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Types of Admission

CMU has four categories of admission: regular, non-degree, concurrent, and accelerated. An admission decision is valid for one calendar year from the admitted starting semester. 

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 CMU is found under Academic Regulations).

Regular Admission

Regular admission requires that an applicant has satisfied any program requirements outlined by the department and can show evidence of having met at least one of the following:

  1. An earned Bachelor’s degree or equivalent with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.70 from a regionally accredited institution or one with equivalent standing; OR
  2. a GPA of at least 3.0 in the final sixty semester hours of graded coursework toward a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution or one with equivalent standing; OR
  3. an earned Master’s degree or equivalent with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.00 from a regionally accredited institution or one with equivalent standing.

Applicants who demonstrate evidence of potential for success in a graduate program but require initial monitoring may be granted regular admission with stipulations. Stipulations may include but are not limited to successful completion of pre- or co-requisite courses, successful completion of credits with a specified earned GPA, or departmental interview. Applicants granted regular admission with stipulations are expected to satisfy any stipulations by the end of their second semester of enrollment. The only notable exception are international students completing English Proficiency requirements.

Regular admission with stipulations will require that:

  1. At a minimum, departments document the stipulations in the applicant’s admission folder;
  2. Graduate Admissions will review student progress at the end of the first and second semester to ensure the student is meeting or has met the stipulations. Students who do not meet outstanding stipulations will be referred to the Office of Graduate Studies for review;
  3. The Office of Graduate Studies will dismiss students who have not met or are not meeting the stated stipulations.

Regular admissions will not be granted to any applicant with an incoming undergraduate GPA below a 2.00.

Non-Degree Admission

Non-degree status is intended for a student who has earned an undergraduate degree or equivalent and does not initially intend to pursue a degree program. A non-degree student attends CMU with the intention of satisfying prerequisite program courses needed at a graduate level, or for personal enrichment, or is contemplating pursuing a degree program and wants to be exposed to an area of study. Generally, non-degree students are not eligible for financial aid. Questions related to financial aid eligibility should be directed to the Office of Scholarship and Financial Aid.

While non-degree students are eligible to take unlimited courses with a non-degree status, only six (6) credits completed with a non-degree status can be used towards a degree program at CMU. (If a non-degree student wishes to use more than six (6) credits towards a degree program they must first be admitted to the degree program and then receive approval from the department and the Office of Graduate Studies).

To receive a non-degree status, an individual should submit an admission application for the semester they wish to enroll at CMU. The application fee is expected the first time a non-degree student applies. At a minimum, unofficial transcripts are expected at the time a non-degree student applies to ensure they have successfully completed or will complete an undergraduate degree. Official transcripts from all schools attended as an undergraduate are expected by the third week of the first semester of enrollment. Failure to provide all official transcripts will prohibit any future registrations. Once official transcripts are provided, students with a non-degree status can continue to enroll in an unlimited number of credits. A non-degree student will become inactive and required to reapply once it has been three (3) or more years since their last semester of enrollment.

Students with a non-degree status who decide to pursue a degree program should submit an online admission application to the selected program. The application fee is not expected in these instances, but all other admission requirements for both the Office of Graduate Studies and the selected program will be required.

Concurrent Admission

A CMU 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. 

A CMU undergraduate student who wishes to obtain a Concurrent Admission status should first complete “Concurrent Admission Acknowledgement & Approval” form. If approved, an online graduate admission application with the expected application fee should then be submitted with the approved form uploaded to the application.

Students approved for Concurrent Admission will be granted this status for the approved semester only. The status will expire at the end of the approved semester, regardless of whether the student successfully completes their undergraduate degree requirements and graduates. 

Students wishing to complete additional graduate courses beyond the semester of Concurrent Admission, either as a degree- or non-degree-seeking student, will need to submit a new admission application. The application fee will not be required in these instances.

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. 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. 

Admission of CMU Faculty and Staff

A faculty member, administrator, or staff member at CMU may not be admitted to a graduate degree or certificate program or earn a graduate degree or certificate in a program in his/her own department. A faculty member, administrator, or staff member at CMU may be admitted to a graduate degree or certificate program and earn a graduate degree or certificate in a program in his/her own college, provided that he/she has written permission from the dean of his/her college. The written permission will be retained in the student's file. A faculty member, administrator, or staff member may be admitted to a degree or certificate program that is outside his/her own college.