Admission

No applicant is accepted or rejected because of race, color, sex, age, creed, national origin, or disability, and it is expected that the student body will reflect a wide range of cultural values and backgrounds.

Note: Applicants who do not meet the minimum GPA requirement for admission may be eligible for conditional admission. (See Conditionally Matriculated Students under Categories of Graduate Students.) Teacher certification programs  require  an  overall  undergraduate grade point average of at least 2.7 as mandated by the Connecticut State Department of Education. Students who have done previous graduate work must have a minimum graduate grade point average of 3.0 to be considered for admission to a graduate program. However, previous graduate coursework where the grade point average falls below a 3.0 may be considered by a Graduate Program Coordinator for conditional admission under the provisions of the Graduate Council's "Policy and Procedure for Recommending Conditional Acceptance." The conditions of admission and the time frame for meeting the conditions are stated in the letter of acceptance sent to the student. Conditional acceptance is not granted for teacher certification programs unless approved by the Dean of the College of Education.

Certificate Program

For applicants to a Graduate Certificate Program, minimum standards include a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university with an undergraduate cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 and the recommendation of the graduate program coordinator.

Master's Degree Program

For applicants to a master 's degree program, minimum standards for acceptance to Graduate School include a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university with an undergraduate cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 (scale A = 4.0) and the recommendation of the graduate program coordinator.

Sixth Year Program

For applicants to a sixth year program, minimum standards include a master 's degree from a regionally accredited college or university, a grade point average of at least 3.0, and the recommendation of the graduate program coordinator. Transcripts from institutions without Regional Accreditation, but that are licensed to operate in Connecticut, will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the Provost or his/her designee.

Doctoral Program

For applicants to a doctoral program, minimum standards include a master 's degree from a regionally accredited college or university, a grade point average of at least 3.0, and the recommendation of the graduate program coordinator. Transcripts from institutions without Regional Accreditation, but that are licensed to operate in Connecticut, will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the Provost or his/her designee. Most graduate programs have requirements that go beyond minimum School of Graduate and Professional Studies requirements.

Note: All undergraduate courses taken are used to calculate a cumulative GPA, including those courses that have been retaken through grade replacement and/or Fresh Start programs.

International students are subject to all requirements for admission to the School of Graduate and Professional Studies and all program requirements. In addition, to be considered for admission, each international applicant must submit a completed "Application for Admission to Graduate Study" form and meet the following requirements:

Hold the foreign equivalent of a United States bachelor's degree from an internationally recognized institution of higher education with an undergraduate grade point average of at least "B." (On various grading scales this would be at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, 14 on a 20 point scale, 80.0 from Chinese institutions, 1st Class or Division from Indian institutions, and upper 2nd Class Honors from British systems. Other grading systems will be evaluated on receipt of transcripts and certified evaluation of those transcripts.)

Present certified copies and certified English translations of all academic achievements in each college or university attended. A diploma is not sufficient. The complete record of courses and marks earned and/or record of subjects and examination results must be received. Documents presented by applicants must detail the award of either a bachelor 's degree or equivalent or a graduate degree.

Provide a certified evaluation of foreign transcripts and credentials (course by course with grades) from World Education Services; Josef Silny & Associates Evaluators, Inc.; Global Credential Evaluators, Inc.; or Educational Credential Evaluators Inc.  Applicants may utilize other agencies, provided they are members of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES), in doing so the applicant assumes all risk of using an agency other than World Education Services; Josef Silny & Associates Evaluators, Inc.; Global Credential Evaluators, Inc.; and Educational Credential Evaluators Inc. Applicants are responsible for payment of fees charged by these agencies.

International applicants must submit an International Student Profile Form for Graduates, and a current and original bank statement verifying financial resources are available or guaranteed for the first calendar year at Southern. F1 students transferring from a college or university in the United States must also submit copies of all I-20 forms issued, copies of their visa, passport and I-94 card and a completed Transfer Form (the Transfer Form can be obtained at the International Student Office at SCSU.)

For applicants whose native language is not English, one of the following is required: a score of at least 550 written/213 computer/79 or above on Internet based exam on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL); successful completion of ELS 112—English for Academic Purposes; or an IELTS score of 6.5 or higher. Each student should request that his or her score be sent directly to the Southern's School of Graduate and Professional Studies (Code 3662). TOEFL scores are valid only for two years from expected date of acceptance.

Applicants who wish to begin graduate studies must submit all credentials required by the International Student Services by April 1 for the fall semester and October 1 for the spring semester. Applicants transferring from a college or university within the U.S. must submit their application and International Student Profile Form by July 1 for the fall semester and by November 1 for the spring semester.

Permanent Residents must provide a copy of their Permanent Resident card.

The Internal Revenue Service requires the university to apply U.S. withholding and reporting rules consistent with the U.S. tax status of resident and non-resident aliens. Resident aliens are taxed as U.S. citizens, while non-resident aliens are taxed under different withholding and reporting rules. Therefore, as part of the application process, the university requires additional information from international students. Once an application has been submitted, the School of Graduate and Professional Studies will email each international applicant with a Web site, login, and password to complete the additional information required by the United States federal government. Please provide a valid email address on your application. Your application cannot be processed until you have completed this requirement.

Note for International Applicants: in accordance with federal regulation 8 CFR 214.3(k), international students requesting an F-1 student visa to attend Southern Connecticut State University must receive full admission into the university. International students who do not meet the criteria for full admission should contact the School of Graduate and Professional Studies.

Admission to the Master of Arts in Teaching programs

The College of education, alone and in partnership with other colleges on campus, offers several Master of Arts in Teaching programs of study that prepare candidates for Connecticut Teacher certification. Admission requirements are as follows:

1. Completion of a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution with a total undergraduate GPA of at least 2.70; And, if applicable, a SCSU undergraduate GPA of at least 2.70.
2. Completion of a subject-area major and meet the required content knowledge set by the CSDE regulations for the area of endorsement. Candidates may be required to complete specific courses prior to admission or prior to the completion of their program (for all MAT programs except Comprehensive special education)
3. Completion of general education coursework that meets current Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) standards for certification (currently 39 credits distributed across 5 of 6 areas and including a 3-credit U.S. history survey course). Applicants will be considered for admission if there are fewer than 12 credits of general education outstanding. These standards must be met prior to graduation (for all MAT programs except Comprehensive special education)
4. Submission of basic skills test scores in Reading, Mathematics, and Writing (Praxis® Core) to satisfy the State of Connecticut competency examination requirement or meet the requirements for a waiver. Scores must be within last five years. • Candidates who do not achieve a satisfactory score will be required to participate in remediation plans. • Students qualify for a Praxis® Core waiver if (1) they have an SAT score no less than 530 on the mathematics portion, and no less than 540 on the evidenced based reading and writing, or (2) an ACT score of 22 or higher on the English subtest and no less than 19 on the mathematic subtest.
5. Passing scores on required state content knowledge examinations in the certification area (for MAT-Sciences only).
6. Submit the College of Education admission essay demonstrating a proficiency in English
7. Pass the department admission committee interview.

Admission to the Educator Certification programs

In addition to the admission requirements of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies, applicants to all programs that prepare students for educator and administrator certification (School Library Media, Reading, Educational Leadership, School Counseling and School Psychology) must also meet the following admission requirements:

1. Completion of a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution with a total undergraduate GPA of at least 2.70; And, if applicable, a SCSU undergraduate GPA of at least 2.70.
2. Submission of CT teaching certificate (for Reading and Educational Leadership programs only)
3. Submission of basic skills test scores in Reading, Mathematics, and Writing (Praxis® Core, SAT, ACT, GRE) to satisfy the State of Connecticut competency examination requirement or meet the requirements for a waiver. Scores must be within last five years. This requirement is waived for candidates holding a CT teaching certificate.

For a list of current programs leading to Educator certification, please see Teacher Certification.

GPA Waiver

GPA waivers will be considered for applicants who have less than a 2.70 undergraduate GPA, but meet all other admission requirements, have strong support letters, pass the admission interview, and are recommended by the admission committee.

Those who seek admission to a graduate degree program apply online at the School of Graduate and Professional Studies website: https://www.southernct.edu/gradadmissions/.

Applicants should read the introductory portions of this catalog and the pages describing the program for which they are interested. Questions about admissions procedures should be directed to the School of Graduate and Professional Studies. Questions about specific program content should be directed to the Graduate Program Coordinator or Department Chairperson identified in this catalog. Students who are planning to apply for financial aid should pay particular attention to deadlines for submission of financial aid forms and deadlines for matriculation.

The School of Graduate and Professional Studies has the following general application deadlines: January 9, 2021 for spring 2021 and August 17, 2020 for fall 2020.  However, most programs have established earlier application deadlines. (Refer to section on Programs, Courses, and Faculty in the Graduate Catalog). All applicants for admission must:

• Complete and submit online an official application.
• Pay a $50 non-refundable/application fee when submitting the official application form. Applications are required to pay the $50 application fee by credit card.
• Request (in writing) that official transcripts from each college or university attended be sent to the School of Graduate and Professional Studies.  Official eTranscripts should be sent to GradDocs@southernct.edu.  Official paper transcripts should be mailed to Southern CT State University, School of Graduate and Professional Studies, Attn: Graduate Admissions, 501 Crescent Street, New Haven, CT  06515.  Transcripts received from the student will not be considered official. Transcripts must be re-submitted when an applicant applies for subsequent graduate programs. Transcripts received in application to previously earned degrees at Southern are not kept on file indefinitely. SCSU requires official transcripts of all previous academic work from every college or university attended from which overall undergraduate and graduate grade point averages can be calculated. The cumulative grade point average for all undergraduate courses at each institution will be used in the calculation of the undergraduate grade point average. The same process of considering grades of all graduate courses is used to calculate the overall graduate grade point average.

Applicants applying to Southern’s graduate programs, who participated in a Southern supported study-abroad program while enrolled as an undergraduate, may have their international credit evaluated by the Office of International Education, in lieu of having a transcript evaluation performed by a NACES member evaluation agency. Transcripts from outside the United States must be evaluated (course by course) by one of the following credential evaluating agencies, at the applicant's expense:

• World Education Services, Inc., www.wes.org, Tel: 212.966.6311, Fax: 212.739.6100.
• Josef Silney & Associates Evaluators, Inc., www.jsilny.com, Tel:  305.273.1616, Fax: 305.273.1338.
• Global Credential Evaluators, Inc., www.gcevaluators.com, Tel:  800.707.0979, Fax: 979.690.6342.
• Educational Credential Evaluations, Inc., www.ecmc.org, Tel: 1-855-810-4922, Fax: 866.296.8795

Request an appointment with the Graduate Program Coordinator of the graduate program to which you have applied after you have been notified that your application file is complete.

Letters of recommendation should be uploaded directly through the application portal.

Resident aliens must provide a copy of their alien registration cards to the School of Graduate and Professional Studies or upload a copy (both sides) through the graduate admissions portal.

All additional application materials must be uploaded directly through the Graduate Admission Portal.  After fulfilling all requirements for admission, the applicant should meet with the Graduate Program Coordinator.

Although many graduate programs send departmental letters of acceptance to applicants, no student is officially accepted by the School of Graduate and Professional Studies until he or she receives a letter of acceptance from the Director of Graduate Admissions.

Admission requirements for any particular graduate degree program may exceed the minimum admission standards of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies. Requirements for admission to each program are listed in the program section of this catalog. Applicants may apply to only one specific program at a time and may not be matriculated in more than one program at the same time.

The applicant is responsible for ensuring that all materials and documentation for the application file are complete. Applicants may view the status of their applications through the graduate admissions portal available here: https://www.southernct.edu/gradadmissions/graduate-application.html. Application files that are incomplete at the end of the first day of classes will be withdrawn. Applicants that have pending applications (with no official decision), and who wish for their application to be moved to a future term, must notify the School of Graduate and Professional Studies in writing no later than the first day of classes for the term to which the applicant originally applied. Applications may only be moved within a year of the original date of the application. Please note, Marriage and Family Therapy applications cannot be moved forward.

Students who are admitted to the School of Graduate and Professional Studies and who do not register for courses for the term for which they are admitted, are automatically withdrawn and will need to reapply.

Students who seek financial aid must be considered matriculated by the end of the first week of classes in the semester for which they are applying to qualify for financial aid.

Accepting Admission

All admitted students must accept their admission to the university. 

Immunization Requirements

All full-time and part-time graduate students are required to have properly completed health forms on file at Student Health Services prior to registration.  Students can enter their immunization information on the Connecticut State University Student Health Services Form available on the Student Health Services website and then submit the paper copy of the form for verification by the Student Health Services staff.  Please note that students will not be considered fully compliant with the requirements until the information is verified.  

Additional Immunization Requirement for On-Campus Resident Students

Connecticut State Statutes also require that all students living in campus housing are required to be vaccinated against meningitis within the past five years prior to enrollment. The university reserves the right to deny registration and campus housing to any student not in compliance.

Students who are intending to pursue or who are currently engaged in coursework in the School of Graduate and Professional Studies are classified as Matriculated, Conditionally Matriculated, Granted Early Acceptance, or Non-Matriculated.

Matriculated Students

Matriculated students have met all requirements of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies and the academic program and have received a letter of acceptance from the Director of Graduate Admissions.

Conditionally Matriculated Students

Applicants with no previous graduate coursework who have an undergraduate grade point average falling below 3.0 may be considered for conditional admission. Applicants with previous graduate coursework whose graduate grade point average falls below a 3.0 may be admitted conditionally. In this case, the applicants need to complete their first nine credits at Southern with a graduate GPA of 3.0 or higher. The conditions of admission and the time frame for meeting the condition are stated in the letter of acceptance sent to the student. Conditional acceptance is not granted for teacher certification programs unless approved by the Dean of the College of Education. 

Students who fail to meet any or all terms of conditional acceptance will be dismissed. Following dismissal, students may continue to register for up to nine credits as a part-time, non-matriculant. After completing these additional nine credits as a non-matriculant, the student may reapply to the School of Graduate and Professional Studies if an overall grade point average of 3.0 or higher has been achieved with no individual grade lower than "B" (3.0). Readmission is not guaranteed.

Students Granted Early Acceptance

A limited number of graduating seniors may be granted early acceptance to the School of Graduate and Professional Studies. Early acceptance requires an overall grade point average of 3.0 (B) or higher, and a completed application file. Early admission is conditional. A final transcript noting the degree and date awarded must be received by the School of Graduate and Professional Studies prior to the beginning of the first semester of graduate enrollment.

Non-Matriculated Students

Students who take graduate courses at Southern and are not in one of the categories above are classified as non-matriculated students. Non-matriculated students must have been awarded a bachelor 's degree and must meet any program and course requirements to register. A maximum of 9 credits taken as a non-matriculated student may be applied to a graduate program. Non-matriculated students may only take classes on a part-time basis. Graduate programs have the right to exclude non-degree seeking students from courses offered for degree-seeking students.

Any student whose native language is not English must present one of the following: a TOEFL score of at least 550 paper based/213 computer based/79 or above on internet based exam; successful completion of ELS 112–English for Academic Purposes, Duolingo English Test with passing score of 105 or higher; Pearson Language Test passing with a score of 53 or higher; or a score of 6.5 or higher on the IELTs, or a bachelor 's or master 's degree from an accredited institution in the United States. Those students whose scores indicate that they are not prepared for graduate study that is conducted in English will not be permitted to register for graduate work until proficiency in English is demonstrated.

Those programs that require the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT), or other standardized admissions assessments may, at their discretion, waive the requirement for any applicant who currently holds a graduate degree from a regionally accredited college or university.

Graduate courses and programs at Southern Connecticut State University are almost exclusively evening offerings. Courses, laboratory sessions, and other pertinent activities are scheduled in the late afternoon and evening during the fall and spring semesters. During summer sessions, graduate courses are offered in the morning and in the evening. A growing number of courses are offered on-line. Undergraduate courses are numbered 100 through 400. Graduate level courses are numbered 500 and higher.

In many graduate programs it is possible for students who wish to enroll on a full-time basis to plan their degree progress such that it can be completed in one academic year and two summer sessions. However, most graduate programs are planned for part-time study over two, three, or four years.

Matriculated graduate students are encouraged to register from early April through May for the fall term and early November through December for the spring term for optimal course selection. The university reserves the right to cancel courses having insufficient registration and to make changes in the schedule of classes when necessary.

The university also reserves the right to change instructors when necessary.

Southern Connecticut State University is a participant in the New England Board of Higher Education Tuition Break Program. This offers residents of other New England states the opportunity to enroll at SCSU for academic programs not available at public institutions in their home state, at the Connecticut resident tuition rate plus 50 percent. Other fees are also required. Participants in this program must be full-time matriculated students. Similarly, Connecticut residents can avail themselves of programs offered by public schools in the other New England states that are not available in Connecticut public institutions.

For more information about the New England Regional Student Program, contact the New England Board of Higher Education, 45 Temple Place, Boston, MA 02111; phone (617) 357-9620; Web site www.nebhe.org or contact the Admission Office of Southern Connecticut State University at (203) 392-5644.

MAINE

• Applied Physics, MS
• Bilingual Multicultural Education, MS 
• Business Administration, Accelerated, MBA
• Exercise Science-Human Performance, MS 
• Library and Information Science, MLIS
• Marriage and Family Therapy, MFT
• Political Science, MS
• Recreation and Leisure Studies, MS
• School Health Education, MS
• School Library Media Specialist, Graduate Certificate
• Social Work, DSW
• Sociology, MS 
• Sport and Entertainment Management, MS

MASSACHUSETTS

• Applied Physics, MS
• Bilingual Multicultural Education, MS 
• Business Administration, Accelerated, MBA
• Environmental Studies, MS
• Library and Information Science, MLIS
• Marriage and Family Therapy, MFT
• Recreation and Leisure Studies, MS
• School Library Media Specialist, Graduate Certificate
• Social Work, DSW
• Sport and Entertainment Management, MS

NEW HAMPSHIRE

• Applied Physics, MS
• Bilingual Multicultural Education, MS
• Business Administration, Accelerated, MBA
• Communication Disorders - Speech-Language Pathology, MS
• Library and Information Science, MLIS
• Environmental Studies, MS
• Psychology, MA
• School Psychology, MS
• Social Work, DSW
• Sport and Entertainment Management, MS

RHODE ISLAND

• Applied Physics, MS
• Athletic Training, MAT
• Bilingual Multicultural Education, MS
• Business Administration, Accelerated, MBA
• Library and Information Science, MLIS
• Environmental Studies, MS
• Public Health, MPH
• Recreation and Leisure Studies, MS
• Social Work, DSW
• School Counseling, SYC
• Sociology, MS
• Sport and Entertainment Management, MS

VERMONT

• Applied Physics, MS
• Bilingual Multicultural Education, MS
• Business Administration, Accelerated, MBA
• Clinical Mental Health Counseling, PMC
• Communication Disorders - Speech-Language Pathology, MS
• Library and Information Science, MLIS
• Environmental Studies, MS
• Exercise Science-Human Performance, MS
• Marriage and Family Therapy, MFT
• Political Science, MS
• Public Health, MPH
• Recreation and Leisure Studies, MS
• School Psychology, MS
• School Health Education, MS
• Social Work, DSW
• Sociology, MS
• Sport and Entertainment Management, MS
• Teaching - Early Childhood, MAT
• Women & Gender Studies, Graduate Certificate

Detailed information about this exceptional program can be obtained through the Graduate Admissions Office of Southern Connecticut State University or from the New England Board of Higher Education, 45 Temple Place, Boston, MA 02111-1305. 

The School of Graduate and Professional Studies hosts an annual orientation session for newly admitted graduate students the week before classes begin for the fall semester. New students are invited to learn about the various university services available to them. Each student also has the opportunity to have a photo taken for the university identification card, obtain a parking permit, and purchase textbooks. A welcoming reception is held after the program so that new students can meet with members of the graduate faculty as well as other new graduate students.

Students who previously attended Southern, and subsequently withdrew due to personal or other circumstances, may apply to return to the University to continue their studies.  Graduate students who earned 9 or more credits at another institution, after leaving Southern, must complete a new application to reapply with Graduate Admissions.          

All other returning students are eligible to complete the Readmission Application with the Registrar's Office to re-enroll.  Upon approval, students will be reinstated at their last academic standing, and to their last program of study in the current catalog year.  Readmission applications must be completed no later than 1 week prior to the start of the semester to allow time for processing and student registration before the end of add/drop.                   

Readmission After Academic Dismissal:

A graduate student who is dismissed must complete a new application with the Graduate Admissions Office, after the lapse of one semester, and include a petition to the graduate program coordinator describing why he or she will be successful if readmitted.

All application materials become part of the permanent records of Southern Connecticut State University and will not be returned. Access to this material is limited under the Family Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. Applicants who are not admitted, or who are admitted and do not register, do not have access to their application files. Materials received from applicants who do not complete their application or are not admitted are held for two years before being destroyed.