2018-2019 Graduate Bulletin > Policies and General Information > General Information > Admission > Types of Admission

Types of Admission

CMU has six categories of admission: regular, conditional, non-degree, provisional, concurrent (as a CMU graduating senior), and accelerated. A Letter of Admission is valid for one calendar year following the effective admission date. If a student does not enroll in courses within one calendar year after being admitted for graduate study, the student is required to reapply for admission.

Graduate applicants should be aware that concentrations in some disciplines may be open only to full-time, main campus students. Graduate applicants who cannot attend full-time should check with the department before seeking admission to a concentration in that department. Note: International students are required by law to be enrolled full-time.

All references to grade points and grade point averages (GPA) are based on a four-point scale. (The adaptation of this scale to the graduate school marking system at Central Michigan University is found under Academic Regulations.)

Baccalaureate Degree Requirements. All applicants must hold a baccalaureate or equivalent degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college of university (accredited at the time the student attended), or in the case of institutions outside the U.S. a degree from an institution recognized by the government of that country at the time of attendance.

Department Requirements. All applicants must meet the admission requirements of the department in which they wish to complete their graduate degree or certificate.

1. Regular Admission

Requires at least a 2.7 cumulative, undergraduate GPA, or a 3.0 cumulative, undergraduate GPA in the final sixty semester hours of graded coursework toward a bachelor’s degree. At least 60 hours of undergraduate coursework must be graded.

2. Conditional Admission

Conditional admission may be granted to students who do not meet all the requirements for regular admission or whose personal competencies a department may wish to assess prior to recommending regular admission. Departments or Applications Processing may require that the student be conditionally admitted with the requirement that he/she makes up the deficiencies and maintains an acceptable level of scholarship in graded graduate coursework. Courses taken to make up deficiencies in preparation for regular admission may not be counted toward graduate degree/certificate requirements. Conditional admission to graduate study, even when accompanied by assignment to an academic advisor, does not constitute final admission. Students are considered admitted only when regular admission status has been granted.

If a department/program chooses to admit a student with less than a 2.7 cumulative undergraduate GPA that student must be conditionally admitted with the following condition, “Student must earn a B or better in the first three graduate courses of the program.” No student should be admitted with a cumulative undergraduate GPA of less than a 2.0.

Students granted conditional admission are only considered to be regularly admitted to a specific curriculum when they have:

1. fulfilled all the prerequisites for admission to the curriculum;
2. submitted a completed Admission Status Reclassification Petition form with required signatures to Applications Processing;
3. submitted an Authorization for Degree Program – Graduate or Doctoral form approved and signed by the appropriate personnel.

3. Non-Degree Admission

Non-degree admission status is meant for applicants who: 1) are undecided as to curriculum choice, or 2) do not wish to earn a degree or certificate, or 3) do not meet the requirements for regular or conditional admission.

Coursework Restrictions:

• Students admitted as non-degree may register only for courses for which they meet the pre-requisites.
• Students may enroll in an unlimited number of courses while having non-degree status however, dependent on graduate program/department approval a maximum of nine graduate credits may be applied toward a graduate degree or a maximum of six graduate credits may be applied toward a certificate. Departments may approve a higher or lower limit with the College of Graduate Studies approval.
• Graduate credits used to make up deficiencies in program preparation cannot be counted toward a degree or certificate. Students should contact the department chairperson or graduate coordinator in their proposed field of study for assistance in selecting coursework to make up deficiencies.
• Students must maintain the required cumulative graduate GPA of 3.0.

Re-evaluation for Regular or Conditional Admission. The time frame varies for non-degree students who wish to apply for conditional or regular admission. Students admitted to non-degree status because of failure to meet the requirements for conditional or regular admission may apply for admission once they have met the requirements to the satisfaction of the department which offers the program and Applications Processing. “Undecided” students who do not have coursework deficiencies may apply for admission to a degree or certificate program at any time.

Non-degree students who apply for regular or conditional admission will be evaluated as all applicants are evaluated and the admission decision will be communicated to the student by Applications Processing.

Students wishing to change from non-degree to regular or conditional admission status must complete another admission application. However, no fee is required if the student paid the application fee when applying for non-degree status.

International applicants. International applicants holding a J-1 (exchange) visa may be allowed non-degree status. Only in unusual and rare circumstances may international students holding an F-1 (student) visa be granted non-degree status.

4. Provisional Admission

Provisional Admission is typically granted to 1) Students in the final semester of completing their bachelor’s degree with the understanding that they will complete the baccalaureate prior to beginning their graduate studies or 2) Students who in rare circumstances submit an unofficial transcript or test scores pending receipt of official documents. Provisional admission is granted to these students in combination with another admission status (regular, conditional, and non-degree) contingent upon providing Applications Processing with the required information.

Students with provisional admission may only register for one semester of graduate coursework while awaiting the official documentation. It is the student’s responsibility to request the registrar at the baccalaureate granting college or university to send an official copy of the final transcript reflecting the degree earned or for official test scores to be sent directly from the testing organization to Applications Processing. A final decision relative to the applicant’s admission will be made and the student will be notified of the decision. If the student fails to submit the required documentation the admission will be converted to a denial and the student will be removed from classes.

5. Concurrent Admission as a Graduating Senior

An undergraduate student may be permitted to register concurrently for graduate credit for the semester or summer session in which requirements will be completed for a baccalaureate degree, provided that the following conditions are met: 1) the student will be enrolled in a maximum of 12 undergraduate credits during the semester of concurrent registration; 2) during the semester of concurrent registration, the student enrolls in all remaining courses required for graduation; 3) during the semester of concurrent registration the student total credit load (undergraduate and graduate) will not exceed 15 credit hours; 4) the student has an undergraduate GPA of at least 2.7 or a 3.0 in the last 60 semester hours of graded coursework toward the bachelor’s degree; and 5) only 500-level coursework is eligible for concurrent enrollment; and 6) the student is admitted to Graduate Studies (conditional or non-degree status). Students who do not comply with the conditions of concurrent admission may be dropped from their graduate courses. Students who fail to earn their baccalaureate degree at the end of the concurrently-enrolled semester will have their admission will be converted to a denial and the student will be removed from classes. Exceptions to the policy may be granted under any of the following circumstances:

1. Students who have completed all requirements for the bachelor’s degree EXCEPT student teaching may be granted concurrent status prior to student teaching if they meet conditions 4 and 6 above;
2. Students admitted to an accelerated master’s degree program at CMU may be granted concurrent status if they have completed at least 86 undergraduate credit hours and satisfy condition 4 above;
3. Exceptions may be granted by the Vice President for Research and Dean of Graduate Studies.

6. Accelerated Master's Degree Program

The Accelerated Master’s Degree Program (AMDP) allows students to reduce the total number of credits required to complete their undergraduate and graduate degrees by applying no more than 50% of the graduate program (500 and 600 level courses), at the discretion of the department, towards graduation requirements on both degree programs. Generally, courses required on the undergraduate major may not be counted on the graduate program. Students must enroll for the courses at the graduate level and may not be enrolled in more than 15 credit hours (graduate and undergraduate combined) per semester. Not all programs offer the Accelerated Master’s Degree Program; a master’s degree granting program must be approved, through the curricular process, to offer an Accelerated Master’s Degree. Not all graduate programs offer the Accelerated Master's Degree Program. Check the Graduate Studies website for the most recent list of Accelerated Master’s degree programs.

Admission Procedures. Each program will determine admission criteria, which will be at least as rigorous as the admission requirements for admission to the master’s program, and procedures for its Accelerated Master’s Degree. Generally, students will apply during their junior year for admission into the Accelerated Master’s Degree Program to begin fall semester of their senior year. In most cases the baccalaureate degree will be awarded within one year after admission into the Accelerated Master’s Degree Program. Prior to earning the baccalaureate degree, students must earn at least a “B” in each course which applies to the graduate degree; if students do not earn a “B” in each course which applies to the graduate degree they must apply for readmission into the master’s program.

If you are admitted to an AMDP, your financial aid may be affected. Contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid for information (989-774-3674) or cmuosfa@cmich.edu.