Entering The Graduate School

In order to be assured of consideration for admission, the following materials must be on file in the Graduate School prior to April 1 for summer and fall enrollment and prior to October 1 for spring enrollment: an application for Graduate School must include an application form, official transcripts from all institutions attended and appropriate test scores (GRE/GMAT/TOEFL/NTE/etc.).

Incomplete applications will not be circulated for departmental review. Some departments enforce individual application deadlines. Applicants are urged to contact the department for which they are making application regarding departmental requirements and deadlines.

Applications for admission to the Graduate School must be completed by the deadlines noted above. Incomplete applications will be held for one year. Beyond that time, the application process, including submission of a new application fee, must begin again.

An application is complete when the following materials have been received:

1. A completed and signed application form. Applicants must note on their applications whether they are electing full-time or part-time status. If an application is transmitted electronically, the applicant will be asked to verify the information by a signature at a later time.
2. An official score from a standardized test: GMAT for programs in the School of Accountancy and the School of Business Administration, NTE for designated programs in the School of Education, and GRE (verbal and quantitative sections) for all other programs. TOEFL is required of all applicants (foreign and U.S. citizens) whose native language is not English. Submission of a TOEFL score is required at the time of application. Other materials may be required by specific departments.
3. Official transcripts from the institution conferring the baccalaureate degree and from all colleges and universities subsequently attended. Only transcripts mailed directly from the sending institution are considered official.
4. Proof of immunization.

All application materials should be sent to the Graduate School. Applicants failing to provide any of the materials noted above will not be considered for admission.

Admission
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. The Graduate School at The University of Mississippi recognizes the necessity of using multiple criteria in making admission decisions. These criteria include an applicant's previous academic performance and scores on standardized tests and may include research and practical experiences, evidence of skill (e.g., a writing sample), letters of recommendation, and, in the case of applicants whose native language is not English, scores on an English proficiency exam (TOEFL). Students may apply for admission before a baccalaureate degree is completed but may not enroll as a graduate student until the degree is conferred. Meeting minimum standards does not guarantee admission to a degree program. The selection process is competitive, and admission decisions take into consideration the availability of space and resources within a department. To assure full consideration for admission, all application materials must be received by deadline dates.

Re-admission
University of Mississippi students who have a break in enrollment of one or more semesters must apply for re-admission. Official transcripts must be requested by the student, and received by the Graduate School, from all institutions attended since the last University of Mississippi enrollment. Students are admitted for a particular semester. If they are unable to enroll in courses that semester, they may request that their application be updated for the next semester. Re-admitted students will be subject to departmental, University, and catalog regulations in effect at the time of their re-admission.

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Categories of Admission: Degree Seeking

1. Full Standing Admission
   Upon recommendation by the faculty of the academic area concerned, a student who holds a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution, has a 3.0 or equivalent average on the last 60 hours of undergraduate course work, and has an acceptable score on the standardized test appropriate to their discipline, may be considered for admission in full standing to a degree program. Enrollment in 700-level courses and thesis is restricted to students who have been admitted to degree programs in full standing.
2. Conditional Admission
   Applicants who have not met requirements for full standing admission but whose credentials include a baccalaureate degree and appropriate standardized test scores and who indicate a reasonable chance for success, may be admitted in this category. 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 are restricted to enrollment in courses at the 600 level and below, exclusive of thesis, and must satisfy all conditions of admission by the end of their first term of enrollment or their status will be changed to nondegree. Except in unusual circumstances, students may not remain in conditional status more than one semester. Conditional 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 which 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.
4. Temporary Admission
   Applicants whose credentials are received within the deadline for application but too late for the admission process to be completed prior to registration will be admitted as temporary students. Enrollment is restricted to courses at the 500 level and below.
   

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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. 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. Enrollment is restricted to courses at the 600 level and below.
3. 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.
   

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RESIDENCE

Legal Residence of Students

The University applies the definitions and conditions stated here as required by state law in the classification of students as residents or nonresidents for the assessment of fees. Requests for a review of residency classification should be submitted to the registrar; forms for this purpose are available from the Registrar's Office. Such requests, when involving a specific enrollment period, are reviewed until classes begin for that particular enrollment period as stated in the Academic Calendar, provided the Request for Review Forms are received by the registrar before the beginning of classes.

A MINOR. The residence of a person less than 21 years of age is that of the father. After the death of the father, the residence of the minor is that of the mother. If the parents are divorced, the residence of the minor is that of the parent who was granted custody by the court; or, if custody was not granted, the residence continues to be that of the father. If both parents are dead, the residence of the minor is that of the last surviving parent at the time of that parent's death, unless the minor lives with a legal guardian of his person duly appointed by a proper court of Mississippi, in which case his residence becomes that of the guardian.

AN ADULT. The residence of an adult is that place where he is domiciled, that is, the place where he actually physically resides with the intention of remaining there indefinitely or of returning there permanently when temporarily absent.

REMOVAL OF PARENTS FROM MISSISSIPPI. If the parents of a minor who is enrolled as a student in an institution of higher learning move their legal residence from the State of Mississippi, the minor is immediately classified as a nonresident student.

TWELVE MONTHS OF RESIDENCE REQUIRED. No student may be admitted to the University as a resident of Mississippi unless his residence, as defined above, has been in the State of Mississippi for a continuous period of at least 12 months immediately preceding his admission.

RESIDENCE IN AN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION CAN BE COUNTED. A student who has lived within the state for 12 months following his twenty-first birthday may establish residence in his own right by showing that he is living in the state with the intention of abandoning his former domicile and remaining in the State of Mississippi permanently, or for an indefinite length of time.

RESIDENCE STATUS OF A MARRIED STUDENT. A married student may claim the residence of the spouse, or may claim independent residence status under the same regulations, set forth above, as any other adult.

MILITARY PERSONNEL ASSIGNED ON ACTIVE DUTY STATION IN MISSISSIPPI. Members of the armed forces on extended active duty and stationed within the State of Mississippi, except those military personnel whose active duty assignment is for educational purposes, may be classified as residents, without regard to the residence requirement of 12 months, for the purpose of attendance at the University. Resident status of such military personnel who are not legal residents of Mississippi, as defined above under "Legal Residence of an Adult," shall terminate upon their re-assignment for duty in the continental United States outside Mississippi.

CHILDREN OF MILITARY PERSONNEL. Resident status of children of members of the armed forces on extended active duty shall be that of the military parent for the purpose of attending the University during the time that their military parents are stationed within the State of Mississippi and shall be continued through the time that military parents are stationed in an overseas area with last duty assignment within the State of Mississippi, excepting temporary training assignments en route from Mississippi. Resident status of minor children shall terminate upon reassignment under permanent change of station orders of their military parents for duty in the continental United States outside Mississippi, excepting temporary training assignments en route from Mississippi.

CERTIFICATION OF RESIDENCE OF MILITARY PERSONNEL. A military person on active duty station in Mississippi who wishes to avail himself or his dependents of the provisions of the paragraph titled "Military Personnel Assigned on Active Duty Station in Mississippi" must submit a certificate from the military organization showing the name of the military member, the name of the dependent, if for a dependent, the name of the organization of assignment and its address (may be in the letterhead), that the military member will be on active duty stationed in Mississippi on the date of registration at the University; that the military member is not on transfer orders; and the signature of the commanding officer, the adjutant, or the personnel officer of the unit of assignment with signer's rank and title. A military certificate must be presented to the registrar of the University each semester at (or within 10 days prior to) registration for the provisions of the paragraph "Military Personnel Assigned on Active Duty Station in Mississippi," named above, to be effective.

Families of Students
The spouse and children of a nonresident student who pays or receives a waiver of the nonresident fee may enroll in the University upon payment of the appropriate fees charged to a resident. Nonresident fees for spouses and children of part-time nonresident students will be prorated.

Responsibility of Students
Residency classification of an applicant for admission is determined by the registrar and is stated on the Admission Certificate issued. Students should notify the registrar immediately by letter of any change in residence.

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INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

English Requirement
To be considered for admission, international students must present evidence of satisfactory proficiency in the English language as indicated by results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) through the Educational Testing Service, Princeton, NJ 08540. The applicant must request that the testing center send the results to the Graduate School at the University. TOEFL is required of all applicants (international and U.S. citizens) whose native language is not English; "native language" is determined by the medium of academic study. The medium of academic study is defined as the equivalent of 4 years of instruction at the secondary or college level where the language of instruction is English.

1. TOEFL results of 550 paper-based/213 computer-based or above must be attained prior to achieving full standing (some departments may require higher scores).*
2. All students with scores at or above 550/213 will be re-tested with the Michigan Test of English Proficiency and Listening Comprehension Test prior to registration.
3. Students with scores of less than 550/213 on TOEFL or less than 80 on the Michigan English Proficiency Tests are required to take and successfully complete EFS 100 (English as a Foreign Language) during their first semester of enrollment (EFS 100 must be repeated until satisfactory results are attained.)
4. Students who satisfactorily complete EFS 100 must present a score on the institutional TOEFL that is equivalent to the above target score.
   Applicants for graduate teaching assistantships whose native language is not English must present acceptable results on the Test of Spoken English (TSE) given at overseas TOEFL centers or The University of Mississippi institutional test of spoken English (SPEAK).
   

*All applicants must present a minimum TOEFL score of 523 paper-based/193 computer-based to be considered for admission. Applicants with TOEFL scores of 523-547 paper-based/193-210 computer-based may be considered for conditional admission. Applicants with scores below 523/193 may apply for admission to The University of Mississippi Intensive English Program.

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STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 540 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, The University of Mississippi does not discriminate on the basis of disability in the recruitment and admission of students. Upon admission, students with documented disabilities are entitled to receive approved modification, appropriate academic adjustments or auxiliary aids that will enable them to participate in and have the benefit from all education programs and activities of the University. The Office of Disability Services for Students provides varied assistance depending upon individual needs. This assistance may include, but is not limited to, special campus orientation, registration assistance, help in securing auxiliary learning aids, and assistance in general University activities. Contact the ADA coordinator for more information.

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REGISTRATION PROCEDURE

Instructions
New graduate students should obtain registration instructions from their graduate advisors prior to or at the beginning of their first period of enrollment. Continuing or re-admitted students are encouraged to take advantage of the priority registration periods. A student must be admitted to the Graduate School and must register in order to receive graduate credit. Nondegree students should check with their departments before obtaining a PIN at the Graduate School.

Fees
Registration is incomplete until final clearance is obtained through fee payment at the Office of the Bursar.

Admission
A student should note that admission to the Graduate School does not constitute admission to a degree program unless it is specifically stated on the student's notice of admission.