Master’s and Doctoral Degree-Seeking Applicants
Admission Requirements for U.S. Citizens and applicants with Permanent Resident status
Each program's catalog or web page details the specific admission requirements for applicable semester of entry during the current academic year. Submission instruction, additional details, and changes to admission requirements for semester other than the current academic year can be found on The Graduate College's website.
Admission Requirements for International Applicants
Texas State defines an international student as anyone who is in a non-immigrant visa status including H1-B visa holders. If you are not a U.S. Citizen, permanent resident, refugee, or asylee, you would be classified as an international student. Students who are not on a visa and are graduating from a Texas high school after three years in residence in Texas (please review Senate Bill 1528) are considered domestic applicants.
In addition to meeting the application requirements found on each program's catalog or web page, international applicants or applicants with international credentials must submit:
- $90 non-refundable application fee.
- official transcripts (and marksheets if applicable) from every institution attended: one in the native language of the country where the university is located and one certified English translation (if transcripts are issued in a language other than English)
- two copies of the graduation/degree certificate (diploma) showing the type of degree and the date in which the degree was earned, one in the native language of the country where the university is located and one certified English translation.
- official English proficiency exams scores
Refer to the International Admission Documents section of this catalog or The Graduate College for more information about these requirements.
F-1 Visa Enrollment Requirements
A student under an F-1 international student visa must be enrolled full-time (six hours) in the fall and spring terms. The only exception to this rule is if you are currently under a Post-Completion OPT period and in good F-1 status. An F-1 student does not have to enroll during the summer if the student is eligible and intends to register for the next term. A new initial F-1 student who recently gained admission into the U.S. with a program start date set to begin in the summer session must enroll full-time for that summer session. Also, F-1 international students not holding an assistantship can be enrolled in fewer than 9 hours and be considered full-time under two conditions: a) if they have completed all course work and are completing an internship integral to their degree program (student must apply for Curricular Practical Training to work off-campus), b) if they have completed all course requirements and are working on their thesis/dissertation only. The exception under a) can be granted for one semester only. The exception under b) can be granted for multiple semesters provided the student makes progress on the thesis/dissertation. A student enrolling less than full-time must apply for a reduced course load prior to enrolling or dropping a course that results in less than full-time enrollment. For more information or to submit your Reduced Course Load (RCL) request go to ISSS RCL or contact International Student and Scholar Services at 512-245-7966 for more information.
For F-1 international students only one (1) distance learning class/online course per semester may be counted toward the full-time status requirement.
The chart below shows the minimum face-to-face credit hours needed for the fulfillment of full-time status. The online hours are the maximum number of online or distance learning courses that can count towards the full-time status requirement. contact International Student and Scholar Services at 512-245-7966 for more information.
| Online | Face-to-Face |
|---|---|
| 3 hours | 6 hours |
Regular Admission Requirements
Regular degree-seeking admission, for most programs, may be granted if applicants:
- have a minimum* grade-point average (GPA) of 2.75 overall or a 2.75 on a 4.0 scale calculated on:
- undergraduate work before the bachelor's degree at an accredited four-year institution,
- undergraduate work before the bachelor's degree taken at an accredited four-year institution plus any completed graduate course work taken at an accredited institution, or,
- undergraduate work, including those on a second baccalaureate degree. (This is the only circumstance in which undergraduate credit hours taken beyond the first baccalaureate degree are used in admission evaluation.)
- and meet program specific requirements as designated on the program's catalog or web page.
Only courses with letter grades or numerical equivalents will be used in calculating the grade-point average.
- *
Some graduate programs have higher GPA requirements and/or subject-specific GPA requirements. These requirements are detailed on each program's catalog or web page.
Conditional Admission Status
The graduate advisor may recommend to the dean of The Graduate College that applicants be conditionally admitted even though they may not meet the minimum requirements for admission. This recommendation is based on evidence that an applicant can successfully pursue graduate study and governed by the stated admission policies in the prospective program. Conditional admission is not available for all programs and also not for applicants who require an "F" or "J" Visa.
When applicants are conditionally admitted to a graduate degree program, the graduate advisor, with the approval of the dean of The Graduate College, will impose certain requirements, or "conditions of admission". Each term, The Graduate College and the graduate advisor will review the progress of students admitted conditionally. When students meet the conditions of their admission, they will be eligible for regular admission to the program. When students do not satisfy the conditions of their admission, they will be dismissed from the program. Appeals may be submitted to the dean of The Graduate College and are reviewed by both the departmental graduate admission committee and dean of The Graduate College. Decisions made by the dean of The Graduate College are considered final.
Graduating Senior Admission Requirements
Undergraduate students at Texas State who have superior academic records and lack 12 or fewer semester hours toward graduation may apply for graduate admission to a degree-seeking program to begin taking graduate course(s) during the final term of undergraduate study. Graduate course(s) taken under this status will be applied to the student’s prospective master’s degree. The following requirements must be met:
- The student must be admitted with regular admission status.
- The graduate advisor in the student’s proposed major program must submit a recommendation to the dean of The Graduate College requesting that the student be admitted into the proposed major program of study as a graduating senior.
Since concurrent registration in an undergraduate and graduate program may affect financial aid awards, students should contact a financial aid officer prior to seeking graduating senior status (www.finaid.txst.edu/fin-aid/eligibility.html).
