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POLICY #6.61
SUBJECT: Graduate Studies: Admissions


I. PURPOSE

The purpose of this Policy is to provide general policy guidelines for admitting graduate students.


II. REFERENCES

  1. Southern Utah University Policy 6.16 International Student Admissions
  2. Southern Utah University Policy 6.26 Credit Hour Loads
  3. Southern Utah University Policy 6.47 Transfer Credits

III. DEFINITIONS

N/A


IV. POLICY

  1. Admission to SUU graduate studies is based on the academic and personal qualifications of the respective applicants in accordance with the SUU Nondiscrimination Statement. The selection process identifies students whose academic ability, past performance, and motivation indicate a reasonable chance for success at SUU.
    1. Requirements for admission to a SUU graduate degree program are as follows:
      1. A completed application form sent to the SUU Admissions Office.
      2. A bachelor’s degree that will be completed before matriculation into the graduate program. As some programs require a specific undergraduate foundation, candidates lacking such preparation may be required to complete additional coursework. The applicant must have the Registrar’s Office of the other universities, where academic credit or a degree was earned, send official transcripts of credit directly to the SUU Admissions Office.
    2. Programs may have additional requirements, (e.g., GPA requirements, GMAT, GRE, interviews, etc).
    3. Each graduate program makes the final admission decision and notifies the Graduate and Online Admissions Office of that decision.
    4. Students who do not enroll in the term in which they are admitted and who do not notify the program must reapply for admission. Students who do not plan to enroll in the term in which they are admitted must request a deferral from the Director of the graduate program.
    5. Prospective students may apply for admission to the University as either degree or non-degree students.
    6. Students who are formally accepted into a program are considered degree-seeking students.
  2. International Graduate Student Admission: Refer to Policy 6.16.
  3. Provisional Admission

    Applicants for admission may be accepted into a graduate program with the provision they complete deficiencies as noted in their acceptance letter by the date specified. Following the date specified in the acceptance letter the program notifies the applicant and the academic Dean of the final action to be taken on the student’s admission, either fully accepting the student or dropping the student from degree-seeking status.
  4. Admissions Appeals

    An applicant who has been denied admission to a graduate program or who has received Conditional Admission may request reconsideration by writing to the Chair of Graduate Council within 30 calendar days of the date of denial. Requests should include the reasons for requesting reconsideration, along with supporting materials and information that were not submitted with the original application. The Chair of Graduate Council will coordinate with the appropriate graduate Program Director and the academic Dean to address and resolve the appeal.
  5. Transfer of Graduate Credit from Other Institutions
    1. Requests for credit to be transferred toward a graduate degree at the University are reviewed by the student’s program, after which the decision is communicated to the student. The desired transferred credit must represent graduate-level work relevant to the degree being sought, with course content and level of instruction resulting in student competencies at least equivalent to those of currently enrolled students at the University as determined by the program.
      1. Students seeking transfer credit must provide a course syllabus, or equivalent, to the Program Director for each course to be transferred.
      2. The Program Director may request additional information.
      3. The Program Director makes the final determination.
      4. See Policy 6.47 for further information.
    2. The following guidelines apply:
      1. Grades earned on transferred courses must be equivalent to "C" or better.
      2. Graduate internship credit transferred from another institution will be considered for transfer credit. Other courses taken on a pass/fail or satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis do not receive transfer credit.
      3. Credit for a capstone does not receive transfer credit.
      4. Students, after beginning their graduate program of study at the University, and wishing to take one or more courses at another university for graduate credit, must first consult their Program Director. If permission is granted, the procedure for transferring the credits earned to the University is the same as described above.
      5. Non-credit courses, including lifetime learning seminars and programs, or courses taken for Continuing Education do not receive transfer credit.
    3. Upon approval by the program, up to 12 credit hours required for the graduate degree may be transferred from another approved institution.
    4. Courses transferred into an SUU program are considered as earned in the first term of enrollment at SUU. No credit that is more than 10 years old at the time the degree is awarded may be counted toward a graduate degree at SUU. Individual programs may have varying requirements.

VI. QUESTIONS/RESPONSIBLE OFFICE

The responsible office for this Policy is the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs. For questions about the admissions process, contact SUU Online or International Admissions. For questions regarding transfer credits, contact the Office of the Registrar.


VII. POLICY ADOPTION AND AMENDMENT DATES

Date Approved: January 20, 2015

Amended: April 27, 2023