Admission Requirements

Admission Requirements

MSU Graduate Admissions Requirements

The admissions requirements for a MSU graduate program are outlined in the following:

Application Process - Graduate Catalog

Departmental Graduate Admissions Requirements

General Requirements

Prerequisites for admission into the graduate program include all the general requirements of the Office of the Graduate School. International students must obtain a minimum TOEFL score of 550 PBT (213 CBT or 79 iBT) or a minimum IELTS score of 6.5.

Ph.D. Program

  • Application to the graduate degree program
  • GRE scores are not currently required (when GRE scores are required, they may be waived if an applicant has a graduate GPA of 3.50 or higher on previous graduate work from an accredited institution)
  • Three letters of recommendation (preferably from faculty and administrators who can comment about your scholarly ability)
  • Statement of purpose (a minimum of one-page single-spaced): In the statement, please make sure to address the following:
    • describe the purpose of applying for the Ph.D. degree in this program area
    • identify your research interest
    • discuss your career goals
  • Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
  • A copy of your professional resume
  • Ph.D. applicants who pass the initial screening will be contacted for an online interview.

Master and Educational Specialist (Ed.S.)

  • Application to the graduate degree program
  • Three letters of recommendation (preferably from faculty and administrators who can comment about your scholarly ability)
  • Statement of purpose (a minimum of one-page single-spaced). In the statement, please make sure to address the following:
    • describe the purpose of applying for the degree in this program area
    • discuss your career goals and how this program aligns with them
  • Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
  • GRE scores are not currently required

Admission Type

Full Admission

Full admission to departmental graduate programs requires a minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or higher from a four-year accredited institution or a minimum graduate GPA of 3.00 or higher on previous graduate work from an accredited institution.

For the Community College Leadership doctoral program, the required GPA is 3.40.

Provisional Admission

If a student does not fully meet the admission requirements of the program, it may be possible for that student to be admitted provisionally. If admitted provisionally, the student must attain a 3.00 GPA on the first 9 hours of graduate courses at Mississippi State University after admission to the program.

Courses with an S grade, transfer credits, or credits earned while in Unclassified status cannot be used to satisfy this requirement. If a 3.00 GPA is not attained, the student shall be dismissed from the graduate program.

Contingent Admission

There are no contingent admissions. The admission packet must be complete and all requirements met before admission will be considered.

Admission Deadlines

Please refer to the Graduate School website for deadlines.

Readmission

Our department requires that a student who has not been enrolled for three consecutive semesters must submit a readmission application that includes:

  • Three letters of recommendation (if they are older than three years since the last application), and
  • A revised statement of purpose that:
    1. describes the purpose of reapplying
    2. discusses the applicant's career goals
    3. explains how circumstances have changed making academic improvement a realistic goal
    4. identifies the applicant's research interest (Ph.D students only)

Application Process

You can begin the application process via the application link below:

Begin Graduate Application

Admittance to Program

Once you have completed the admission process, the Graduate School will forward your information to our department for review. After review by the department admissions committee, Department Head, College Dean, and Graduate Dean, you will be notified of the decision by an email from the Graduate School. If you have any further questions, you may contact the Graduate School and/or our department at the links below.

Contact the Graduate School Contact the Department

Admittance to Program

After your admission to the program, you will be assigned an advisor from our department. You will need to contact your advisor to schedule an appointment to complete your course schedule for the upcoming semester. The links below will direct you to our departmental faculty page where you can find the faculty members’ names and view their full profiles including research interests.

Department Faculty