Admissions to Graduate Study

General Provisions

A graduate of a regionally accredited college or university requiring substantially the same undergraduate program as Henderson State University may be admitted to graduate standing if the student's grades are well above the average required for the bachelor's degree. In practice, this means either a grade point average of 2.7 (out of a possible 4.0) or above for all work recorded covering the undergraduate program, or a 3.0 average or above on the last 60 hours of undergraduate credit. These admission requirements pertain to the MSE, MLA, MAT, and MS programs. Beyond the base-level grade point average, other specific admission criteria involving tests, essays, and/or interviews are outlined in later sections.

Every prospective student must submit a completed application for admission to the Graduate School. An official transcript must be forwarded from each college and university attended since high school graduation to the Dean of the Graduate School. All credentials should be on file at least two weeks in advance of the registration date of the term which the applicant plans to attend. When credentials have been evaluated, the applicant will be notified of his/her eligibility for admission to graduate study. Each student accepted into the school will be assigned an advisor.

NOTE:  A transcript can only be considered official when it has been mailed directly from the student's former institution(s) to the Graduate Office.  Hand-delivered, faxed, or photo-copied transcripts are not acceptable. 

A student seeking admission to a particular degree program must satisfy the general requirements of the Graduate School as well as any additional or more rigorous requirements set by the faculty of the graduate program to which the student seeks admission. Subsequent sections of this catalog give program descriptions and specific degree requirements.

After being accepted, a student may not change the field of specialization without the permission of the Dean of the Graduate School. Such permission will be given only if the student meets admission requirements for the program to which he or she wishes to change.

An applicant who is accepted, but fails to enroll within one year, must reapply and will then be required to meet any changes in requirements that may have been made since the original admission.

The record of a graduate student who has not completed his/her work within the required number of calendar years (6 years for most degrees; 8 years for counseling)  will be removed from the files, unless the student has written the Dean of the Graduate School and requested an extension. The request should include specific circumstances and the student's advisor must approve the request.

A student who interrupts a program of graduate study for a period of more than one year will be responsible for satisfying the program requirements current at the time the student resumes graduate study.

Admission to graduate study does not imply official admission to candidacy for the degree.

A student wishing to obtain a second Master's degree must meet admission requirements for that degree as well as graduation requirements. A student must be re-admitted to Graduate School before beginning course work for a second degree. Courses cannot be counted for credit toward more than one degree or program. This includes courses taken at the undergraduate level which are dually listed at the graduate level. Appropriate substitutions will be made for required courses which have previously been completed.

A student who has already earned a master's degree at an accredited institution in the United States (checked and approved by the Graduate Dean) will not be subject to the current undergraduate G.P.A. requirement when applying to the HSU Graduate School. This does not exempt the students from other application criteria.

Admission on Condition
An applicant who graduated from an accredited college without a 2.70 gpa, but has a 2.50 gpa overall, may be admitted with evidence that the student is capable of satisfactory performance. The student must maintain a 3.00 gpa throughout his/her work toward an advanced degree. In such cases, failure of the student to meet this condition at any point in the graduate program is sufficient ground for dismissal or reclassification as a non degree student.

In determining eligibility for conditional admission, the Dean of the Graduate School will require that MLA, MSE, MAT, or MS applicants present acceptable scores on the general aptitude section of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or on the Miller Analogies Test (MAT). Letters of recommendation or other pertinent data may also be required.

An applicant from an unaccredited college who has satisfactory grades and a satisfactory program of undergraduate work may be admitted with an entrance condition of twelve (12) semester hours. The student may remove this condition by earning a 3.00 grade point average on these twelve (12) hours. If he/she presents acceptable graduate credit from another accredited graduate school, the twelve (12) hour requirement may be reduced by the number of such credits.

Admission in Unclassified Status
An applicant wishing to be admitted to graduate school without pursuing a program leading to the Master's degree or certification may apply for unclassified status. Such an individual must meet minimum eligibility requirements which include a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution and minimum grade point average and must be prepared to undertake graduate work in the subject area requested. Such preparation requires a minimum of twenty four (24) hours in the requested subject area. These hours must be approved by the graduate faculty of the department in which the applicant intends to pursue graduate work. Unclassified status does not necessarily make a student eligible for enrollment in all graduate courses.

A student whose previous record shows certain deficiencies, but who is nevertheless admitted to graduate school and placed in unclassified status, may later initiate a petition with the Graduate School to be given admission with full qualifications when such deficiencies have been removed, provided the student has at least a 3.0 grade point average in graduate courses completed. A maximum of fifteen (15) graduate hours taken while in unclassified status may be transferred to a degree program.

Admission of Graduating Seniors
An applicant in the last semester of his/her senior year of undergraduate study at Henderson State University may request admission to graduate study. If the student is otherwise qualified, admission is conditional until the bachelor's degree is awarded. A student, if admitted to graduate study, may take up to six (6) hours of graduate credit in order to bring his/her total load to fifteen (15) semester hours in a semester, or six (6) semester hours in a summer term.  If the student fails to receive the undergraduate degree, graduate credit will not be awarded.

Admission of Non-Degree Students
A student who does not meet the requirements for full or conditional admission to graduate school may be admitted as a non-degree student for a maximum of twelve (12) hours provided he/she has the prerequisite courses. These twelve (12) hours may not be counted for degree credit toward a Master's degree and may not be transferred.

Senior Citizens
U.S. citizens who have reached the age of 60, and have completed a bachelor's degree, are eligible to take graduate classes, regardless of undergraduate GPA or particular test scores.  Such students will be classified as "non-degree-seeking" and will be assigned to the Graduate Dean for advising.   If a senior citizen wishes to pursue a graduate degree and does not meet the standard eligibility requirements, the degree program director, in conjunction with the Graduate Dean, will assess the student's abilities after 9-12 hours of course work have been completed and determine whether to allow the student to continue on a degree track. 
 
All scholastic and dismissal policies apply.  Tuition for senior citizens is waived pursuant to Arkansas State Law 6-60-204; fees are not waived.

International Student Guidelines

1. Provide evidence of a TOEFL score of 550 paper based, or 213 computer based. We will also accept a score of at least 6.0 on the IELTS.  Henderson State University code number is 6272.
   
2. Provide a completed financial statement form verifying that he/she can financially support him/herself while a student in the United States (approximately $16,000 per calendar year, including living expenses). This is only an estimate as tuition and housing costs are subject to change. All applicants must be financially independent, as there is no financial aid guaranteed to international students attending HSU. Limited graduate assistantships are available. Tuition and fees are required at the time of registration and must be paid in U.S. funds.
   
3. Provide a certified transcript(s) in English from an accredited translation agency, indicating satisfactory preparation to enter the undergraduate college.
   
4. International students are required to purchase medical insurance through HSU. The cost is approximately $62/month (this amount is subject to change). Payment of the insurance premium is to be made before or at the time of registration each semester. The medical insurance is mandatory.
   
5. A complete application for admission of international students, signed and dated. (Please return the necessary paper work as listed via mail with a U.S. money order for $75. The Graduate School will then determine your eligibility for admission. Files must be completed by November 30th for spring admission and June 30th for fall).
   

When the above five (5) requirements are satisfactorily completed, the international student will receive a letter of admission and an I-20 form. In order to obtain a travel visa and to enter into this country, the international student must present the I-20 form to the American Consulate located in his/her country.

Upon receiving a letter of admission, international students should contact the Office of Residence Life at (870) 230-5083, or HSU Box 7554, or email reslife@hsu.edu , so that living arrangements can be secured in one of the residence halls if such services are needed.

If an International Student is chosen for a graduate assistantship, ALL paperwork and documentation must be complete and turned into the Graduate Office by the first day of registration in order for an International Student to qualify for a graduate assistantship.   If any aspect of the student's paper work is not complete by the end of the first day of registration, then that position will be assigned to another student or will go unfilled for the remainder of the semester.

International students should review the university calendar carefully and must arrive no later than one day prior to registration; however, additional time is recommended. All international students entering HSU must attend a mandatory international orientation. LATE ARRIVALS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO ENROLL AT HENDERSON STATE UNIVERSITY. If international or other students notify us of arrival date, time, airline and flight number into the Little Rock airport, HSU will attempt to coordinate travel accommodations to the campus.