Application Types

TYPES OF GRADUATE ADMISSION

There are two different types of graduate admission:

Degree - Seeking (Clear, Provisional, or Probationary Admits)
Non-Degree (General, Certifications, Visiting Students)

After evaluation of an applicant’s credentials by the appropriate department and by The Office of Graduate Education and Research, the applicant will receive a letter from the Graduate Office notifying him of the admission decision. There are three possible admission decisions:

Admission has been granted under one of the categories listed below,
Admission has been denied, or
The decision has been deferred for reasons listed in the notice.

The admission letter will also state the conditions of admission and the period of validity for the admission. An applicant who has not received an admission, denial, or deferral notice 48 hours prior to the beginning of the final regular registration period should contact, in person, the Graduate Office for clarification.

In certain areas the University may need to limit the number of students accepted for graduate work if the number of applicants exceeds the capacity of available facilities/faculty.

Attendance in the Graduate School at Eastern Kentucky University is not a right. It is a privilege which may be withdrawn by the University or any area of graduate study if it is deemed necessary by The Office of Graduate Education and Research in order to safeguard the University’s standards.

Degree-Seeking Admission:
For students admitted into a masters degree program

There are three classifications of Degree-Seeking admission:

Clear
Provisional
Probationary

Clear Admission
Applicants who meet all of the general graduate requirements and the specific requirements for their particular program are eligible for clear admission. General requirements for clear admission are:

A baccalaureate degree from a regional, accredited institution.
An overall undergraduate grade point average (UGPA) of 2.5
Submission of acceptable official test scores on an approved examination (see specific program requirements for information on acceptable examinations and scores).

A department may waive the requirements for clear admission stipulated in B or C for applicants having already earned a graduate degree from a regional, accredited institution.

**Individual programs may have additional or higher criteria for clear admission.

Provisional Admission
An applicant unable to supply all of the required application materials prior to admission consideration, but who otherwise meets the admission requirements, may be granted provisional admission upon the recommendation of the appropriate department and approval of the Office of Graduate Education and Research.

Complete and satisfactory credentials must be received by the Graduate Office before the end of the semester in which the student has registered in a provisional status. A student with a provisional status will not be permitted to enroll in a graduate program for more than one semester. Provisional admission does not guarantee, in any way, subsequent clear admission.

International students may not be admitted on a provisional basis.

Probationary Admission
An applicant who does not meet conditions B or C of the admission requirements for clear admission, but who does show promise for successful graduate study, may be granted probationary admission upon the recommendation of the appropriate department chair and approval of the appropriate college dean and Dean of Graduate Education and Research.

Students admitted under probationary status:

Are permitted to take a maximum of 12 credit hours.
Must achieve clear admission before they will be permitted to register for any graduate course work beyond an initial 12 hours.
May not transfer graduate coursework earned at EKU to another institution until they have earned Clear Admission.
May not attempt any graduate course work graded pass/fail. In the case where specific courses have been designated by a program for the satisfactory/unsatisfactory grading mode, a maximum of three hours of course work graded satisfactory/unsatisfactory may be permitted during the initial 12 hours.
May be subject to special course requirements or other conditions imposed by the department, academic dean, and/or the Office of Graduate Education and Research.
May not hold an assistantship.
Are not permitted to register for a second semester until their grades are posted from the probationary semester.

To achieve Clear Admission students:

Must successfully complete at least nine hours of approved graduate course work at EKU with a graduate grade point average of 3.0 or better
Earn no more than one grade (regardless of the number of course credit hours) of “C” or lower.

The Office of Graduate Education and Research will inform the student of all conditions required for consideration for clear admission at the time the student is granted probationary admission status.

International students may not be admitted on a probationary admission basis.

Non-Degree Admission

General Non-Degree Admission
An individual wishing to take graduate courses at Eastern Kentucky University for personal or professional development, but who does not plan to pursue a graduate degree program, may be admitted as a non-degree student with the approval of the Office of Graduate Education and Research. Non-degree students must hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution and must have a minimum overall undergraduate grade point average of 2.0 (4.0 = A).

A former or currently enrolled non-degree student who wishes to apply for admission to a graduate degree program must submit a Program Change application to the Office of Graduate Education and Research for admission to a degree program. The student must meet all criteria for clear admission as stipulated by the department.

To apply for admission as a Non-Degree student:

Complete the graduate application either online or by mail,
Enter "non-degree" for your program of study,
Pay the $35 application fee, and
Submit an official undergraduate transcript (unless an EKU graduate).

Many students who miss department application deadlines will apply as Non-Degree students so they may begin taking classes at once. If a Non-Degree student wishes to be considered for a degree program, she must submit a new application with all required items prior to the department deadline. A maximum of nine credit hours earned as a Non-Degree student can be transferred into a degree program (some programs may accept fewer).

**Acceptance as a Non-Degree student does not guarantee admission into a degree program.

**Non-Degree students do not qualify for financial aid.

Certification Admission
An individual wishing to take graduate courses as a part of initial or additional certification programs, including Rank II and Rank I classification programs, is eligible for certification admission.

A certification student who wants to apply for admission to a graduate degree program within the same department as her certification, may submit a Continuation of Admission form to the Graduate office. A certification student who wishes to apply for admission to a graduate degree program within a different department must submit a new application for admission to that program.

Admission as a certification or general non-degree student does not guarantee subsequent clear admission into a graduate program.

Graduate credit earned as a certification or general non-degree student may be applied to a degree program only when the student meets all the minimum admission requirements; is granted clear admission after initial application; and approval is granted by the appropriate department, the college dean, and the Dean of Graduate Education and Research.

No more than nine semester hours of work earned as a certification or general non-degree student may be applied to a graduate degree. Only courses with 3.0 or above earned grade points may be applied, although a grade in any course taken as a certification or general non-degree student will be considered in computing a student’s overall grade point average.

Visiting Student Admission

Because of its unique programs and facilities, faculty, diversified institutes and workshops, Eastern Kentucky University is attractive to many students who have been previously admitted to other accredited graduate schools.

To attend EKU with the intention of transferring earned credit back to your current institution:

Submit a Graduate application and enter "Visiting Student" for the program,
Pay the $35 application fee,
Have either an official transcript or Visiting Student Certificate sent from your current institution.

The Visiting Student Certificate must bear the seal of the Graduate School and the signature of the Graduate Dean where the student has been admitted. Copies of the visiting student forms may be obtained from the Office of Graduate Education and Research or will be sent to the student when the Office of Graduate Education and Research receives an application for Visiting Student Admission. A transcript from your current institution can be substituted for the Visiting Student form.



Graduate School Home Prospective Students International Students Apply to Graduate School Admission Classifications Apply by Mail Apply Online Application Checklist International Applications Current Students Graduate Forms Assistantships & Awards Tuition & Fees Graduate Programs Graduate Catalog Graduate Council Faculty Information Graduate School Staff Graduate School SSB 310, CPO 68 521 Lancaster Avenue Richmond, KY 40475-3168 Telephone (859) 622-1742 (859) 622-1745 (V/TTY) graduateschool@eku.edu	TYPES OF GRADUATE ADMISSION There are two different types of graduate admission: Degree - Seeking (Clear, Provisional, or Probationary Admits) Non-Degree (General, Certifications, Visiting Students) After evaluation of an applicant’s credentials by the appropriate department and by The Office of Graduate Education and Research, the applicant will receive a letter from the Graduate Office notifying him of the admission decision. There are three possible admission decisions: Admission has been granted under one of the categories listed below, Admission has been denied, or The decision has been deferred for reasons listed in the notice. The admission letter will also state the conditions of admission and the period of validity for the admission. An applicant who has not received an admission, denial, or deferral notice 48 hours prior to the beginning of the final regular registration period should contact, in person, the Graduate Office for clarification. In certain areas the University may need to limit the number of students accepted for graduate work if the number of applicants exceeds the capacity of available facilities/faculty. Attendance in the Graduate School at Eastern Kentucky University is not a right. It is a privilege which may be withdrawn by the University or any area of graduate study if it is deemed necessary by The Office of Graduate Education and Research in order to safeguard the University’s standards. Degree-Seeking Admission: For students admitted into a masters degree program There are three classifications of Degree-Seeking admission: Clear Provisional Probationary Clear Admission Applicants who meet all of the general graduate requirements and the specific requirements for their particular program are eligible for clear admission. General requirements for clear admission are: A baccalaureate degree from a regional, accredited institution. An overall undergraduate grade point average (UGPA) of 2.5 Submission of acceptable official test scores on an approved examination (see specific program requirements for information on acceptable examinations and scores). A department may waive the requirements for clear admission stipulated in B or C for applicants having already earned a graduate degree from a regional, accredited institution. Individual programs may have additional or higher criteria for clear admission. Provisional Admission An applicant unable to supply all of the required application materials prior to admission consideration, but who otherwise meets the admission requirements, may be granted provisional admission upon the recommendation of the appropriate department and approval of the Office of Graduate Education and Research. Complete and satisfactory credentials must be received by the Graduate Office before the end of the semester in which the student has registered in a provisional status. A student with a provisional status will not be permitted to enroll in a graduate program for more than one semester. Provisional admission does not guarantee, in any way, subsequent clear admission. International students may not be admitted on a provisional basis. Probationary Admission An applicant who does not meet conditions B or C of the admission requirements for clear admission, but who does show promise for successful graduate study, may be granted probationary admission upon the recommendation of the appropriate department chair and approval of the appropriate college dean and Dean of Graduate Education and Research. Students admitted under probationary status: Are permitted to take a maximum of 12 credit hours. Must achieve clear admission before they will be permitted to register for any graduate course work beyond an initial 12 hours. May not transfer graduate coursework earned at EKU to another institution until they have earned Clear Admission. May not attempt any graduate course work graded pass/fail. In the case where specific courses have been designated by a program for the satisfactory/unsatisfactory grading mode, a maximum of three hours of course work graded satisfactory/unsatisfactory may be permitted during the initial 12 hours. May be subject to special course requirements or other conditions imposed by the department, academic dean, and/or the Office of Graduate Education and Research. May not hold an assistantship. Are not permitted to register for a second semester until their grades are posted from the probationary semester. To achieve Clear Admission students: Must successfully complete at least nine hours of approved graduate course work at EKU with a graduate grade point average of 3.0 or better Earn no more than one grade (regardless of the number of course credit hours) of “C” or lower. The Office of Graduate Education and Research will inform the student of all conditions required for consideration for clear admission at the time the student is granted probationary admission status. International students may not be admitted on a probationary admission basis. Non-Degree Admission General Non-Degree Admission An individual wishing to take graduate courses at Eastern Kentucky University for personal or professional development, but who does not plan to pursue a graduate degree program, may be admitted as a non-degree student with the approval of the Office of Graduate Education and Research. Non-degree students must hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution and must have a minimum overall undergraduate grade point average of 2.0 (4.0 = A). A former or currently enrolled non-degree student who wishes to apply for admission to a graduate degree program must submit a Program Change application to the Office of Graduate Education and Research for admission to a degree program. The student must meet all criteria for clear admission as stipulated by the department. To apply for admission as a Non-Degree student: Complete the graduate application either online or by mail, Enter "non-degree" for your program of study, Pay the $35 application fee, and Submit an official undergraduate transcript (unless an EKU graduate). Many students who miss department application deadlines will apply as Non-Degree students so they may begin taking classes at once. If a Non-Degree student wishes to be considered for a degree program, she must submit a new application with all required items prior to the department deadline. A maximum of nine credit hours earned as a Non-Degree student can be transferred into a degree program (some programs may accept fewer). Acceptance as a Non-Degree student does not guarantee admission into a degree program. Non-Degree students do not qualify for financial aid. Certification Admission An individual wishing to take graduate courses as a part of initial or additional certification programs, including Rank II and Rank I classification programs, is eligible for certification admission. A certification student who wants to apply for admission to a graduate degree program within the same department as her certification*, may submit a Continuation of Admission* form to the Graduate office. A certification student who wishes to apply for admission to a graduate degree program within a different department must submit a new application for admission to that program. Admission as a certification or general non-degree student does not guarantee subsequent clear admission into a graduate program. Graduate credit earned as a certification or general non-degree student may be applied to a degree program only when the student meets all the minimum admission requirements; is granted clear admission after initial application; and approval is granted by the appropriate department, the college dean, and the Dean of Graduate Education and Research. No more than nine semester hours of work earned as a certification or general non-degree student may be applied to a graduate degree. Only courses with 3.0 or above earned grade points may be applied, although a grade in any course taken as a certification or general non-degree student will be considered in computing a student’s overall grade point average. Visiting Student Admission Because of its unique programs and facilities, faculty, diversified institutes and workshops, Eastern Kentucky University is attractive to many students who have been previously admitted to other accredited graduate schools. To attend EKU with the intention of transferring earned credit back to your current institution: Submit a Graduate application and enter "Visiting Student" for the program, Pay the $35 application fee, Have either an official transcript or Visiting Student Certificate sent from your current institution. The Visiting Student Certificate must bear the seal of the Graduate School and the signature of the Graduate Dean where the student has been admitted. Copies of the visiting student forms may be obtained from the Office of Graduate Education and Research or will be sent to the student when the Office of Graduate Education and Research receives an application for Visiting Student Admission. A transcript from your current institution can be substituted for the Visiting Student form.