Graduate Degrees and Graduate Study Options

The university offers programs of study leading to the Master of Science degree, the Master of Arts, the Master of Engineering Technology, the Master of Music, the Master of Business Administration, and the Specialist in Education. The fields of study in which master's level programs are offered are listed on page 64.

The Specialist in Education degree is a professional degree providing advanced study for school personnel and for teachers. The fields in which this degree is offered are listed on page 67. 

In addition to degree programs, the university also provides an opportunity for those who wish to do graduate study for personal and professional reasons without study toward a degree.

Professional development opportunities to satisfy Licensure/Certification and Relicensure/Recertification requirements for Nurses, Teachers. Social Workers, Public Accountants, Psychologists, and Counselors and opportunities for intensive on-campus summer study in specialized topic areas are also available.

Information concerning graduate study in general as well as rules and regulations which pertain to both the master's degree and the Specialist in Education degree are given below. Rules and regulations which govern the masters' degree are given on page 63. Those for the Specialist in Education degree begin on page 67.

Graduate School Admission Requirements

All students admitted for graduate study at Pittsburg State University must meet admission standards prescribed by the graduate faculty, legislated by the Graduate Council, and administered by the Dean of Continuing and Graduate Studies.

Students must submit a completed application form to the Office of Graduate Studies and Research at least three weeks prior to enrollment and no earlier than two semesters preceding the initiation of graduate study. Applicants will not be admitted to full standing unless all transcripts of previous work have been received from the registrar of the institutions granting the undergraduate degree and institutions granting previous graduate credit.

Candidates for admission must have completed a bachelor's degree at a regionally accredited college/ university. Exceptions may be made by special institutional agreements. Applicants must complete all admission examinations required by the college or department in which they intend to study.

Applicants who have not completed admission procedures prior to the date of their intended enrollment may enroll conditionally as special graduate students.

Admission to the Graduate School for graduate study is granted by the Dean of Continuing and Graduate Studies. The Dean of Continuing and Graduate Studies has the authority to refuse the applicant admission to graduate study.

Admission to a Degree Program

Students who wish to study for an advanced degree must identify a desired program of study at the time of application and must meet both the Graduate School requirements and the departmental entry requirements for the program of study.

Requirements listed by major include the following:

--    Art: Evidence of artistic work (slides or products)

--    Biology: Interview (in person, or by telephone, or by letter exchange)

--    Communication: Letters of reference and statement of intent. A TOEFL score of 550/213 is required.

--    Education: Evidence of state teacher certification for majors in school administration or teacher education. Also must submit scores from either the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) or the Miller Analogies Test (MAT).

--    English: A SPEAK Test score of 240 for graduate assistants.

--    History: A TOEFL of 550/213 is required.

--    MBA: The GMAT entry test and a TOEFL score of 550/213 are required.

--    Music: Evidence of musical ability (performance or tape of performance).

--    Nursing: The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and a TOEFL score of 550/213 are required.

--    Psychology and Counseling: The GRE test (verbal, quantitative, and analytical), three letters of recommendation, personal statement, a TOEFL score of 550/213, and an additional department application

--    Technology: Evidence of major in a technology field. Engineering Technology requires a TOEFL of 540/207.

Students should check with the department to obtain complete information on additional requirements.

The department determines whether the student qualifications are acceptable for a particular program of study; after admission, advisors and students plan the specific sequence and range of courses needed in each program of study.

Because many degree programs have unique admission requirements in addition to those of the Graduate School, applicants should consult with the department to which they are applying. In the event tests are required for admission, they may be scheduled in the Testing Center. Students are expected to assume the responsibility for scheduling their own test dates. An active schedule of test dates is maintained by the Center.

Admission will be granted to graduates of other accredited institutions whose requirements for undergraduate degrees are substantially equivalent to those of the university. Students may be refused admission to a graduate degree program if their previous college record indicates an inability to complete graduate study successfully.

Admission to a degree program may be conditional or full standing. Admission to full standing is granted to applicants whose undergraduate record meets all requirements, including a baccalaureate grade point average of 2.7000 or above. Admission to full standing means that the student may begin work toward the degree without conditions. However, inclusion of some deficiency work may be required.

Conditional admission to a degree program may be granted when the applicant's previous undergraduate record indicates any or all of the following conditions:

1. an overall under­graduate grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.3000 but below 2.7000;
2. an undergraduate GPA of at least 2.3000 but below 2.7000 in the area of the proposed major;
3. less than C grades in freshman-sophomore composition and rhetoric;
4. an undergraduate general education background which is not satisfactory by the standards of the university; and/or
5. need to meet specific prerequisites (such as certification) or deficiencies in the proposed graduate major, either in the form of prerequisite courses and credits or low grades in prerequisite courses. Conditional admission may also be granted when certain application requirements are in process but not yet completed.

Exceptions may be made to any of the above requirements upon recommendation of the department and approval of conditional admission by the Dean of Continuing and Graduate Studies. The applicant may also be required to present additional documentation of ability to be successful in graduate work.

The conditions and requirements to be satisfied prior to full admission to a degree shall be prescribed at the time of conditional admission by the Dean of Continuing and Graduate Studies upon the recommendation of the department.

Students wishing to change their program of study must apply for admission to a new program of study by submitting a change of program request through the Office of Continuing and Graduate Studies. The application for the new program of study must be approved by the Dean of Continuing and Graduate Studies and the department in which the new program of study is housed. The application of credits earned in the initial program of study to the new program of study is determined by the department in which the new program of study is to be taken. Students are expected to meet all the entry requirements of the department in which the new program of study is housed.

Admission as a Non-Degree Student

Students may be designated special graduate students under two conditions:

1. if their applications for graduate study are not complete; or
2. if they wish to be admitted to graduate study without designating a degree objective.

A student may complete no more than twelve semester hours of graduate study as a special non-degree student. After the accumulation of twelve semester hours, the student must apply for conditional or full standing admission to the graduate program, or must apply for a continuation of special graduate status.

Graduate students wishing to be admitted to graduate degree study must initiate admission procedures governed by degree program regulations. Up to twelve hours of course work taken in special graduate status may later apply to a graduate degree. The applicability of these courses to the graduate degree will be determined by the academic department housing the degree program.

Admission as a Senior-Graduate Student

Seniors at PSU may apply to take graduate work and receive graduate credit under two conditions:

1. if they are in their final semester of undergraduate work; or
2. if they are senior BSED or BME students who must enroll in a professional semester as the final semester at Pittsburg State University.

The following requirements must be met:

1. good academic standing;
2. completion of residency requirements of thirty hours for the baccalaureate degree;
3. qualified for graduate conditional admission. The planned academic program for the senior-graduate semester will not exceed sixteen semester hours including the graduate work. Upon application to the Dean of Continuing and Graduate Studies, the student may be approved as a senior-graduate student and may register for no more than nine hours of graduate work.  If the senior-graduate does not complete the undergraduate degree, graduate credit cannot be awarded for the courses taken. Graduate credit will not be awarded for 700 level courses taken by students who have not been admitted as senior-graduates.

International Student Admission

International students from countries in which English is not their language of instruction must submit scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) of 520/190 or above for all programs except the Master of Business Administration program, the Master of Accounting, the master or education specialist in psychology and counseling, the Master of Science in Nursing, and the Master of Arts in history or communication, which require a score of 550/213 for full admission. If scores are below those requirements, students will be required to take one or more courses in the Intensive English Program.  Resident Aliens may be required to submit TOEFL scores if the department in which they are applying requires it.

International students must also present evidence of financial resources adequate to support the necessary period for graduate study and must have in their possession the proper credentials as defined by the U.S. Office of Immigration and Naturalization. International students must meet all test or other entry requirements of their specific degree program.

Departments may require international students to take other tests prior to admission to graduate study. It is the student's responsibility to determine what the departmental admission examination requirements are and make arrangements to sit for those examinations.

All international students are required by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) to be full-time students.   Graduate students must complete at least 9 hours per semester to maintain their student status. Students may be less than full-time their final (graduating) semester. Failure to maintain INS status can result in many lost benefits for the student.