The mission of the graduate programs at Georgia College is to educate our students at the highest level in their academic discipline and to provide them with a foundation for continuous learning as future scholars, teachers, and professionals. This is accomplished by providing high-quality programs in several specialties of arts and sciences, business, education, and health sciences. Admission is based on criteria specific to each program. The programs of study emphasize independent and advanced applied research skills, professional development, cultural breadth beyond the baccalaureate degree, and sophisticated techniques applicable to many paths taken by students with superior academic qualifications.
Graduate study is much more than a continuation of undergraduate work and should be contemplated only by students who have previously demonstrated an exceptional intellectual ability and capacity for independent thought and investigation. Admission requirements serve to maintain the high standards that are characteristic of graduate study and to benefit students by helping them decide whether they should undertake such a course of action. By means of an admission classification system, Georgia College provides for the maintenance of these standards in its degree programs. It also provides for, and makes its facilities available to, a wide variety of students who are not eligible for advanced degrees, or who do not wish to become applicants for degrees.
All graduate programs are administered through the Academic Colleges. Program coordinators monitor graduate programs, provide assistance to students, make admission decisions, and perform other operational functions for their particular program areas.
Consideration for admission to graduate study at Georgia College will be given to applicants who hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution and who present evidence of probable success in graduate work. Students who are presently enrolled in a graduate program at another institution, or have taken graduate-level courses elsewhere, must be in good standing at that institution to be eligible for admission to a program of graduate study at Georgia College.
Priority application deadlines are July 1 for the Fall semester, November 1 for the Spring semester and April 1 for Maymester/Summer. All applicants requiring standardized test scores should complete examinations at least four weeks prior to application deadlines. Deadlines for specific programs may vary. Please check the program page at www.gcsu.edu/graduate/all-graduate-programs for more information about deadlines.
The following applies to all graduate applicants:
- Applicant must hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution.
- Applicants seeking admission into a degree, post-master’s certificate, certification, or endorsement program must provide the Graduate Admissions Office with official transcripts from each institution in which they enrolled, even if the coursework is recorded on another institution’s transcript or completed through a study abroad program.
- Applicants seeking admission into a stand-alone certificate program or for non-degree enrichment must provide an official transcript showing successful completion of a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution.
- Students previously admitted under non-degree status are required to provide official transcripts for all college/university level coursework before they may be admitted to a degree, post-master’s certificate, certification, or endorsement program.
- Admission into a stand-alone certificate program, as transient, or under non-degree enrichment status does not guarantee admission into a degree, post-master’s certificate, certification, or endorsement program.
- An application for admission must be completed online. The online application fee is $35.00. Students who have paid the application fee within the past six years or were enrolled at Georgia College within the past six years are exempt from the application fee.
- Applicants from countries other than the United States who intend to be in F-1 or J-1 student visa status must apply for admission through GC’s International Education Center and must submit additional documents as required by the International Education Center.
- Applicants who completed college/university-level coursework outside of the United States must present official transcripts (certified or attested) in the original language, as well as an official course-by-course evaluation of all college/university-level work completed by a National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) member.
Degree programs may require applicants to provide acceptable results of their performance on applicable graduate tests including, but not limited to: Graduate Record Examination (GRE), Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), Georgia Assessment for the Certification of Educators (GACE), and/or Miller Analogies Test (MAT). Test scores may not be more than five years old and will only be accepted if received directly from the testing company.
Specific degree programs may require other supporting materials. An application is not considered complete, nor will be reviewed for admission, until all required documents are on file in the Graduate Admissions Office. See Conditional Admission of Graduate Students (p. 2) for exception.
The program coordinator gives approval for admission to a degree program, subject to the minimum requirements of the University. An applicant will only be admitted to a degree program with the recommendation of the program coordinator. A student will not be allowed to register for or complete more than 12 semester hours in any degree program without attaining regular admissions status.
Classification of Graduate Students
Students admitted to Georgia College graduate programs will be classified in the following degree categories:
Regular Admission
An applicant who has been determined by the coordinator of the program to have met all requirements for admission to a degree program as described in the degree program section of the catalog may be admitted as a regular graduate student.
In no instance will more than a total of 12 semester hours from any other classification(s) be applied toward a degree program.
Regular Admission to the Georgia College Graduate Program includes Admission to Candidacy. The admission to candidacy includes a program of study that serves as a mutual agreement between the student applicant and Georgia College. This agreement (program of study) must be followed and cannot be changed without the prior written approval of the coordinator of the student’s graduate program. A program of study form will be forwarded to each student upon admission. A student will not be able to register for more than 12 semester hours until they complete a program of study form.
Conditional Admission
Applicants who apply too late for full consideration for admission and/or have not submitted all required documents for evaluation may be assigned conditional admission status. While in this status a student may register for one semester only by completing a Georgia College Conditional Registration Agreement for Graduate Students; this form requires the signatures of both the student and the graduate coordinator. Any student who registers under this agreement must be admitted to either regular or provisional status by the end of the first semester of enrollment. Students may take no more than 12 semester hours of course work in conditional and provisional statuses combined. The amount of credit that may be applied towards the completion of a degree program varies. Check with the graduate coordinator of the degree program for more information.
Students are not eligible to receive financial aid under conditional admission.
Provisional and conditional students who are able to remove the condition that caused them to be designated as provisional or conditional may be eligible for assignment to another classification. A maximum of 12 semester hours earned in this classification can be applied toward meeting the requirements of a degree program. This maximum will be reduced according to the number of hours a student has earned in non-degree or transient categories.
For example, a student who has earned 12 semester hours of credit while in the enrichment category is not eligible to apply any of the hours earned as a provisional student toward a degree program. In no instances will more than a total of 12 semester hours from any one or a combination of provisional, conditional, non-degree or transient designations be counted toward a degree program.
Conditional registration provisions may vary by degree program. Please refer to degree program sections of the Catalog for individual program requirements.
Provisional Admission
Students who have completed all requirements for admission but do not meet minimum standards for regular admission, may be placed in the provisional admission classification by the graduate coordinator in the student’s degree program. Students may take no more than 12 semester hours of coursework in conditional and provisional status combined. The Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and the J. Whitney Bunting College of Business and Technology do not allow provisional admission.
To exit provisional admission and to be classified as a regular student, all admission criteria as described in the provisional admission exit requirements section of each program must be satisfied and approved by the degree program coordinator. Students are usually reviewed for a change in classification after successfully completing 9 to 12 hours of coursework.
Residency Classification
Non-Resident Students
Each semester, students who do not qualify as residents of the state of Georgia will pay out-of-state tuition.
Residency for in-State Tuition Purposes
The following general descriptions are by no means all-inclusive, nor do they supersede existing regulations concerning in-state residency. This should only be used as an explanatory guide for Georgia residency. Detailed official guidelines are listed in the codes of the University System of Georgia.
Since Georgia College is a state-supported institution, students must show documented proof of residency and indicate the duration of their residency in order to qualify for in-state tuition. Following admission, students who are classified as non-residents may apply for in-state residency by completing the Petition for Classification as an In-State Student, which is available from the Graduate Admissions Office. In reviewing petitions, the Georgia College Residency Committee looks at three primary items of proof.
- Students must first prove that they have established a primary domicile or permanent Georgia home for at least twelve consecutive months immediately preceding the beginning of classes for the term to be considered for residency. Typically, the residency status of a dependent student is tied to the status of the parent(s), so the parent(s) must show proof of domicile.
- Invariably, students and/or parent(s) of dependent students also should provide documentation showing payment of Georgia state income tax, as this shows a tie to the state that proves financial support for the Georgia educational system. Mere property ownership in Georgia, by itself, is usually insufficient.
- The Residency Committee also suggests students include copies of any other documents showing their intent to be a Georgia resident, such as a Georgia driver’s license, car or voter registration, home ownership, full-time employment records, etc. Attending college in Georgia is not proof of intention to be a Georgia resident.
In reviewing petitions for in-state residency, Georgia College considers each student’s situation as unique, and so there are no universal formulas. In general, though, the three items mentioned above are key. Georgia College does understand that there are situations, such as parents living in separate states or a family in the military, which may alter the review process.
Special Situations Involving Residency
The following descriptions should help in understanding what the Committee considers when reviewing certain situations.
Dependent versus Independent Students
- If a student is listed as a dependent on their parent or legal guardian’s previous year’s tax returns or receives more than 50% of their financial support from a parent or guardian, they are considered a dependent student and Georgia College considers the student to be a resident, for tuition purposes, of the parent or guardian’s state of residence. (A legal guardian must provide court and/or financial documentation of support for the student.)
- Independent students who wish to establish in-state residency for tuition purposes must document that their parent(s) have not claimed them as a tax dependent for the twelve months prior to the start of the term, and that the students have provided for more than 50% of their financial support as shown in federal and state tax returns.
- At times, current students at Georgia College may have their residency status changed to in-state, but they must show detailed evidence that they are an actual resident of Georgia, and they would have lived in Georgia even if they had not been in college. Current students may call the Graduate Admissions Office at 478-445-6289 if they have more questions regarding this situation.
Separated Family Situations
If a student lives outside Georgia, but a parent is a Georgia resident, it is sometimes possible for the student to be considered a Georgia resident for tuition purposes. The student and the parent must document that the parent has lived in Georgia for the twelve consecutive month period prior to enrollment.
Military Personnel and U.S. Citizens Living Abroad
- Dependents of active duty military personnel who claim Georgia residency must provide Georgia College with documentation, such as Georgia tax records or a Leave and Earnings statement.
- Dependents of active military personnel who are residents of other states but are stationed in Georgia can receive a waiver of the out-of-state tuition difference, providing the parent(s) submit documentation to the Business Office showing the military posting. The waiver continues only as long as the requirements are met.
- Dependents of U.S. citizens living abroad who consider themselves residents of Georgia must provide Georgia tax records and documentation showing Georgia as their last state of residency, as well as proof of a prior domicile in Georgia to which they may return.
Non-U.S. Citizens
Non-U.S. citizens are only eligible for in-state residency if they are lawful permanent residents as documented by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service or have been granted a visa in an eligible category. These students must still provide documentation of in-state residency for the twelve month period. F-1 student visas are not eligible.
Waivers of Out-of-State Tuition
Students may be eligible for a waiver of the out-of-state tuition difference if they are in one of the following categories: full-time employees of the University System, their spouse and dependent children; full-time teachers in a Georgia public school and their dependent children; active-duty military personnel and their dependents while stationed in Georgia. These students do not need to complete the Petition for Residency, but should contact the Business Office for more details about the required documentation needed.
State of Georgia HOPE Scholarship Situations
Residency decisions and qualifications surrounding the state-sponsored HOPE scholarship program are made by the Georgia Student Finance Commission and the HOPE Program, and so any questions regarding the HOPE scholarship should be directed towards these programs specifically.
As stated before, all petitions for in-state residency are considered in their entirety, so every file must be reviewed based upon its own merit. As well, this page is meant as a general guide about Georgia residency for tuition purposes, but does not supersede any existing policies for in-state residency found in the codes of the University System of Georgia.
Appeals Procedure
Any student wishing to appeal a decision by institution officials concerning residence classification shall file a Notice of Appeal with the appropriate review committee at the institution.
Following a review at the highest level at the institution, a student may apply to the Board of Regents for a review of the final decision of the President. Procedures are provided in the Bylaws and Policies of the Board of Regents.
Student Responsibilities
Student Responsibility to Register under Proper Classification - It is the student’s responsibility to register under the proper tuition classification. If there is any question about the right to in-state tuition status, it is the student’s obligation, prior to or at the time of registration, to raise the question with the administrative officials of the institution in which the student is registering to have tuition status officially determined. The burden rests with the student to submit the information and documentation necessary to support the argument for a particular tuition classification under Regents’ regulations.
Notification of Change in Circumstances - A student who is classified as an in-state student must immediately notify the proper administrative officials of the institution of any change in residency status or any other change in circumstances, that may affect tuition classification.
Official Change of Tuition Status - Every student classified as out-of-state shall retain that status until such time that student has petitioned for reclassification in the form prescribed by the institution and is officially reclassified in writing as an in-state student by the proper administrative officers. No more than one application may be filed for a given semester.
Reclassification - Every student who has been granted in-state tuition, as a legal resident of Georgia shall be reclassified as an out-of-state student whenever anyone shall report, or there have been found to exist, circumstances indicating a change in legal residence to another state.
International Graduate Student Admissions
Students from countries other than the United States who intend to be in F-1 or J-1 student visa status must apply for admission through GC’s International Education Center. Prospective students may download admissions materials from the International Center website at www.gcsu.edu/international, telephone (478) 445-4789, e-mail intladm@gcsu.edu or write International Admissions, Campus Box 49, Georgia College, Milledgeville, GA 31061 USA.
The following regulations apply:
- International applicants must complete all parts of the application as provided by the GC International Education Center; the general deadlines are April 1 for Fall Semester and September 1 for Spring Semester. Application deadlines for certain programs may vary. Applicants should refer to the graduate program website for the most accurate deadline for the program to which they are applying.
- To be considered for admission, international applicants must hold the equivalent of a U.S. baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited and officially recognized degree-granting institution.
- Applicants must present official transcripts (certified or attested) in the original language, as well as official translations in English (certified or attested by the official translator) of all college/university level work. Academic documents authenticated by notary publics are not accepted. Please note that all documents become the property of the University.
- Prospective students must present an OFFICIAL document for one of the following:
- TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score report with a minimum score of 550 (paper-based test) or 79 (Internet-based test).
- IELTS (International English Language Testing System) score report with a minimum score of 6.5.
- Other appropriate document supporting English proficiency as determined by the International Admissions Committee at Georgia College.
- Applicants must submit all required documents for the specific program to which they are applying, including official graduate exam score reports.
- International applicants must present evidence of adequate and assured financial resources for the entire time the student will attend Georgia College (complete the GC Declaration of Finances form).
- Upon admission and subsequent enrollment, international students are required to join and pay for the GC International Student Health Insurance Plan.
International Exchange Students
International students who will attend Georgia College under the terms of an exchange agreement with their home institution will be admitted according to the provisions specified in each agreement. Students should contact their home institution’s exchange coordinator or the International Education Center at GC for specific guidelines.
Non-Degree Categories
Enrichment
A person who holds a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution and wishes to enroll in graduate courses for purposes of self-improvement or enjoyment may be admitted for graduate study as an enrichment student. Should the student later decide to apply to a degree, post-master’s certificate, certification, or endorsement program, no more than 12* semester hours of credit earned while in this category may be applied toward a graduate degree program and then only if approved by the coordinator of the degree program in which the student is seeking admission. (See additional limitations under the Conditional and Provisional categories.) Admission under non-degree enrichment classification does not guarantee admission into a degree, post-master’s certificate, certification, or endorsement program.
*A maximum of six semester hours of 6000 level courses earned while in enrichment may be applied toward a graduate business degree.
Certificate
A person who holds a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution and meets all requirements for entry into a certificate program may be admitted to graduate study as a non-degree certificate student. Should the student later decide to apply to a degree, post-master’s certificate, certification, or endorsement program, no more than 12 semester hours of credit earned while in this category may be applied toward a graduate degree program and then only if approved by the coordinator of the degree program in which the student is seeking admission. See additional limitations under the Conditional (p. 2) and Provisional (p. 2) categories.
Admission under non-degree certificate classification does not guarantee admission into a degree, post-master’s certificate, certification, or endorsement program.
Certification
A person who holds a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution and current State of Georgia teaching certification, who wishes to enroll in graduate courses for the purposes of certificate renewal or add-on certification, may be admitted to graduate study as a non-degree certification student. Students admitted as non-degree certification classification are not considered to be in pursuit of a degree. Should the student later decide to transfer to a degree seeking category, not more than 12 semester hours of credit earned while in this category may be applied toward a graduate degree program and then, only if approved by the coordinator of the degree program in consultation with the advisor of the planned field of study. Admission under non-degree certification classification does not guarantee admission into a degree, post-master’s certificate, or endorsement program.
Graduate Transient
A student in good standing at another regionally accredited graduate school who wishes to take courses at Georgia College may be allowed to enroll as a transient student for one semester. In lieu of transcripts and test scores, this student must submit an official letter from the Registrar’s Office of the institution in which the student is regularly enrolled, certifying that the student is in good standing and recommending admission to Georgia College as a transient student.
Transient status means that a student is admitted to Georgia College for the specified period of one semester, with the understanding that the student is to return to the student’s home institution at the opening of the next term. Transcripts from coursework completed at GC will not automatically be sent to the home institution and must be requested by the student. Should the student later decide to apply for full admission to Georgia College, not more than 12 semester hours of credit earned while in this category may be applied toward a graduate degree program and then, only if approved by the coordinator of the degree program in consultation with the advisor of the planned field of study. Admission under transient classification does not guarantee admission into a degree, post-master’s certificate, certificate, certification, or endorsement program.
Enrollment in Graduate Classes by Undergraduates
An undergraduate student who is within 6 hours of graduation and who has at least a B academic average in their major subject, may enroll for courses carrying graduate level credit. The courses include those with course numbers ranging from 5000 to 5999. Approval must be obtained from the degree program coordinator prior to registration. No course taken without this approval may be counted for graduate credit. Graduate work taken under this provision may not be used to meet undergraduate requirements. An undergraduate who is permitted to enroll for graduate work as indicated above will be classified as a non-degree undergraduate student until such time as the student has attained regular admission to a graduate degree program. Admission under non-degree undergraduate classification does not guarantee admission into a degree, post-master’s certificate, certificate, certification, or endorsement program.
No more than six semester hours of graduate work may be completed prior to the completion of baccalaureate degree requirements and admission to a graduate program as an applicant for a graduate degree. No student will be allowed to pursue two degrees simultaneously.
Re-Admission to Graduate School
A student previously registered in a graduate program at Georgia College who has failed to maintain continuous enrollment and who wishes to resume studies after less than one year of absence, must contact the Office of Graduate Studies for re-admission. Students pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing must complete a new application to be considered for re-admission into the program. Students wishing to return after one year without enrollment in their program, are required to reapply for admission to Georgia College. Only after re-admission is approved, may the student register during the usual registration period. If the student has attended any other institution during the period when not registered at Georgia College, official transcripts must be submitted before being considered and classified as having regular status.
Transient Student Procedure
Students wishing to attend another college/university and take courses to count toward their degree at Georgia College must be in good standing, complete a transient permission form and obtain the approval of their faculty advisor prior to enrolling at the other institution. The transient permission form must specify the courses to be taken at the other college/university and the student must have the other college/university send an official transcript of the courses taken to the Graduate Admissions Office at Georgia College to receive credit for the work at Georgia College. A maximum of nine credit hours may be transferred towards a degree program and only if approved by the graduate coordinator.* Generally, students are permitted to be transient students away from the University for only one semester. In order to be eligible for transient status, a student must have been enrolled within the last five years. Transient courses for College of Business students must be taken from an AACSB-accredited institution.
* The amount of credit that may be applied toward the completion of a degree program varies. Check with the graduate coordinator of the degree program for more information.
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