Admissions

Applicants seeking to pursue graduate study at Fayetteville State University will be considered for admission in one of the following distinct categories of students:

• admitted as unconditional degree seeking at the doctoral or master’s levels;
• admitted at graduate certificate level;
• accepted as conditional admission at the master’s level;
• accepted at professional development level;
• accepted at special visiting level.

All students (degree seeking or non-degree seeking) holding a baccalaureate degree from an accepted accredited college or university who attend Fayetteville State University are classified as graduate students except for students seeking a second undergraduate degree and/or a teacher licensure-only program.* Thus, students seeking a doctoral degree, a master’s degree, a graduate level certificate, professional development, and special visiting admission are all designated as graduate students and are required to pay graduate student fees. Students seeking a second undergraduate degree and/or a teacher licensure-only program are classified as undergraduate students.

Prospective students are advised to review each of these categories and follow the application guidelines delineated below that are appropriate to their personal, academic, and career goals. Degree-seeking applicants and certificate-seeking applicants must also consult the appropriate section in this catalog for further application and admission guidelines for specific degree programs.

Applications may be accessed online at http://www.uncfsu.edu/admissions/.

To ensure an admission decision prior to the desired semester of entry, applicants must submit all application materials online by the appropriate priority deadline listed below. An applicant who submits application materials after the priority deadline may be considered for admission as a conditional admit student or as a professional development student. See application guidelines below for further information.

*Deadlines apply only to U.S. citizens. International students should see Guidelines for International Student Applicants.

Inquiries about specific graduate programs should be directed to the graduate program coordinator/director. For further information, see www.uncfsu.edu/grad.

Guidelines for Applicants to the Doctorate in Educational Leadership (Ed.D.) Program

Applicants for admission to the Ed.D. Program in Education Leadership are evaluated on the basis of their potential for success as doctoral students and future educational leaders. A completed application consists of the following:

1. A completed graduate admission application.
2. Complete all requirements for the safety review. The campus safety requirement will NOT be bypassed under any circumstances.
3. Pay the nonrefundable application fee.
4. Minimum graduate GPA of 3.50.
5. Official transcripts of all college/university work.
6. A score on the GRE taken within the last five years.
7. Three letters of recommendation (not older than two years).
8. A personal interview.
9. An on demand writing sample.
10. A portfolio of professional growth submitted directly to the Ed.D. Program.

In addition to the applications for admission, applicants for the Ed.D. Program must also submit a portfolio of professional growth (see program description for further information) directly to:

Ed.D. Program
College of Education
Fayetteville State University
1200 Murchison Road
Fayetteville, NC 28301-4298
(910) 672-1810

Application Deadline: To be considered for admission to the Ed.D. Program, applicants must submit all required application materials by April 1 for admission for the fall semester. Applications submitted after the deadline will be considered for admission for the following fall semester. Students are admitted by cohorts in the fall semester. For specific requirements and procedures for matriculation through the program, applicants should contact the director of the Ed.D. program or the department chair.

Guidelines for Applicants to Master’s Degree Programs

Applicants who apply for admission to graduate programs must have a baccalaureate degree from an accepted accredited institution. All foreign academic transcripts must be evaluated by World Education Services (WES) or a National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) approved evaluation service and translated into English. The criteria used for admissions decisions vary according to programs and colleges. Depending on the prospective program’s admission requirements, this may include official scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), Miller Analogies (MAT), or the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) (see degree program requirements in the catalog). Scores must be no older than five (5) years at the time of application. Scores are not required for applicants who currently hold a master’s degree from an accepted accredited institution unless otherwise stated by the specific degree program. Applicants should consult the program section in the catalog for admission requirements specific to each program of study. Programs that admit students as a cohort may have an admission timeline and requirements that are different from the requirements outlined below. Students who do not meet all requirements to be admitted unconditionally may be admitted under one of the following admission categories. A student who is admitted unconditionally to pursue a degree may be eligible for financial aid. Except as mandated by an accrediting body, applicants who earned their undergraduate degree(s) from Fayetteville State University do not have to make a separate request for official transcript(s) to the Office of the Registrar.

Guidelines for Applicants to Graduate Programs in Business

Admission Requirements for the MBA program:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accepted accredited institution or equivalent*
• Minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or higher (or graduate GPA of 3.0 or higher)
• Minimum GMAT (or GRE predicted GMAT) score of 400; or a GMAT waiver (see details under the MBA program)

Students who do not meet these requirements may apply and be admitted on Conditional Admission status. Students who are admitted on Conditional Admission status can enroll in up to 12 credit hours (4 classes), which may be used to meet the GPA requirement and also to attain a GMAT/GRE waiver. Successfully completed courses will be applied to the MBA program once these students enter Degree Seeking status.

How to Apply for the MBA Program:

• Students who meet the admissions requirements should complete the online application at https://applymba.uncfsu.edu 
• Pay the non-refundable application fee of $50 on that site
• Send official (sealed) transcripts from each college or university you have attended to:

MBA Program

Broadwell College of Business and Education

Fayetteville State University

1200 Murchison Road

Fayetteville, NC  28301

• Send official test scores from the GMAT (FSU code 4RG-7x-23) or GRE (FSU code 7275).
• Send two recommendation letters using a form available from the MBA office. Recommenders should be people who are qualified to evaluate your potential for graduate success.
• Test of English-as-a-Foreign-Language (TOEFL) for students whose native language is not English.
• Additional information for professional development, conditional degree-seeking, and international students can be obtained by contacting Ms. Berrak Walters (kwalter3@uncfsu.edu).

Admission Requirements for Graduate Certificate Programs:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accepted accredited institution or equivalent*
• Minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.50 or higher for Graduate Certificate in Business
• Minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or higher for all other Graduate Certificates

How to Apply:

• Complete the online application at https://applymba.uncfsu.edu
• Upload resume as part of the online application
• Pay the non-refundable application fee of $50 on that site
• Send official (sealed) transcripts from each college or university you have attended to:

MBA Program

Broadwell College of Business and Education

Fayetteville State University

1200 Murchison Road

Fayetteville, NC  28301

• Official electronic transcripts can be forwarded to mba@uncfsu.edu

Admission Categories

Professional Development Student

Professional development status is reserved for an applicant who is not applying to earn a degree from FSU but desires to enroll in undergraduate and/or graduate courses for his/her own personal and professional development. To be admitted as a professional development student, the student must meet the below general admission requirements. Students must be aware that departments and programs may have program specific requirements including course registration requirements, such as pre-requisites and co-requisites. The following general requirements will apply:

1. Complete the graduate application and specify “Professional Development.”
2. Complete all requirements for the safety review. (Note: The campus safety requirement will NOT be bypassed under any circumstances.)
3. Pay the nonrefundable application fee.
4. Submit official transcript to show the highest level of earned degree from an accepted accredited institution.* A student may be admitted to professional development status and permitted to enroll for one semester based on an unofficial transcript. However, the student will not be permitted to enroll for the second semester without submitting his/her official transcript(s) nor will they be able to receive an official transcript from Fayetteville State University.

The maximum credit hours a student in professional development status may earn is 12. To enroll in more than 12 credit hours a professional development student must either receive special permission or must apply for a degree program. Under no circumstances will a professional development student be transferred from professional development status to degree seeking without completing the application process. Professional development status does NOT guarantee unconditional admission to any graduate program at Fayetteville State University.

A student in professional development status is NOT eligible for federal financial aid. Upon admission to a degree seeking program, a student may become eligible for federal financial aid beginning with the semester of admission.

Special Visiting Student

A graduate special visiting student is defined as a graduate level student who attends another accepted accredited college or university and desires to take a course at Fayetteville State University to transfer back to their home institution.*  Currently enrolled degree-seeking part-time and full-time UNC system students are permitted to cross-register for web-based courses through UNC Online at https://online.northcarolina.edu/index.htm. Other students seeking special visiting status must:

1. Complete the graduate application and specify “Special Visiting.”
2. Complete all requirements for the safety review. (Note: The campus safety requirement will NOT be bypassed under any circumstances.)
3. Pay the nonrefundable application fee.
4. Submit an official transcript from the home institution.

The maximum credit hours a student in special visiting status may earn is 12. To enroll in more than 12 credit hours a special visiting student must either receive special permission or must apply for a degree program. Under no circumstances will a special visiting student be transferred from special visiting status to degree seeking without completing the application process. Special visiting status does NOT guarantee unconditional admission to any graduate program at Fayetteville State University.

A student in special visiting status is NOT eligible for federal financial aid. Upon admission to a degree seeking program, a student may become eligible for federal financial aid beginning with the semester of admission.

Conditional Admission Status

The conditional admission status is reserved for an applicant who seeks to earn a degree from Fayetteville State University and has not met a list of criteria, set by the department, to be fully admitted into the said program. The department is willing to accept the student on condition these criteria are met within one calendar year. Students must be aware that departments and programs may have program specific requirements including course registration requirements, such as pre-requisites and co-requisites. The following general requirements will apply:

1. Complete the graduate application and specify “Degree Seeking.”
2. Complete all requirements for safety review. (Note: The campus safety requirement will NOT be bypassed under any circumstances.)
3. Pay the non-refundable application fee.
4. Submit all required documents, including official transcript(s), letters of recommendation, and GRE or GMAT scores (if applicable). Note: Each degree program has program-specific requirements. An applicant must review the requirements for the program to which they seek to enroll.

Program coordinators will receive completed applications from the Office of Admissions. Prior to the beginning of semester, a graduate program faculty committee will review and decide admission status. If admitted unconditionally, the student will be notified by the Office of Admissions. The Graduate Program Faculty Committee may deny admission.

A student who is offered conditional admission will NOT be eligible for federal financial aid.

Guidelines for Applicants to Graduate Certificate Programs

Admission

Students may be admitted to a graduate certificate program at FSU through one of the following pathways.

1. Graduate certificate only
   The student must complete an online application from the university website to request admission to a specific certificate program. The applicant must meet admission requirements for the certificate, per department guidelines. The student will pay the applicable application fee. The department will review the application, and the final decision to admit or not admit will be made by the college dean.  
2. Master’s degree seeking plus graduate certificate program (concurrent)
   The student is admitted to FSU to pursue a master’s degree but decides to add a graduate certificate program and pursue both programs concurrently. A degree-seeking student wishing to add a certificate program to a master’s degree program must submit the Adding Certificate to Master’s Degree Form. The college dean will inform the student, department chair/associate dean, and Office of the Registrar of the outcome of the request.   
3. Master’s degree seeking but discontinued (voluntary or involuntary) to pursue graduate certificate program
   This pathway offers an opportunity for students who are admitted to FSU to pursue a master’s degree but are forced to discontinue (either for voluntary or involuntary reasons) to be considered for a graduate certificate. An involuntarily or a voluntarily discontinued master’s degree student wishing to change from a master’s degree program to a certificate program must submit the Master’s Degree to Certificate Change Form. The college dean will inform the student, department chair/associate dean, and Office of the Registrar of the outcome of the request.  

General Requirements

The graduate certificate is awarded for successful completion of a coherent program of study of at least twelve (12) semester credit hours proposed by a department and approved by the FSU Graduate Council. Students are admitted to a specific graduate certificate program and are advised by faculty in the department offering the graduate certificate. Once students in the graduate certificate status have completed the required number of hours for the certificate program, a hold will be placed on their accounts and further enrollment will be prohibited. In order to continue enrollment, students must contact the department chair/program director to obtain an Enrollment Continuation Form. Students may apply credit earned in the graduate certificate program at Fayetteville State University toward a degree that they pursue either in conjunction with the graduate certificate or after the certificate has been awarded. To be applied to a degree program, graduate credit must be approved by the department chair/program director and the college dean.

Courses taken in a certificate program that are applied to a master’s degree at Fayetteville State University cannot be more than six years old at the time of graduation from the degree program. Although a student may not ordinarily transfer hours from another institution into a certificate program, some programs may allow transfer of a maximum of six credit hours. The graduate certificate is awarded to students who have completed the specified program of study with a GPA of 3.0 or better from the time of enrollment in the first certificate course. Students admitted to a certificate program are not eligible for financial aid.

Guidelines for Seniors Seeking Enrollment in Graduate Level Courses

An undergraduate student will be permitted to enroll in 500-level classes if he/she meets the following stipulations:

1.            has a senior classification;

2.            has a G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher;

3.            obtains approval from his/her advisor and department chair;

4.            consults the instructor of the course(s) in which the student seeks to enroll to ensure its appropriateness; and

5.            enrolls in a maximum of fifteen credits per semester (of which no more than six may be graduate credits) or a maximum of six hours in a summer session (of which no more than three may be graduate credits.)

Students are not permitted to pursue an undergraduate and graduate degree at the same time. Graduate credits earned by undergraduate students may subsequently be counted toward a graduate degree only if the credits were not used to fulfill undergraduate requirements.

Undergraduate students enrolled in graduate level courses may earn no more than two (2) C grades in all graduate level courses. Students who earn an F grade or three (3) C grades in graduate level courses will not be permitted to take additional graduate level courses as an undergraduate student.

Guidelines for International Student Applicants

Fayetteville State University welcomes applications from potential graduate students from other nations. An applicant is considered an international student if he or she does not hold U.S. citizenship or resident alien status. International students must submit each of the following:

• A completed application form with a non-refundable $50 application fee in U.S. dollars.
• Certified copy of all post-secondary records, including marks (grades awarded) and grading scale with minimum passing mark. A certified English evaluation, course by course with grades, must accompany the original document. FSU prefers World Education Services (WES) but will also accept translations from the following other nationally recognized agencies: Education Evaluators International, Inc. (EEI), or International Education Evaluations (IEE).
• Official TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing) score report. The test score report should be no more than two years old.
• Students seeking a Graduate degree must submit an official copy of the test results from taking the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE), Miller Analogies Test (MAT) or Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) - refer to program for specific requirements.
• Two/three Recommendation for Graduate School forms-refer to program for specific requirements.
• The College Board International Student Certification of Finances Guidelines form, no more than six months old, addressed to Fayetteville State University verifying the availability of funds to cover tuition, fees, and other direct costs associated with enrolling at the university.
• All documents must be received at least ninety (90) days prior to the semester of proposed study at Fayetteville State University.
• IF the applicant currently holds a VISA, a photocopy of the VISA must be submitted. In cases where the applicant is currently enrolled at another U.S. institution, they can submit a copy of their current I-20 if it has been signed by a designated official at the currently enrolled institution.

The application deadline for international students is March 1.

Residence Status for Tuition Purposes

Residency Policy - In compliance with state law, the University of North Carolina system now requires students to request a residency classification from the Residency Determination Service (RDS). RDS is the entity responsible for all new classifications of residency in North Carolina.  If you claim to be a resident, you must complete the residency process with the Residency Determination Service (RDS) at www.ncresidency.org. You will receive a Residency Certification Number (RCN) which should either be entered onto your admissions application or provided directly to the Admissions Office when available.

The cut-off date for applying any RDS determination is 45 days from the campus start of term. New determinations, or any changes to determinations, beyond the 45-day cut-off date would be effective the next enrolling term. This 45-day window will be prorated for sessions shorter than 16 weeks. For sessions shorter than 16 weeks, the cut-off date for applying any RDS determination is five calendar days from the last day of late registration for the term. Persons not meeting the 12-month legal residence requirement may be classified as North Carolina residents for tuition purposes only if they fall within one of the limited “exception” categories authorized by the North Carolina Legislature. All others are ineligible for classification as a North Carolina “resident for tuition purposes” and will be charged out-of-state tuition and not be given consideration for state financial aid. To learn more about residency and complete a determination go to www.NCresidency.org.

Persons not meeting the 12-month legal residence requirement may be classified as North Carolina residents for tuition purposes only if they fall within one of the limited “exception” categories authorized by the North Carolina Legislature. All others are ineligible for classification as a North Carolina “resident for tuition purposes” and will be charged out-of-state tuition and not be given consideration for state financial aid. To learn more about residency and complete a determination go to www.ncresidency.org.

GI Bill Recipients under Choice Act-Section 702 & NC SB 257 - Veterans and dependents may qualify for in-state residents after an initial classification of out-of-state by providing additional information through the Section 702 Veterans “Choice Act” & NC SB 257.

Under the Choice Act, a “covered individual” meets these qualifications:

• A Veteran, dependent of a veteran, or a spouse/child using benefits under the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship
• “Lives” in the state in which the institution of higher learning is located, regardless of his/her formal state of residence
• Enrolls in the institution within three years of the veteran’s discharge from active-duty service, or in the case of the Fry Scholarship, within three years of the service member’s death in the line of duty, OR
• The dependent or spouse of an active-duty service member enrolled in the institution while using transferred Ch33 Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits, or, benefits under the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship

Accepted Accrediting Associations

*Accepted accrediting associations include the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Higher Learning Commission (HLC), Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), and Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) or equivalent.