Admission to the Graduate School

Admission to the Graduate School is dependent upon the presentation of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, as well as other required documents. Undergraduate transcripts must accompany all applications. No application will be considered unless the complete official transcripts of the applicant's entire undergraduate (and graduate if any) work is submitted to the Graduate School. Also, no transcript will be accepted as official unless it is received directly from the registrar of the institution where the work was completed. Official supplementary transcripts are required as soon as they are available for any work completed after application for admission has been submitted.

Prospective students must satisfy the requirements of the department and the Graduate School to be admitted to graduate study.

The Graduate School requires a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.50 for all undergraduate students in addition to acceptable scores on the verbal, quantitative, and analytical sections of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test, or the GMAT if applying to the College of Business.

Although the Graduate School publishes no specific GRE scores, some departments may require certain minimum scores on the Graduate Record Examination, GMAT or similar tests as well as grade point average above those stated for the Graduate School. Inquiries about specific requirements should be addressed to the department of interest. Deviations may be made from the above requirements when these and other criteria, including letters of recommendation and statements of purpose, are reviewed by the department, recommended by the department, and approved by the Dean of the Graduate School.

GRE REQUIREMENTS FOR STUDENTS SEEKING SECOND GRADUATE DEGREE

Students seeking a second graduate degree are not required to retake the GRE test if the scores are within the last seven years upon the time of admission into the program. However, it should be noted that some departments require a certain score to be made on the test for admission into their program.

General Admission Requirements

Minimum requirements for admission to the Graduate School at Southern University include the following:

For doctoral students, official transcripts showing all graduate work pursued. If you are applying to a doctoral program that accepts students with a bachelor's degree, then you must provide official transcripts of all undergraduate work.

For master's students, official transcripts showing all undergraduate work (and graduate work pursued, if any). APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE PROCESSED WITHOUT TRANSCRIPTS.

For international students, credential evaluation statement.

Acceptable scores on the general test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).

Three letters of recommendation sent directly to the Graduate School Director of Admissions

A Statement of Purpose

For international students, a minimum score of 525 (computer based) or 77 (Internet based) on the Test of English as a Foreign language (TOEFL) as evidence of proficiency in English and an Affidavit of Support (U.S. Department of Justice form 1-134)

With the exception of international students, applicants who do not meet all the criteria for admission may be granted admission with conditional or provisional status. The student must receive the recommendation of the appropriate academic department. International applicants are not eligible for conditional or provisional admission status. The circumstances under which applicants may be considered for conditional or provisional admission are described below.

Conditional Admission

Applicants who do not meet all admission criteria, may be admitted for up to one academic year on a conditional basis, upon recommendation of the applicant's department of interest, provided additional evidence of capacity to do satisfactory work is presented.

By the end of one academic year of such conditional admission, the department must evaluate the student's performance and notify the graduate school and the student of the final action to be taken on the student's admission status as either fully accepting the student or recommending the student be dropped from degree-seeking status. It should be noted that some department requirements for conditional status may vary from the Graduate School.

Provisional Admission

Students who have applied for admission to the Graduate School, but whose credentials were not completed by the admissions deadline, may be admitted provisionally, for one semester, upon recommendation of the department to which they have applied. Final action on such applications will be reserved until all credentials and any required documents have been received and evaluated by the academic department selected by the student. One semester only is allowed for students who are admitted provisionally to have their credentials completed. Provisional admission has a limitation of one semester, therefore it cannot be extended or granted for the second time to the same student.

Application for Admission

Admission forms and information concerning admission procedures should be obtained from the Graduate School (http://www.subr.edu/page/1236). Prospective students are urged to apply for admission as early as possible. Applications, which meet minimum standards, are referred to the graduate selection committees of the department of interest for approval or disapproval.

Admission Applications Deadlines

Fall Semester May 1

Spring Semester November 1

Summer Semester April 15

Admission to a Doctoral Program

You must:

Hold a baccalaureate degree granted by a regionally accredited institution (or a recognized university, if you are an international student)
Hold a master's degree (unless you are applying to a program that accepts students without a master's degree)
Have earned a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 in all graduate work completed. (Please note that if your GPA is less than 3.0, you may still be considered for conditional admission at the discretion and upon the recommendation of your chosen program of interest)
Submit acceptable scores in the General Test of the Graduate Record Examination
Satisfy any additional requirement of the academic department in which the chosen degree program is housed

Admission to a Master's Program

You must:

Hold a baccalaureate degree granted by a regionally accredited institution (or a recognized university, if you are an international student)
Have earned a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.5 in all undergraduate work pursued and at least 3.0 on all graduate work completed. (Please note that if your GPA is less than 2.5 but at least 2.5, you may still be considered for conditional admission at the discretion and upon the recommendation of your chosen program of interest)
Submit acceptable scores in the General Test of the Graduate Record Examination
Satisfy any additional requirements of the academic department in which the chosen degree program is housed

Admission of Transfer Students

Students who have attended another regionally accredited graduate school should be eligible for readmission at the college or university from which they transfer in order to be admitted to SUBR Graduate School. Students applying to transfer from other graduate schools should have their institutions submit transcripts and evidence of eligibility for readmission as part of their application to the Southern University Graduate Office. Failure to provide the above credentials will delay the admissions process.

International Student Admission

An applicant is considered international if they are not a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident. An international applicant who has completed undergraduate degree requirements at any accredited United States institution must follow the admission procedures previously described. An applicant who has not completed undergraduate degree requirements at an accredited United States institution must present the following:

Complete an accurate chronological outline of all previous college-level education;
All graduate students are required to provide proof of the attainment of a Bachelor's degree before enrolling at the Southern University. Credential Evaluations are completed in house at the Graduate School
International transcripts and degree certificates must be sent to Southern University Graduate School in envelopes sealed and stamped by the issuing university to be considered official. Electronic academic documents sent from international institutions will not be accepted.
Certifications of the availability of sufficient funds to meet all costs while studying at Southern University
Scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or IELTS (International English Language Testing Service) for international applicants whose native language is not English

TOEFL or IEL TS score is an essential part of the student's application. The student must pass the test to be considered eligible for admission to Graduate School.
An international student also must provide an Affidavit of Support and a Form 1-20 issued before admission can be granted, even if the student completed undergraduate degree requirements in the United States.

A complete academic record for an International student is:

Transcript of all semesters attended
Degree Certificate/Diploma
English Translation of Transcript
English Translation of Degree Certificate/Diploma
The transcripts should be completed all the required fields are completed, especially:

"Date"
"Signature of the administration officer"
"Stamp of the Institution".

Form 1-20 Documents & Financials

The Graduate School will not consider for admission any person who has entered the United States on an 1-20 issued by another institution unless that person has been previously enrolled at the institution issuing the 1-20.