Admission to Athens State University

Admission to Graduate Programs at Athens State University

Admission to any of the graduate programs offered by the University is accomplished by completing the appropriate application form, paying any required application fees, and furnishing the required official credentials and documentation.

Admission to specific graduate programs offered by the Colleges of the University may require submission of additional forms or documentation; see the appropriate College’s section of this catalog for details.

For questions regarding admission, contact the Office of Admissions: (mail) Athens State University Office of Admissions, 300 North Beaty Street, Athens, AL 35611; (phone) 256-233-8130; (email) gradadmissions@athens.edu. Prospective students may also visit the Admissions webpage and apply online https://www.athens.edu/admissions/. The Office of Admissions is located on the lower-level of the Sandridge Student Center.

Applying for Graduate Admission – Degree-Seeking
Applications for graduate programs of study are considered on a competitive basis as related to all the elements of the application package. Due to the advanced nature of graduate-level programs, different requirements and standards are used for admission to graduate programs at the University. The requirements and standards are listed below and are based on comparable practices at other institutions of higher education that offer programs at the graduate level.

Unconditional Admission Requirements for Degree-Seeking Graduate Students
A graduate degree-seeking student applying for admission to graduate programs at Athens State University must:

Submit a completed graduate admissions application.
Submit official transcript(s) from all colleges or universities attended from which a bachelor’s degree was conferred. The institution must be accredited by an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Coursework taken from all colleges/universities outside of the United States must be evaluated by a current member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES).
Additional transcript requirements may vary by graduate program or financial aid need.
Official transcripts must indicate that the student is in good standing at all institutions attended and document the minimum overall grade-point average as required by the program. If an Athens State graduate student was put on academic dismissal in one graduate program, they may not be admissible in another Athens State graduate program.
Submit all additional documents required by the program selected on the graduate application. If the program requires additional documents or allows prospective students to apply by submitting portfolios in lieu of test scores, all required supporting documents must be submitted as part of a complete application.
Have a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale.
Meet all program requirements.

Note: Submission of an application and all required documents does not guarantee admission to the program until all requirements for admission to the program are reviewed and verified by the department offering the program.

Conditional Admission Requirements for Degree-Seeking Graduate Students
A graduate degree-seeking student who meets unconditional admission standards except submission of complete and final official transcripts is considered a conditional admit at Athens State University and must:

Submit official transcript(s) from all colleges or universities attended from which a bachelor’s degree was conferred. The institution must be accredited by an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.*
OR
Submit transcripts from at least one institution accredited by an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education documenting in-progress courses and an official letter from that college or university confirming bachelor’s degree conferral when the in-progress courses are completed.*
*Coursework taken from all colleges/universities outside of the United States must be evaluated by a current member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES).
Official transcripts must indicate that the student is in good standing at all institutions attended and document the minimum overall grade-point average as required by the program.

Meet all other program specific requirements for conditional admission.

Note: A student who is admitted under the conditional admission category will be denied eligibility to enroll in subsequent terms until all regular admissions requirements are met.

Admitted on Exception Requirements for Degree-Seeking Graduate Students
A graduate degree-seeking student who does not meet unconditional admission, but demonstrates reasonable potential for success following academic departmental review of composite factors (bachelor’s degree, GPA, GMAT score, etc.), and who have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 may be admitted on exception. Students admitted on exception must:

Meet all other program specific requirements for admitted on exception.

Note: Admitted on Exception status will be removed by the academic program coordinator upon successful completion of a minimum of six (6) semester hours of graduate coursework with a minimum GPA of 3.0.

Irregular Postgraduate Admission Requirements (Non-Degree)
A student who applies, but is not admitted to the Graduate program may, on the recommendation of the department or division concerned, seek admission as an irregular postgraduate (IPG) student through undergraduate admission, for the purpose of attempting to qualify for admission to the graduate program. An applicant who is denied admission must not assume that this procedure is available to all; specific instructions will be given to the those who are eligible. Work taken as an irregular postgraduate cannot be counted as graduate credit at the time it is taken or at a later date. IPG students register as undergraduates and receive undergraduate credit for all work completed. Upon completion of the required program of IPG studies (no less than 12 semester hours of advanced-level undergraduate credit taken), the student must request a review of the application for admission to graduate program within 12 months of the initial requested entrance date or a new application must be submitted.

Note: Financial aid may be available for undergraduate coursework taken under this admission status but is not guaranteed. A review of your financial aid history by the Athens State Office of Student Financial Aid will determine any eligibility.

Restricted Admission Requirements for Degree-Seeking Graduate Students
A graduate degree-seeking student who does not meet the admission requirements for unconditional admission (e.g., does not meet minimum GPA, does not meet minimum test scores, or is not eligible to return to previously attended college or university) may be granted restricted admission after an individual assessment review by the academic program coordinator. Admissions reviews will only be performed once the following required documents have been submitted:

A completed Admissions application and payment of non-refundable application fee; and
A decision appeal letter to the academic program coordinator; and
Official transcript(s) from all previously attended colleges or universities received by Athens State University. Students whose transcripts show courses in-progress will not be reviewed or considered for restricted admission.

Note: Restricted admission students may receive academic restrictions/conditions, may be admitted on academic probation, and/or may be expected to follow a specific plan for academic success. Students who fail to follow the conditions/plan will be denied eligibility to enroll for subsequent terms by the academic program coordinator.

Readmission of Former Students in Good Standing
A degree-seeking student at the graduate level who has previously attended Athens State University, is currently in good standing, and is returning after an absence of two or more semesters (excluding summer term) or more semesters (excluding summer term) will be required to:

Complete a readmission application.
If the returning student has attended another college or university during the absence from Athens State University, official transcripts must be provided to the Office of Admissions.

Permanent Resident Students Admission Requirements for Degree-Seeking Graduate Students
In addition to meeting the requirements for one of the above graduate admission categories, a Permanent Resident Student applying for graduate admissions as a degree-seeking student must provide:

A copy of their Permanent Resident Card.

International Students Admission Requirements for Degree-Seeking Graduate Students

F-1 VISA International Students:

In addition to meeting the requirements listed above for unconditional or conditional graduate Admission, all international students will be required to meet all F-1 VISA requirements for admission into any Graduate Program:

Official copies of transcripts from each college/university attended in the United States, and/or an official copy of the course-by-course evaluation performed by an evaluation agency that is a member of NACES for any college credit taken outside of the United States; and
Official documentation of the completion of TOEFL with a minimum score of 500 (pBT), 62 (iBT) or 173 (cBT) if transferring from outside the Unites States; or Duolingo score of 90; and
Official documentation showing proof of health and life insurance while in the United States; and
A letter from a banking institution verifying financial status; and
Copies of visa, I-94, and current I-20; and
A completed Affidavit of Support form.

Non-Resident International Students:

An international student who is staying in their home country and taking online courses at Athens State University. In addition to meeting the requirements for any admission categories, student must provide:

Official copies of transcripts from each college/university attended in the United States, and/or an official copy of the course-by-course evaluation performed by an evaluation agency that is a member of NACES for any college credit taken outside of the United States; and
Official documentation of the completion of TOEFL with a minimum score of 500 (pBT), 62 (iBT) or 173 (cBT) if transferring from outside the United States; or Duolingo score of 90.

Applying for Admission – Graduate Certificate-Seeking
An individual who wishes to pursue completion of one of the graduate-level certificate programs offered by Athens State may be admitted as a graduate certificate-seeking student and should limit enrollment to courses required for the certificate, or prerequisites for these courses. Individuals admitted as graduate certificate-seeking students are not eligible for financial aid.

Graduate Certificate-Seeking Admission Requirements

Submit completed Admissions application and payment of non-refundable application fee; and
May require official transcript(s) from all previously attended colleges or universities.

Applying for Admission – Graduate Non-Degree Seeking

A student who does not meet the requirements for one of the above admission categories as a degree-seeking graduate student may be admitted as a non-degree seeking graduate student. Records are kept of the work completed and credits are transferable. Non-degree seeking graduate students are ineligible for federal aid funding under Title IV.

Non-Degree Seeking Admission Requirements

Students seeking admission as non-degree seeking students must:

Submit a completed graduate non-degree seeking admissions application and pay any required application fees.
Submit official transcripts from the last institution attended, and from at least one institution accredited by an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education documenting conferral of a bachelor’s or higher degree. Official transcripts must indicate that the student is in good standing at the last institution attended.
Meet all other program specific requirements for non-degree seeking admission.

Note: Students admitted as non-degree seeking students will only be allowed to register for graduate courses in a given term subject to space availability and/or cohort restrictions. Non-degree seeking students may complete no more than one-half of the total program hours; in order to register for additional courses, students must submit a degree-seeking application and all required materials, and be approved for degree-seeking status.

Non-degree seeing students will not be awarded a graduate degree from Athens State University.