Unconditional Admission

For unconditional admission to the Graduate School as a Degree Applicant, the applicant must meet all of the following conditions:

1. Graduation with the bachelor’s degree, or its equivalent, from an accredited college or university. An example of the “equivalent,” as indicated above may be an international student who has graduated from a college or university that issues a diploma or certificate instead of a degree.
2. A satisfactory undergraduate sequence of courses for the proposed degree.
3. A grade point average (GPA) in all undergraduate work of 2.50 or better or a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on the last 60 semester hours of undergraduate course work (GPA on a 4 point scale).
4. Subject to program requirement - a score on the aptitude section of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), or GMAT, which will be used in conjunction with other admission factors.
5. If the applicant is an international student a TOEFL score of at least 550 on the paper based test or 213 on the computer based test or 79 on the Internet based test is required. An official IELTS score can be submitted in lieu of TOEFL in which case a minimum overall band score of 6.0 is required.
6. Evidence of meeting English Proficiency requirement as required by the Graduate School and/or detailed by program of study.

Conditional Admission

Conditional admission to graduate degree programs may be permitted for those applicants who do not satisfy all of the requirements for unconditional admission. Please note that for programs requiring a GRE or GMAT score there is no consideration for conditional admission unless a valid official copy of the score has been received. Final disposition of cases involving students who have been admitted on condition rests with the appropriate department and the Dean of the Graduate School.

Non-Degree Admission

Individuals with baccalaureate degrees who wish either to improve their credentials before application to a graduate degree program or to enhance their career prospects through additional training may apply for admission to the Graduate School as non-degree seeking students. Students must apply to a particular program as a non-degree seeking student. Not all programs have the capacity to accept non-degree students, and some courses will not be available to non-degree students. To apply as a non-degree student, an applicant must

• Submit an application with the required fee.
• Have a copy of the official transcripts for all previous undergraduate and graduate work sent directly to the Graduate School office (Students with degrees from non-U.S. institutions must submit an evaluation of a verified copy of their transcript showing all courses taken and their equivalents)
• Be approved for admission as a non-degree student by the program to which they apply.

In order to gain admission to a degree program, non-degree students must reapply for regular admission. No more than 12 hours of graduate credit earned as a non-degree student may be applied towards a graduate degree.

Responsibility for Admission

The appropriate department will make the recommendation for admission. Recommendations for admissions are submitted to the Dean of the Graduate School for final action.

All graduate students engaged in independent study or in research related to the preparation of a thesis or dissertation must be enrolled at Texas Southern University for a minimum of three (3) semester hours during each semester or summer session in which the study or research occurs.

With the exception of students who must remove incomplete grades, all graduate students must be enrolled at Texas Southern University during the semester wherein degree program requirements are expected to be completed. The requirements include but are not limited to the English Proficiency Requirement, the Comprehensive Examination in the major and/or minor areas, the Foreign Language Examination, the Thesis or Dissertation Examination, and the Final Doctoral Examination.

Advising

Academic advising is an integral and necessary part of the higher education process. Faculty advisors in the academic departments have the responsibility of advising those students who have met all admission requirements and are enrolled in the department’s degree programs based on:

1. the most current information available to them about departmental, college, and university requirements and
2. students’ interests, needs, and abilities.

All graduate students are assigned advisors by their department.

Specific responsibilities of advisors include

• Helping students to define and develop realistic goals.
• Matching students to available resources.
• Assisting students in planning programs of study consistent with their abilities.
• Helping students monitor their progress toward graduation.

Although academic advisors will assist students in every way possible, students are expected to accept full responsibility for their academic programs of study, including the satisfactory completion of all requirements.

Registration Policies and Procedures

All students must register by the beginning of each semester or term. Each student is assigned a faculty advisor, who assists in planning a program of study. Complete registration instructions are contained in the schedule of classes each semester or term. Students are registered for and entitled to attend classes only when they have completed the prescribed procedures, including the payment of fees, which is a part of registration. A student is not registered with the University and therefore not entitled to University privileges until fees are paid. All unpaid course selections will be purged from the database of student records after the twentieth (20th) class day during a regular semester and after the fourth (4th) class day during a summer term.

Students planning to return to the campus after an absence of one year or after earning credits at another institution are required to apply for re-admission and have transcripts mailed from the schools attended.

Registration and Payment of Fees

Official registration days for each semester and each term of the summer session are indicated in the University Calendar. Students are required to provide their transcripts for use by counselors in preparing their schedules each semester.

Registration is not complete until tuition and fees are paid. Students with unpaid fees are not entitled to University privileges. Students are required to have sufficient funds to cover all required tuition, fees, and deposits.

Auditing

With the consent of both the chair of the administering department and the course instructor, a student may audit a course. Auditors shall be registered, shall receive no credit for audited courses, and shall pay the same fees as a student enrolled for credit.

Credit by Examination

Credit by examination is not allowed for graduate programs.

Concurrent Enrollment

A student concurrently enrolled at Texas Southern University and another college or university may receive total credit for no more than the maximum allowable Texas Southern University load for any given semester or term. In each semester of concurrent enrollment, the student must verify with his or her advisor that the other institution’s courses qualify for transfer, notify the Office of Financial Aid at both Texas Southern University and the other institution, and submit the signed agreement form to the Registrar’s Office.

Official Enrollment in Class

A student may not attend a class after the first week of classes unless he or she is properly registered for that course and section. Failure to follow proper registration procedures may jeopardize that student’s good standing at the University and result in loss of funds and credit. Instructors’ class rolls are prepared from the official enrollment records of the Registrar. A student whose name does not appear on the class rolls should contact the Registrar’s Office to verify his or her proper registration.

Discontinued Classes

The University reserves the right, when necessary, to discontinue classes or to alter otherwise the schedule. If a class is discontinued, students will be notified at the first scheduled class meeting, whenever possible, so that they may register for alternate courses. Students who are enrolled in a discontinued class must officially drop the course; students who wish to enroll in another section or another course must immediately and officially carry out the drop and add process.