Admission to the University

General Admission to Graduate Studies

Admissions to Graduate Studies, which permits enrollment in classes, is not equivalent to admissions for a specific graduate degree program or certificate. Individuals interested in pursuing a graduate degree or certificate at Fairmont State University may formally apply to a program by completing the graduate admissions application. All application material should be received by the Office of Admissions at least two weeks prior to the beginning of the semester in which the student wishes to register.

Degree or Certificate Seeking Application Procedures

Individuals seeking admission to Fairmont State must have completed a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution or be in the final semester before degree completion. All degree-seeking applicants must:

1. Complete the Online Application for Graduate Admission.

2. Submit official transcripts of all undergraduate/graduate coursework to the Office of Admissions. Students are required to provide the official copy of all transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. Applicants cannot be admitted without an official transcript on file.

3. Include a $50 non-refundable application fee good for 2 years.

4. Submit housing and financial aid request forms (if applicable)

Additional application materials for individual programs may include, but are not limited to:

• Scores on graduate aptitude tests, such as Graduate Record Examination (GRE), Miller Analogies Test (MAT), Graduate Management, Admission Test (GMAT), or Principles of Learning and Teaching Exam (PLT).
• Writing sample
• Letters of recommendation

Once all materials have been received, the College will evaluate applicant credentials and make an admission decision regarding acceptance into the program. After reviewing student’s credentials, the Graduate Director of the program may determine the student should fulfill certain requirements or prerequisites for the degree before beginning graduate degree program. These requirements will be specified by the College at the time of acceptance into the program. Applicants who do not meet the minimum admission criteria may be admitted provisionally.

The Office of Graduate Studies will notify the student of their admission status once a decision has been made. If admitted, a faculty advisor will be assigned and assist the student in creating a degree plan leading to the attainment of student’s academic and professional goals. Students who are admitted must enroll in program coursework within 12 months or reapply for admission to the program.

All credentials submitted in support of an application for admission become the property of the University and will not be returned to the student. Any student admitted upon the basis of false credentials will be subject to immediate dismissal from the University.

Non-Degree Graduate Student Application Procedures

An individual with at least a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution who is not seeking a graduate degree may take graduate level courses and enroll as a non-degree student. International students with an F-1 student visa are not eligible to enroll as non-degree status.

Non-degree students must:

1. Complete the Online Application for Graduate Admission;

2. Submit an official transcript showing the earned undergraduate/graduate coursework to the Office of Admissions; and,

3. Pay the $50 dollar application fee.

In accordance with federal regulations, non-degree students are not eligible to receive federal financial aid. There are exceptions to the non-degree requirements in regard to federal financial aid. A student can receive limited federal aid as a nondegree student based on the following criteria:

• Student is required to take courses considered preparatory coursework for admission into a Master’s degree program;
• Student is required to take courses for teacher certification or recertification.

International Student Application Procedures

In addition to the general admission requirements, the following are required of all international students seeking admission to a graduate program:

1. Complete the Online Application for Graduate Admission

2. Submit your official academic record(s). Photocopies will not be accepted.

3. Students must submit their official post-secondary school transcript(s) showing proof of an undergraduate degree.

4. Transcripts from outside the United States require an official course-by-course evaluation to be sent to Fairmont State University from one of the credentialing services listed below.  Evaluations must include a statement of U.S. college equivalency.

   • World Education Services 
   • InCred 
   • Ucredo 
   • SpanTran 
5. If the native language is not English, the applicant must submit an official English proficiency score. Scores are only valid for two years. Online English courses cannot be accepted in place of these scores.  This requirement may be waived if an applicant is from an English-speaking nation per SEVIS or is transferring the equivalent of Fairmont State’s English 1101 and English 1102 with a passing grade of C or higher from an accredited U.S. college or university. 
   • TOEFL Internet-based - 79
   • TOEFL Paper-based - 550
   • TOEFL Computer-based - 214
   • IELTS score of - 6.5
6. Applicant must submit proof of financial support for the first academic year (must be in U.S. dollar format and translated to English).  Documents cannot be older than three months old.  Example: bank statement, scholarship letter, loan letter, etc.
7. Sponsor Affidavit Form
8. Color Copy of Passport front and back
9. Proof of health insurance coverage
10. Immunization record - Upload your Vaccines Records
    • Measles, Mumps & Rubella (MMR) (if born after January 1, 1957)
    • Varicella (Chickenpox)
    • Tetanus (Tdap)
    • Polio
    • Meningococcal Vaccine (MCV4 or Quadrivalent)
    • Highly Recommended: COVID-19 Vaccine

11. Transfer students taking courses in the United States are required to submit a transfer eligibility form from their current college or university.

12. If applying for a Dependent I-20, the following must be received. 

• If requesting I-20 for a spouse:  Marriage certificate
• If requesting I-20 for child/children:  Birth Certificate(s)
• Passport for each dependent for whom you are requesting an I-20
• Proof of funding for the next two semesters for each dependent.  Funding is $3,000 a semester per dependent.

For more information regarding International Student Admission, please contact admissions@fairmontstate.edu.

Currently Enrolled Students: Adding or Changing Programs

A current Fairmont State student wishing to pursue a different or additional graduate degree, or certificate must first contact the program to determine the admission process and procedures. In most cases, a student must formally apply to the other graduate program by completing the Online Application for Graduate Admission.

Credits earned while in non-degree status are not applicable to a degree program. If a non-degree student is later accepted into a degree or certificate program, the faculty advisor will determine if credit earned while in non-degree status may be applied to the proposed degree/certificate program.

Academic Common Market

The Academic Common Market (ACM), a program coordinated by the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), provides students in 16 southern states the opportunity to enroll in selected programs at public institutions in other states and pay in-state tuition. To qualify a student must:

be a resident of one of the 16 SREB states;

select a program eligible for residents of his/her home state;

complete the admission process at the institution offering the eligible Academic Common Market program;

be certified as a resident of the home state by contacting the ACM coordinator for the student’s state of residence.

For more information, contact the Office of the Provost at (304) 367-4101 or visit www.sreb.org.

Application Deadlines

Due to the competitiveness of Graduate programs at Fairmont State, applications are considered according to the following schedule. Please note schedules vary per program.

M.B.A, M.A.T, and M.Ed. Application Schedules

Summer Term (May Admission) Timeline:

• Application package should be submitted by February 1st for full consideration and possible early admission
• May 1st - FINAL application deadline; applications received after this date will only be considered on a course space available basis

Fall Term (August Admission) Timeline:

• Application package should be submitted by May 1st for full consideration and possible early admission
• August 1st - FINAL application deadline; applications received after this date will only be considered on a course space available basis

Spring Term (January Admission) Timeline:

• Application package should be submitted by October 1st for full consideration and possible early admission
• January 1st - FINAL application deadline; applications received after this date will only be considered on a course space available basis

M.S.C.J. Application Schedule

Summer Term (May Admission) Timeline: April 15th

Fall Term (August Admission) Timeline: July 15th

Spring Term (January Admission) Timeline: November 15th

M.Arch. Program Schedule

Fall Term (August Admission) Timeline: August 1st.

Application package should be submitted by May 1st for full consideration and possible early admission

Admissions Classifications

Regular Admission

Regular Admission is granted when applicants are degree or certificate seeking students who meet all the criteria for regular admission to a program of their choice. The student must:

• hold a bachelor’s or an advanced degree from an accredited institution;

• have an overall grade point average required by your specific program of study;

• have no deficiencies in the chosen area of study; and

• meet all admission criteria established by the intended degree program.

Provisional Admission

Students who do not meet requirements for full acceptance into a graduate program may be eligible for provisional acceptance with approval from the Graduate Program Director. Provisional admission may be granted to a student with a bachelor’s or advanced degree from an accredited institution who has incomplete credentials, deficiencies to make up, or less than the required grade point average for regular admission. If the student has program deficiencies, graduate courses may be taken to fulfill deficiencies but will not apply to the degree. A student admitted provisionally may only register for nine (9) semester hours of graduate work and must complete those nine (9) semester hours with a GPA of at least 3.0. Provisional Admission is the decision of the particular degree program. All conditions must be removed before a student achieves Regular Admission status.

Non-Degree Admission

Students who would like to take graduate level courses but are not seeking and/or not eligible to pursue a graduate degree or certificate at Fairmont State may be admitted as a non-degree student. Nondegree students take graduate level courses for a number of reasons, including:

• to engage in professional development;

• to become acquainted with the rigors of graduate-level coursework before applying to a program;

• to gain graduate credit to be applied toward a degree program at Fairmont State or another college or university.

A non-degree graduate student must hold a bachelor’s or advanced degree from an accredited college or university, with a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.75 on a 4.0 scale. Admission as a non-degree student does not guarantee or imply subsequent admission to a degree program. To be considered for admission into a degree program, the non-degree student must (a) submit a separate graduate application, and (b) meet all the criteria for regular admissions into the degree program. With approval of the Graduate Program Director, a maximum of 12-credit hours of graduate level coursework completed at Fairmont State may be applied toward a degree program. Students intending to apply to a degree program are encouraged to apply for admission before they complete 12-credit hours.

Non-Degree Graduate Continuing (GRCE) Courses:

GRCE courses are special topics courses which engage non-degree seeking graduate students with credit for professional development workshops, continuing education credits, or credit for engaging in a grant related experience. While these credits may be used for education re-certification or ‘plus hours’ toward a salary increase, these credits are not designed to be used toward a degree program.

Readmission

A returning graduate student who has not taken a graduate class at Fairmont State for two or more consecutive semesters (summers included), must submit a new application and application fee to the Office of Admissions at https://www.fairmontstate.edu/apply and be readmitted by the Graduate Program Director. The application must show any intervening graduate work. Official transcripts of such intervening graduate work may be required. The applicable standards are those in effect when the student applied for readmission. Graduate course work more than seven years old may not be counted toward a graduate degree.

Concurrent Admission

A Fairmont State undergraduate student may be granted concurrent admission to enroll in up to twelve (12) credit hours of graduate courses with the approval of the undergraduate advisor, graduate program director, and director or graduate studies under the following conditions:

• the student has an overall undergraduate GPA of 3.0;

• the student must need no more than twenty-four (24) credit hours of undergraduate work to complete their baccalaureate degree; and

• the total number of courses per semester may not exceed 15 credit hours, including both undergraduate and graduate coursework.

Students must complete and submit a Concurrent Enrollment Application form found on the Graduate Studies webpage.

Graduate coursework may be used to complete undergraduate degree requirements. If graduate coursework is used to satisfy undergraduate degree requirements it may not also be used to satisfy graduate degree requirements.

Dual Master’s Degree Admission

University policy permits students to obtain more than one master’s degree. In these cases, a separate application is required for each program. Each application must be accompanied by payment of a non-refundable application fee.

A student desiring to obtain more than one master’s degree must successfully complete enough additional credit hours to constitute 75% of the credit hours required by each additional master’s degree program. An individual graduate degree program may require a higher percentage of credit to be earned under its direction.

A maximum of 15 credit hours may be used in common among the degrees with the approval of the department in which the degrees are sought. Approval must be obtained in writing. Upon graduation, the student must file two (2) degree applications.

Transient Student Admission

A student who is enrolled at another regionally accredited graduate institution may apply for admission to Fairmont State for enrollment in graduate courses. In addition to the admission application (non-degree option), the student must also submit a letter of good standing from the institution. This admission is valid for one semester only. The student must submit a new application and letter of good standing each semester he/she wishes to attend.

Normally, up to 12 credit hours of coursework may be transferred back to the home institution.

Permission to transfer credits is arranged, by the student, with the home university. Transient students who wish to register for coursework beyond 12 credit hours at Fairmont State are required to obtain approval of Fairmont State’s Dean of Graduate Studies.