Special Students

Special Students are not enrolled in a degree program but may register as full-time or part-time students for a maximum of 18 semester hours or 3 semesters, whichever is longer. To be admitted as a Special Student, a person must submit all the regular application materials and must have earned a minimum undergraduate cumulative grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale).

A student may become a Special Student in the graduate school in one of two ways:

Simply apply for admission as a Special Student. Students do this (a) if they know they want a graduate education but are unsure which program would be best for them, or (b) if they have a specific degree program in mind but must first remove certain prerequisite deficiencies in order to qualify for it. Therefore, Special Student status allows the student to take some relevant course work while simultaneously satisfying the necessary prerequisites.

A student may apply for admission into a degree program, but the Admissions Committee may admit her or him as a Special Student. This means that she or he meets our general admission requirements but, for one or more reasons, cannot yet be admitted into her or his program of choice. Some of those reasons may include the following: lack of adequate prerequisite course work, lack of a score from a standardized admission test, weak academic background, stated goals that are inconsistent with the purposes of the program, indication of incompatibility with the personal character and lifestyle expectations of the campus community or with the desired program, or the conclusion by the Admissions Committee that another program may be more appropriate for the student.

A Special Student may register for any courses for which he or she meets the prerequisites as stated in the course description section of the catalog. He or she should consult with the faculty advisor regarding the best courses to take. If a Special Student wishes to take more than a total of 18 semester hours, he or she needs either to apply for a degree program or obtain special permission from the Admissions Committee for an extension. It is important to note that admission as a Special Student does not guarantee later admission to a degree program.