Graduate College
Carrington Hall, Room 306
901 S National
Springfield MO 65897
Phone: 417-836-5335
Toll-free: 1-866-767-4723
Website: http://graduate.missouristate.edu/
Email: GraduateCollege@missouristate.edu
Julie Masterson
Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate College
Carrington Hall, Room 306
JulieMasterson@missouristate.edu
Mission
The Graduate College mission is to be an advocate for graduate education and provide quality service to graduate programs, faculty, and students with the goal of developing individuals who have advanced abilities to address issues of significance for the quality of life.
Role and Scope
The Graduate College acts to assure that postbaccalaureate education at Missouri State University has a high level of academic quality so that students are motivated and educated to be independent leaders in their professions and communities. To this end, the Graduate College fosters an instructional environment that enables excellence in teaching, research and creative activities, and encourages involvement with the community at large. These activities are central to a robust graduate education climate.
The Graduate College coordinates a diverse group of graduate programs that have in common the challenge to aid student progress toward a maturity of thought and discipline-related capabilities. The College functions to support both existing programs and the development of new programs in those disciplines congruent with the University themes and where the university has the vision and capacity to serve the needs of the public.
In fulfilling its mission, the Graduate College works in partnership with the seven Missouri State University colleges. Within each college there are academic departments that offer graduate programs and have graduate faculty. The graduate faculty are committed to research, teaching, and service at the graduate level; they affirm the values of teaching and mentoring graduate students in the practice of their disciplines. A major aim of graduate education is to develop the resourcefulness and responsibility of individuals by enhancing their ability to handle effectively the materials and affairs of life, and to judge critically the value and limitation of information.
The Graduate College assists students in making the best use of the university's resources, in utilizing resources to engage in research and applying knowledge to the solution of problems, and in developing an environment in which critical thinking and problem-solving behaviors are nurtured.
Graduate Council
The Graduate Council is the faculty governance structure that recommends policies governing graduate study to the Dean of the Graduate College. Each department offering a graduate program has one faculty representative on the Graduate Council. Each interdisciplinary program also has a representative on the Council. The Graduate Council acts on curriculum matters, new programs, general policies and appointments to the Graduate Faculty. The Graduate Council is proactive in representing the needs of graduate education and proposing strategies to allow the Graduate College to fulfill its mission.
Graduate Faculty
Appointment to the Graduate Faculty is required for persons to teach courses open only to graduate students and to guide graduate students as advisors or as members of graduate advisory committees. Faculty members holding an earned terminal degree, with recognized competence in an area of specialization appropriate to graduate study, and meet the approved departmental criteria, may be approved as members of the Graduate Faculty. Normally, the Graduate Faculty is composed of individuals with the academic rank of Assistant Professor or higher in departments that offer graduate degree programs or supporting graduate courses. A limited number of faculty members without earned terminal degrees, but who are widely recognized as leaders in their academic disciplines, may become members of the Graduate Faculty. Faculty who are not full time employees of Missouri State University can become members of the Graduate Faculty through the same process, after being appointed as an Adjunct Faculty member through the Office of Human Resources. Refer to the Graduate Faculty Appointment web site for recommendation forms to initiate the process for Appointment to Graduate Faculty.
Graduate Student Senate
The purposes of the Graduate Student Council are to enhance communication among graduate students, to be a liaison between students and the Graduate Council, and to promote the general interests of graduate students.
Meetings are open to all currently enrolled graduate students in good standing at Missouri State University. The president of the Graduate Student Council (or designee) is a representative on the Graduate Council and is responsible for conveying the ideas, requests, questions and proposed policies from/to the Graduate Student Council. The Graduate Student Council provides a representative to the Faculty Senate, two representatives to the Senate of the Student Government Association, and makes appointments to several other committees. In addition, they sponsor several awards for graduate assistants and graduate mentors.
Frank Einhellig Graduate Interdisciplinary Forum. Annually, in the spring semester, the Graduate Student Senate, in conjunction with the Graduate College, co-hosts the Frank Einhellig Graduate Interdisciplinary Forum (IDF). This public affairs event allows graduate students to give oral and poster presentations of their research and creative projects. This forum is a tremendous educational experience for graduate students; participation is voluntary. Approximately 200 students present each year. For complete information on the IDF, see graduate.missouristate.edu (under Interdisciplinary Forum).
Additional information about the Graduate Student Council and the IDF may be obtained online at graduate.missouristate.edu (under New and Current Students).
Graduate Procedures and Policy
Admission to Graduate Study
Contact for graduate admission information:
Graduate Admissions
Missouri State University
Carrington Hall, Room 419
901 S. National Avenue
Springfield, MO 65897
Telephone: 417-836-5331
Fax: 417-836-6200
Email: GraduateAdmissions@MissouriState.edu
Admissions decisions are made by each graduate program, based on its admissions requirements, selection criteria, program capacity, and the quantity and quality of the applicant pool. Meeting the minimum admission criteria does not guarantee admission. When discriminatory, unfair, or unethical behavior is alleged, the admission decision can be appealed to the Head of the Department in which the graduate program is offered, and if unsuccessful, to the Dean of the Graduate College.
The university reserves the right to suspend or reverse an admission decision in the event that an applicant is charged or convicted with a crime or ethics violation prior to becoming a "student" (which occurs upon the first day of class attended), or the application package becomes suspect or incomplete (eg., letter of reference withdrawn, application document falsified, job history fabricated, etc.). The decision to suspend or reverse an admission decision is left to the discretion of the graduate program. This decision can be appealed to the Head of the Department in which the graduate program is offered, and if unsuccessful, to the Dean of the Graduate College.
Admission Procedures (beginning August 27, 2018)
All graduate applications to MSU are collected through a centralized application service (CAS). Admission requirements and program deadlines are included in each CAS application. Applicants need to provide program-required materials, submit official transcripts showing coursework for the bachelor’s degree and any graduate-level work, and pay the application fee through the CAS. Required materials and fees vary by program and by CAS.
The chart below indicates the CAS to which students should apply based on desired program.
Program | CAS |
---|---|
Doctor of Audiology | CSDCAS |
Doctor of Nursing Practice | NursingCAS |
Doctor of Physical Therapy | PTCAS |
Master of Athletic Training | ATCAS |
Master of Science in Nursing | NursingCAS |
Master of Occupational Therapy | OTCAS |
Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics | DICAS |
Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies | CASPA |
Master of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders/Speech-Language Pathology | CSDCAS |
Master of Social Work | SocialWorkCAS |
Dietetics Internship Graduate Certificate | DICAS |
Post-Master's Nurse Educator Graduate Certificate | NursingCAS |
All other MSU graduate programs | GradCAS |
Masters and Specialist Admission Requirements
Op5.01-4 Graduate Students Admission Policy
The Graduate Council sets the minimum standards for full admission to graduate study. Additional requirements and higher standards may be stipulated for specific graduate programs, and applicants should check for such requirements in the departmental section of this catalog. The minimum requirements for graduate admission are:
- A bachelor's degree from a college or university accredited by agencies recognized by Missouri State University, AND a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.75 on a 4.00 scale; OR at least a 2.75 grade point average on a 4.00 scale for the last 60 hours of academic course work; OR at least a 2.75 grade point average on a minimum of 9 hours of graduate credits; OR have a combined score of 290 (875 under the old scoring system before August 1, 2011) on the verbal and quantitative sections of the Graduate Record Examination; OR
- A bachelor's degree from a college or university NOT accredited by an agency recognized by Missouri State University, a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.75 on a 4.00 scale; OR at least a 2.75 grade point average on a 4.00 scale for the last 60 hours of academic course work, AND a combined score of 290 (875 under the old scoring system before August 1, 2011) on the verbal and quantitative sections of the Graduate Record Examination; OR
- A bachelor's degree from a college or university recognized by Missouri State University, AND recommendation in writing by both the department head of the student’s desired major area and the dean of the college in which that discipline is located, and the approval of the Dean of the Graduate College.
Doctoral Admission Requirements
The standards for admission to a doctoral program are more stringent than for a master's program, in accordance with the higher demands of the degree. The admission standards for a particular program may be even higher than the following university-wide standards, and a program may have additional requirements. Therefore, applicants must review the section in this catalog that pertains to their particular doctoral program of interest, and contact the department for admissions criteria. As a minimum, applicants for a doctoral program must meet the following. Meeting the minimum admission criteria does not guarantee admission.
- A minimum GPA of 3.00, either cumulative or for the last 60 credits of that degree.
- Submission of a standardized test score may be required. Check individual program requirements.
Accelerated Masters Admission
Undergraduate students who apply for an accelerated master’s degree must submit their application for the semester after which he/she will receive a bachelor’s degree.
Bachelor’s Degree Graduation Semester |
Accelerated Master’s Degree Application Semester |
---|---|
Spring 2021 | Summer 2021 or Fall 2021 |
Summer 2021 | Fall 2021 |
Fall 2021 | Spring 2022 |
Spring 2022 | Summer 2022 or Fall 2022 |
If admitted to an accelerated master’s degree program and your bachelor’s degree graduation semester should change, please notify the Graduate Admissions (GraduateAdmissions@MissouriState.edu) as soon as possible so that your information may be updated.
Readmission Requirements
The procedure for readmission of a graduate student who has not maintained continuous enrollment (summer excluded) is based on the period of absence:
Applied and/or accepted, but never attended or completed a class as a degree-seeking graduate student.
- If the time period has been less than one (1) year, students may send an email to Graduate Admissions (GraduateAdmissions@MissouriState.edu) requesting his/her graduate application and/or admission semester be changed.
- Program exceptions are: Communication Sciences and Disorders, Counseling, Nurse Anesthesia, Nursing, Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant Studies, Psychology, and Social Work. Contact the appropriate program director for more information
- If the time period has been more than one (1) year, students will need to submit a new graduate application.
Previously attended and completed a graduate class as a degree-seeking graduate student.
- Complete a new graduate application.
Former Missouri State University graduate degree recipients.
- Students returning to take additional graduate classes and are not seeking an additional degree may be readmitted under the nondegree-seeking student classification. Contact Missouri State Outreach at 417-836-4126 or by email at Outreach@MissouriState.edu for information regarding this process.
- Students who wish to pursue an additional graduate degree will need to complete new graduate application and provide any additional materials which are needed by the department/program.
NOTE: Any graduate student who wishes to pursue a second undergraduate degree at Missouri State University should contact the Office of Admissions (Undergraduate) at 417-836-5517 or Admissions@MissouriState.edu.
International Student Admission
Op5.09-2 International Graduate Students
Graduate Admission Requirements
Missouri State encourages applicants from around the world. To apply for admission, please follow these required steps:
- The International Student Application and Fee
If you believe you are able to meet all requirements, we invite you to complete and return the "International Student Application" with the $55 USD application fee (non-refundable). We must receive the application and fee before we can begin processing. - Academic Requirements
You must have completed a U.S. bachelor's degree or its equivalent from a recognized institution, with a 2.75 (U.S. scale) grade point average for the last 60 credit hours. Please refer to the Graduate Catalog for admission requirements for each individual graduate program. Official proof of any degree, diploma, certificate and/or transcript must be submitted for your file in the original language and a translated copy. If you have completed less than one year of study at a post-secondary institution, regardless of location or length of time attended, you must request these records as well. You must request official documents from each school you have attended. Official documents: To qualify as official, documents must be sent to the Missouri State Office of International Services directly from the issuing institution. Official copies of all documents must arrive before you file can be forwarded to the Office of Graduate Studies for admission consideration. - Proof of English Proficiency
Proof of your proficiency in English is required if your primary language is not English. Persons who have completed one or more years of university level study in the U.S. may be exempt at the discretion of the International Services Office. Proof can be provided in two ways:- The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)*
The TOEFL score minimum requirement is 79 or more for graduate applicants. You must request that original copies of these scores be sent to Missouri State directly from the Educational Testing Service. If you have a computer-based score, check here to see the equivalent paper based score: TOEFL Concordance Tables - Graduate Study
Students applying for graduate study (including those who have completed an undergraduate degree but do not yet meet the English requirements for graduate admission), should request an application to the Missouri State English Language Institute.Graduate Students
Test Minimum Score TOEFL-iBT
(Internet-based test)Score of 79 or more IELTS Score of 6.0 or more Missouri State
English Language Institute (ELI) programCompletion of EAP Graduate Capstone
- The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)*
- Graduate Required Tests
Tests Applicants to the Master of Business Administration and the Master of Accountancy programs must take the "Graduate Management Admission Test" (GMAT)*. Some graduate programs require the "Graduate Record Examination" (GRE)*. Scores for the appropriate test must be on file prior to admission.*Information and registration forms for the tests are also available at many U.S. Embassies and Consulates, offices of the U.S. Information Agency, and offices of international education organizations, such as the Institute of International Education (IIE), the African-American Institute (AAI), and the American-Mideast Educational and Training Services (AMIDEAST).
- U.S. Transfer Recommendation Form
You must complete the transfer recommendation form if you are currently in the U.S. as an international student and are planning to continue your education at Missouri State. You must submit the transfer recommendation form to your current international student advisor who will mail or fax it to Missouri State International Services office. We cannot complete the I-20 Form until it is received. Be sure to sign the transfer form before submitting it to your current international student advisor.Download: U.S. Transfer Recommendation Form
*To register for the TOEFL or GRE see: www.ets.org
To register for the GMAT see: www.mba.com/mba/TaketheGMAT
Graduate Classifications
Degree-Seeking
Students who wish to enroll in graduate-level courses to pursue a specific graduate degree at Missouri State University. Students seeking admission under this classification can contact the Graduate College at 417-836-5331 or apply online.
Nondegree-Seeking (Unclassified)
Students who meet the general Graduate College requirements but are undecided on a specific degree or who wish to take courses for graduate credit are eligible for admission as a nondegree-seeking student.
Under this classification, students may register for courses for which they meet the prerequisite. They are not candidates for a degree and this classification does not offer assurance of future admission to a degree program. Generally, students in this classification are not eligible for financial aid. Graduate courses (600-level and above) taken as a nondegree-seeking student or a postbaccalaureate student will be counted in the student’s graduate GPA. 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 this degree. Any C+ grade or below may jeopardize a student’s ability to enter into a degree program. Students seeking admission under this classification can contact the Graduate College at 417-836-5331 or apply online.
NOTE: A student may request a change from nondegree-seeking to a degree-seeking basis, or a change from one academic program to a different academic area of study. In these cases, acceptance into the program requested is based on the review and recommendation of the department. A new graduate application must be completed indicating the new planned program of study - apply online.
Postbaccalaureate
Students admitted into the postbaccalaureate classification have not been admitted to the Graduate College; they have only been given permission to enroll for graduate-level courses to earn graduate credit. A postbaccalaureate student is not required to furnish the application fee or transcripts and there is no minimum grade point average for admission. Enrollment as a postbaccalaureate student does not guarantee future admission into a specific degree program.
Postbaccalaureate students may take either undergraduate or graduate courses. Graduate courses taken as a nondegree-seeking graduate student (postbaccalaureate or graduate-undecided status) may be used toward a graduate degree if later admitted, but this use if limited to 30% of the required hours in the degree. Graduate courses (600-level and above) taken as a postbaccalaureate student will be counted in the student’s overall graduate GPA. Any C+ grade or below may jeopardize the ability to enter into a degree program.
Students under this classification have completed a bachelor’s degree and are graduate students. They are therefore governed by all Graduate College policies. Post-baccalaureate students must make satisfactory progress in graduate courses and any student receiving more than 9 hours of “C+” grade or below will not be allowed to enroll in further classes.
Generally, students in the postbaccalaureate classification are not eligible for financial aid. Students who first register in the postbaccalaureate classification and later initiate the process to change to a degree program will be required to submit the Graduate Admission Application along with the application fee and necessary transcripts. The application will be reviewed by the Graduate College and the director of the degree program to which the student applied and the student will be notified of the decision.
Individuals interested in admission as a postbaccalaureate student should contact Missouri State Outreach: Continuing and Distance Education at 417-836-4126 or toll free 877-678-2005.
Post-Master's
Students who have received a master's or higher graduate degree and wish to continue taking course work for graduate credit without pursuing another graduate degree. In this category, students should apply through the Extended Campus office or the Graduate College.