Applying for Admission to the Graduate School
All application materials should be directed to the address below:
Graduate School Admissions
University of Louisiana at Monroe
700 University Avenue
Sandel Hall 243
Monroe, LA 71209
gradadmissions@ulm.edu
318-342-1036
An applicant for admission to the Graduate School must meet the following standards:
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Satisfy all general admission requirements of the university; and
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Hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university, earned under residence and credit conditions substantially equivalent to those required by the University of Louisiana at Monroe; and
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Submit to the Graduate School a complete and official transcript from every college or university attended; and
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Submit satisfactory results of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Applicants for the master’s degree in business administration will submit results of the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or a converted GRE. GRE and GMAT scores more than five years old are typically not accepted. Test scores should be sent to institution code 6482.
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Admission to the Graduate School does not automatically admit an applicant to a degree program. Admission requirements to specific degree programs vary, and prospective students should contact their desired program for information about additional requirements. No particular level of academic performance or test score can guarantee acceptance to or rejection from any program.
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Submit proof of immunizations to Student Health Services. This is required by the state of Louisiana. The Proof of Immunization Compliance form is available online at ulm.edu/shs/. Students will be unable to register for courses until updated proof of immunization has been provided.
The GRE and TOEFL tests, administered by the Educational Testing Service, can be scheduled at various centers throughout the United States and internationally. The GMAT exam can be scheduled at various centers throughout the United States as well as internationally on regularly established dates. For information or to register for these exams, visit www.ets.org for GRE and TOEFL tests or www.mba.com for the GMAT.
An applicant who does not enroll in either the term for which their application was submitted or the term immediately following their term of application will be required to reapply to the Graduate School and their desired program. A student will be required to reapply if during any break in their enrollment they have attended another university. This includes cases in which a student has applied and been accepted at ULM, but has delayed their start in a program to attend another institution.
Applicants who enroll and maintain academic eligibility will remain eligible for registration until there is a lapse of enrollment for two consecutive terms or until graduation, whichever occurs first. A returning student who has missed two consecutive terms is required to reapply and submit an application fee before enrolling.
Returning students must be advised before being permitted to enroll in courses.
Application Deadlines
Admission requirements to specific degree programs vary, and prospective students should contact their desired program for information about program deadlines and additional requirements. No particular level of academic performance or test score can guarantee acceptance to or rejection from any program.
General Requirements for Admission
Once all application materials are received, applicants are either denied or may be granted one of three types of admission. All applicants must have received a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution. Program admission requirements may be higher than Graduate School requirements. It is possible for an applicant to be regularly admitted to the Graduate School, but not to the program of their choice.
Regular Status
Applicants who are regularly admitted to the Graduate School satisfy at least TWO of the following requirements:
Minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.5 (based on a 4.0 scale)
Minimum GRE score of 283 (143 verbal + 138 quantitative) or for MBA applicants only, GMAT score of 450
Mimimum formula score of 707.5 (2.5 GPA x 283 GRE) or for MBA applicants only, minimum formula score of 1000 (GPA x 200 + GMAT)
Conditional Status
Applicants may be admitted on conditional status with undergraduate deficiencies and/or GPA or GRE scores that fall below the minimum for regular admission. In the latter case, the minimum requirements for conditional status are both:
- Minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 2.2 (based on a 4.0 scale)
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Consideration of all previous coursework, even if below a 2.2 GPA, if 2.5 GPA was received on the last 60 undergraduate hours attempted from a regionally accredited college or university.
- Minimum formula score of 622.6 (2.2 GPA x 283 GRE) or for MBA applicants only, 1050 (GPA x 200 + GMAT)
Some programs only allow conditional status for undergraduate deficiencies. For applicants who are admitted conditionally because they do not meet GPA and/or GRE requirements, this status will be removed after a minimum of 12 semester hours of graduate coursework is completed at the University of Louisiana at Monroe with a 3.0 GPA, no grade below a C, and not more than two courses with a grade of C. If these requirements are not met, the student will be denied continuance in Graduate School.
Provisional Status
Provisional status can be given to applicants who are in the process of obtaining official transcripts or GRE/GMAT scores. The minimum requirement for taking graduate courses in provisional status is a GPA of 2.50 (based on a 4.0 scale). No more than six hours of coursework may be completed under provisional status, and students admitted provisionally are not eligible for financial aid. A maximum of six semester hours of graduate credit earned in provisional admission status, including credit earned at ULM and approved transfer credit, may be counted toward a master’s or doctoral degree. The six semester hours must be included on the student’s approved degree plan to be counted toward the hours required for completion of the degree. Applicants who are accepted provisionally are admitted until regular or conditional status requirements are met.
Non-degree Status
Applicants who wish to enroll in selected course offerings but not pursue a formal degree program may be considered for admission as non-degree students. The minimum requirement for taking graduate courses in non-degree status is a cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 2.25 (based on a 4.0 scale). Some programs have additional requirements, and/or exceptions to requirement, for taking courses under non-degree status.
If a non-degree student later applies for admission to a graduate degree program, that student must meet all GPA and GRE/GMAT requirements stated for an applicant seeking initial entry to that graduate program.
A maximum of six semester hours of graduate credit earned in non-degree status, including credit earned at University of Louisiana at Monroe and applicable transfer credit, may be counted toward a master’s or doctoral degree. The six semester hours must be included on the student’s approved degree plan to be counted toward the hours required for completion of the degree. Applicants who are accepted in non-degree status are admitted until regular, conditional, or provisional status requirements are met.
Students who are admitted to the university under a non-degree status are not eligible for financial aid.
Admission of Transfer Students
Applicants to the Graduate School who have attended another graduate school prior to their enrollment at the University of Louisiana at Monroe must meet both of the following additional requirements for admission:
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Be in good academic standing and eligible for readmission at the college or university from which they transfer; and
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Have no grade lower than C in graduate work at the college or university from which they transfer. This includes any I grades.
It is the responsibility of the student to inform ULM of any attendance at other institutions before a decision about admission is made. Students who have been denied further continuance in graduate school at another institution are not eligible for admission at the University of Louisiana at Monroe. Should a student earn graduate credits at ULM and fail to inform ULM of attendance at other institutions that renders them ineligible for admission, those graduate credits earned will be voided.
When evaluating applicants, the Graduate School at the University of Louisiana at Monroe uses the applicant’s entire academic history. This includes those courses that have been retaken in a subsequent semester to improve on previous marks.
Admission of International Students
International applicants interested in attending one of ULM’s graduate programs should see the catalog section entitled “International Admissions” for detailed information about the application process.
Applicants Seeking a Second Master’s Degree
A student seeking a second master’s degree may be allowed to apply from a previous or simultaneous graduate degree a maximum of one-half the credits required for the second degree. To be considered transferrable, credits earned must meet degree requirements for intended second degree. All Graduate School regulations apply.
GRE Requirements for Second Master’s Degree
The Graduate School at the University of Louisiana at Monroe will not require applicants for a second master’s degree to have taken the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) if they have previously been successful in attaining a graduate-level degree. The applicant must provide proof of earning this degree from an accredited and recognized program. Please note that while the Graduate School will waive the GRE requirement for applicants interested in pursuing a second master’s degree, not all programs will. It is the applicant’s responsibility to contact the individual program to ensure it will waive the GRE requirement when applicable.
Appeals for Admission
A graduate student who is denied admission to the Graduate School or a specific graduate degree program may appeal through the Graduate School or their respective college graduate committee to the Graduate Council for admission. The following supportive information must be provided:
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A personal letter of appeal from the student in which the student builds a case for admission; and
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The student’s scores from the Graduate Record Examination or the Graduate Management Admission Test (MBA only); and
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Three letters of support from those who can attest to the student’s scholarly ability and potential. A minimum of one must be from one of the student’s professors. If the letter of support is coming from an educational institution, it should be on official letterhead and must be signed by the recommending party; and
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Any other evidence of professional competence which will enhance the student’s appeal.
For further information please contact the Graduate School at (318) 342-1036 or the graduate coordinator for the particular major and college involved.
Foreign Language Requirement
A reading knowledge of one or more foreign languages is required of candidates for advanced degrees in specified degree programs.
Transfer of Credit and Residence Requirements
Students seeking a master’s degree must complete at least two-thirds of the hours required for their degree through courses offered by the University of Louisiana at Monroe. Transfer credit may not total more than one third of the master’s degree program. With the approval of the student’s graduate advisory committee and the director of the Graduate School, a maximum of six semester hours of C grades earned at ULM may be transferred from one program to another or from non-degree status to a degree program. Transfer credit must meet the following requirements:
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Credit must be earned in residence at a regionally accredited college or university; and
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Credit must be accepted as applicable to the student’s degree program; and
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Grade of B or better must be earned; and
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Credit must meet six-year time limit for master’s degree program.
Transfer credit must be presented and accepted during the first semester or summer term upon entering or re-entering the University of Louisiana at Monroe. Final authorization of transfer credit will be made by the director of the Graduate School upon recommendation of the student’s advisory committee.
After enrollment at ULM, a student may earn and transfer graduate credit from other institutions, provided prior approval of the course or courses is obtained from the student’s major professor and the director of the Graduate School. Transfer credit shall not reduce the minimum residence requirements.
Transfer credit for students in the Master of Business Administration program is ordinarily limited to six semester hours earned at another AACSB-International accredited school, provided that such transfer credit is appropriate and that a letter grade of B or better has been earned. Courses used to complete a previous degree are not approved for transfer credit in the MBA program. Acceptable transfer credits are determined after a student applies for admission to the MBA program.
A student enrolled in the Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy must enroll as a full time student for two consecutive semesters, excluding summer terms.
Regulations governing transfer credit and residence requirements for doctoral programs are detailed within program descriptions for individual doctoral programs of study.
Eligibility for Graduate Assistantships
International students who are interested in obtaining a Graduate Assistantship should see the appropriate catalog section for more information.
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