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Frequently Asked Questions - General Categories
- Application Process
- Records and Academic Issues
- Financial Aid Issues
- Miscellaneous
Application Process
How do I apply?
• You can apply on line by clicking the icon/link on the Graduate School’s web page (or click http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/graduate_school/apply.php).
• You may download a paper application form, as pdf, from the Graduate School’s web page ( or click http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/graduate_school/application_forms.php).
How do you correct a mistake on your online application?
Well you may use the back button at the bottom of the page if you are currently in the application setup. IF you have already completed the application, take down your application number, Full name, and date of birth and simply email us the correction at gschool@olemiss.edu.
What is the application fee and must I pay it?
A $25 non-refundable application fee is charged for all applicants, whether you are international, domestic, a state resident, or an UM undergraduate alumnus. However, the application fee is waived for any student who has previously been admitted to the UM Graduate School. Therefore, if your enrollment has lapsed for a year or more, you must apply for readmission, but you will not be charged the $25 application fee again. The Graduate School will waive the application fee for McNair Scholars, if they contact the Graduate School before applying. If a person applies online and does not provide a valid credit card number for the fee charge, a hold will be placed on the processing of the application at some point and the person will not be able to register without paying the fee. You must pay the application fee if your application was denied and you choose to reapply.
Do I have to pay the application fee each time I apply?
No, once you have paid your application fee and you are reapplying to for the same program there is no additional fee. If you are reapplying to a different program there will be an additional application fee.
What materials are required to be considered for admission? And Re-admissions?
• An application (online at http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/graduate_school/apply.php or using a paper form obtained by contacting the Graduate School or printing from link http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/graduate_school/forms.php)
• Two letters of recommendation*
*Note: There are no recommendation letter forms for the Graduate School. The program may have their own forms they will want you to use. Please check with the program you are applying to for any special forms they may require.
• Official transcripts from undergraduate institutions conferring the degree and from all postgraduate institutions attended
• Official score reports of entrance exams (GRE, GMAT, PRAXIS I and II, and
TOEFL). We accept scores that are less than 5 years old and TOEFL that are less than 2 years old.
To View TOEFL Concordance Table, click here!
Note: For those students who are reapplying you will need to re-submit your above required information again.
• A non-refundable application fee of US $25
• Any other application materials required by the specific department
(application materials sent to the Graduate School cannot be retrieved)
How do i check the status of my application?
You may check the status of your application by visiting our homepage and clicking on Track Application or Click Here to Track Your Application Status .
How is my application reviewed, how can I track its progress, and how will I be contacted about a decision?
In general, an application for graduate school is reviewed by a committee of faculty within each program. These faculty committees then recommend whether to admit an applicant. You can track the status of your application by using the tracking number sent to you when you applied online. Use the link on the right side of the Graduate School’s web page for this purpose. The Graduate School will contact you, via e-mail if possible, when a decision has been made about your admission.
What are the criteria for evaluating my application?
Admission to a graduate program is based on multiple criteria, including an applicant’s undergraduate gpa and courses, scores on standardized tests, the match of expressed interests with those of the faculty, and the availability of resources. Though a student can be recommended for admission to graduate school before completing his or her undergraduate degree, evidence of degree completion must be presented before a person can register for a graduate courses. (An exception is the case where a UM senior may enroll in a graduate course when certain conditions are met.)
Where can I take the GRE/GMAT/TOEFL/Praxis in the North Mississippi area?
The GRE, TOEFL and Praxis can be taken on the UM campus in our Office of Outreach and Continuing Studies http://www.outreach.olemiss.edu/student/ETS_Test.html or contact us by phone at 662-915-6501. GMAT is no longer offered on the UM campus. You must register directly with GMAT at 1-800-717-GMAT.
How much does the GRE/TOEFL/Praxis/GMAT cost?
GRE: $115 prior to July 2006 and $130 effective July 2006-07.
Praxis: Average cost is around $145. **Prices vary depending on test taken and whether it is computer based or not. See www.ets.org for test details.
TOEFL: $140
GMAT: $250
How do I have a GRE/GMAT/TOEFL/Praxis score forwarded to the UM Graduate School and how long does this take?
If you did not indicate the University of Mississippi as an institution to receive your test scores, you can contact the Educational Testing Service www.ets.org or 1-866-473-4373and have your scores sent to us. The institutional code for the University of Mississippi is 1840.
Can I take the GRE/GMAT/TOEFL/Praxis more than once?
Yes.
What is a competitive GRE score?
This answer varies from one discipline to the other. It is best that you contact the academic department to ask their advise.
What are the deadlines for application to a specific degree program? What if I miss a deadline?
Certain of our graduate programs have special deadlines for applications. These deadlines are posted on the Graduate School’s web page under Application Information/Deadlines.
Can I apply to more than one graduate program?
To apply to more than one program you will have to fill out an application form for each.
How do I contact someone in a specific graduate program?
Contact information is given on the Graduate School’s web page under the link Graduate Programs.
If my enrollment has lapsed for one or more semesters, what do I do to enroll again?
If you have skipped one regular semester (Fall or Spring), you are not required to submit a new application form. If you experience any problems registering, contact the Graduate School’s Records Coordinator.
If your enrollment has lapsed more than one regular semester, you must reapply to the graduate program. You can do this online using our standard application form. You would then indicate that you have previously been admitted to the UM graduate school and this enables us to obtain your UM transcript without any other action on your part.
What is the Graduate School’s Orientation Program and who should attend?
The Graduate School hosts an orientation for entering students each fall. All entering students are strongly encouraged to attend.
Records and Academic Issues
What constitutes a full time student?
Graduate students are considered full time if they are enrolled in at least nine
credit hours for the Fall or Spring semesters and for at least four hours during the Summer.
Are there minimum and maximum enrollment requirements per semester?
During the Fall and Spring semesters, a graduate student must be enrolled for at least 3 hours. Minimum enrollment for Summer is 1 hour (unless the summer term is being used to satisfy continuous enrollment requirements for doctoral students, in which case 3 hours are required). Maximum enrollment for Fall and Spring semesters is 15 hours each. In the Summer Semester a student may enroll for no more than 6 hours each summer term.
If a student is on an assistantship, additional enrollment requirements apply. For .25 time employment a student must take at least 9 hours during a Fall or Spring semester but no more than 15 hours. In the case of a .50 time appointment, no less than 9 hours and no more than 12 hours may be taken.
Are there continuous enrollment or time limit requirements for masters students?
Masters students are not required to be continuously enrolled, but have a six year time limit for completing their degree.
Are there continuous enrollment or time limit requirements for doctoral students?
Yes. Once a doctoral student successfully completes his/her comprehensive exams, and enters into candidacy he/she must maintain continuous enrollment (i.e., must register for at least 3 hours for two of the three registration periods – Fall, Spring, and Summer – during an academic year). Students who fail to meet this requirement will have to pay a penalty fee. Contact the Graduate Schools for details on the penalty.
Doctoral students should complete their comprehensive examination and enter the candidacy stage within four years of initial enrollment in the doctoral program and must complete their dissertation within five years of entering candidacy. The Graduate School may grant a one-year extension to this time limit for serious, non-academic hardships. Additionally, a student may petition his or her academic program for a limited extension for a reason unrelated to personal hardship. If granted, additional requirements may be imposed upon the student; this may include passing another comprehensive examination.
What is meant by candidacy and continuous enrollment?
A doctoral student enters into candidacy upon completion of all portions of his/her comprehensive examination. Once a student enters into candidacy he/she must maintain continuous enrollment. To be continuously enrolled a student must register for at least 3 hours during at least two of the three semesters each academic year (i.e. Fall, Spring, Summer)
If my enrollment has lapsed for one or more semesters, what do I do to enroll again?
If you have skipped one regular semester (Fall or Spring), you are not required to submit a new application form. If you experience any problems registering, contact the Graduate School’s Records Coordinator.
If your enrollment has lapsed more than one regular semester, you must reapply to the graduate program. You can do this online using our standard application form. You would then indicate that you have previously been admitted to the UM graduate school and this enables us to obtain your UM transcript without any other action on your part.
Is there a penalty for breaking the continuous enrollment policy for doctoral students?
A financial penalty maybe be applied, depending on the circumstances which lead to the breaking of continuous enrollment. Contact the Graduate School for more information.
How do I obtain information about the format for a thesis or dissertation?
The Manual for Thesis and Dissertation Preparation is available for download on the Graduate School website (under the link for Forms and Manuals). Along with this manual a student may also download Thesis/Dissertation templates, which are already formatted. If a student has any questions not covered in the Manual for Thesis and Dissertation Preparation, he or she may contact the Graduate School’s Records Coordinator for further information.
When and how should I apply to graduate/receive a degree?
An application form for a graduate degree is available on the Graduate School website (Forms and Manuals, Progression Forms, Apply to Graduate) and should be submitted the semester the student intends to Graduate. The deadline for the submission of this application is available on the Academic Calendar and the Graduate School’s calendar; the deadline generally falls during the second month of the semester. Once the student has submitted the Application for Graduate Degree, he/she will be authorized to fill out an Online Diploma Application, which may be accessed through “My Student Services” in the “Online Services” portion of the University website.
What is a Graduate Dean’s Hold and what should I do if I have one?
There are two types of Graduate Dean’s Holds. The first, which is simply called a Graduate Dean’s Hold, may be placed on a student’s account for various reasons, such as the need to provide an official transcript from your undergraduate institution. The student should contact the Graduate School for specific information relating to them.
The second type, a Graduate Dean’s Hold-Probation, is automatically placed on a student when his/her grade point average for a semester falls below a 3.0.
How do I notify the Graduate School about a change in my advisor or advisory committee?
The Graduate Program Coordinator of your program should submit a Form GS2 - Update Advisor/Advisory Committee.
How do I set up my final thesis/dissertation defense/examination?
You or your advisor should submit a Form GS7 - Authorization for Final Oral/Written Defense to the Graduate School -- at least 10-14 days prior to the scheduled defense.
What faculty are eligible to serve on my committee?
Thesis committees: Any graduate faculty member (associate of full member) may serve on a thesis committee. In other words, acting, adjunct, research, visiting, and emeriti professors with appropriate terminal degrees and with appointments in an academic department having a graduate program may also serve on thesis committees.
Dissertation committees: The chair of the committee
must be at least an Associate or Full Professor (i.e, a full member of the
graduate faculty) in the academic discipline in which the research is being
conducted. Two other faculty members in the student’s discipline and
one faculty member from outside the discipline must also be on the committee.
These other committee members may be either full or associate members of
the graduate faculty (i.e, may be assistant, associate or full Professor,
including those with additional titles of acting, adjunct, research, visiting,
or emeriti with appropriate terminal degrees and with appointments in academic
departments having a graduate program.
What kind of academic things can I appeal?
A student may appeal a grade in a course, a graduate assistantship appointment, and degree requirements, but may not appeal an admission decision. When an appeal route in not clear, a student can appeal to the Graduate Dean, who may submit the appeal to the Graduate Council.
What is the Graduate School’s Orientation Program and who should attend?
The Graduate School hosts an orientation for entering students each fall. All entering students are strongly encouraged to attend.
What are the Graduate School’s Workshops and who should attend?
The Graduate School, in coordination with the Writing Center, sponsors a number of evening workshops during the year. These are free and cover such topics as resume preparation, library searching tools, how to prepare a prospectus, ethics in research, and job searching strategies. The Graduate School’s web page and calendar will provide information about these workshops.
Financial Aid Issues
What are the general policies that govern an appointment as a graduate assistants?
In order to receive a graduate assistantship a student must be enrolled as a full time student in Full Standing status and must maintain a 3.0 grade point average. Graduate Instructors must have completed 18 previous hours of graduate course work in the teaching area. Details about our policies related to the administration of graduate assistantships can be found in the Graduate Program Coordinators Handbook, which is available on the Graduate School’s web page under Forms and Manuals.
What is a tuition scholarship and how do I qualify?
Graduate assistants who receive a 0.5 time assistantship appointment (determined as an assistantship of $800 or more per month) for a Fall or Spring semester and who register for 9 hours or more of graduate courses are also given a full tuition scholarship, including a non-resident fee scholarship. Graduate assistants who receive a 0.25 time appointment (determined as an assistantship of $400 - $799 per month) for a Fall or Spring semester and who register for 9 or more hours of graduate courses are also given a 75% tuition scholarship and a full non-resident fee scholarship.
What are the refund policies regarding tuition?
These are complicated and you should contact the Graduate School for explanations. A key rule is that if a tuition scholarship requires a student to be enrolled as full-time, then the action of dropping below full-time will trigger a payback of the tuition scholarship.
Is there a penalty for breaking the continuous enrollment policy for doctoral students?
A financial penalty maybe be applied, depending on the circumstances which lead to the breaking of continuous enrollment. Contact the Graduate School for more information.
What should I do if expected financial aid is not posted?
If a student expects a student loan that has not be awarded, the student should contact the Financial Aid Office (Help Line 800-891-4596). If a student has been awarded a Departmental Assistantship, he/she should first contact the academic department awarding the assistantship to verify that the paperwork has been submitted to the Graduate School. If the paperwork has been submitted, the student should contact the Graduate School. If a student has been awarded a Fellowship that has not been posted, he/she should contact the Graduate School.
Does the Graduate School provide assistance for travel?
Yes, the Graduate School has some funds to support graduate student travel to professional meetings.
Does the Graduate School offer Health Insurance?
Yes, beginning Spring 2007, graduate assistants with appointments of 1/4 time or higher are required to participate in a health insurance program. Enrollment and payroll deduction of premiums will be automatic upon appointment for each Fall and Spring term. Premiums will be subssidized by the University.
Program Highlights:
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$250,000 maximum coverage per year per injury or illness, with a $100 per injury deductible (maximum $300 per person policy year)
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80% of negotiated charges for hospital visit, physician office visit (after $20 copay), or emergency room visit (after $50 copay) for preferred ETNA Network care providers; 50% of reasonable charges for non-preferred care providers; referral from the Student Health Clinic is required for benefits.
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100% of prescription drug coverage; after $10 copay for each generic drugs or $25 copay for brand name drugs, up to maximum coverage of $1500 per year.
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80% of impatient mental health expenses and 50% of outpatient mental heath and substance abuse expenses for preferred care providers.
Miscellaneous
What is the mailing address for the Graduate School?
University of Mississippi
Office of the Graduate School
P.O. Box 1848
University, MS 38677-1848
IF you are using a Courier Service such as UPS, FEDEX, DHL, etc. please send to:
University of Mississippi
Office of Graduate School
University, MS 38677
How many students attend The University of Mississippi Graduate School?
Approximately 1900
How do I contact someone in a specific graduate program?
Contact information is given on the Graduate School’s web page under the link Graduate Programs.
Have a different question?
Contact us at gschool@olemiss.edu
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