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Admission to the Graduate School

Graduate Admission Statuses

Admission to the Graduate School is determined by the Dean of the Graduate School after evaluation and approval of credentials and recommendation by the faculty of the academic discipline concerned. A baccalaureate degree is the minimum credential required for admission to the Graduate School. Students may apply for admission before this requirement is met but may not enroll as graduate students until this degree is conferred.

Categories of Admission: Degree Seeking

  1. Full Standing Admission - Applicants who are recommended by the faculty of the academic area concerned and whose credentials include a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution, a 2.7 or equivalent grade-point average on the last 60 hours of undergraduate course work or a 3.0 overall grade-point average for undergraduate course work, and an acceptable score on the standardized test appropriate to their discipline (if applicable), may be considered for admission in full standing to a degree program. Programs that wish to recommend full standing admission for an applicant who does not meet the above criteria must specify the justification for the recommendation (e.g., prior experience) to warrant full standing admission and the actions the program will take to support the success of the student.

  2. Provisional Admission - Applicants who have not met requirements for full standing admission but whose credentials include a baccalaureate degree and who indicate a reasonable chance for success, may be admitted in this category on rare occasions (typically less than 10% of a program’s students should be admitted with provisional status). The program shall specify the requirements for the student to be re-classified as a full standing graduate student, and such requirements can include up to 9 hours of remedial coursework. Upon advancement to full standing admission and recommendation of the departmental chair concerned, credit earned while enrolled in this status may be applied to a degree program. Students admitted in this category must satisfy all conditions of admission by the end of their first 9 hours of enrollment or their status will be changed to nondegree. Provisionally admitted students may take graduate courses as part of fulfilling the requirements for full admission status. Students admitted in this category are not eligible for graduate assistantships or federal financial aid. Provisional students may not preregister for a second enrollment.

  3. Qualifying for Admission - Applicants whose academic qualifications are not sufficiently strong to warrant admission to a degree program, but who take courses that will strengthen their qualifications to enter graduate degree programs, will be admitted as qualifying students. Courses completed in this category may not be applied to a graduate degree program at The University of Mississippi. Students admitted in this category are not eligible to receive graduate assistantships. While in qualifying status, a student may take a minimum of 9 hours and a maximum of 18 hours. When recommending admission into this category, departments are required to specify up to 18 hours of undergraduate course work, and/or to specify a non-course requirement, to be completed satisfactorily before the student is considered for admission into a graduate degree program. Students admitted in this category may not be eligible for federal financial aid, unless the undergraduate courses that must be taken are required prerequisites for admission to the program. Contact the Office of Financial Aid for more information.

Categories of Admission: Nondegree Seeking

  1. Nondegree I - Applicants with no intention to pursue or qualify for a graduate degree program and whose undergraduate grade-point average is below 2.7 will be admitted in this category. Enrollment is restricted to courses at the 400 level and below.

  2. Nondegree II - Applicants with no intention to pursue a graduate degree program and whose undergraduate grade-point average is 2.7 or higher will be admitted in this category. Students admitted in this category cannot register for thesis or dissertation hours. Enrollment is restricted to courses at the 600 level or below unless the student has permission from the department offering the course to enroll in a 700-level course. Nondegree II students who later apply for and are accepted in a degree program may apply a maximum of 9 hours of graduate work taken in this category.

  3. Nondegree III - International applicants who will be enrolled in a Graduate Accelerator Program and have a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution with an earned grade-point average of at least 2.5 may be admitted to this category. A student in this category may not register for thesis or dissertation hours. Applicants must meet the English language proficiency requirements established for admission to the Graduate Accelerator Program. Nondegree III students who later are admitted to a degree program may apply a maximum of 12 hours of courses taken in this category to the degree.

  4. Visiting - A student who wishes to enroll in graduate course work for transfer toward a degree at another institution may be admitted in a visiting status. A visiting student must have written approval of the institution to which the credit will be transferred. Credit earned as a visiting student at The University of Mississippi may not be applied toward a degree program at this institution.

The policies and regulations contained in this online University of Mississippi Catalog are in effect for the current or selected semester. The catalog is not a contract, but rather a guide for the convenience of students. The University of Mississippi reserves the right to 1) change or withdraw courses; 2) change the fees, rules, and schedules for admission, registration, instruction, and graduation; and 3) change other regulations affecting the student body at any time. Implicit in each student’s enrollment with the university is an agreement to comply with university rules and regulations, which the university may modify to exercise properly its educational responsibility.