Mar 29, 2024  
2013-2014 Graduate Catalog 
    
2013-2014 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Graduate School Admission


 

Admission Procedures

Graduate programs have the responsibility of receiving credentials from prospective graduate students and making recommendations on admission. Correspondence regarding admission to the Graduate School should thus be addressed to the appropriate graduate program, which will provide information on program admission requirements and any required supplementary forms. Applicants should complete the online application and submit the application and application fee electronically via the Graduate School website at http://www.k-state.edu/grad. The Graduate School will record all applications and application fees and then forward a copy of the application form to the appropriate degree program for a recommendation. The applicant should submit all required documents and credentials (i.e. official transcripts statement of objectives, references, etc.) to the appropriate graduate program at least three months before the applicant expects to enroll. This time period may be longer for degree programs with early deadlines and for international students applying for student visas. If the applicant is uncertain which graduate program should receive his or her correspondence, it may be addressed to the Graduate School.

One official copy of the applicant’s transcript from each college or university attended must be submitted with every application. A transcript is official only when it is sent directly from the university or college in question and bears the institution’s seal. For each applicant admitted, an official transcript showing the conferral of all previous degrees must be submitted to the Graduate School. All transcripts become part of the applicant’s official file and are not returned.

If the graduate faculty of a graduate program decide to recommend admission, the application, transcripts, and supporting materials are sent to the Graduate School for final review. If the graduate program decides against admission, it notifies the applicant by letter. The decision is made as expeditiously as possible. In the event of delay, applicants are given an approximate date on which they can expect notification.

Admission to graduate study does not imply admission to candidacy for an advanced degree. For a doctoral degree, such candidacy is confirmed only upon successful completion of preliminary examinations.

 

Entrance Requirements

 

An applicant to the Graduate School at Kansas State University must have a bachelor’s degree substantially the same as the ones granted by Kansas State University. That is, it must represent a broad range of courses in the basic academic disciplines. Applicants whose degrees do not meet these standards may be denied admission to graduate degree programs at Kansas State University. Admission is denied to applicants holding bachelor’s degrees with a significant amount of credit for work that was not supervised by a faculty member of an accredited college or university or evaluated in units that identify the academic content. A limited amount of credit for experience, when awarded as an acceptable part of a bachelor’s degree for internships, fieldwork, or the like, is not a cause for denial but must be clearly identified as graded work.

All students admitted to the Graduate School must meet the following requirements:

1. Graduates from colleges and universities in the United States

  • A bachelor’s degree from a college or university accredited by the cognizant regional accrediting agency,
  • Undergraduate preparation in the proposed major field equivalent to that acquired by a graduate of Kansas State University, or evidence of an appropriate background for undertaking an advanced degree program, and
  • Grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale in the last 60 hours of coursework. This GPA is based only on courses graded on a multi-level scale, usually A, B, C, D, F.
     

2. Graduates of foreign colleges and universities

All international students admitted to the Graduate School must demonstrate the same level of achievement as U.S. students. That is, they must hold a degree from an established institution comparable to a college or university in the United States, have an outstanding undergraduate record, have the demonstrated ability to do graduate work, and provide evidence of language proficiency sufficient for the pursuit of a graduate degree. Admission may be denied to students from technical schools, which may provide excellent training in special areas, but do not offer degrees equivalent to those of colleges and universities. As a rule, students from abroad are not admitted to nondegree status (that is, as special students). Questions about the qualifications of international students should be directed to the Graduate School.

The Graduate School requires each international applicant whose native language is not English to demonstrate competence in the English language by achieving a satisfactory score (defined below) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and Pearson Test of English (PTE). The TOEFL, IELTS or PTE is required to ensure that the student’s progress toward a degree is not jeopardized by language barriers. The TOEFL (K-State TOEFL school code 6334) is offered several times a year throughout the world by the Educational Testing Service, Princeton, New Jersey. International applicants are advised to take the TOEFL as early as possible to avoid delays in the processing of their applications for admission. An applicant who has received a degree in the last two years from a United States college or university is exempt from this requirement. However, individual programs may require demonstration of English language proficiency.

English Proficiency Requirements

  • Applicants who are submitting iBT TOEFL (internet based) scores must have a minimum total score of 79 with no part score below 20 on the reading, listening, and writing sections.
  • Applicants who are submitting paper-based TOEFL (PBT) test scores must have a minimum total score of 550 with no part score below 55 on reading or listening sections and a TWE (Test of Written English) score of 5.0 or higher.
  • Applicants who are submitting an IELTS score must have a minimum total score of 6.5 with part scores of 6.5 or higher on the reading, listening, and writing sections.
  • Applicants who are submitting a Pearson Test of English (PTE) score must have a minimum total score of 58 with part scores of 58 or higher.

Applicants who do not meet the scores specified above must meet the following criteria during the first semester of enrollment in order to satisfy the English proficiency requirement:

  • Applicants with one or two low part scores (14-19 IBT, 48-54 PBT, 5.0-6.4 IELTS , or 47-57 PTE) must successfully complete one or more of the specified classes based on the section of the examination that is below the minimum (20 IBT; 55 on reading or listening sections and a TWE of less than 5.0 on PBT; 6.5 IELTS; 58 PTE):
    • DAS 176 – Reading Skills
    • DAS 177 – Written Communication
    • DAS 178 – Listening Skills

Waivers will not be approved.

  • Applicants with three part scores below 20 IBT, 55 PBT, 6.5 IELTS, or 58 PTE are required to take the English Proficiency Test (EPT) and successfully complete the English course(s) specified on their EPT score reports. Waivers will not be approved.
     
  • Applicants with any one score below 14 IBT, 48 PBT, 5.0 IELTS, or 47 PTE must take the English Proficiency Test and successfully complete full time intensive English. Waivers will not be approved.

 

ADMISSION CATEGORIES

All new graduate students, domestic or foreign, are assigned to one of four categories upon admission:

Full standing

  • Undergraduate training essentially the same as that at Kansas State University.
  • B average or higher in junior and senior years.
     

Provisional

  • Transcript evaluation uncertain, as is sometimes the case with international students.
  • B average or higher in junior and senior years, but some course deficiencies in undergraduate work.
  • Final transcripts indicating award of a degree not yet in hand; applicant completing degree; other criteria for full standing met.

Probationary

  • Grade point average from 2.65 to 2.99 (A=4.00) in last two years
    If work has shown a marked improvement in later semesters and there are grades of B or better in demanding courses in major and related areas, admission is considered.
     
  • Grade point average below 2.65 in last two years
    Admission is considered only upon documentation that the student is now qualified to do graduate work. Evidence may include: (1) satisfactory grades on a GRE Advanced Test or Miller Analogies Test; (2) satisfactory work at another graduate school; or (3) outstanding professional experience that demonstrates the ability to handle academic work in the major area.

Probationary and provisional students are advised of deficiencies and of other conditions to be met to achieve full standing. Their status is reviewed after completing 9 hours of course work at Kansas State University. Those who have earned grades of B or higher and GPAs of 3.0 or higher for the first 9 hours, exclusive of individualized study, and removed all deficiencies specified at the time of admission, will be placed in good standing.

Special

Students who have a bachelor’s degree but do not plan to work for an advanced degree may be admitted to graduate study as special students. No more than 9 credit hours earned as a special student may be applied toward an advanced degree. Special students are required to meet the same academic standards as other graduate students. Special students who later wish to work for an advanced degree must make a formal application to the appropriate department or interdepartmental program and be formally admitted by the Graduate School as a student with full standing status. 

Standardized Tests

 

If your graduate program requires standardized tests, you should request the Educational Testing Service to send your scores to Kansas State University. If you indicated where you wanted your scores sent (the academic department and Kansas State University) when you took the test, your scores will automatically be sent. IELTS should be contacted to have their test scores sent to the Graduate School at Kansas State University.The Graduate School does not accept photocopies as official for admission purposes. TOEFL and IELTS scores are valid for two years. GRE standardized test scores are valid for five years. 

For more information please contact: 

Kansas State University
Graduate School
103 Fairchild Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506-1103
Voice: (785) 532-6191 or (800) 651-1816
Fax: (785) 532-2983
www.k-state.edu/grad
grad@ksu.edu