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Categories of Admission

Regular Admission Status

Applicants who have met all entrance requirements prescribed by the College of Graduate Studies and the graduate programs to which they have applied. 

Conditional Admission Status

Applicants who have not officially met all entrance requirements prescribed by the College of Graduate Studies and the graduate programs to which they have applied. Under conditional status, any outstanding admission items, unofficial transcripts, and unofficial entrance exams may be submitted until the official documents are received by Graduate Admissions. It is the applicant's responsibility to understand specific admission requirements and submit all required admission documents, official transcripts, and entrance exams by the 10th day of classes (for 8-week sessions, the 6th day of class is the deadline for submitting official documents) for the first registered semester to which the student has applied.  After all admission requirements are satisfied and official documents are received, the applicant will be granted Regular Admission Status.  Applicants who do not submit all admission requirements by the prescribed time period above will be dropped from all classes in which they are enrolled.  If, within the department, an appeal process is warranted, the Department Chair will submit an appeal letter to the Dean of the College of Graduate Studies to delay the dropping of enrolled classes. 

Non-Degree Seeking Status

Applicants who desire to enroll in Graduate Studies for reasons other than to seek a degree. An applicant in this category is required to submit an application for admission, the $45 non-refundable application fee, and official transcripts showing a bachelor's degree with a cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 2.5.  Applicants in this category must apply for admission each semester for which they wish to enroll. Students in the non-degree seeking category are not eligible to receive financial aid. All admission decisions regarding non-degree seeking students will be made by the Graduate Coordinator and/or Department Chair. With the approval of a graduate program, a non-degree seeking student may apply for admission as a degree-seeking student; to be accepted he or she must meet all required admissions criteria.  

International students wishing to apply should consult the international student requirements before moving forward with the admissions process.

To apply as a non-degree seeking student, applicants should select the Graduate-Special/Non Degree online application type.  For admission requirements, please visit the Graduate Bulletin.

Certificate Seeking Status

Applicants who are seeking specific certificates at APSU. An applicant must be admitted to the department from which he or she is seeking the certificate. The applicant must have a minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.5. If the applicant seeks a degree once the certificate is complete, he or she must be readmitted into that program. All credits earned for the certificate can be used toward a degree as long as they are within the program of study for the degree. Certificate-seeking students are eligible for graduate assistantships.

Post-graduates Taking Graduate Credits

Postgraduate Status

Applicants who have earned a master’s degree or greater but do not wish to seek another graduate degree or post-master’s certificate at APSU. Applicants are permitted to take an unlimited number of graduate credits under this status.  

To apply as a postgraduate student, applicants should select the Graduate-Special/Non Degree online application type.  For admission requirements, please visit the Graduate Bulletin.

Transient Status

Applicants currently enrolled in a graduate program at another college or university who wish to take courses at APSU for transfer credit.  

To apply as a transient student, applicants should select the Graduate-Transient 1 Semester application type in the online application.  For admission requirements, please visit the Graduate Bulletin.

Undergraduates Taking Graduate Credits

Senior I Status

This status is for undergraduate APSU students who are within nine (9) hours of completing baccalaureate requirements, who have achieved minimum cumulative GPAs of 3.0, and who have received satisfactory scores on the entrance exams as prescribed by the intended graduate programs. Graduate credits may not be applied to the bachelor's degree. Students admitted to this status are eligible for graduate assistantships. The student should check with his or her student financial aid representative to understand how this classification may affect financial aid eligibility.

To apply as a Senior I student, applicants should select the Graduate-Special/Non Degree online application type. Please specify Senior I status, as requested, on the Additional Information page of the application.  For admission requirements, please visit the Graduate Bulletin.

Senior I Selective Admission for Psychology Status

This status is for undergraduate Psychology seniors. Students may enroll in graduate-level Psychology courses and apply the credit toward their undergraduate degrees. These students must have completed 24 hours of undergraduate coursework in Psychology, must have minimum cumulative GPAs of 3.0, and must have completed all necessary course prerequisites. Approval from the Chair of the Psychological Science and Counseling Department is also required. Credit in these courses may not be counted toward a graduate degree. The student should check with his or her student financial aid representative to understand how this classification may affect financial aid eligibility.

Senior II Status

This status is for APSU students who are within twenty one (21) hours of completion of  baccalaureate degrees and who have achieved minimum cumulative GPAs of 2.75. Senior II students may register for only one (1) graduate class per term and must reapply for each subsequent semester. Graduate credits earned may not be applied to the bachelor's degree. Students admitted to this status are not eligible to hold graduate assistantships. The student should check with his or her student financial aid representative to understand how this classification may affect financial aid eligibility.

To apply as a Senior II student, applicants should select the Graduate-Special/Non Degree application type in the online application.   Please specify Senior II status, as requested, on the Additional Information page of the application.  For admission requirements, please visit the Graduate Bulletin.

Non-degree seeking students who wish to remain at Austin Peay State University are required to submit a readmit application for admission and official transcripts for each academic year.