Graduate Classifications

Op3.18 Graduate Classifications

Degree-seeking

Students who are admitted to a specific graduate program at Missouri State University.

Nondegree-seeking

Students who have not been admitted to a graduate program; they have only been given permission to enroll for graduate-level courses to earn graduate credit. Students under this classification have completed a bachelor’s degree and are considered graduate students. They are therefore governed by all Graduate College policies. A nondegree-seeking student is not required to provide transcripts and there is no minimum grade point average for admission. Generally, students in the nondegree-seeking classification are not eligible for financial aid. Enrollment as a nondegree-seeking student does not guarantee future admission into a specific degree program.

Nondegree-seeking students may take either undergraduate or graduate courses. Graduate courses taken as a nondegree-seeking graduate student may be used toward a graduate degree if later admitted, but this use is limited to 30% of the required hours in the degree. Graduate courses taken as a nondegree-seeking student will be counted in the student’s overall graduate GPA, which may be used to determine admission to a graduate program.