2012-2014 Graduate Bulletin

II. Graduate Admissions

General Requirements for Admission to Graduate Study

Degree-Seeking

Students applying for degree-seeking status at the master’s and doctoral level must fulfill the general requirements for admission to the University of the Incarnate Word and any special requirements for admission to a particular degree program. Additional requirements for the doctoral program are listed on page 30.

General requirements:

  • Evidence of an earned Baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution of higher learning with an overall GPA of 2.5 or better.
  • Official transcripts from each college and university previously attended. These transcripts must be mailed directly from the college or university to the Admissions Office.
  • At least one of the following as specified by the discipline under program description:
    1. A nationally recognized entrance test specified by the discipline
    2. Evaluation by one or more professionals in the intended field of study
    3. Professional certification or a degree of equal or higher level than that sought from an accredited institution of higher learning
    4. Letters of Recommendation
  • Other admission criteria as specified by the discipline may include but are not limited to
    1. A minimum number of credit hours in the discipline with a specified GPA minimum
    2. Other specialized test with acceptable performance
    3. An interview with faculty or admissions personnel
    4. A writing sample

Discipline-specific requirements are listed under each program description. Petitions for admission with exception to the published criteria must be recommended by the Program Admissions Committee and approved by the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research. Exceptions must be documented with an explanation. A copy of this documentation must be included in the student’s permanent file.

Conditional admission may be granted upon approval of the Program Admissions Committee and the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research. Criteria and the time limit for removing conditions will be specified in the letter of admission.

Transient

Students in good standing at a recognized graduate school who wish to enroll for a maximum of nine credit hours and who plan to continue at the school of original admission may be admitted as transient graduate students. Students must fill out a formal application for admission and submit either a statement of good standing from the dean of the graduate school where they are enrolled or an official transcript. Enrolling in additional course work beyond the nine hours will require application for a change of status.

Non-degree Seeking

If non-degree seeking, an applicant to Graduate School must submit:

  • Evidence of an earned Baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution of higher learning
  • Official transcripts from each college or university previously attended. These transcripts must be mailed directly from the college or university to the Admissions Office.

Non-degree-seeking students may register for a cumulative total of no more than nine credit hours of graduate course work under the normal grading system. Students holding a master’s degree who do not
wish to apply for admission as degree-seeking students may register for a cumulative total of no more than 12 credit hours of graduate course work under the normal grading system. Non-degree seeking students are expected to conform to graduate standards of scholarship. In some cases, credit hours taken under a non-degree seeking status and under the normal grading system may be applied toward a degree if a student later gains admission into a graduate program. Such credits will be evaluated as though they were transfer credits from another institution and must be approved by the Program Advisor and the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research.

Non-degree seeking students may not be eligible for some forms of financial aid.

Change of Status

To change status from non-degree seeking to degree seeking, the student must meet the requirements for admission to the program and submit an Application for Change of Status to the Program Advisor and the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research

Certificates

With the approval of the appropriate College/School Dean, certificates may be presented to students in recognition of their attendance at special not-for-credit seminars or continuing educational professional development and in recognition of their earning credit hours in UIW courses offered in a particular field or fields.

The reception/awarding of a certificate will not appear on the transcript, even when the certificate attests to earning credit hours for UIW courses. When appropriate, for-credit courses taken to earn a certificate may be considered as fulfilling the requirements of a degree program only if the student applies to, meets admission requirements of, and is accepted into the program.

All students taking graduate courses and seeking a certificate must apply for admission to the University’s Graduate School and provide evidence of an earned Baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution of higher learning with an overall GPA of 2.5 or better. Official transcripts from each college and university previously attended must be mailed directly from the college or university to the Admissions Office. Students may have to meet additional requirements set by the school or college from which the certificate is being issued.

Accelerated Bachelor to Master Degree Programs

Accelerated Bachelor to Master (ABM) Degree Programs provide opportunities for academically prepared and motivated undergraduate students to complete degree requirements for both the bachelor and master degrees simultaneously at an accelerated pace. By linking the curricula of the undergraduate and graduate, not only is student knowledge and skill level reinforced, but students can complete both programs sooner and at less expense than if they enrolled in both programs separately. Student accepted in an ABM program are eligible to complete nine designated graduate hours which will then be utilized to fulfill both undergraduate and graduate degree requirements. After the completion of the designated hours, students are formally admitted to graduate study.
General Eligibility Requirements are as follow:

  1. Students must have completed a minimum of 75 credits hours in their undergraduate program.
  2. Transfer students must have completed a minimum of one semester as a full-time student at UIW.
  3. Students must have a minimum accumulated GPA of 3.00.

Undergraduate students interested in ABM programs should contact the graduate director of the master’s degree program for specific information regarding application materials, deadlines, and managing their formal admittance to Graduate School.

Application Procedures

The student must submit to the Admissions Office the credentials listed below. Credentials submitted late can cause a delay in acceptance and registration.

  1. A formal application, which may be obtained from the Admissions Office. Application requires a $20 processing fee.
  2. Official transcripts from each college or university previously attended. These transcripts must be mailed directly to the Admissions Office from the college or university.
  3. Report of the nationally recognized entrance test as designated by specific programs is sent directly to the Admissions Office. Students should check with individual programs for specific requirements.
  4. For students under the age of 30, an immunization record showing the Meningitis vaccine must be submitted prior to registration.
  5. Consultation with Program Advisor regarding additional admissions requirements.

When the Admissions Office receives the required credentials, they are sent to the Program Coordinator for evaluation and recommendation for action. The Dean of Graduate Studies and Research notifies the applicant by letter concerning action taken on the application. Upon acceptance, the student is assigned a Program Advisor.

Students hoping to enroll in the Accelerated Bachelor to Master (ABM) program must contact their advisor prior to filling out an application to identify appropriate term of enrollment. This will be the first term the student is enrolled in exclusively graduate courses

Credentials submitted for admission become the property of the University of the Incarnate Word and will not be returned. Students must enroll in the term for which they were admitted or the next subsequent term or their admission status is cancelled and they must reapply through the Office of Admissions.

The University of the Incarnate Word reserves the right to refuse admission to an applicant or to request the withdrawal of a student already in the program for reasons considered adequate by the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research.

Admission of International Students

An international student is a student who has citizenship in a country other than the United States.

International students should apply for admission no later than 60 days prior to the beginning of the
semester in which the student plans to attend to ensure no delay in acceptance and registration. The following credentials must be submitted to the Office of International Admissions:

  1. Completed and signed International Student Application.
  2. $20 non-refundable application fee.
  3. Official transcripts or record of prior programs of study, inclusive of grades and/or scores received. All official transcripts must be translated into English before they are submitted. A list of evaluation agencies is available from the Office of International Admissions.
  4. For consideration of transfer credit, course descriptions officially translated to English are required. For schools that do not have a credit hour system, the transcripts must be evaluated by one of the evaluation agencies before determining transfer credit eligibility.
  5. Score from TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), with a minimum score of 83 iBT or an IELTS score of 6.5. Students who do not have this minimum score may not be allowed to take any course other than English as a Second Language.
  6. If English proficiency is deemed not adequate on the basis of UIW evaluation, the student may not be allowed to take any course other than English as a Second Language until the deficiency is removed. All English as a Second Language at UIW is taught by the ELS Language Center located on the campus. International students are required to pay the appropriate fee charged by the ELS Language Center.
  7. Report of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), Miller Analogies Test (MAT), or the Graduate Management Aptitude Test (GMAT), as designated by specific graduate program.
  8. Declaration of Finances.
  9. Visa Information Form.
  10. Two letters of recommendation.
  11. For students under the age of 30, an immunization record showing the Meningitis vaccine must be submitted prior to arrival and registration.
  12. Those studying in special cohort programs will be required during their first semester at UIW to submit an official score on the TOEFL or other required diagnostic instrument and may be required, as needed, to enroll in appropriate English-language instruction.
  13. Students are encouraged to check with individual programs for specific requirements.

Advising and Registration

Upon acceptance to a program, graduate students must meet with their Academic Advisors before each term to discuss progress toward meeting degree requirements. The Advisor’s formal approval is required to permit registration. Students must make payment arrangements with the Business Office no later than the end of the registration period.


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