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 the Graduate School website. 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 $25.00 and will be assessed a $25.00 late fee if received after the priority deadline. International applicants must pay a non-refundable fee of $30.00 and will be assessed a $30.00 late fee if received after the priority deadline.
2. Upon application, prospective Degree students and prospective Special Non-Degree students may submit unofficial transcripts from all colleges previously attended, which may be used for application evaluation and review. An official transcript from all colleges previously attended will be required upon admission; registered students who do not provide official transcripts by the 5^th day of the semester will have their registration cancelled and admission rescinded. Admitted students are required to have one official transcript of all undergraduate and graduate credits attempted 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 may be required to 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 if required by the graduate degree program to which admission is sought.
4. Prospective Degree students must provide contact information for at least three individuals who will provide letters of recommendation as a part of the application for admission. Applications will not be evaluated or reviewed until three letters of recommendation are received. Letters must be received directly from the letter writer.
5. Prospective Certificate students must complete an application through the online application system. Application and admissions standards vary by graduate certificate program. 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 official documentation of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited university.
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 and must provide official documentation of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited university.
    
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 an undergraduate grade-point average of 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), or a graduate grade-point average of 3.0 (4.0 scale) on all previously earned graduate degrees, or successful completion of an approved ABM plan of study at UL Lafayette. Individual departments may require a higher grade-point average. Please note that all grades are considered, even original grades in courses that have been repeated.
   2. Demonstrate English language proficiency, if applicable. See E.2 below.
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 (4.0 scale) or a minimum grade-point average of 3.3 (4.0 scale) on all graduate work attempted. Please note that all grades are considered, even original grades in courses that have been repeated.
   2. Demonstrate English language proficiency, if applicable. See E.2 below.
5. Applicants to degree programs 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. a strong score on the GRE or GMAT if submitted as part of the application;
   6. publications and professional or other experience relevant to the field
6. The following provisions govern the removal of conditional status:
   1. A student admitted conditionally solely because of a lack of satisfactory English language proficiency scores may have admission status changed to “Regular” by presenting satisfactory scores. Admission to regular admission status is not retroactive. It becomes effective when the student’s scores have been received by the Graduate School from the test administrator.
   2. A student in conditional admission status 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 admission 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 admission 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 admission status may be applied toward the fulfillment of degree requirements.
7. The enrollment of outstanding senior students, for a maximum of 6 hours of graduate credit per semester, is possible under the following circumstances:
   1. If the student is a graduating senior who has an overall grade-point average of at least 3.2 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 3.2 on all work pursued, and is within 9 semester hours of completing undergraduate requirements in the major field.
   3. Students applying under any of these circumstances must meet all other application and admission requirements (including program‐specific requirements) with the exception of holding a baccalaureate degree.
   4. Students enrolled under these circumstances must be admitted provisionally to the Graduate School. Courses taken may not be used for both undergraduate and graduate credit.
   5. Courses taken for graduate credit may not be used for both undergraduate and graduate credit. The only exception to this rule is when a student has been admitted to an ABM plan of study in which graduate credit courses have been approved to fulfill undergraduate degree requirements (see 8 below).
8. The enrollment of outstanding senior students into an ABM plan of study, for a maximum of 12 hours of graduate credit per semester, is possible under the following circumstances:
   1. If the student has senior standing and lacks no more than 30 semester hours to complete the baccalaureate degree, has completed at least 24 hours of coursework at UL Lafayette if a transfer student has an overall grade-point average of at least 3.2, and is admitted to an approved accelerated bachelor’s / master’s combined curriculum plan of study.
   2. Unless specified by the individual graduate degree program, students applying under these circumstances are not required to hold a baccalaureate degree, nor are they required to demonstrate proof of English language proficiency, submit GRE or GMAT scores, or provide letters of reference.
   3. Students enrolled under these circumstances must be admitted provisionally to the Graduate School.
   4. Courses taken for graduate credit may be used to fulfill both undergraduate and graduate degree requirements as approved by the accelerated bachelor’s / master’s plan of study.
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. Individual graduate degree programs may require applicants for admission to take the Graduate Record Examination or, in the case of applicants to graduate degree programs in Business, the Graduate Management Admission Test.  The Entrée, Masters +30, and certain graduate certificate programs do not require applicants to submit GRE or GMAT scores as part of their application for admission.
2. Applicants who hold a baccalaureate or graduate degree, with primary instruction in English, from an accredited institution in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales), Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand are not required to demonstrate English proficiency. All other applicants must demonstrate English proficiency by submitting satisfactory Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English Language Testing Services (IELTS), or Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE) official scores. The Graduate School reserves the right to require proof of English proficiency of other applicants when deemed warranted.
   1. TOEFL scores below 550 on the written examination or 79 on the internet-based examination are not considered satisfactory. IELTS score below 6.5 are not considered satisfactory. PTE scores below 53 are not considered satisfactory.
   2. Graduate Teaching Assistants may have additional English language proficiency requirements. See Graduate Assistantships .
   3. Upon entering the University, students may also be required to take the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) placement test. Those students who place below the minimum established ESOL scores will be required to take ESOL 402 - Advanced Pronunciation and Listening Comprehension for ESOL Students .
3. Arrangements for the computer-adaptive GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, IELTS tests and submission of official test scores must be made through the appropriate test administrator.