Admission

Graduate Admission Requirements and Procedures

All requests concerning admission to graduate study should be addressed to the following office:

Graduate Studies
University of Southern Indiana
8600 University Boulevard
Evansville, Indiana 47712
812-465-7015
Email: Graduate.Studies@usi.edu
Web site: www.usi.edu/graduatestudies

The application for admission is online on the Graduate Studies website. All application credentials become the property of the University and are not returned to the student.

Initial Steps by Applicants

A student seeking admission to graduate study must submit the following materials to Graduate Studies:

• All requested application materials, including a completed application form available online at www.usi.edu/graduatestudies/admission-to-graduate-programs, accompanied by a $40 non-refundable graduate application fee made payable to USI, at least one month prior to entry date sought. Some programs require an earlier submission date.
• Official transcripts from each undergraduate and graduate institution attended (any schools other than USI). Transcripts and other educational records are official only if the issuing institution sends them directly to Graduate Studies. Electronic transcripts are required, and should be sent to Graduate.Studies@usi.edu. Failure to submit official transcripts from every institution will impede admission. Coursework from one institution reported as transfer credit on another school’s transcript does not constitute an official transcript.
• All other admission credentials required by the particular program for which admission is sought.

Regular Admission Requirements

The following standards have been established for regular admission to a program of graduate study leading to the graduate degree:

• Graduation with a bachelor’s degree with a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 from a college or university accredited by the The Higher Learning Commission or other regional accrediting agency. (Some programs have a higher admission standard. Check the specific program description for further information).
• A minimum grade-point average of 3.0 in all courses taken at the graduate level at all schools attended.
• An undergraduate record that provides adequate preparation to begin graduate study.
• Satisfactory performance on the Graduate Record Examination, PRAXIS test, or Graduate Management Admissions Test when required.
• Any other requirements for admission that have been established and approved by the University Graduate Council of Graduate Program Directors and Chairs.

Conditional Admission

Admission to graduate study on a conditional basis may be granted. One or more of the following factors may be involved when conditional admission is granted:

• A student who has undergraduate deficiencies in the area in which graduate work is desired may be granted conditional admission to graduate study. Undergraduate work needed to make up deficiencies may be a necessary part of the student’s program. Such work will not carry graduate credit, nor will it count as credit toward a graduate degree. In general, graduate-level courses taken to make up deficiencies will not apply toward the minimum number of hours required for the degree.
• University seniors who qualify for enrollment in a limited amount of graduate work may be granted conditional admission.
• The student whose preparation, academic record, or program requirements do not merit regular admission may be granted conditional admission.
• Students admitted conditionally must receive a 3.0 grade point average (GPA) in their first six hours in the graduate program. A student admitted conditionally who earns an incomplete (IN) in the first two courses must remove the incomplete before enrolling in additional coursework.

Admission Requirements for International Students

International students are subject to all requirements for admission to graduate studies. Application for admission should be made at least six months prior to the date of anticipated enrollment. Admission credentials must include:

• The application for admission;
• Payment of the application fee; and
• Official academic records.

Submit an official and certified course-by-course evaluation conducted by an international credential evaluation service of all academic records attesting to the completion of undergraduate and graduate work (if necessary) to Graduate Studies. The records should show a complete list of courses taken, grades received, and any diplomas or certificates earned. They should also state the number of credits awarded for each course or the number of hours of classroom, lecture, and laboratory for each course.

Transcripts and other educational records are official only if the issuing institution, government office, or evaluation service sends them directly to Graduate Studies. Coursework from one institution reported as transfer credit on the transcript of another institution does not constitute an official transcript.

Verification of English competency: English competency is established by achievement of a minimum score of 550 on the paper-based TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or 79 on the Internet based TOEFL or 6.5 on the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) test. All foreign-born applicants whose primary spoken language is not English must provide official test scores before being admitted; these scores must be less than two years old. Official test results should be sent to Graduate Studies at the time of application.

Exception: International students whose native language is English or who have graduated from an American university in which the language of instruction is English are not required to demonstrate language proficiency. Information about the TOEFL administration dates and registration procedure may be obtained from TOEFL Services, Educational Testing Service, P.O. Box 6151, Princeton, New Jersey 08541-6151, USA; telephone 609-771-7100. The web address is www.toefl.org.

Non-degree Admission

Students who hold a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited institution and wish to take graduate coursework for credit may take up to six hours before they must be admitted to a program. Students wishing to apply for this status must submit necessary application credentials and the non-refundable $40 graduate application fee payable to USI and be approved for admission by the appropriate department/college and by the director of Graduate Studies. Official transcripts are required for the highest degree earned. The college or university should send transcripts directly to Graduate.Studies@usi.edu (for certified e-transcripts), or:

Graduate Studies
University of Southern Indiana
8600 University Boulevard
Evansville, IN 47712-3596

Graduate Studies must receive official transcripts in order to be considered for admission to the University.

University of Southern Indiana Seniors

A senior student at USI with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher who is enrolled in his/her senior year of his/her undergraduate program may be granted conditional admission to enroll in up to 12 hours of graduate level coursework.

Residence Classification

In-state residency requires a bona fide permanent domicile in excess of 12 months. Holders of degrees from USI who at the time of graduation were residents of the state of Indiana will, for the purpose of subsequent registrations in the University, be classified as residents of Indiana. Physical presence in Indiana for the predominant purpose of attending a college, university, or other institution of higher education, will not be counted in determining the 12-month period of residence. Graduate Studies can answer questions regarding residence classification.

Students who are not residents of the state of Indiana must pay non-resident fees  for on-campus study.

Transfer Credit

Graduate Studies may accept for transfer credit up to 12 credit hours of coursework earned at other colleges and universities accredited for master’s or higher-level study by the Higher Learning Commission or a comparable regional accrediting agency. The total average in such study must be B or above and no grade lower than B will be accepted. All transfer work must be approved in advance by the student’s graduate program director or chair and by the director of Graduate Studies.

Within the limits noted above, each graduate program determines the number of transfer hours acceptable. Graduate Studies will accept no more than those determined acceptable by the respective graduate program. The student must consult the appropriate graduate program director for such information. All transfer hours must be appropriate to the particular program in which the student is enrolled.

Correspondence study will not count toward a graduate degree at USI, and such credit cannot be transferred from another institution.