ADMISSION STATUS

The categories of admission to Graduate School are Degree Status and Non-Degree Status.

DEGREE STATUS

Degree Status includes all graduate students intending to pursue a graduate degree. There are three categories of Degree Status:  Regular Admission, Conditional Admission, and Temporary Admission.

Regular Admission

Applicants for Regular Admission into degree programs must meet general admission requirements, in addition to those of the individual departments. To be eligible for regular admission, applicants must meet the following criteria:

1. Satisfy general admission requirements for entry into Graduate School.

2. Hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally-accredited U.S. institution or its foreign equivalent.

a.  Students seeking admission to the specialist degree program must hold a master’s degree from a regionally-accredited U.S. institution.

3. Have earned a minimum grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale on all undergraduate work attempted or a minimum grade point average of 2.75 on all upper division course work attempted.

4. Have earned satisfactory scores on the standardized tests required by the individual degree programs.

5. Have met all other requirements for admission into individual degree programs.

6. Have satisfactory academic standing at the last institution attended.

7. Be recommended in writing by the department head or graduate faculty advisor for acceptance into the individual degree programs.

8. Be approved for Regular Admission status by the Graduate Dean.

Conditional Admission

Applicants who meet all Regular Admission status requirements except for the grade point average requirements may be admitted on a conditional basis.

1. To qualify for Conditional Admission, an applicant must have earned a minimum grade point average of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale on all undergraduate work attempted or a minimum grade point average of 2.5 on all upper division course work attempted. Additionally, the applicant must meet the departmental grade point average requirement specified for Conditional Admission.

a.  International applicants seeking conditional admission must have earned a minimum overall undergraduate grade point average of 2.0 and a minimum upper division grade point average of 2.5.

2. To remain in Conditional Admission status, a student must: (1) maintain a minimum graduate cumulative grade point average of 3.0; (2) earn no more than one grade of “C”; and (3) earn no grade lower than “C”. If a student fails to meet the requirements for conditional status, the student’s status will be changed to non-degree.

3. Conditional Admission status will be changed to Regular Admission status when a student earns 12 semester hours of graduate credit with at least a 3.0 cumulative grade point average, no more than one grade of “C”, and no grade lower than “C”. At the time a student completes 12 semester hours of graduate credit, if he/she is not eligible for Regular Admission status, the student’s status will be changed to non-degree.

4. No more than 12 graduate hours earned by a student in Conditional Admission status may be used toward a graduate degree, provided the credit is recommended for approval to the Graduate Dean by the appropriate department head.

Temporary Admission

Students intending to pursue a graduate degree, but who do not qualify for either Regular or Conditional Admission status, will be placed in Temporary Admission status for one term of enrollment.

1. After one term of enrollment, if the student does not qualify for either Regular or Conditional Admission status, the student’s status will be changed to non-degree.

2. No more than 12 graduate hours earned by a student in Temporary Admission status or in Regular Non-Degree status may be used toward a graduate degree, provided the credit is recommended for approval to the Graduate Dean by the appropriate department head.

NON-DEGREE STATUS

Non-Degree Status includes graduate students not intending to pursue a graduate degree. There are two categories of Non-Degree Status:  Regular Non-Degree and Special Non-Degree.

Regular Non-Degree

Regular Non-Degree status includes graduate students seeking to enroll in graduate courses or a combination of graduate and undergraduate courses.

1. Regular Non-Degree categories include:

a.  Extended Studies. For students seeking graduate or a combination of graduate and undergraduate credit, but who do not initially intend to pursue a degree.

b.  Visiting or Transient. For students admitted to a graduate program at another institution who wish to take courses at McNeese for transfer credit.

c.  Master’s Plus 30. For students who already have a master’s degree. These students are not admitted into any particular degree program.

d.  Teacher Certification. For students seeking initial or add-on certification and intending to enroll in graduate courses only or a combination of undergraduate and graduate courses.

e.  Dietetic Certification. For students accepted into the Dietetic Certification Program.

2. Applicants for Regular Non-Degree status must meet the following requirements:

a.  Satisfy general admission requirements.

b.  Hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally-accredited U.S. institution or its foreign equivalent.

c.  Have a minimum grade point average of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale on all undergraduate work attempted or a minimum grade point average of 2.5 on all upper division course work attempted.

d.  Have GRE scores sent directly to the University from the testing agency.

e.  Have satisfactory academic standing at the last institution attended.

3. Students in Regular Non-Degree status may enroll in graduate or undergraduate courses for which they have the appropriate prerequisites.

4. Admission as a Regular Non-Degree student does not imply that the student meets requirements for any graduate degree program.

5. No more than 12 graduate hours earned by a student in Temporary Admission status or in Regular Non-Degree status may be used toward a graduate degree, provided the credit is recommended for approval to the Graduate Dean by the appropriate department head.

6. Students in Regular Non-Degree status wishing to change to Degree status must re-apply for admission.

7. Students in Regular Non-Degree status are not eligible for Special Non-Degree status.

Special Non-Degree

Special Non-Degree status includes graduate students seeking to enroll in undergraduate courses only.

1. Special Non-Degree categories include:

a.  Extended Studies. For students seeking undergraduate credit only who do not intend to enroll in graduate courses or pursue a graduate degree.

b.  Teacher Certification. For students seeking initial or add-on certification and intending to enroll in undergraduate courses only.

c.  Mild/Moderate Special Education Practitioner Teacher Program. For students accepted into the Practitioner Teacher Program.

2. Applicants for Special Non-Degree status must meet the following requirements:

a.  Satisfy general admission requirements, except for the test score requirement.

b.  Hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally-accredited U.S. institution or its foreign equivalent.

c.  Have satisfactory academic standing at the last institution attended.

3. Students in Special Non-Degree status may enroll in undergraduate courses for which they have the appropriate prerequisites.

4. Students in Special Non-Degree status may not enroll in graduate-level courses. If a student in Special Non-Degree status enrolls in a graduate-level course, that student will be dropped from the course without prior notification.

5. Students in Special Non-Degree status wishing to change to Regular Non-Degree status or Degree status must re-apply for admission.

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