Admission

Prospective students seeking admission to the Masters Degree program in Higher Education must:

(1) meet all University admission requirements as listed in the Old Dominion University Catalog;

(2) have an undergraduate grade point average of 2.80 overall and 3.00 in the major;

(3) provide two letters of recommendation from an administrator or faculty member at the student’s undergraduate institution, (one letter should come from a person who has supervised the student in a student leadership position or who can comment on the student’s potential for work in a higher education setting, the other may come from another person);

(4) provide a one page essay (approximately 500 words or more) on why the student is requesting admission to this program as well as what are the candidate's career goals; and,

(5) have an acceptable score on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) {National Mean scores (1995) V-450, Q-498} or Miller Analogies Test (MAT) {National Mean of 47} for admission; and

(6) submit a resume that describes the applicant's work and education history.

Prospective students should acquire all necessary application materials from the Office of Admissions and send these materials to the Office by the appropriate date for the semester for which they wish to be admitted. These dates are as follows: Fall – May 1;Spring – October 1.

Types of Admission Status

Regular - An applicant who meets the University's requirement of a 2.80 overall grade point average (4.0 scale) and meets, as determined by the graduate program director, the individual program admission requirements may be admitted to regular gradate study.

Provisional - Applicants whose credentials have been received but who do not fully meet the requirements for admission as a regular graduate student may, at the discretion of the graduate program director, be allowed to enroll in a graduate program as provisional graduate students. This is normally a temporary status, which will be changed by the graduate program director to that of regular status when the student has demonstrated the ability to do satisfactory graduate work. The change in status ordinarily will take place after the completion of at least 12 hours of graduate course work in which the student has earned the average grade of B (3.00) or better and upon completion of any prerequisite work. Previous non-degree credits earned may not be included for purposes of satisfying the provisional 12-hour requirement. No student with less than a 3.00 average will be transferred to regular status. Should a provisionally admitted graduate student not qualify for regular status at this time, the student may request non-degree status. Provisional students placed in non-degree status must reapply for admission to a degree-seeking program. Credits earned as a provisional student may be applied toward the fulfillment of degree requirements. Credit earned while in non-degree status is subject to the limitations described below for non-degree admission.

Non-degree - Applicants who do not at present intend to complete a graduate degree from Old Dominion University and who possess a bachelor's degree may, at the discretion of the graduate program director, be permitted to register for undergraduate or graduate-level course work as non-degree graduate students. Transcripts from each college or university previously attended are required before the completion of six graduate credit hours. Graduate work taken as a non-degree student carries full graduate credit, but does not necessarily apply toward a degree at Old Dominion University.

No more than 12 hours of graduate-level course work taken as a non-degree student may be applied toward a graduate degree or certificate. Non-degree graduate credit falls under the same ruling as transfer graduate credit from other institutions; thus, a limit of 12 semester hours (fewer in some programs) including non-degree credits, may be applied toward fulfillment of degree requirements. A student may take more than 12 hours as a Non-degree student, but if the student is later admitted to a degree program, the graduate program director in the field will determine which of the courses, if any, up to 12 hours, may be applied toward the degree. A non-degree student has no guarantee that work completed in this category will be accepted, and if interested in becoming a degree candidate, the student should make certain that all necessary credentials, including test scores, are submitted as soon as possible.

Please refer to the University Catalog and/or other program materials for additional information.

Program Continuation

In order to continue in the program, all provisionally accepted students must meet the requirements noted above and be transferred to “regular” acceptance status after they have completed 12 hours of coursework. Regularly accepted students and those who become “regular” students must:

(1) meet all University and program requirements,
(2) maintain a 3.00 grade point average, and
(3) successfully complete the program writing proficiency examination.

Program Completion and Exit

In order to graduate from the program, students must successfully complete:

(1) the required course of study for a total of at least 42 credit hours of coursework; and
(2) a written comprehensive examination.

For more information, contact: