The mission of the graduate programs at Georgia College is to educate our students at the highest level in their academic discipline and to provide them with a foundation for continuous learning as future scholars, teachers, and professionals. This is accomplished by providing high-quality programs in several specialties of arts and sciences, business, education, and health sciences. Admission is based on criteria specific to each program. The programs of study emphasize independent and advanced applied research skills, professional development, cultural breadth beyond the baccalaureate degree, and sophisticated techniques applicable to many paths taken by students with superior academic qualifications.
Graduate study is much more than a continuation of undergraduate work and should be contemplated only by students who have previously demonstrated an exceptional intellectual ability and capacity for independent thought and investigation. Admission requirements serve to maintain the high standards that are characteristic of graduate study and to benefit students by helping them decide whether they should undertake such a course of action. By means of an admission classification system, Georgia College provides for the maintenance of these standards in its degree programs. It also provides for, and makes its facilities available to, a wide variety of students who are not eligible for advanced degrees, or who do not wish to become applicants for degrees.
All graduate programs are administered through the Academic Colleges. Program coordinators monitor graduate programs, provide assistance to students, make admission decisions, and perform other operational functions for their particular program areas.
Admissions
Consideration for admission to graduate study at Georgia College will be given to applicants who hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution and who present evidence of probable success in graduate work. Students who are presently enrolled in a graduate program at another institution, or have taken graduate-level courses elsewhere, must be in good standing at that institution to be eligible for admission to a program of graduate study at Georgia College.
The application deadlines* are July 1 for the Fall semester, November 1 for the Spring semester and April 1 for Maymester/Summer. All applicants requiring standardized test scores should complete examinations at least four weeks prior to application deadlines. International students must submit additional documents as required by the International Education Center.
*Deadlines for specific programs may vary. Please check program page at http://www.gcsu.edu/admissions/graduate for more information about deadlines.
All applicants who desire to enroll in graduate classes must provide the Graduate Admissions Office with official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate academic work from each college attended, even if the coursework is recorded on another institution's transcript. Transcripts are required for all coursework completed, including work completed through a study abroad program. An application for admission may be completed online or mailed, with the application fee, to the Graduate Admissions Office. The online application fee is $35.00, and the paper application fee is $40.00. Applicants may call the Graduate Admissions Office for information about paying the application fee with a credit card at (478) 445-6289 or send a check to the Graduate Admissions Office, CBX 107, Milledgeville, GA 31061.
Students who have paid the application fee within the past six years or were enrolled at Georgia College within the past six years are exempt from the application fee. Degree programs may require applicants to provide acceptable results of their performance on the applicable graduate tests, i.e.: Graduate Record Examination (GRE), Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), Georgia Assessment for the Certification of Educators (GACE), College of Education Writing Assessment (GWA), and/or Miller Analogies Test (MAT).
Specific degree programs may require other supporting materials. Test scores may not be more than five years old and will only be accepted if received from the testing company. An application is not considered complete, nor will it be processed, until all required documents are on file in the Graduate Admissions Office. (See Conditional Admission of graduate students for exception.)
The program coordinator gives approval for admission to a degree program, subject to the minimum requirements of the University. An applicant will only be admitted to a degree program with the recommendation of the program coordinator. A student will not be allowed to register for or complete more than 12 semester hours in any degree program without attaining regular admissions status.
Classification of Graduate Students
Students admitted to Georgia College graduate programs will be classified in the following degree categories:
Residency Classification
International Graduate Student Admissions
Students from countries other than the United States who intend to be in F-1 or J-1 student visa status must apply for admission through GC’s International Education Center. Prospective students may download admissions materials from the International Center website at www.gcsu.edu/international, telephone (478) 445-4789, e-mail intladm@gcsu.edu or write International Admissions, Campus Box 49, Georgia College, Milledgeville, GA 31061 USA.
The following regulations apply:
- International applicants must complete all parts of the application as provided by the GC International Education Center; the general deadlines are April 1 for Fall Semester and September 1 for Spring Semester. Application deadlines for certain programs may vary. Applicants should refer to the graduate program website for the most accurate deadline for the program to which they are applying.
- To be considered for admission, international applicants must hold the equivalent of a U.S. baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited and officially recognized degree-granting institution.
- Applicants must present official transcripts (certified or attested) in the original language, as well as official translations in English (certified or attested by the official translator) of all college/university level work. Academic documents authenticated by notary publics are not accepted. Please note that all documents become the property of the University.
- Prospective students must present an OFFICIAL document for one of the following:
- TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score report with a minimum score of 550 (paper-based test) or 79 (Internet-based test).
- IELTS (International English Language Testing System) score report with a minimum score of 6.5.
- Other appropriate document supporting English proficiency as determined by the International Admissions Committee at Georgia College.
- Applicants must submit all required documents for the specific program to which they are applying, including official graduate exam score reports.
- International applicants must present evidence of adequate and assured financial resources for the entire time the student will attend Georgia College (complete the GC Declaration of Finances form).
- Upon admission and subsequent enrollment, international students are required to join and pay for the GC International Student Health Insurance Plan.
Non-Degree Categories
Enrichment
A person who holds a baccalaureate degree and wishes to enroll in graduate courses for purposes of self-improvement or enjoyment may be admitted for graduate study as an enrichment student. Should the student later decide to transfer to a degree-seeking category, no more than 12* semester hours of credit earned while in this category may be applied toward a graduate degree program and then only if approved by the coordinator of the degree program in which the student is seeking admission. (See additional limitations under the Conditional and Provisional categories.)
*A maximum of six semester hours of 6000 level courses earned while in enrichment may be applied toward a graduate business degree.
Certification
A person who holds a baccalaureate degree and certificate to teach in the State of Georgia and wishes to enroll in graduate courses for the purposes of certificate renewal may be admitted to graduate study as an enrichment student. Students admitted to enrichment classification are not considered to be in pursuit of a degree. Should the student later decide to transfer to a degree seeking category, not more than 12 semester hours of credit earned while in this category may be applied toward a graduate degree program and then, only if approved by the coordinator of the degree program in consultation with the advisor of the planned field of study.
Graduate Transient
A student in good standing at another regionally accredited graduate school who wishes to take courses at Georgia College may be allowed to enroll as a transient student for one semester. In lieu of transcripts and test scores, this student must submit an official letter from the Registrar's Office of the institution in which the student is regularly enrolled, certifying that the student is in good standing and recommending admission to Georgia College as a transient student.
Transient status means that a student is admitted to Georgia College for the specified period of one semester, with the understanding that the student is to return to the student’s home institution at the opening of the next term. Transcripts from coursework completed at GC will not automatically be sent to the home institution and must be requested by the student.
Enrollment in Graduate Classes by Undergraduates
An undergraduate student who is within 6 hours of graduation and who has at least a B academic average in their major subject, may enroll for courses carrying graduate level credit. The courses include those with course numbers ranging from 5000 to 5999. Approval must be obtained from the degree program coordinator prior to registration. No course taken without this approval may be counted for graduate credit. Graduate work taken under this provision may not be used to meet undergraduate requirements. An undergraduate who is permitted to enroll for graduate work as indicated above will be classified as a non-degree undergraduate student until such time as the student has attained regular admission to a graduate degree program.
No more than six semester hours of graduate work may be completed prior to the completion of baccalaureate degree requirements and admission to a graduate program as an applicant for a graduate degree. No student will be allowed to pursue two degrees simultaneously.
Applicants for Constitutional Amendment 23 Admission (Students Aged 62 and Older)
Georgia residents who are 62 years of age or older and who meet all regular and special admission requirements for this category, may register for classes and receive credit without payment of tuition and fees (except the technology fee and laboratory fees which are required of all students) on a space available basis. Students must be admitted to a Georgia College graduate program to be eligible to enroll. Contact the Office of the Registrar for detailed information.
Re-Admission to Graduate School
A student previously registered in a graduate program at Georgia College who has failed to maintain continuous enrollment and who wishes to resume studies after one or more semesters of absence must contact the Office of Graduate Studies for re-admission by the application deadline for that term. Students pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing must complete a new application to be considered for re-admission into the program. Only after re-admission is approved may the student register during the usual registration period. If the student has attended any other institution during the period when not registered at Georgia College, official transcripts must be submitted before being considered and classified as having regular status.
Transient Student Procedure
Students wishing to attend another college/university and take courses to count toward their degree at Georgia College must be in good standing, complete a transient permission form and obtain the approval of their faculty advisor prior to enrolling at the other institution. The transient permission form must specify the courses to be taken at the other college/university and the student must have the other college/university send a transcript of the courses taken to the Office of Graduate Studies at Georgia College to receive credit for the work at Georgia College. A maximum of nine credit hours may be transferred towards a degree program and only if approved by the graduate coordinator.* Generally, students are permitted to be transient students away from the University for only one semester. In order to be eligible for transient status a student must have been enrolled within the last five years. Transient courses for College of Business students must be taken from an AACSB-accredited institution.
* The amount of credit that may be applied toward the completion of a degree program varies. Check with the graduate coordinator of the degree program for more information.
Immunization Requirements
Georgia College and the University System of Georgia require proof of immunization from every newly admitted and readmitted student. Immunization records should be completed, certified by a health official, and returned to the Office of the Registrar, CBX 069, Milledgeville, GA 31061 prior to the student’s first day of class. A printable immunization form, which may be used to submit this information, is available on the GC webpage.
Students who fail to provide Georgia College with proof of immunization will not be allowed to register for subsequent terms.
Students who attend fully online programs and have no class or program meetings on the Georgia College campus are exempt from this requirement.
Residency Definition
A student is in residence if they are enrolled in courses offered at an approved Georgia College residential facility. These facilities are the Milledgeville Campus, GC at Robins Air Force Base, and the Center for Graduate and Professional Learning in Macon.