Admissions

Admission to Radford University is selective and based on a review of each applicant’s academic qualifications. Spaces are limited and applicants are encouraged to apply well in advance of the term in which they wish to attend.

For full-time students seeking graduate assistantships, the priority deadline is February 15 (for fall admission). All other applications are accepted throughout the year.

As the number of applicants who meet the essential requirements for admission exceeds the number that can be admitted, the university selects those students who present the strongest qualifications in scholastic achievement, character, personality, performance in relevant extracurricular activities and evidence of aptitude for achievement in the field of study for which the applicant seeks training.

Categories of Graduate Study

1. Degree Program: Any program that is designed to culminate in a student obtaining a master’s degree, Educational Specialist degree or doctoral degree.
2. Professional Licensure: Any program that is designed to culminate in the student obtaining initial teaching licensure.
3. Non-degree Seeking: Enrollment in one or more courses for reasons other than degree or initial licensure purposes. Some degree programs have higher admission standards.

Admissions Procedures

A student desiring to enter Radford University should apply online at www.radford.edu/gradcollege or request an application from the Graduate Admissions Office, Box 6928, Radford University, Radford, VA 24142. Students will be notified of action taken on their application after it is complete. A complete application includes:

1. An official application completed and submitted with a nonrefundable application fee of $50;
2. Official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions. If the degree has not been conferred at the time of application, a final transcript must be sent within 30 days of the first semester of enrollment. If the degree has not been conferred prior to the beginning of the term of admission to graduate school, admission will be rescinded;
3. Official test scores (GRE, MAT, GMAT, TOEFL, IELTS, etc.) if required by program;
4. At least two letters of recommendation;
5. A resume;
6. Information from below  if the applicant is non-degree seeking;
7. Information from below  if the applicant is an international student.

Students should check departmental information for additional requirements. Applications and all supporting materials should be received no later than a program’s deadline. Refer to Application Requirements  .

Admission to a graduate program is granted by the dean of the Graduate College on recommendation from the faculty of the specific program. The decision is made, in the best professional judgment of the educators involved, on the basis of evidence that the applicant can benefit from graduate study at Radford University and is likely to complete the proposed program successfully. Specific grade point averages have been established for admission. (See here .) For those programs requiring standardized test scores, the score will be considered in conjunction with other indicators of academic aptitude (grades, experience, recommendations). A high test score, for example, may offset weaker grades and vice versa.

Students may be enrolled in only one program. However, if a student wishes to apply for admission to more than one program, a complete separate application must be submitted for each program along with a separate application fee. If recommended for admission to more than one program, students must decide which program to enter.

Applicants should arrange to have official test scores sent directly to the Graduate Admissions Office if required by the student’s program. Consult the program admission policy here  to determine which of the following test scores to submit: GRE - Graduate Record Exam, GMAT Graduate Management Admissions Test and/or MAT– Miller Analogies Test. English language proficiency is demonstrated by (1) a TOEFL score of 550 or higher on the written test, 79-80 on the Internet-based test, (2) an IELTS score of 6.5 or higher, or (3) possession of a degree from an accredited institution where English is the language of instruction.

For applicants who are graduates of Radford University, only transcripts for coursework taken at other institutions after graduation need to be sent. If the Radford transcripts do not include the student’s entire undergraduate program, copies of all transcripts also must be sent to the Graduate Admissions Office. Students, excluding Radford University graduates, must have official final transcripts, including the award of the bachelor’s degree, sent to the Graduate Admissions Office.

In some graduate programs, the number of applicants who meet minimum admission requirements may exceed the number of new students who can be accommodated in the programs. In these instances, departmental admission committees will have to select the strongest applicants and regrettably, deny admission to others who meet requirements.

Acceptance into the Graduate College is effective for one semester. If an accepted student does not enroll for the first time within one academic semester after the initial acceptance, it will be necessary to reapply. If an accepted student wishes to defer his/her admission, he/she may do so for up to one academic year with written permission of the graduate program coordinator/director who forwards a copy of this request to the Graduate College. Degree-seeking students who have not enrolled in a course for two years or more, but are still within the time limit of completing their programs, must contact the program coordinator/director to be reinstated.

Non-Degree Applications

Non-degree applications may be submitted at any time during the year along with an application fee of $50.

Non-degree seeking student applicants (except for those seeking Initial Teaching Licensure, below) are not required to submit recommendations, test scores, or writing samples. Post-Baccalaureate Certificate applicants should review Application Requirements  to see what application materials are required.

Applicants seeking admission for Initial Teaching Licensure are required to submit three letters of recommendation. Recommendation letters should be written by persons familiar with the applicant’s academic background and/or work experience. An applicant who has had experience in the public schools and who plans to continue working in the area of professional education is encouraged to have one of the recommendations submitted by the immediate supervisor in the school system or, if not currently employed by a school system, by a supervisor in the last school system in which the applicant worked.

Notification of Admission

The Graduate Admissions Office will send the completed application materials to the director/coordinator of the program in which the student plans to study.

The program recommends admission. The director/program coordinator will identify any deficiencies in the student’s undergraduate training. After this information has been returned to the Graduate Admissions Office and a decision is made by the dean, the applicant will receive written official notification of the college’s admission decision. A letter of admission will indicate the student’s admission status, program requirements and the name, phone number and e-mail of the student’s program coordinator/director. It also will indicate any special conditions to be met. A doctoral student may not be admitted with any deficiencies or any conditions to be met.

For further information, contact:
Graduate Admissions Office
P.O. Box 6928
Radford University
Radford, VA 24142
email: gradcollege@radford.edu

Disciplinary or Criminal Offenses

Undergraduate, graduate and students seeking readmission who have disciplinary records at their previous institutions or who have a criminal record will be reviewed by the Special Admission Committee. Non-disclosure or falsification in the reporting of disciplinary and/or criminal offenses on the Readmission Application will result in automatic denial.

Classifications of Degree Seeking Admission Status

Regular

Regular status may be granted to students who have met all entrance requirements for the Graduate College and the program in which they wish to study. In addition to all other Graduate College and program requirements, minimal requirements for regular status include:

• A complete graduate application;
• Official scores on required tests;
• At least two letters of recommendation;
• An official final transcript showing bachelor’s degree conferred along with official transcripts from all regionally-accredited baccalaureate institutions and, in the case of some doctoral programs, an official final master’s degree transcript from all regionally-accredited institutions attended;
• A minimum 2.75 grade point average on a 4.0 scale;
• Completion of all deficient coursework;
• A resume.

Programs, with the approval of the dean of the Graduate College, may establish and maintain additional requirements for admission and regular status.

Conditional

Students may be admitted on conditional status only if they are missing an official test score; one or more letters of recommendation; deficient coursework; a grade point average below 2.75; or a test score below the minimum acceptable to the program. A student will be admitted under regular status upon completion of all conditions of his/her admission.

Students must remedy all conditions of admission by the end of the first semester or term in which they are enrolled, or as required by program policy. Students who are unable to remedy a deficiency in the time frame established will be blocked from further registration in graduate courses and dismissed. Doctoral programs may not admit a student with any deficiencies.

Students who are admitted conditionally must maintain a 3.0 grade point average after their first semester, with no grade lower than a C, at Radford University. After one semester or term below a 3.0, students will be blocked from further registration and will no longer continue in the program or enroll in another graduate program unless a petition to continue is approved.

Programs or schools may have more stringent requirements or rules than those listed above regarding retention.

Temporary

Students may be admitted under temporary status if they are missing only their final official undergraduate or in the case of some doctoral programs, graduate transcript. Students admitted under this status will not be eligible for financial aid until receipt of a final official transcript showing degree is conferred. A final official transcript must be received in the Graduate College within 30 days of initial enrollment. At that time the temporary status will be automatically changed to regular. Noncompliance with this policy will result in administrative removal from all courses and dismissal from the graduate program.

Conditional-Temporary

Students may be admitted under conditional-temporary status if they are missing their final official undergraduate transcript, an official test score or one or more letters of recommendation; have deficient course work, a grade point average below 2.75, or a test score below the minimum required by the program. A student will be admitted under regular status upon completion of all conditions of his/her admission.

Students must remedy all admission deficiencies by the end of the first semester or term in which they are enrolled or as required by program policy. A final official transcript must be received in the Graduate College with 30 days of initial enrollment. Students who are unable to remedy a deficiency in the time frame established will be blocked from further registration in graduate courses and dismissed.

Students who are admitted conditionally must maintain a 3.0 grade point average after their first semester, with no grade lower than a C, at Radford University. After one semester or term without a 3.0, students will be blocked from further registration and will no longer continue in the program or enroll in another graduate program unless a petition to continue is approved.

Programs or schools may have more stringent requirements or rules than those listed above regarding retention.

Professional Licensure and Certification

A student who holds a bachelor’s degree from a regionally-accredited institution and who wishes to take graduate courses to meet initial teaching licensure requirements may be admitted as a professional licensure student upon submission of an official transcript showing that the bachelor’s degree has been awarded with a grade point average of at least 2.75 (on a scale of 4.0). Specializations may have additional admission requirements. For these, please see the respective courses of study sections of this catalog.

A letter of reference is required from at least three of the following:

1. The director of the teacher education program at the undergraduate college if the applicant was enrolled in a baccalaureate teacher education program;
2. The chair of the department or a faculty member who served as advisor for the applicant from the major department if the applicant was not enrolled in an undergraduate teacher education program;
3. The clinical faculty member (cooperating teacher) who supervised the applicant if the applicant participated in any field experiences or practica associated with teacher preparation;
4. The chair of the department or a faculty member who served as advisor for the applicant from the major department if the applicant has been enrolled in a graduate program following graduation;
5. A direct supervisor to whom the applicant reported if the applicant has been employed since receiving the baccalaureate degree.

Normally, courses taken under this admission category may not be counted toward a degree; however, a professional licensure student in this status who subsequently decides to pursue a degree may petition the Graduate College through the appropriate department to have a maximum of six graduate hours evaluated to be applied toward a graduate degree.

It would be to the advantage of professional licensure students to formally apply to a degree program as soon as possible after registration in order to protect the potential future value of courses toward a graduate degree.

Non-Degree Students

An applicant who does not plan to pursue a degree or initial teaching licensure but wishes to take one or more courses may be admitted to this category upon application and submission of an official transcript showing that a bachelor’s degree has been awarded from a regionally-accredited institution with a minimum grade point average of 2.75. Requests for exceptions to the GPA requirement should be directed to the Graduate College. Applicants who have already earned a master’s degree from a regionally-accredited institution may submit a final official transcript from that institution alone. However, applicants may be requested to submit transcripts from all colleges/universities attended at the discretion of the Graduate College or program. If the applicant does not have a 2.75 undergraduate GPA, any graded post-baccalaureate recertification courses may also be submitted. In addition, applicants wishing to take courses from certain departments will be required to submit additional application materials. Applicants who have been denied admission to a graduate degree-seeking program at RU are not eligible to take courses in that program unless, in a subsequent term, the student reapplies and is admitted to the program.

Normally, courses taken under this admission category may not be counted toward a degree; however, a graduate student in this status who subsequently decides to pursue a degree may petition the Graduate College through the appropriate program to have two courses, not to exceed a maximum of six graduate hours, evaluated for acceptance toward a graduate degree. Non-degree students seeking admission to a graduate program must apply and provide evidence that he/she has met all the requirements of the Graduate College and the specific program in which he/she seeks enrollment.

Not all graduate courses may be taken by non-degree seeking students. Students are advised to check with the specific program director as well as catalog requirements prior to enrolling in any graduate class. Non-degree students are subject to all established policies of probation and suspension.

It would be to the advantage of nondegree seeking graduate students to formally apply to a degree program as soon as possible after registration in order to protect the potential future value of courses toward a graduate degree.

Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Students

The Post-Baccalaureate Certificate is generally a series of 15-18 hours of graduate level coursework related to a focused academic topic or competency area. A Post-Baccalaureate Certificate may enhance the education of matriculated (degree seeking) students as well as provide continuing education to non-matriculated (nondegree seeking) students, generally in a specialized or emerging field. The certificate indicates to a prospective employer that the university validates the particular collection of courses as a coherent substantive area of study. While the award of a certificate means the holder has completed the required courses and related work at an acceptable level of academic accomplishment, it does not constitute a degree program and it neither certifies nor licenses the student.

An applicant who is currently a matriculated graduate degree seeking student at Radford University may apply for a certificate by submitting an approved “Petition for Program Change” to the Graduate College. Applicants who are not in a degree program and are seeking only the certificate should apply as “Certificate Students” and must meet the established criteria for admission, as well as other requirements indicated by the specific certificate. A current list of Post-Baccalaureate Certificates being offered, along with specific entry requirements, is available at www.radford.edu/gradcollege under the “Academics” tab.

Graduate Enrollment Checklist First Semester of Enrollment

1. If a student applied to the Graduate College before his or her undergraduate degree was conferred, it is the student’s responsibility to ask his or her undergraduate institution to send a final transcript verifying conferral of the degree to the Graduate College within 30 days of enrollment.
2. If a student is admitted conditionally, his or her status will automatically be changed to regular if the student completed the first semester with at least a B average, does not have more than two grades of C or lower, all deficiency courses have been successfully fulfilled, and the application is complete, including an official final transcript verifying conferral of the undergraduate degree and in the case of some doctoral programs, a master’s degree.

After Nine Hours of Enrollment

1. After the first nine hours of enrollment, a student must submit an official program of study to the Graduate College, approved and signed by his or her advisor. Any change in the coursework proposed on the program of study requires permission prior to making the change using a “Petition for Program Changes” form.

Last Semester of Enrollment

1. The student should submit an application to graduate no later than the second week of the semester in which he/she expects to graduate. Information about commencement will be sent after the completed application has been received by the Graduate College.
2. The student should check that all necessary changes to the program of study have been approved.
3. If a program of study requires a thesis/dissertation, the student should submit a preliminary draft of the thesis to the Graduate College for initial review no later than the Monday of the third to last week of classes of the fall or spring term in which the student wishes to graduate. If a student wishes to graduate in the summer, the preliminary draft must be submitted no later than the Monday of the second to last week of the term in which the student is enrolled. For all terms, two copies of the completed thesis/dissertation must be submitted to the Graduate College no later than the last day of classes of the term. See “Thesis Manual” and deadlines on the Graduate College website for complete instructions.
4. The student must request an approval form for the final comprehensive examination, thesis or dissertation defense at least five days in advance of the examination date. The date of the defense must be specified on the form. The advisor is responsible for returning the signed form to the Graduate College no more than fifteen university business days after the defense and no later than the last day of classes. Failure to return the form within the specified time frame will result in a failing grade.

International Study Information

Radford University is committed to providing a world class program of global engagement. International and intercultural learning and experience are central components to a high quality undergraduate and graduate experience in the strongest terms. This focus stems directly from the Radford University strategic plan and is manifest in a variety of programs, e.g. the Radford University core curriculum, study abroad (long and short term), student exchanges (graduate and undergraduate), international student exchanges (graduate and undergraduate), and memos of understanding with institutions outside the United States offering opportunities for exchanges.

Students are strongly encouraged to meet with their advisors soon after arrival on campus to begin a conversation about global engagement and how their active and engaged involvement can enhance their graduate experiences as well as their competitiveness in an increasingly competitive job market.

The Offices of International Education (Cook Hall) and Diversity and Inclusion (Heth Hall) provide the administrative structure for a variety of programs and issues regarding international learning, cultural issues, and diversity concerns.

Center for Diversity and Inclusion

Adrien DeLoach, Director
Tyler Hall 025
(540) 831-5765

The Center for Diversity and Inclusion assists students in their transition to college life at Radford University and to the United States. The office provides information, services and programs to help students become successful at the university. Some services include international student orientation programs, as well as health insurance and Social Security assistance for international students.

Annual programs are designed to provide students with the opportunity to share their culture with others. They include but are not limited to: Diversity Week, the International Host Program and Volunteer Network, the Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute, Hispanic Heritage Month, Black History Month events and International Week/Banquet. The center also co-sponsors many other awareness and heritage events throughout the year.

The Center for Diversity and Inclusion staff understands the needs and concerns of the university’s underrepresented and international student population. The staff highly encourages students to utilize the center’s variety of resources. Please visit www.radford.edu/diverse for more detailed information or call (540) 831-5765. Office hours are 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. (EST), Monday – Wednesday and 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., Thursday and Friday.

International Education Center

Teresa Dalton King, Assistant Director/Immigration Counselor
105 Cook Hall
(540) 831-6200

In addition to overseeing study abroad and international programming on campus, the immigration counselor is on the staff of the International Education Center. Located in Cook Hall, the office works closely with students, faculty and staff both before their arrival and during their stay at Radford University with any immigration concerns.

Admission for International Students

An international student who plans to enter Radford University in fall semester must apply by December 1. A student entering spring semester must apply by July 1.

An applicant who has not already earned a degree at an institution at which English is the language of instruction must take the TOEFL or the IELTS. The results must be mailed directly to the Graduate Admissions Office from the Educational Testing Service, Princeton, NJ 08541 for the TOEFL. Scores for the IELTS will be electronically verified through the IELTS Test Report Form Verification Service.

A TOEFL minimum score of 550 on the paper-based test, 79-80 on the Internet-based test, or 213 on the computer-based test is required for admission. A minimum score of 6.5 is required for the IELTS.

An original certified bank statement must be received to show the student has adequate funds for the first year  of studies at Radford University. The bank statement(s) must include the date issued, the amount of funds immediately available and the name of the account holder. If a bank account is not in the student’s name, a letter of support is also required from the financial sponsor (account holder) that includes the date issued, name of student, printed name and signature of financial sponsor, and dollar amount of financial support. For international students accepted to an M.A., M.B.A., M.F.A., M.S.W., M.S. or Ed.S. degree program, the total cost estimate for 2011-2012 that must be immediately available from the bank statement(s) is $31,486. An M.O.T. student must have $48,830, a D.N.P. student must have between $34,804 and $42,670 depending on initial degree level and track, and a D.P.T. student must have $58,259 immediately available.

For more information about financial requirements, contact the Immigration Counselor. For more information regarding university tuition and fees for U.S. residents, see here .

Applicants must have each college or university attended send official records to the Graduate College. All records must be certified and translated into English. An I-20 Form, used to obtain an F1 student visa, will be prepared after the application and all necessary information have been received and the Graduate College has made a decision to accept the applicant as a Radford student. The I-20 Form cannot be prepared before an application is officially reviewed, the applicant has been accepted and all required documentation indicating financial support has been received. Applicants with questions about Form I-20 or immigration matters should contact the International Education Center (540-831-6200 or Teresa King at tking54@radford.edu).

All international students are required to present proof of adequate health insurance coverage prior to enrollment. Students should contact the Center for Diversity and Inclusion if they have questions or need more information concerning various health insurance policies.

Other Services for International Students

The International Student Affairs Council (ISAC), a branch of the Student Government Association, was founded to address international student concerns and issues. ISAC plans and coordinates internationalrelated activities sponsored by various on-campus organizations and clubs. It also seeks to help the entire campus community understand and appreciate the rich variety of cultures represented by our international student body.