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.  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, performance in relevant extracurricular activities and evidence of aptitude for achievement in the field of study for which the applicant seeks training. Radford University is committed to providing an environment that emphasizes the dignity and worth of every member of its community and is free from harassment and discrimination based on race, sex, color, national origin, religion, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, genetic information, against otherwise qualified persons with disabilities, or based on any other status protected by law. Per federal Title IX regulations, as well as other federal and state regulations, Radford University prohibits discrimination and harassment in its educational programs and activities, on the basis of sex or any other protected class, by individuals subject to its control or supervision. This requirement to not discriminate in the educational program or activity of Radford University extends to admission and employment. Inquires about the application of federal Title IX regulations may be referred to Radford University’s Title IX Coordinator, the U.S. Department of Education’s Assistant Secretary, or both.

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. Certificate:  Any program that is designed to culminate in the student obtaining a post-baccalaureate, graduate, or post-graduate certificate. A certificate may be a primary program of study or a secondary curriculum to a primary degree program.
3. Initial Teaching Licensure: Any program that is designed to culminate in the student’s eligibility to obtain initial teaching licensure.
4. Non-degree Seeking: Enrollment in one or more courses for reasons other than degree, certificate or initial licensure purposes.

Application Procedures

A prospective student desiring to enter Radford University should apply using the online application available at www.radford.edu/gradcollege by selecting the Apply Now option.  Applicants will receive a series of electronic notifications throughout the application process and will have the opportunity to follow the progression of the application online through the OneCampus portal. Only applications that are complete with all required program specific supplemental material received, will be reviewed for an admission recommendation by the specified department.  A complete application for degree seeking applicants includes:

1. An official application completed online and submitted with a nonrefundable application fee of $50;
2. Official transcripts from all institutions from which the applicant has earned a degree or course credit following a degree conferral. Unofficial transcripts are sufficient from institutions from which course credit has been transferred. If a degree has not been conferred at the time of application, a final transcript must be sent within 30 days of the start of the first term 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; If an applicant’s undergraduate transcripts does not include the applicant’s entire undergraduate record, copies of all transcripts also must be sent to the Graduate Admissions Office.
3. Official test scores (such as GRE, GMAT or others) if required by the program;
4. Letters of recommendation, or list of references, as required by the program
5. A resume or curriculum vitae (CV)
6. Writing requirement(s) if required by the program.
7. Additional program specific documents if required by the program.
8. International applicants require additional materials. This information is defined below.

Certain programs use a Centralize Application Service (CAS) for submission of application materials. Programs and associated CAS’s are listed below:

• Athletic Training (MSAT) – ATCAS
• Communication Sciences and Disorders (MA, MS) – CSDCAS
• Occupational Therapy (MOT) – OTCAS
• Physician Assistant (MS) – CASPA
• Physical Therapy (DPT) - PTCAS

In addition to the CAS application applicants must submit the online “Supplemental Application for Admission to the Graduate College for CAS Applicants Only” with the required $50 non-refundable supplemental fee.  The supplemental fee to Radford University is in addition to the respective CAS application fees. Applicants are encouraged to apply very early to the respective CAS application to allow sufficient time (up to four weeks) for verification by the respective Centralized Application Service in order for the CAS application to be electronically mailed to Radford University by the admission deadlines.  The CAS application and supplemental applications must be received to Radford by the application deadlines in order to be considered for admission.

A complete list of application requirements for non-degree applicants can be found below. 

          Applicants should check program information for additional specific admission requirements.

Applications and all supporting materials should be received no later than a program’s deadline.  If a program has rolling admission, applications and all supporting materials should be received as early as possible prior to the start of the semester in which an applicant wishes to begin in order to receive fullest consideration. Refer to Application Requirements.

For applicants who are graduates of Radford University, only transcripts for coursework taken at other institutions after graduation need to be submitted. Radford University transcripts and transcripts for institutions from which transfer credit was accepted by Radford University may be obtained by the Graduate Admissions Office. If an applicant’s undergraduate transcripts does not include the applicant’s entire undergraduate record, copies of all transcripts also must be sent to the Graduate Admissions Office.Applicants, excluding Radford University and Jefferson College of Health Sciences alumni, must have official final transcripts, including the award of the bachelor’s degree, sent to the Graduate Admissions Office if the degree is not conferred at the time of application.

Applicants must arrange to have official test scores sent directly to the Graduate Admissions Office if required by the specified program. Consult the program admission policy here to determine which of the following test scores to submit. English language proficiency must also be demonstrated for non-native English speakers. Please be certain that the correct college code for Radford University Graduate Level is being used when requesting scores.  Note that some programs use individual codes; see here for specific GRE codes.

Specific grade point averages have been established for admission. (See here.) Some degree programs have higher admission standards. 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 only be enrolled in one level at Radford University (graduate or undergraduate) in a given term. Students may be enrolled in only one primary graduate degree program. A degree student may be concurrently enrolled in a certificate as a secondary curriculum.

If an applicant wishes to apply for admission to more than one program for any given term, a complete separate application (including a separate application fee and program specific supplemental materials) must be submitted for each program. If a student is in a doctoral program that offers a master’s degree in the same field, a student may request to switch to the master’s program from the doctoral program. Students interested in doing so should consult their program coordinator and students must still meet all program specific criteria. To request a change a student should complete the Request for Program Changes form found online, and the request must be approved by the program coordinator. Students may not use this form to switch from one master’s program to a different master’s program or from a master’s program to a doctoral program. A student switching from the doctoral to master’s level within the same program will not have to pay an additional application fee. If recommended for admission to more than one program, a student must decide which program to enter by accepting the offer of admission to only one program.

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 minimum requirements. Admission recommendations will be made by the departments based on the qualifications of the applicant pool for the given admission term.

Admission for International Students

An international student who plans to enter Radford University in fall semester is encouraged to apply by December 1 and by October 1 for the spring semester.  International applicants should apply online using the online application available at www.radford.edu/gradcollege by selecting the Apply Now option.  A Supplemental International Application is available as part of the standard online application (and the Supplemental Application for Admission to the Graduate College for CAS Applicants Only for international applicants applying to either the Athletic Training, Communication Sciences and Disorders, Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant, or Master of Occupational Therapy programs).

Applicants must submit an official transcript for each college or university attended to the Graduate College.  All records from non-U.S. institutions must be certified and translated into English by an evaluation service. International applicants are required to use a NACES approved credential evaluation services. Applicants are required to select the course-by-course report option from the preferred credential evaluation service.  General reports are not sufficient. Applicants also have the option to use CertiFile Credential Verification and Delivery to request and submit official evaluated transcripts through the online application. This service requires a separate fee that is separate from the application fee itself. This option is available while the application is initially complete or may be accessed post-application submission through the applicant’s activity page accessible through the Graduate College Application Menu (www.applyweb.com/radg/index.ftl).

In addition to the standard graduate application procedure and requirements indicated by the specific program, an international applicant whose native language is not English or has not earned a degree from an institution at which English is the primary language of instruction must take the TOEFL or the IELTS. Official scores must be submitted to the Graduate Admissions Office to complete the application in order to be reviewed by the department.

A TOEFL minimum score of 550 on the paper-based test or, 79-80 on the Internet-based test is required for admission. A minimum score of 6.5 is required for the IELTS.  The minimum required scores for the TOEFL and IELTS are strictly upheld.  Applicants who do not achieve a minimum score on either of these English proficiency exams will not be considered for admission. Official scores on the TOEFL or IELTS cannot be more than two years old from the term to which the applicant is applying.

Official bank statement - An original and certified statement dated no more than 12 months prior to the term of entry which states the specific amount of money (in U.S. dollars) immediately available for your first academic year of graduate study must be submitted.

For more information about financial requirements, contact the McGlothlin Center for Global Education and Engagement, 540-831-6200 or email globaled@radford.edu.

An I-20 Form, used to obtain an F1 student visa, will be prepared by the McGlothlin Center for Global Education and Engagement  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 the I-20 Form or immigration matters should contact the McGlothlin Center for Global Education and Engagement at 540-831-6200 or email globaled@radford.edu.

All international students are required to present proof of adequate health insurance coverage prior to enrollment, or purchase acceptable insurance immediately upon arrival. Please contact the International Education Center with questions or if you need more information concerning various health insurance policies.

Notification of Admission

Once all application materials have been submitted, faculty from each graduate program review the submitted materials to evaluate applicants. Evaluation of each applicant is made in the best professional judgment of the faculty involved, on the basis of evidence provided that the applicant can benefit from graduate study at Radford University and is likely to complete the program successfully. Admission recommendations from programs are forwarded to the Graduate Admissions Office. A program recommendation for admission does not guarantee admission to the program. A final decision on admission to a graduate program is granted by the dean of the Graduate College. If granted admission the applicant will receive official notification of the college’s admission decision that will indicate the student’s admission status, matriculation requirements (if any) and the contact information for the student’s program coordinator/director. It will also indicate any special conditions to be met when necessary.

Acceptance into the Graduate College is effective for the term indicated in the admission notification. If an accepted student does not matriculate, enroll for the first time, for the term in which initial acceptance was offered according to the letter of admission, the student’s status will be withdrawn, and 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 by submitting a term change request form that first requires the permission of the graduate program coordinator/director and the Graduate College. Not all graduate programs allow students to defer. 
 

Graduate Seat Deposit

Upon the student’s acceptance of the offer of admission from the Graduate College, new students may have to pay a non-refundable seat deposit of $500. Information on whether a deposit is required and the deadline for payment is program-specific and included in the student’s acceptance letter. The deposit will be credited to the student’s first semester tuition and may be paid online through the OneCampus portal.  An admission offer for programs requiring the seat deposit will not be confirmed until the full deposit is posted.  In order to accept the offer of admission and secure one’s seat in the program, students are encouraged to submit the seat deposit as soon as possible.  A registration hold will be placed on the student’s account at the time of admission.  Registration will not be allowed until the full $500 deposit is posted.  If the full deposit is not received by the deadline designated by the department in the admission letter, the offer of admission will be rescinded and the student will be required to reapply.

Graduate seat deposits are program specific.  A deposit required by and paid to accept the offer of admission to one program may not be transferred to another program.  Seat deposits will be forfeited if the student elects not to attend, for any reason, the program to which the deposit is paid.  Forfeited deposits are non-refundable.

Graduate seat deposits may not be waived and may not be covered by financial aid or grant funds. However, students who have US Military or Veteran benefits may use these funds to cover the graduate seat deposit. Students should contact Graduate Admissions to facilitate the use of benefits for the deposit. If a student requests and is approved to defer his or her admission term, a seat deposit is required for the original admission term as well as for the deferred admission term.  The deposit for the original admission term will be forfeited, but reapplication will not be required as seat will be confirmed for the deferred term by the deferred deposit. The date for which a deferred seat deposit is due will be determined by the program when a deferral is approved.

In the event of a returned check for a seat deposit, the Bursar’s Office will contact the student and allow 10 days to rectify the deposit.  If the deposit is not rectified by this time, the Graduate College will be contacted accordingly and admission may be rescinded depending on the deadline deposit. The Bursar will also impose up to a maximum $75 state mandated fee for all returned checks.

Students who have a break in enrollment and are approved for reinstatement to a program will not be required to pay a seat deposit.

Classifications of Graduate 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, minimum requirements for regular status.

Conditional

Students may be admitted on conditional status if they are deficient on any admission minimum requirement (e.g. GPA, pre-requisite course) or require additional application documentation (e.g. official transcript, official test score). Conditional admission may be based on one or multiple admission deficiencies or application documentation needs. A student will be approved for regular status upon completion of all conditions of their admission. The student, program coordinator, and Financial Aid Office will be notified electronically by Graduate Admissions of the status update. Note: conditional and conditional-temporary statuses are separate classifications. See Conditional-temporary section below.

Students must remedy all conditions of admission by the end of the first semester or term in which they are enrolled or earlier if required by program policy. Students who are unable to meet the condition(s) of their admission in the time frame required, as indicated in the student’s admission letter, will be blocked from further registration in graduate courses and dismissed from the Graduate College. Doctoral programs may not admit a student on conditional status.

Students who are admitted with a pre-requisite course deficiency must achieve the minimum grade indicated by the admitting program for all given coursework. An official transcript must be submitted to the Graduate College for verification of course completion prior to the student matriculating in their graduate program. If this condition is not met, failure to provide appropriate documentation or the minimum grade required is not achieved, the student will be blocked from further registration in graduate courses and dismissed.

Students who are admitted with a GPA deficiency will have the admission condition of earning a grade of “B” or better in all first term coursework. Students with this condition will be blocked from enrolling in subsequent terms until final grades have been processed and evaluated by the Graduate College. If this condition is not met, a student earns any one grade of “B-” or lower, the student will remain blocked from further registration in graduate courses and dismissed. Final grades must be posted before the condition is considered satisfied.

Students who are admitted with the condition of providing additional application documentation must submit the document(s) required by the deadline specified by the admitting program and/or Graduate College as indicated in the student’s admission letter. Failure to provide the required document(s) by the specified deadline will result in the student being blocked from further registration in graduate courses and dismissed.

Programs or schools may have more stringent requirements or rules than those listed above regarding retention.  Following the first term of enrollment, a student may remain on conditional status with the program and progress will be monitored by the program accordingly.

Students on conditional admission status will be eligible for financial aid for the initial term of enrollment, and will not receive additional aid until the admission status is updated to regular.  Conditional students are also ineligible to receive graduate assistantships until their admission status is updated to regular.

Temporary

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

Conditional-Temporary

Students may be admitted on conditional-temporary status if they are missing the conferral of their undergraduate degree, in addition to having one or more admission requirement deficiencies (e.g. GPA, pre-requisite course) and/or application documentation needs. A student will be approved for regular status upon completion of all conditions of their admission and receipt of an official final conferred transcript.

A final official transcript must be received in the Graduate College within 30 days of the start of the term of initial enrollment. Students must remedy all conditions of admission by the end of the first semester or term in which they are enrolled or earlier if required by program policy. Students who are unable to provide an official conferred transcript and/or meet the condition(s) of their admission by the respective deadlines, as indicated in the student’s admission letter, will be blocked from further registration in graduate courses and dismissed from the Graduate College.

A student’s admission status will be updated accordingly when either portion of the conditional-temporary status is met. The student, program coordinator, and Financial Aid Office will be notified electronically by Graduate Admission of the status update to “conditional status only” or “temporary status only” in addition to a regular admission status update from conditional-temporary status. A student will be approved for regular status when a conferred official transcript is received, and the Graduate College has confirmed that all of their admission conditions have been met.

Programs or schools may have more stringent requirements or rules than those listed above regarding retention. Following the first term of enrollment, a student may remain on conditional status with the program and progress will be monitored by the program accordingly.

Students are ineligible to receive financial aid on conditional-temporary status.  Upon receipt of the official conferred transcript, the student’s status will be updated to conditional only admission status.  At this time the student will be eligible for financial aid for the initial term of enrollment, but will not receive additional aid until the admission status is updated to regular.  Conditional-temporary students are also ineligible to receive graduate assistantships until their admission status is updated to regular.

Certificate-Seeking Students

A graduate certificate is generally a series of 12-18 credit hours of graduate level coursework related to a focused academic topic or competency area. A graduate certificate may enhance the education of degree seeking students as well as provide continuing education of certificate-seeking only 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 “Graduate Certificate Form” 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.  Certificate-seeking applications may be submitted online on a rolling admissions basis for all terms with a non-refundable application fee of $50. A current list of Certificates being offered, along with specific entry requirements, is available at www.radford.edu/gradcollege under the “Academics” tab.  Applicants are encouraged to contact certificate coordinators to determine an appropriate admission term prior to starting the application process. 

Certificate-seeking students are subject to all retention and graduation policies.

Initial Teaching Licensure

An applicant 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 apply to be admitted under this classification. Applications for initial teaching licensure may be submitted online on a rolling admissions basis for all terms with a non-refundable application fee of $50.

In addition to an official transcript showing a conferred bachelor’s degree conferred with a minimum G.P.A. of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale, applicants seeking admission for initial teaching licensure are required to submit three letters of recommendation and a professional resume. 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.

Normally, courses taken under this admission category may not be counted toward a degree; however, a professional licensure student in this classification who subsequently decides to pursue a degree may petition the Graduate College through the appropriate department to have a maximum of nine graduate hours evaluated to be applied toward a graduate degree. Only courses with a grade of “B” or better will be eligible to be applied toward a degree or certificate. Credit for grades of “B-” will not count.

It would be to the advantage of initial teaching 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.

Initial teaching licensure students are subject to all retention and graduation policies.

Non-Degree Seeking Status

An applicant who does not plan to pursue a degree, post-baccalaureate certificate or initial teaching licensure, but wishes to take one or more courses may apply online at www.radford.edu/gradcollege by selecting the ApplyNow option. Non-degree enrollment requests may be submitted online on a rolling basis for all terms, with a non-refundable fee of $25.

Documentation of eligibility for enrollment must be received by the census date of the start of the term of initial enrollment. Noncompliance with this policy will result administrative removal from all courses. Approval of enrollment request is not guaranteed and enrollment is subject to availability, with department/program permission.  Additional information may be required by some departments or programs as part of the approval process to enroll in particular course(s). In courses with limited enrollment, first priority goes to students seeking a degree, certificate or licensure. Non-degree seeking students must meet any course prerequisites.

Non-degree graduate students are only eligible for enrollment in courses at the 500-level or above, and not all graduate courses may be taken by non-degree seeking students. Students are advised to check with the specific department or program as well as catalog requirements to determine eligibility and availability for enrollment in particular graduate courses. Non- degree students are subject to all retention and graduation policies.

Applicants who have been denied admission to a graduate degree-seeking program at Radford University may be permitted to enroll in courses as a non-degree student, at the discretion of the department/program.

Non-degree students who subsequently decide to pursue a degree or certificate program may have a maximum of nine graduate hours evaluated for acceptance toward a graduate degree. Students must go through the appropriate program to have the course(s) evaluated. Only courses with a grade of B or better (credit for grades of “B-” will not count) will be eligible to be applied toward a degree or certificate.

Non-degree students who seek admission to a graduate program must apply following the application procedure of a degree-seeking applicant for the specific program in which he/she seeks enrollment. Enrollment as a non-degree seeking student at Radford University does not guarantee admission to a Radford University graduate degree program. Non-degree seeking graduate students who seek admission to a degree program are encouraged to formally apply to the degree program as soon as possible after registration in order to protect the potential future value of courses toward a graduate degree.

Disciplinary or Criminal Offenses

Graduate students seeking admission or readmission who have disciplinary records at their previous institutions or who have a criminal record may be reviewed. Non-disclosure or falsification in the reporting of disciplinary and/or criminal offenses on an application will result in rescinding an offer of admission.

Responsibilities of the Graduate Student

The student must become familiar with the academic policies outlined in this catalog. The academic advisor will advise the student on all matters related to the program of study and the dean of the Graduate College will aid the student in the interpretation of policies whenever necessary. The ultimate responsibility for meeting all stated requirements for graduate degrees awarded by the university rests with the student.