Admission to the Graduate School

A. Types of Admission

A student may be admitted to the Graduate School in one of the following four categories:

1. Degree students are those admitted to the Graduate School for study toward a specific graduate degree.
2. Special Non-Degree students are those admitted to the Graduate School for study not leading to a graduate degree. Credits earned while in this status may, under certain conditions, be applied toward a graduate degree at a later time, subject to the approval of the department concerned and the Dean of the Graduate School.
3. Certificate students are those admitted to the Graduate School for study toward a specific graduate certificate.
4. Entrée students are those admitted to a special program for adult, professional, non-degree graduate students. Students enrolled in Entrée status can make no progress toward completion of a graduate degree. Courses in some departments are closed to Entrée students.

B. Application for Admission

1. Students may apply electronically at http://gradschool.louisiana.edu. Each person who desires to pursue graduate study must make application through the online application system. Each application must be accompanied by a non-refundable fee of $50.00 and will be assessed a $25.00 late fee if received after the priority deadline.
2. Prospective Degree students and prospective Special Non-Degree students must arrange with all colleges previously attended to have two official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate credits sent directly to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Graduate School (not to Undergraduate Admissions or to the Registrar). An applicant who is ineligible to register in any previously attended institution as a graduate is not admissible to the Graduate School (without completing a formal appeal process).
3. Prospective Degree students and prospective Special Non-Degree students must have official results of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) sent by the test administrator directly to the Graduate School.
4. Prospective Degree students and prospective Special Non-Degree students must submit three letters of recommendation on the appropriate forms, which are available on the Graduate School’s website.
5. Prospective certificate students must complete an application through the online application system. Application and admissions standards vary by graduate certificate program, so applicants should check with the graduate certificate program to which they are applying for specific standards.
6. Prospective Entrée students must complete a special application form and provide proof that they hold a bachelor’s degree.
7. All Degree and Special Non-Degree applicants should ensure that their applications, including required credentials, are complete at least 30 days before the beginning of the semester or summer session in which they expect to enroll. Applicants outside the United States should submit required credentials at least 90 days before the beginning of the semester in which they expect to enroll. Applications not completed according to this time schedule will be processed if circumstances permit, but no guarantee can be made that the applicants in question will be admitted in sufficient time to register for the upcoming semester or summer session. Some programs have established early deadlines for admission.
8. No student can receive graduate credit for any course without having been formally admitted to the Graduate School prior to enrolling in the course.
9. A student with a University of Louisiana at Lafayette undergraduate degree must follow the Catalog in effect at the time of entrance into the Graduate School.

C. Application for Readmission

1. A student whose enrollment in the Graduate School is not continuous (that is, one who is not enrolled for one or more semesters) is required to submit an application for readmission, accompanied by a non-refundable fee of $25.00 and will be assessed a $25.00 late fee if received after the priority deadline. In general, the requirements outlined in section B also apply to readmission.
2. Any student not in attendance for two or more successive regular semesters (excluding summer sessions) must follow the requirements printed in the Catalog in effect at the time of re-entry into the University. Any exceptions to this regulation must be approved in writing by the Dean of the Graduate School.

D. Qualifications for Admission

1. To be admissible to Graduate School, an applicant must satisfy general requirements for admission to the University and must hold a baccalaureate or a master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution.
2. To be eligible for regular admission to a graduate certificate program, an applicant must meet the specific admission and application standards set forth by the certificate program.
3. To be eligible for regular admission to a master’s degree program, an applicant must:
   1. Provide official documentation of an undergraduate grade-point average of not less than 2.75 (4.0 scale) on all work attempted or not less than 3.0 (4.0 scale) on the last 60 semester hours or last 90 quarter hours (coursework completed in the United States only). Individual departments may require a higher grade-point average. Please note that all grades are considered, even original grades in courses which have been repeated.
   2. Present satisfactory scores on the General Test (all portions) of the GRE, or, for MBA applicants, a satisfactory score on the GMAT.
4. To be eligible for regular admission to a doctoral program, an applicant must:
   1. Provide official documentation of an undergraduate grade-point average of 3.0 or a minimum grade-point average of 3.3 on all graduate work attempted. Please note that all grades are considered, even original grades in courses which have been repeated.
   2. Present satisfactory scores on the General Test (all portions) of the GRE.
5. Applicants whose mother tongue is not English and who hold degrees only from institutions outside the United States must submit acceptable TOEFL or IELTS scores. TOEFL scores below 550 on the written examination or 81 on Internet-based exam are not considered satisfactory. IELTS scores below 6.5 are not considered satisfactory.
6. Applicants who do not meet criteria for regular admission may be considered for conditional admission. Departments use the following criteria:
   
   1. the applicant’s GPA in the major field;
   2. the number of successfully completed hours in the applicant’s major field;
   3. the strength and appropriateness of the applicant’s undergraduate curriculum;
   4. letters of reference;
   5. an outstanding score on the subject portion of the GRE;
   6. publications and professional or other experience relevant to the field.

All international students who hold degrees only from institutions outside the United States are admitted in conditional status.

7. The following provisions govern the removal of conditional status:
   
   1. A student admitted conditionally solely because of a lack of satisfactory GRE or GMAT scores may have admission status changed to “Regular” by presenting satisfactory scores. Admission to regular status is not retroactive. It becomes effective when the student’s scores have been received by the Graduate School from the test administrator.
   2. In no case except that specified above is conditional status lifted automatically. A student in conditional status who has presented minimally acceptable GRE or GMAT scores (see 2.b.  above and E.5.  below) and who has earned a 3.0 average or better on all graduate work attempted at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, with no more than one grade of C, may under certain conditions be granted regular status after the completion of a minimum of 12 semester hours of graduate credit. Upon written petition of the student and with recommendations of appropriate members of the graduate faculty, the Dean of the Graduate School may grant the student regular admission status. In the case of a Degree student, the lifting of conditional status is dependent upon the recommendation of the head or graduate coordinator of the department concerned. The department decides which graduate credits earned while the student was in conditional status may be applied toward the fulfillment of degree requirements. The final decision concerning removal of conditional status rests with the Dean of the Graduate School.
8. The enrollment of outstanding senior students, for a maximum of 6 hours of graduate credit per semester, is possible under either of the following circumstances:
   
   1. If the student is a graduating senior who has a grade-point average of at least 3.0 in all work pursued and who lacks no more than 7 semester hours for the completion of the baccalaureate degree.
   2. If the student has senior standing with at least 40 hours of coursework on the 300 level or above, has an overall grade-point average of at least 3.0 on all work pursued, and is within 9 hours of completing undergraduate requirements in the major field.
   3. Students enrolled under these circumstances must be admitted to the Graduate School. Courses taken may not be used for both undergraduate and graduate credit.
9. An applicant ineligible to register in any previously attended University as a graduate is not admissible to the Graduate School (without completing a formal appeal process).

E. Graduate Record Examination, Graduate Management Admission Test, International English Language Testing System, and Test of English as a Foreign Language

1. Except for Entrée, Masters + 30, and certain graduate certificate applicants, each applicant for admission to the Graduate School is required to take the Graduate Record Examination or, in the case of a prospective MBA student, the Graduate Management Admission Test. Regular admission to graduate study requires a satisfactory score on the General Test of the GRE, or, for MBA applicants, a satisfactory score on the GMAT.
2. Regular admission to a doctoral program requires a satisfactory score on the General Test of the GRE. A student with an unsatisfactory score may be admitted to the Graduate School, if otherwise qualified, but may not be considered to be in a doctoral program until submission of a satisfactory score or demonstration to the satisfaction of the major department and the Dean of the Graduate School of the capability to complete degree requirements successfully. The student’s major department decides which courses taken by the student before official admission to the program may be applied toward the satisfaction of degree requirements.
3. Arrangements for the computer-adaptive GRE and GMAT must be made through the appropriate administrator’s website.
4. A student admitted in conditional status cannot have the status changed to “Regular” without presenting minimally acceptable scores on the GRE or GMAT, in addition to other requirements (see D.6.b.  above) .
5. International students who hold degrees only from institutions outside the United States must present proof of English language proficiency by submitting either official TOEFL or IELTS scores prior to admission to the Graduate School. A TOEFL score of at least 550 on the written examination or 81 on Internet-based examination, or an IELTS score of 6.5 is expected. Upon entering the University, they may also be required to take the ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) placement test administered by the Department of Modern Languages. Those students who place below the minimum established scores will be required to take ESOL 402  (Advanced Pronunciation and Listening Comprehension) and/or ESOL 403  (Advanced Expository Writing). International graduate assistants may have additional English-language requirements.