ADMISSION
Thank you for considering New Mexico State University for graduate studies.
Students seeking admission to graduate student status at New Mexico State University must hold a minimum of a bachelor's degree or an advanced degree from an accredited institution. The program of preparation should be substantially equivalent in the distribution of academic subject matter to the requirements for a comparable degree at New Mexico State University. Candidates for advanced degrees are required to demonstrate proficiency in written and spoken English.
The minimum grade-point averages required to be considered for admission to a master's program are explained under "Categories of Graduate Students." To be considered for admission to a doctoral program, an applicant must have a grade-point average of 3.0. Some programs also require a master's degree or its equivalent. For admission purposes only, graduate courses older than seven years will not be considered.
Admission to the Graduate School is no guarantee that the student will ultimately be accepted as a doctoral candidate, since the latter depends upon meeting the individual requirements of the degree-granting departments, as well as the requirements of the Graduate School.
No student will be officially admitted into a graduate program at NMSU until a "Certificate for Admission" has been issued by the Graduate School or the Center for International Programs. Although the Graduate School considers this certificate valid for a period of one year, departments may require re-application if the student does not enroll in the semester noted in the certificate.
DOMESTIC STUDENT APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION
Formal application is required of all prospective domestic students, including graduates of New Mexico State University, who seek admission to the Graduate School. The application is included in the back of the catalog, as an insert in the Viewbook, from the Graduate School Web page at http://gradschool.nmsu.edu/, or from the front desk personnel at the Graduate School of New Mexico State University.
Applicants should submit the application form, the nonrefundable $30 application fee, and official transcripts in sealed envelopes to the Graduate School. Transcripts that are hand-carried to the Graduate School by the applicant must be in envelopes sealed by the institution. Applicants should also contact the department to which they are applying to request any additional application materials required by the department.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION
International students must apply through International Programs by completing the "International Application for Admissions" form and paying the nonrefundable application fee of $50. You can request an application or information from International Programs at the following address: International Programs, MSC 3567, New Mexico State University, P. O. Box 30001, Las Cruces, NM 88003-8001, U.S.A. The phone number is (575) 646-5483, and the fax number is (575) 646-2558. The e-mail address is cip@nmsu.edu. The web site address is provided below: http://www.nmsu.edu/%7Eip/ISSS/Admissions.php.
International students that wish to engage in graduate studies at New Mexico State University must be proficient in the English language. To be considered for admission to NMSU, all international students must submit an official score of 530 or above on the paper-based or 197 on the computer-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). For the internet-based test of TOEFL, students must have a total score of 71. The TOEFL is administered by the Educational Testing Service. To learn more about TOEFL, please visit their web site at: http://www.ets.org.
New Mexico State University also accepts test scores from the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Please note that IELTS is jointly managed by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia, and the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations. A test score of 6.0 or above on IELTS is needed for admissions consideration by the Graduate School. The IELTS scores can be used as an alternative to the TOEFL. To learn more about IELTS, please visit their web site: http://www.ielts.org/.
Only scores from exams taken within the previous two years and reported directly from the testing service programs to New Mexico State University will be accepted.
The TOEFL requirements or the IELTS requirement may be waived for students who hold a degree from an accredited university in the United States, or from a country or accredited university where English is the official language of instruction. In addition, international students that have successfully completed two years of education in an accredited institution of higher learning in the United States do not have to take the TOEFL or IELTS exams. Exchange students that have studied at New Mexico State University for at least one year and maintained a satisfactory grade point average are also exempt from taking the TOEFL or IELTS exams for admissions into graduate programs at NMSU.
The TOEFL requirement or the IELTS requirement may also be waived for international students who demonstrate English proficiency by satisfactorily completing an approved English as a Second Language program within two years of applying for admissions to graduate school at NMSU. NMSU is a university partner with ELS Language Centers. An ELS course 112 which is completed and passed at an ELS Language Center meets the English proficiency requirement. Other English as a Second Language Programs must be approved by International Student and Scholar Services of New Mexico State University.
NMSU will accept international students on a provisional basis that have TOEFL or IELTS scores that fall below the accepted levels. International students can be accepted on a provisional basis that have met admissions requirements of the Graduate School and the department, and that have an official score of 500 to 529 on the paper-based or 173 to 193 on the computer-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). For the internet-based test of TOEFL, students must have at least a total score of 61 to 70. A test score of 5.0 to 5.5 on IELTS is needed for provisional admissions consideration by the Graduate School. Provisionally admitted international students will need to take the Language Proficiency Examination offered by the Department of Communication Studies. Based on the recommendation of the Department of Communication Studies, the Graduate School may require the student to successfully complete one or more English as a foreign language course(s). If completion of one or more courses is required, the student should enroll in the first such course during his or her first semester at NMSU, or prior to taking an assignment as a teaching assistant. Faculty members can appeal decisions concerning language training needs of students.
Students who do not meet the minimum TOEFL requirement (61 Internet-based, 173 computer-based or 500 paper-based) or IELTS score of 5.0 will be admitted tentatively to NMSU. A tentative admission to NMSU requires that students enroll in intensive English classes through the Center for Intensive Training in English (CITE). Depending on a student's TOEFL score, the student will be placed in the Beginning (SPCD 101/401), Intermediate (SPCD 102/402), or Advanced level (SPCD 103/403) of the CITE program. Students will register for 6, 9 or 12 credits for each level based on his or her English language needs. The number of credits is determined by the Director of CITE along with the student's advisor. Students admitted tentatively should be aware that the duration of their studies at NMSU may be one, two, or three semesters longer in order to satisfy their intensive English requirements. Once completing all necessary levels of the CITE program successfully, students are considered to have achieved the minimum TOEFL-equivalent English proficiency required by NMSU for provisional admission. All students who complete the CITE program will then take the Department Proficiency Exam to determine if they will need to take any further non-intensive English courses. For further information about the Center for Intensive Training in English, go to the CITE website at http://web.nmsu.edu/~nmsucomm/CITE.htm.
Provisional students cannot work as teaching assistants. However, they can work as research assistants. Provisional students can become regular students once they have successfully completed the required English courses and receive grades of B or better in courses completed at NMSU.
DISTANCE EDUCATION
Complete information on Distance Education programs at New Mexico State University is available at (575) 646-4692; (800) 821-1574 in New Mexico, or from the office of Distance Education, MSC 3CEL, New Mexico State University, P. O. Box 30001, Las Cruces, NM 88003-8001, or via e-mail at distance@nmsu.edu. Visit the Web pages at http://extended.nmsu.edu/ and http://distance.nmsu.edu/.
Domestic students wishing to enter a graduate degree program must apply for graduate admission through the NMSU Graduate School. For more information see the section "Domestic Student Application for Admission" in this catalog.
International students must apply through the office of International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS). For more information see the section "International Student Application for Admission" in this catalog.
The College of Extended Learning provides comprehensive distance learning opportunities to meet diverse educational and professional needs anytime, anywhere. As New Mexico's land-grant institution, NMSU has a university-wide mission to expand the capacity of extension, outreach, and distance education to communities across the state. The Distance Education program is designed to serve students who find it difficult or impossible to take classes during the week or on the main campus. The Distance Education program offers regular full-credit courses that may include face-to-face interaction and/or course delivery through synchronous or asynchronous written, electronic, or other media forms. The distance education program also provides quality educational programs at off-campus sites through a variety of different delivery methods.
ADMISSION TO A GRADUATE CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
A graduate certificate is a program of study that is designed to develop or enhance a focused area of expertise. The primary purpose of graduate certificate programs is to provide specific skill training to enhance employability to quickly meet employment needs locally, regionally, nationally, and globally.
A graduate certificate is a focused collection of courses, consisting of 12-18 credits, which are successfully completed by students in a given discipline or a set of related disciplines. A graduate certificate is not an official graduate degree of New Mexico State University. Students that successfully complete a certificate program at the graduate level will receive a certificate of completion statement on their official transcript and a formal certificate from the NMSU Graduate School. A student has 3 years to complete a graduate certificate program.
Graduate certificate programs can be offered to currently enrolled degree seeking students and students that meet the admissions criteria but that enroll solely to obtain a certificate in a given area of expertise. Completing courses as part of a certificate program does not guarantee admissions into a graduate degree program. The department makes the final decision on admissions into a degree program.
Concentrations or specializations within a graduate program or major differ from graduate certificate programs in that they are designed to meet the needs of enrolled degree seeking students of New Mexico State University.
TRANSFER OF CREDITS
Students enrolled in certificate programs cannot transfer credits from another institution towards the completion of the certificate program offered by New Mexico State University. However, they can transfer credits taken in a graduate certificate program of NMSU into a graduate degree program of New Mexico Sate University provided that the courses will lead towards a graduate degree in the focused area of the certificate program. The number of transfer credits will be determined by the program of study. The time limit on course transfer is 5 years after the completion of the certificate.
ADMINISTRATIVE DEADLINES
To be considered for internal fellowships and graduate assistantships of NMSU, the Graduate School encourages students to apply by March 15th for fall enrollment and by October 15th for spring enrollment. Otherwise, please apply at least 30 days prior to the first day of classes.
Many of our departments/programs have application deadlines and some may admit students only once a year. Please call or check the departmental web sites to obtain information on application deadlines.
Applications received by the Graduate School closer to the deadlines will be processed as time allows. Applicants may be unable to meet their plans to enter Graduate School and register for classes if their applications are not received in a timely manner.
Students are encouraged to apply as early as possible so they can be considered for financial support. For information on awards, see http://gradschool.nmsu.edu/gradschool/announcements.html; for information on grants, fellowships, and assistantships see http://gradschool.nmsu.edu/fellowships/index.htm.
TRANSCRIPTS
Applicants must arrange with each institution previously attended to have one official transcript of all their undergraduate and graduate work sent directly to the Graduate School. Transcripts that are hand-carried to the Graduate School by the applicant must be in envelopes sealed by the institution.
If undergraduate work has not been completed at time of application, the student must obtain a transcript complete with degree statement as soon as the degree has been granted. No application materials will be returned to the applicant.
STANDARDIZED TESTS
Some departments may require standardized test scores for admission. Graduate students may be required to take one or more of the following examinations, as determined by the major department: Graduate Record Examination, the Miller Analogies Test, the Graduate Management Admission Test. Some departments also require the Graduate Record Examination Subject Test. (See departmental description for which tests are required.)
The Graduate Record Examination is required, prior to evaluation of credentials for admission, of all students from universities with a nontraditional grading system. Information booklets and applications for all tests may be obtained from the Office of Student Development or from these Web sites: http://www.ets.org or http://www.gre.org. Out-of-town mailing is available.
READMISSION
A new application and nonrefundable application fee are required for students who have not been enrolled for one calendar year or more. Students who have not enrolled for one calendar year shall file a new "Application for Admission," pay the application fee, and satisfy current requirements for admission. The "Application for Admission" shall be submitted to the Graduate School at least 30 days prior to the first day of classes of the semester or summer term for which enrollment is sought.
Students who have attended other institutions during their absence from NMSU must have one complete official transcript forwarded to the Graduate School by the registrar of each institution attended. Readmission is also required for students who receive a graduate degree and wish to continue their graduate studies.
RENEWAL OF APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION
The admission credentials of applicants who do not register for the semester to which they had been admitted are normally retained in the Graduate School for a period of one calendar year from the date of application. At the end of this period, credentials are discarded. Students wishing to renew their applications after the one-year lapse must submit new applications, pay another application fee, and provide new credentials.
DENIED ADMISSION
The dean of the Graduate School, or the department in which the applicant wishes to pursue an advanced degree, may deny admission if the undergraduate scholastic record or program of study is judged inadequate as a foundation for advanced academic or professional study. If denied admission by the Graduate School, the applicant may seek "undeclared" status as described in "Categories of Graduate Students." If denied by the department, the student may wish to contact the department for additional information.
Admission may be denied to otherwise qualified students when the desired program lacks resources to accommodate additional enrollment.
Applicants may be denied admission to either the Graduate School or the department/program. A student who is denied admission to one program and wishes to be considered for another program must complete a new application for the second program and pay another application fee.
The first application will not be forwarded to the department. The second application will be forwarded to the second department, along with supporting documents including transcripts and letters submitted with the first application, once the second application fee is paid.
Application documents are retained by the Graduate School for only one calendar year.
CATEGORIES OF GRADUATE STUDENTS
Students seeking admission to the Graduate School are assigned to one of the following categories based upon their previous academic performance.
Regular Student
A student applying for an advanced degree, whose scholastic record is satisfactory, will be admitted as a regular student. This category includes (a) a beginning domestic graduate student who has either an overall 3.0 grade-point average or a grade-point average of 3.0 in the last half of undergraduate work, (b) a beginning international graduate student who has an overall 3.0 grade-point average (or its equivalent), or continues to earn a 3.0 grade point average, and (c) a continuing graduate student who maintains at least a 3.0 grade-point average in graduate courses.
Provisional Student
A student applying for an advanced degree whose scholastic record is not entirely satisfactory is admitted as a provisional student. This classification includes (a) a continuing graduate student whose cumulative grade-point average at the close of any term is less than 3.0, (b) a beginning graduate student who does not have an overall 3.0 grade-point average or 3.0 in the last half of undergraduate work, but who does have at least a grade-point average of 2.5, and (c) a beginning graduate student who has qualified for admission by taking nine graded graduate credits as a undeclared student (defined below). A student admitted provisionally must complete the first three courses totaling at least eight credits of graduate work, with an average of at least 3.0. A provisional student who does not meet the 3.0 grade-point average is subject to dismissal.
Undeclared Graduate Student
Students who have not decided on a specific graduate department or program, but who have an undergraduate grade point average of at least 2.5 may be considered for admission to the Graduate School under this status. It is critical to note that no more than nine hours of graduate credit taken at NMSU under undeclared status may be transferred into a degree program. Furthermore, students admitted as undeclared graduate students are not eligible to receive graduate teaching assistantships. They can apply for financial aid.
Transfer from undeclared status to a degree program requires a written request so that the appropriate information can be referred to and evaluated by the designated department. For admissions purposes, if the student has nine or more graded graduate credit hours, the cumulative grade-point average must be at least 3.0 for the request for admissions to be considered. If the student has less than nine graded graduate credits, the recommendation for admission into a degree program will be for provisional status if the undergraduate grade-point average is 2.5 to 2.9. If the undergraduate grade-point average is at least 3.0, the recommendation will be for admission under regular status. Completing courses as an undeclared student does not guarantee admissions into a graduate degree program. The department makes the final decision on admissions into a degree program.
International students with an F-1 visa are not eligible for the undeclared status.
Students who have been denied admission to the Graduate School by the department may enroll as undeclared students in the college of interest and complete nine credits or more of graduate work (exclusive of directed readings and independent study) with a grade-point average of 3.0 or above. It should be noted that enrollment in some graduate-level courses is restricted to students accepted into specific programs. Applications for undeclared status are available in the Graduate School. Non-degree seeking students apply through the undergraduate admissions office.
Academic advising for undeclared students should be obtained from the department or program of interest to the student.
After meeting GPA requirement, and upon receipt of an "Application for Admission" the student's records will be resubmitted to the department of choice for a decision on admission. Completing courses as an undeclared student does not guarantee admissions into a graduate degree program. The department makes the final decision on admissions into a degree program.
Any student whose graduate application is incomplete may apply as a undergraduate non-degree student in order to register for classes.
Graduate Study by University Seniors (Senior Petitioner)
An undergraduate student who is in the last 15 graded credit hours of a bachelor's degree program and who is completing all requirements for graduation, may take up to six credits of graduate level courses numbered from 450 through 598 for credit toward an advanced degree.
The student must also (1) have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher or have a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher in the last 45 credits completed; (2) complete the Senior Petitioner Forms of the Graduate School at least 30 days prior to registration; (3) once accepted as a Senior Petitioner, they must file a Senior Petitioner Course Form for each course by the deadline to add courses for the semester in which the course is to be taken and obtain approval from the graduate instructor, and the undergraduate advisor; and (4) register for the course at the Graduate School.
The combined total of graduate and undergraduate courses for the semester may not exceed 17 credits. Senior petitioners must consult with an admission representative at the Graduate School.
As a senior petitioner in a graduate program, the course(s) will become part of the graduate record and will not be used in the calculation of the student's undergraduate grade-point average or credit hours.
For students enrolled in a joint bachelor's and master's degree program see the subsection "Transfer of Undergraduate Credits to an NMSU Graduate Program" in the "Requirements for Enrolled Students" section of the Graduate Catalog.
Visiting Student
A visiting student is one who is taking graduate credits for transfer to his or her parent institution. An "Application for Admission" to the Graduate School and the application fee must be submitted 30 days prior to registration. The student must also have a letter sent from the parent institution's graduate dean indicating that he or she is admitted to that institution, is in good standing, and that the courses taken at New Mexico State University are acceptable to the parent institution. A visiting student will not be required to submit transcripts; however, the department must concur and admit a visiting student. Please note that the department may require other materials to be submitted before admitting a visiting student. Visiting students will not be eligible for undeclared status or for graduate assistantships.
Out-of-State Students and Legal Jurisdiction
By applying for admission/enrollment, both the student and parents agree that New Mexico law prevails and all litigation will be in federal court in New Mexico or in state court in Dona Ana County, New Mexico.
Graduate Certificate Student
A graduate certificate student is enrolled in a certificate program only. The student is not enrolled in any graduate degree seeking program of NMSU. The students' status can change if they apply and are accepted into a graduate degree program. Students currently enrolled in a graduate degree program can also be enrolled in a certificate program. However, their student status will be determined by the degree program. Graduate certificate students are not eligible for graduate assistantships. Completing courses as part of a certificate program does not guarantee admissions into a graduate degree program. The department makes the final decision on admissions into a degree program.