Oct 13, 2024  
2009-2010 Graduate Catalog 
    
2009-2010 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Graduate School Admission


 

Correspondence regarding admission to the Graduate School should be addressed to the appropriate graduate program, which will supply application blanks and supplementary information.

Admission to graduate study is granted by the Dean of the Graduate School only upon the recommendation of the faculty in a graduate program. Applicants should see that each undergraduate or graduate institution previously attended sends official transcripts. The transcripts should be received by the program as soon as possible but no later than three months before the time the student expects to enroll. All transcripts become part of the student’s official file and may not be returned.

There is a $30 application fee for U.S. citizens and permanent residents. International applicants must submit with their application an international cashier’s check or money order in the amount of $55 payable to the Kansas State University Graduate School. International applications without this fee will not be processed. PLEASE NOTE: If applying to graduate programs in the College of Architecture, Planning and Design or the College of Business, additional application fees apply. Refer to program websites for more information.

Applicants who wish to be considered for graduate assistantships or other funding should normally have all materials on file by February 1 for highest priority consideration, although some programs have later deadlines.

 

Entrance Requirements

 

Admission with full standing

An application for admission to the Graduate School ordinarily implies the student’s intention to work toward an advanced degree. To be considered for admission with full standing the applicant must have:

A bachelor’s degree from an institution accredited by one of the regional accrediting associations.

Adequate undergraduate preparation in the proposed major field or equivalent evidence of an appropriate background for undertaking an advanced degree program.

An undergraduate average of B or better in the junior and senior years.

Individual graduate programs may have additional admission requirements. Prospective applicants should consult the appropriate program entry in this Catalog or contact the program directly.

Applicants to the Graduate School at K-State must have a bachelor’s degree substantially the same as the ones granted by K-State. These degrees regularly contain a broad range of courses representing the basic academic disciplines. In addition, a major portion of the courses included should be graded by a multilevel system, usually A, B, C, D, F.

Applicants holding degrees not meeting these standards may be denied admission to graduate degree programs at K-State. Admission will be denied to applicants possessing bachelor’s degrees with a significant amount of credit awarded for work experience that was not supervised by a faculty member of an accredited university nor evaluated in units which identify the academic content. However, a limited amount of credit for experience, when awarded as an acceptable part of a bachelor’s degree for internships, field experience, or the like, will not be cause for denial of admission, but it must be clearly delineated as graded work.

Probationary admission

For those whose grades do not meet the above standards, probationary admission may be granted, provided there is other evidence that the applicant has the ability to do satisfactory graduate work. Such evidence might include an excellent record of postgraduate work at another institution, or high scores on the Graduate Record Examination or the Miller Analogies Test. Those who wish to take the Graduate Record Examination should obtain The GRE Information and Registration Bulletin, available at most university and college testing offices. The fee for either test must be paid by the applicant.

Provisional admission

Students may be admitted provisionally if there is uncertainty in evaluating transcripts, or if there are undergraduate deficiencies which must be removed.

Students admitted on probation or provisionally will be advised of other conditions to be met to attain full standing. Full standing is attained automatically upon completion of at least 9 hours of course work for graduate credit with a grade of B or better, and upon the removal of any deficiency which was specified at the time of the admission. Students admitted on probation may be denied continued enrollment if they do not achieve full standing within the specified time period.

Non-degree graduate students

Students who do not plan to work for an advanced degree may be admitted to the Graduate School as non-degree students. Applications from such students should be sent to the program in which they plan to take courses, together with a copy of the official transcript from the institution which granted the undergraduate degree. A non-degree seeking student who later wishes to enter a degree program must undergo the full application and admission review process. No more than 9 term hours earned as a non-degree student may be transferred into a regular degree program.

In all cases, applications are initially reviewed by the program, which forwards to the Graduate School those recommended for admission. Students are admitted officially only by the Graduate School.

 

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. The Graduate School does not accept photocopies as official for admission purposes. Standardized test scores are valid for five years. (If available, please include test scores on the application.)

 

Primary Language

 

To demonstrate competence in the English language, an official report of scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System - academic exam (IELTS) must be sent to Kansas State University for all applicants whose primary language is not English.

TOEFL: The TOEFL is offered several times a year throughout the world by the Educational Testing Service, PO Box 6151, Princeton, New Jersey 08540, USA, telephone 609-771-7100 or www.toefl.org. Those who have received a degree in the last two years from a United States college or university are not required to submit a TOEFL score but must take an English proficiency test upon arrival to Kansas State University.

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 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.

International applicants whose native language is not English must demonstrate competence in the English language by submitting an official report of their scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) to Kansas State University (code 6334). The TOEFL 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 processing their applications for admission. Further information is available from the Graduate School. Those who have received a degree in the last two years from a United States college or university are exempt from this requirement.

Applicants who are submitting a TOEFL iBT score must have a minimum of 79 to be considered for admission to a graduate program. Applicants with part scores of less than 20 on any one of the following: reading, writing, or listening sections may be considered for provisional admission and required to take the English Proficiency Test (EPT) prior to enrolling the first semester. Applicants will be required to enroll in the designated course(s) based on EPT scores and the recommendation of the English Language Program.

Applicants who are submitting a TOEFL paper-based test score must have a minimum 550 on the TOEFL paper-based test to be considered for admission to a graduate program. Applicants with scores between 550 and 599 may be admitted provisionally and must take the EPT prior to enrolling their first semester. Applicants will be required to enroll in the designated course(s) based on EPT scores and the recommendation of the English Language Program.

Some programs require a TOEFL score higher than stated here. Those who do not meet the minimum proficiency standard may be recommended for enrollment in University English courses or for part-time English courses offered by the English Language Program on campus.

IELTS: The International English Language Testing System - academic exam (IELTS) is offered several times a year by the International English Language Testing System, Pasadena, California 91103, USA. Those who have received a degree in the last two years from a United States college or university are not required to submit an IELTS score but must take an English proficiency test upon arrival to Kansas State University.

A score of at least 6.1 is required to be considered for admission to the Graduate School. (NOTE: Some programs require an IELTS score higher than stated here.) Applicants with scores of 7.0 or above may be considered for regular admission. Applicants with scores between 6.1 to 6.9 may be admitted provisionally and must at the time of their enrollment demonstrate proficiency in reading and writing English and in understanding spoken American English to the satisfaction of the Graduate School. Those who do not meet the minimum proficiency standard will be required to complete specified courses offered by the English Language Program (ELP) at Kansas State. Intensive English training for students who have IELTS scores below 6.1 is also available through the ELP. For information and application to this program write to Director, English Language Program, 205 Fairchild Hall, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506-1106; e-mail: elp@ksu.edu.

IELTS scores are valid for two years from the initial test date.

 

International Students

 

International applicants for admission to Kansas State University must meet the same academic standards for admission as those required of native students. In addition, international applicants holding nonimmigrant visas are required by U.S. immigration regulations to be enrolled in a full course of study. University regulations require that international students and their dependents (if they are with the student) purchase or be in possession of a medical insurance policy or equivalent coverage. Medical insurance can be purchased on the campus or from other independent agencies.

Applications from international students must be accompanied by an international cashier’s check or money order in the amount of $55 payable to the Kansas State University Graduate School. Applications without this fee will not be processed. PLEASE NOTE: If applying to graduate programs in the College of Architecture, Planning and Design or the College of Business, additional application fees apply. Refer to program websites for more information.

A special orientation and advising program is conducted for new international students one week before the date of enrollment.

Graduate School Application: http://www.k-state.edu/grad/gsprospective/apply/index.htm