Academic Requirements

In making admission decisions, the Graduate School works cooperatively with the various departmental admission committees.

Academic Requirements

Complete a bachelor's degree from an accredited university.
Earn a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or a GPA of 3.25 in the last 60 hours of undergraduate course work.
Score within the upper half of the appropriate standardized test measure for the discipline (GRE, GMAT, MAT, etc.).
Submit two letters of recommendation that indicate support of readiness for graduate study.� By requesting the reference forms be submitted online, you waive the right to review this personal reference.�
Submit a writing sample that shows writing ability consistent with the expectations of graduate work.
Satisfy program prerequisites, if applicable.
Submit all Required Materials.

Individual graduate programs may also have higher standards or additional requirements for admission to their programs. Some programs have higher demand for admission, or are limited in the number of students who can be accepted each semester, and are therefore more selective in admission criteria.

Departmental admission committees make holistic judgments based on their evaluation of an applicant's ability and readiness for graduate work. Occasionally the department may recommend conditional admission for an an applicant who does not meet all the admission criteria.

Conditional Admission

If a student fails to meet one or more of the requirements outlined above for unconditional admission to a graduate program, the appropriate admissions committee may choose to grant conditional admission with the understanding that in order to stay in the program, the student must satisfy certain conditions, normally within the first semester at ACU. A letter from the Graduate School to the student outlines how to move from conditional to unconditional admission, requiring the applicant to eventually meet all the standards of an unconditional acceptance.

Special Graduate Non-degree Admission. A student can also enter classes as a special graduate, or non-degree student, a situation normally reserved for those who want to take a few classes without any particular program commitment, or for those wishing to enroll in a certifical program. The process includes submitting a special graduate application along with a fee and an official undergraduate transcript indicating an awarded degree. Then the student selects the appropriate courses and is registered for classes by the Graduate School.

Non-degree students must fulfill the same quality standards in class as fully-admitted students. Some courses require admission to a program before a student is allowed to take a course.

A non-degree student can take no more than 15 hours without being admitted to a degree program. However, there is no guarantee that the hours taken will fulfill degree requirements. Therefore, it is extremely important to seek admission and follow a degree plan within a program.