Graduate Admissions

Main Content

GRADUATE SCHOOL ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Submission of Application

All applicants are required to submit the online graduate application. The application system allows students to upload copies of their documents for admission consideration only. If admitted, students are required to submit official documents prior to registering. The department may directly submit all official documents, except for TOEFL/IELTS/iTEP scores. The Graduate School directly receive English language test scores. Any official transcripts and GRE scores received will need to be forwarded to the Graduate School.

Master’s Program Requirements

Minimum GPA of 2.70 (A=4.0) on the last 2 years of bachelor’s coursework.

Undergraduate coursework taken after completion of a bachelor’s degree will not be included in the calculation of the GPA unless a second bachelor’s degree is completed.

If an applicant has completed graduate work, regardless of whether a degree is completed, a minimum GPA of 3.00 (A=4.0) on all graduate coursework is required. Graduate coursework does not expire.

Doctoral Program Requirements

Minimum GPA of 3.0 (A=4.0) on all graduate coursework. This includes degrees that may not be completed.

English Language Proficiency Requirements

All applicants whose native or first language is not English must take one of the following English proficiency tests no more than 24 months prior to the term for which the applicant is seeking admission (higher scores may be required for admission into specific degree programs):

  1. Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a minimum score of 550 (paper - PBT) or 80 (internet - iBT).
  2. International English Language Testing System (IELTS) with a minimum overall band score of 6.5.
  3. The iTEP Academic Plus Exam with a minimum score of 3.8.
  4. The Cambridge English Exam with a minimum score of C1.
  5. Duolingo English Test with a minimum score of 105.

Official English proficiency test scores will be sent only to the Graduate School Admissions Office. A photocopy of the student's examinee score report should be uploaded with other materials in the online application.

International students who have recently (within the past 12 months) completed a minimum of 60 semester hours of graded (pass/fail, proficiency credit does not count) coursework at a U.S. college/university may be exempt from the English language requirement.

International students currently enrolled at a U.S. college/university with less than 60 semester hours of graded coursework may be exempted from the English language requirement by submitting an official copy of the TOEFL/IELTS score used to gain admission at their previous institution. If the test score is more than 24 months old, the student must have the previous school submit a copy of the test score along with certification that it is a copy of an original score, which they have in their files. If enrollment in the U.S. has been continuous, the English language requirement may be met.

Students who have completed a master’s program at a college/university in the U.S. and have continuous residence in the U.S. are able to have the TOEFL requirement waived.

Financial Clearance

For an international student to be formally admitted to SIU, proof of funding for the first year of schooling must be verified. If appropriate funding amounts are not verified, the student will not be admitted. Funding is verified by the Graduate School after admission is recommended.

Nondeclared Admission Requirements

No minimum GPA is required. Applicants must be either a U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident. Completion of an accredited bachelor’s degree is required.

If a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident does not have the minimum GPA required for admission into a master’s program, they may initially apply as a nondeclared graduate student. When the applicant has completed 9 semester hours of graded graduate coursework with a minimum graduate GPA of 3.00, they are eligible to apply for admission to a degree program. The graduate GPA will override the low undergraduate GPA.

International F-1 students who hold the I-20 are not allowed to be admitted as a nondeclared student. International exchange students on a J-1 visa who will be enrolling for one semester or year are admitted as a nondeclared student.

Double Major

Students wishing to complete a double major must submit a completed double major form. The double major form is available online on the form section of the Graduate School web page. The double major must be approved by both departments involved. Please consult the Graduate Catalog for additional information.

Change of Major

Students enrolled in a graduate program who wish to change to a different degree program may do so by submitting a completed change of major. The change of major form is available online through the Graduate School home page. The change of major must be approved by both departments involved. Please consult the Graduate Catalog for additional information.

Concurrent Degree Program

A concurrent master’s program allows a student to be enrolled in two-degree programs at the same time and receive two master’s degrees. Applicants must apply and be admitted to both programs which have an approved concurrent degree arrangement. Please consult the Graduate Catalog for additional information.

Application Deferral

All admissions are for the specific term indicated on the student’s admission paperwork. Students may, with department and Graduate School approval, request to defer their admission up to one calendar year. Transcripts for any coursework completed since the initial admission must be submitted. International students may be required to submit a new TOEFL/IELTS/iTEP score before a new admission will be granted.

Suggested Deadlines for International Admission

Admission representatives must have enough time to process paperwork in a timely manner without being rushed by last minute requests. We must allow for times when the office will be short staffed due to vacations, holidays, and times during the semester when the office is particularly busy.

International students must have ample time to make a visa appointment, especially in countries that do not contain a U.S. Embassy. Visa appointments fill up fast. The sooner a student is admitted, the better chance of obtaining an appointment that will allow enough time to obtain a visa to arrive in a timely manner. Please be aware:  International students are required to arrive for orientation a week prior to the semester beginning. With this information in mind, please adhere to the following deadline dates for admission as much as possible.

Fall                                                        Spring                                      Summer

April 15th                                             October 15th                           February 15 th

Please note:  The Graduate School will determine whether there is enough time for admission processing and whether the student will have enough time to obtain a visa. If it is judged there is insufficient time for either the admission paperwork to be processed or for the student to obtain a visa, the student’s application must be deferred to a later term.

High Achievers Alternate Tuition Rate – Effective Fall 2016 for New Graduate Students

Starting with the Fall 2016 semester, non-resident new first-time graduate students who demonstrate high academic achievement on the GRE, GMAT or MAT Graduate School entrance exams will pay an alternate tuition rate of 1.0 times the current in-state graduate tuition rate.

The definition of "high academic achievement on the GRE, GMAT or MAT Graduate School entrance exams" is a GRE Verbal Reasoning score or a GRE Quantitative Reasoning score or a GMAT score or a MAT score whose percentile rank is 80% or higher as determined by the creators of the particular exam.

Official GRE, GMAT or MAT scores must be sent directly to the appropriate SIU graduate department at the time of application. Failure to properly complete these steps in a timely fashion may result in the incoming graduate student not qualifying for this alternate tuition rate.