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Future Student Resources 

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  • Idaho State University invites applications for admission to Graduate School from students holding baccalaureate degrees from any regionally accredited college or university in the United States or with equivalent preparation acquired in another country.
  • Prospective students may apply as degree-seeking or non-degree-seeking students.
  • Non-degree-seeking students include those seeking certification, professional growth, or strengthened backgrounds for various professional and industrial occupations.

The Application Process

The admission process is initiated as follows:

  1. The application for admissions (https://www.isu.edu/apply/) is available online.
  2. Applicants applying as degree-seeking students must request that each institution at which they have taken any post-secondary work submit one official transcript directly to the Graduate School. Idaho State University undergraduate transcripts are available to the Graduate School and need not be forwarded by the applicant. Non-degree-seeking applicants must provide a transcript (official or copy) showing proof of degree.
  3. Applicants must include a non-refundable processing fee of $65 for master's and doctoral applications, $35 for certificates, and $35 for non-degree seeking with each application form. Please note that certain degree programs may have an additional application fee.
  4. Some programs require additional materials (e.g., letters of recommendation, program-specific application fees); please contact the specific department and review individual departmental sections of this catalog for additional requirements. They may also require their own 
  5. Applicants must clearly indicate the desired graduate program on the application form, or if a non-degree-seeking student, the college and department in which the student intends to take courses.
  6. GRE/GMAT/MAT may be required for degree-seeking applicants at the discretion of the department.
  7. Additional requirements for degree-seeking last semester seniors and international students are described under those headings on the following pages.

Application Deadlines

Please note that some programs have earlier or later deadlines than those listed; please contact the program director or department chair for specific details.

Priority deadlines for application forms to be completed and returned to the Graduate School are:

  • April 1 for summer semester enrollment
  • April 1 for fall semester enrollment
  • November 1 for spring semester enrollment

Deadlines will be the following Monday should these dates fall on a weekend.

Notification of Admission

Applicants will receive a notification letter from the Graduate School regarding their admission status.

Admission to Graduate School allows a student to enroll in graduate courses in the specified department and college. It does not imply admission to courses in other departments. Only those admitted as degree-seeking students may assume that they are permitted to seek an advanced degree in the discipline/department that approved the admission.

Non-degree-seeking students who are admitted are permitted to take graduate courses, but this admission does not imply they will later be approved for admission as degree-seeking students.

Re-Enrollment or Re-Admission of Graduate Students

Graduate students who have been admitted to Graduate School may enroll for graduate or undergraduate classes by preregistration or registration without further application activity if they enroll within 2 years from the beginning of the term for which they were accepted. Graduate students who fail to enroll during the two-year period, or more restrictive period of the department, must reapply for admission, and pay a processing fee.

Students who were not enrolled in the previous term may register for the current term. However, some departments may have more restrictive requirements and admission may be valid for only a particular semester or year. Students should contact departments to determine these more restrictive requirements.

Admission of International Students

Applications for admission to Graduate School are processed in the Graduate School. Applications will not be processed until the processing fee has been received.

In addition to the admission requirements listed previously, international students must meet the following conditions:

  1. As a step toward obtaining a U.S. visa, international students must submit a financial statement to the Graduate School verifying that they will be able to support themselves financially for a minimum of one year while attending Idaho State University. This document must consist of a statement or letter from a bank indicating that funds are available and accessible. The amount of money available to the student must be listed on the financial statement. A graduate assistantship or fellowship awarded by a department or college may be used as part of this amount.
  2. International students who have not graduated from an accredited college or university in the United States and whose native language is not English normally must achieve satisfactory scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Satisfactory TOEFL requirements for Classified admission are: (1) Internet-based test (iBT): a total score of 80 with a score of at least 20 on each Section (graduate assistants who teach courses must score 23 or above on the Speaking Section) on the iBT; or (2) Computer-based test: a total score of 213 with a score of at least 21 on Section 1 (Listening Comprehension) on the computer test; or (3) Paper-based test: a total score of 550 with a score of at least 55 on Section l (Listening Comprehension) on the paper test. Information about the TOEFL, including test dates and locations in international countries, can be obtained from Educational Testing Service (ETS) at www.ets.org. Satisfactory IELTS performance for Classified admission include scoring 6.5 or higher on the total band score. Graduate assistants who teach courses must score 6.5 or above on the speaking test component. An international student may also meet the English language proficiency requirement by achieving a Level 112 from an ELS Language Center. PHOTOCOPIES OF TOEFL OR IELTS SCORES WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
  3. International students may not enter the United States for graduate study without a U.S. Immigration (I-20) form. This form will be issued by the International Program Office after the student is approved for admission by the Dean of the Graduate School. International students are urged to remain in their own countries until they receive notice of acceptance.
  4. International students transferring from a school within the United States must be “IN STATUS” with Immigration and Naturalization Services to be issued an I-20 form from Idaho State University. A transfer form will be sent after the application has been received, to be completed as verification of acceptable immigration status.

If you have questions or need additional information, please contact the Graduate School at (208)282-2270, FAX number (208)282-4847.

Registration

All applicants who have received notice of admission into Graduate School may pre-register during the appropriate pre-registration periods or during the regular registration times prior to each semester.

Online registration is available to admitted students.

To expedite completion of the registration procedure, all recipients of graduate teaching assistantships, graduate fellowships, and/or scholarships to be applied toward tuition and fees must pre-register.

Restricted Registration

Any graduate student receiving a grade of C+ or below in two graduate courses in his or her program of study, or whose GPA falls below 3.0, will automatically be blocked from registering for additional courses.

For the block to be removed, the student’s department or college must communicate to the Graduate School in writing its wish to allow the student to continue in the program.

Please note that some programs vary in their restrictions with regard to this policy; contact the graduate program director or department chair for specific details.

Continuing Registration for Graduate Students

Graduate students who have registered for one or more credits of master's project, master's paper, master's thesis, or doctoral thesis or dissertation (usually, courses numbered 6650, 6651, 6699, 7750, or 8850) must be registered for at least one graduate credit during subsequent semesters, excluding summer semester, until they have completed their degrees. Students who, for compelling reasons, wish to interrupt their work on projects, theses, or dissertations may request, in writing, a leave of absence from the Graduate School.

Graduate students who fail to meet the continuing registration requirement will be judged to have dropped out of their programs and will no longer enjoy access to university resources, including the library and computer facilities. In order to regain access to university resources, students will be required to reapply to the Graduate School and be readmitted. A corollary of this requirement is that a graduate student must be registered for at least one graduate credit in order to take a final oral examination or be processed for graduation. Any student who registers for the required credit and then subsequently drops the credit, will be considered in violation of this policy.

Registration without Permission

Students who register for graduate courses in violation of any restriction printed in the Graduate Catalog or written on their Admission notification, or who register for graduate courses after receiving a letter of dismissal from the department or college that admitted them, will be dropped from these graduate course(s) as soon as the violation is discovered.

Classified Status

Graduates of regionally accredited institutions who have earned grade point averages of 2.5 or higher for the last 60 credits taken at the undergraduate level, are eligible, upon submission of official GRE/GMAT/MAT scores if appropriate, to be admitted to Classified status in graduate master's programs. Doctoral students must meet individual department GPAs and standardized test requirements. See department sections of this catalog for complete information.

The College of Business requires the GMAT. The Department of Counseling and the College of Education accept the MAT in lieu of the GRE. Please see the department sections for this information.

Classified (with Performance Requirements) [Classified (w/PR)] Status

Classified (with Performance Requirements) [i.e., Classified (w/PR)] status is a transitional status and is not a valid status for a student to graduate. In order to graduate, a student must have Classified status (see the following section "Change from Classified (w/PR) to Classified Status").

A department/college may, at its discretion, recommend admission for graduate students in a degree program with Classified (w/PR) status to ascertain their ability to do graduate work within a particular curriculum. Students admitted to Classified (w/PR) status are those who may not have satisfactorily met all admission requirements.

Classified (w/PR) status also may be recommended by a department for students whose credentials do not meet specific departmental requirements.

NOTE: Students admitted to Classified (w/PR) status should ascertain their eligibility for federal financial aid. Such students are not eligible to receive Idaho State University graduate assistantships or Non-resident Tuition Waivers (NRTW).

Change from Classified (w/ PR) to Classified Status

The following criteria must be met by the student before Classified (w/PR) status can be changed to Classified:

  1. The student must complete at least nine graduate credits and maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher;
  2. If the GRE/GMAT/MAT was not taken by the student prior to admission to Classified (w/PR) status, the student must take the GRE/GMAT/MAT specified in the Admission notification.

Upon completion of the above two criteria, a request to change the student’s status to Classified may be submitted to the Dean of the Graduate School. The following steps must be followed to accomplish this change:

  1. At any time after meeting the above criteria, a student may initiate an Approval for Change of Student Status in the Graduate School. The department/college may also initiate the change and should do so by written request when the student has met the required criteria.
  2. The change from Classified (w/PR) to Classified status must be approved by the Dean of the Graduate School.

If a student admitted to Classified (w/PR) status fails to meet the conditions for admission stated on the Admission notification the student's admission may be revoked.

Unclassified (Non-degree Seeking Students) Status

Individuals holding a bachelor's degree who desire to take courses for graduate credit for personal or professional enrichment but who do not want to pursue a graduate degree are eligible to apply for admission to Unclassified (non-degree seeking) status. Students who are admitted to Unclassified status are allowed to register for a maximum of 9 graduate credits per semester. Since an Unclassified status student is not seeking a degree, course and/or program advising, except on an informal basis if requested, will not be provided.

Individuals who apply for Unclassified status admission must submit the following information and meet the following requirements:

  1. A baccalaureate degree, or higher, from a regionally accredited educational institution in the United States, or the equivalent from an educational institution in another country.
  2. A copy of a transcript indicating that a baccalaureate degree, or higher, was awarded, including the date the degree was awarded.
  3. Meet the following Grade Point Average (GPA) requirement: An earned grade point average (GPA) of 2.50 or higher on all undergraduate courses taken during the last 60 ± undergraduate semester credits (90 ± quarter credits), regardless of the institution at which the credits were earned. This GPA may be different from the final transcript GPA and/or different from the GPA on all upper-division credits. In the case of those students who have not completed the baccalaureate degree, the GPA will be calculated on the last 60 credits at the time of application.
  4. A properly completed application form.
  5. A $30.00 non-refundable application fee that will not be waived.

Academic departments may have additional requirements and/or may restrict enrollment of Unclassified graduate students to specific courses. Unclassified graduate students must meet all prerequisites for each class in which they want to enroll.

If an Unclassified student wishes to pursue a graduate degree at Idaho State University, the student must

(1) meet the requirements for admission as a Classified student, and

(2) complete all aspects of the Classified status application procedure for a specific degree program, detailed under "Admission" in the first part of the Graduate Catalog, including submission of official transcript(s) and payment of the Classified application processing fee (the amount paid for Unclassified application will not apply for Classified application).

After admission as a Classified student, students may petition the Dean of the Graduate School to transfer course work taken while in Unclassified status to a degree program. This petition must have the written support of the degree program for each course. The total number of such credits transferred shall not be more than 30% of the total credits for the program of study required for the particular degree.