To be admitted to Graduate Studies, an applicant must (1) hold a baccalaureate degree from a college or university of recognized standing; (2) show promise of ability to satisfactorily pursue advanced study and research; (3) have had adequate preparation to enter graduate study in the field chosen; and (4) submit with the application acceptable scores on the appropriate entrance exam for each individual college, department.
Application Fee for Admission to Graduate Studies. A $15.00 nonrefundable, one-time application fee must accompany the application form. Checks or money orders must be payable to Sam Houston State University. DO NOT SEND CASH.
Entrance Examinations. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) will be given at Sam Houston State University and various centers throughout the United States and in other countries. To determine the most convenient locations, prospective applicants should write to Graduate Record Examinations Testing Service, Box 955R, Princeton, New Jersey 08540. Also, information may be obtained through the office of the appropriate academic dean.
Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT). This test is required for admission to graduate study in the College of Business Administration at Sam Houston State University and is administered on the university campus three times each year -- January, June, and October. Registration for each examination closes approximately one month prior to testing.
Graduate Record Examination (GRE). This test is required for admission to graduate study at Sam Houston State University and is administered on the University campus three times each year-- April, October, and December. Registration for each examination closes approximately three weeks prior to testing.
Miller Analogies Test. A test often required for graduate school admission, is administered in the Counseling Center. Individuals may call for an appointment, (936) 294-1721. There is a fee for administration and scoring services.
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required of non-native speakers of English. The TOEFL is administered several times per year, and there is a fee for administration and scoring services. For further information, contact the English as a Second Language (ESL) Office, College of Education and Applied Science, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas 77341.
Inquiries regarding admission to Graduate Studies should be addressed to the office of the appropriate academic dean, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas 77341. Inquiries about facilities for advanced studies, research, and requirements for graduate work in specified fields should be addressed to the department in which the principal work is offered.
A formal application is required of all persons seeking admission to Graduate Studies. To allow time for processing, the application forms, which are available from the office of the appropriate academic dean, should be filed at least 30 days (60 days for international students) prior to the beginning of the semester. After this time period, students must go to their major department before being allowed to receive an advisement sheet. Admission to Graduate Studies cannot be completed until all the credentials enumerated have been filed and evaluated:
1. Application for Admission to Graduate Studies
2. Official transcripts of all college-level work, including the official transcript which shows the date the undergraduate degree was conferred.
3. Copies of scores on the appropriate entrance exam required by each college and department as listed below:
College of Arts and Sciences -- GRE
College of Business Administration -- GMAT
College of Criminal Justice -- GRE
College of Education and Applied Science -- GRE
(Agriculture - GRE or GMAT; Health, Kinesiology, Psychology - GRE or MAT)
4. Other credentials, as indicated by the department or academic college, as may be necessary for graduate study in a specific department or academic college.
Students who wish to pursue the doctoral program in Criminal Justice must complete the GRE and request the Doctoral Admission Form from the College of Criminal Justice, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas 77341.
In addition to the records sent to the office of the appropriate dean, students should have in their possession a copy of their records for use in conference with members of the Graduate Faculty in planning their work.
Admission to Graduate Studies may not be approved in instances where the facilities and staff available in the particular field are not adequate to take care of the needs of the student.
Admission to Graduate Studies remains valid for one (1) calendar year only, unless the student, during this period, engages in active graduate work.
ADMISSIONS AND RECORDS PROCEDURES FOR
GRADUATE LEVEL STUDIES
The responsibility for admissions and records for graduate level studies at Sam Houston State University resides with the appropriate college dean. The following provides general guidelines for the procedures for graduate level studies; however, variations in procedures may occur among the colleges.
1. The original copies of all completed graduate studies admissions forms and documents are filed in the office of the appropriate academic dean. Copies of pertinent forms and documents are maintained in the office of the appropriate department chair.
2. The office of the appropriate academic dean enters all graduate studies applications into the computer.
3. After all admissions forms and documents are gathered for an applicant, a graduate student folder containing the material is forwarded to the graduate advisor of the appropriate department for admission review. The graduate advisor initiates an admissions recommendation to the dean who sends an admissions acceptance or rejection letter to the applicant. A copy of the letter from the dean is forwarded to the appropriate graduate advisor and another copy is placed in the graduate student folder which is maintained in the office of the dean together with the admissions review letter written by the graduate advisor.
4. The graduate student is responsible for the initiation of the graduate degree plan which is prepared by the appropriate graduate advisor. The original copy of each graduate degree plan is filed in the office of the dean with copies furnished to the appropriate department chair and the student.
5. After an applicant is admitted, all subsequent written communications concerning graduate records are forwarded to the appropriate department chair. This includes forms for admission to candidacy and for completion of the comprehensive examination. Forms initiated at the department level are forwarded to the office of the dean.
6. When the graduate student applies for a degree, the office of the dean forwards a copy of the student's degree plan (graduate study plan) to the Registrar. The Registrar will check the degree plan and transcript of the degree candidate. The student is responsible for initiating counseling for any graduation requirement problems by the office of the dean.
7. The appropriate dean is responsible for the certification for graduation of graduate students.
Regular Admission. The applicant shall have:
1. Earned a minimum grade point average of 2.5 (4.0 scale) on all previous college studies or 2.8 on the last sixty semester hours of course work applicable to the baccalaureate degree. The minimum GPA of 2.5 may be waived in the College of Business Administration if supported with an appropriately high GMAT score.
2. Earned a composite score of 800 or more on the aptitude section of the Graduate Record Examination. Only verbal and quantitative portions are used in calculating scores. The College of Business Administration requires the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT); see College of Business Administration section of this catalogue. The College of Education and Applied Science requires a score of 50 or more on the Miller Analogies Test when that test is accepted instead of the GRE.
3. Fulfilled specific requirements as indicated by the department or college for the pursuit of graduate study. Meeting stated minimum admission requirements does not constitute automatic admission to a graduate program at Sam Houston State University.
The above listing represents minimum requirements for Regular Admission; refer to the appropriate section of this catalogue to determine the specified requirements.
Departmental Entrance Requirements. Under normal circumstances applicants to all Graduate Programs must fulfill the minimum graduate studies requirements specified under Regular Admission (page 21). However, all applicants should note that these are absolutely minimum standards and that most departments and programs have significantly higher requirements. These specific requirements are listed under individual departmental sections of this Catalogue. Any inquiries regarding these requirements should be directed to the individual department or to the Dean of the appropriate College in which the department is listed.
Conditional Admission. An applicant whose records are incomplete may be granted Conditional Admission and be classified as a Conditional Graduate Student until all records are complete and all Regular Admission requirements are fulfilled. Degree seeking graduate students taking one or two graduate courses per semester will be required to complete all requirements for regular admission prior to registering for the third graduate course.
An applicant whose grade point average or appropriate test score is substandard may, at the discretion of the chair of the major department and appropriate academic dean, be granted Conditional Admission and be classified as a Conditional Graduate Student.
According to the regulations of the U.S. Office of Immigration and Naturalization Service: "The issuance of a conditional or provisional Form I-20 A-B is not permitted because the regulations authorize issuance only after all admission standards have been met."
The College of Business Administration and the College of Criminal Justice do not allow any type of conditional admission.
Personal Standards. Sam Houston State University requires the same personal standards and applies the same criteria in considering applications for admission as it uses in the retention of students who are enrolled. To be consistent with this policy, the University reserves the right to refuse acceptance to prospective or former students who have criminal records including conviction of a felony, offenses involving moral turpitude, or other serious offenses. The personal standards of conduct expected of students who enroll at Sam Houston State University are provided in the student affairs handbook, Student Guidelines.
Scholastic Record. The normal requirement for admission to Graduate Studies is a record during at least the last two years of full-time academic study which gives evidence of ability to do successful graduate level work.
A student whose academic record is not satisfactory for this purpose or who is changing fields of study may be required to take additional work to strengthen his or her background and to prepare for graduate study. Such work will normally be arranged in conference with the graduate advisor or the chair of the student's major department.
Before accepting a student for graduate study, the department in which he or she expects to take work may require that the student pass a comprehensive examination covering the basic undergraduate work in that field.
Graduate Students in Nondegree Status. Admission of post-baccalaureate nondegree graduate students to departments and courses is subject to individual departmental policy.
Continued registration as a post-baccalaureate, nondegree graduate student is contingent each semester upon satisfactory academic performance and the recommendation of the department with which the student is affiliated.
Graduate students in a nondegree status who failed initially to qualify for admission to advanced degree programs but who aspire to work for advanced degrees may be given the opportunity to demonstrate the ability to do graduate work, if the departments so recommend. A maximum of fifteen graduate semester hours credit completed in a nondegree status may be applied to a graduate degree program at the discretion of the department concerned.
No graduate student may be admitted to Sam Houston State University as a nondegree-student nor register in a nondegree status without the prior written approval of the appropriate academic dean.
International Students. A student from another country who seeks admission to Graduate Studies must meet the same requirements for admission and candidacy as students from the United States, including the submission of scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), or the Miller Analogies Test.
According to the regulations of the U.S. Office of Immigration and Naturalization Service: "The issuance of a conditional or provisional Form I-20 A-B is not permitted because the regulations authorize issuance only after all admission standards have been met."
In addition, prospective students from other countries must demonstrate the ability to speak, write, and understand the English language. Prospective students whose native language is not English must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), which is administered by the Educational Testing Service in over 200 centers around the world. A registration form and a "Bulletin of Information for Candidates" may be obtained by writing to TOEFL, Educational Testing Service, Princeton, New Jersey 08540, U.S.A.
All applicants for admission from non-English-speaking countries must present a score of at least 550 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Sam Houston State University has an English as a Second Language Program for non-English-speaking international students. Information about this program may be obtained by contacting the English as a Second Language (ESL) Office, College of Education and Applied Science, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas 77341.
Each graduate student is responsible for becoming familiar with the rules and regulations pertaining to graduate study and the requirements for advanced degrees.
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