an EdS degree, with a grade of A or B may be applied at the discretion of the program coordinator. Please see the section under Academic Information, Applying Transfer Credit, for more information.
Prerequisite Degrees: An applicant for admission to a graduate certificate or master’s degree program must have a bachelor’s degree. An applicant for admission to an Education Specialist degree program must have a master’s degree. Prerequisite degrees must be earned from an institution accredited by a regional accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education such as:
- Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) Western Association of Schools and Colleges
- Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
- New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
- Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
- WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC)
Readmission to Graduate Studies: Domestic students who do not enroll in graduate courses within one year of admission must reapply for admission.
Concurrent Enrollment for a UCM Senior (Graduate Credit for Undergraduate Students)
NOTE: This policy does not apply to those students accepted into an accelerated undergraduate/graduate degree program.
Undergraduate students may take courses for graduate credit with the following stipulations:
- Must be within two semesters of degree completion
- Must have a minimum of 90 undergraduate credit hours earned
- Must have a minimum undergraduate cumulative grade point average of 3.00
- Limited to two semesters of enrollment in graduate courses before completing an undergraduate degree
- Maximum of 12 hours of graduate credit may be completed before admission to graduate program not to exceed 9 hours of graduate credit in one semester
- May enroll in a maximum of 16 credit hours per fall or spring semester and a maximum of 12 credit hours during the entire summer semester, including both undergraduate- and graduate-level courses
- Must submit an undergraduate application for graduation in MyCentral
- Must submit a graduate application for admission through the online application system housed by Graduate and International Student Services (GISS) office for the term after their undergraduate graduation
- Must complete a Petition for Concurrent Enrollment each semester
If approval is granted from the program, the Office of the Registrar and GISS office, the student will be enrolled in the requested graduate courses by the GISS office. If a student enrolls in graduate credit courses during the last year of the baccalaureate degree, the student should be planning to complete the baccalaureate degree that year. A third semester of graduate enrollment while an undergraduate student will not be allowed.
Graduate-level courses cannot be applied to an undergraduate degree or certificate programs. Students will not be fully admitted into a graduate program until their undergraduate degree is completed and graduate program admission requirements are met.
Financial Aid Implications During Concurrent Enrollment: For the purpose of qualifying for federal financial aid the student will be classified as undergraduate at the senior level. Students receiving financial aid should be aware that only those classes taken for undergraduate credit can be included when determining the student’s enrollment status (full-time, half-time, etc.) to qualify for federal and state financial aid. A student may not receive financial aid to pay for graduate credit hours until they earn a Bachelor’s Degree. Tuition for graduate courses will be at the graduate fee rate. Contact Student Financial Services (660-543-8266) for further information.
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