Degree Seeking

Students who wish to enroll in graduate level courses to pursue a specific graduate degree at Missouri State University.

Non-Degree Seeking

Students who meet the general Graduate College requirements but are undecided on a specific degree or who wish to take courses for graduate credit are eligible for admission as a non-degree seeking student. Under this classification, students may register for courses for which they meet the prerequisite. They are not candidates for a degree and this classification does not offer assurance of future admission to a degree program. Graduate courses (500-level and above) taken as a non-degree seeking student or a post-baccalaureate student will be counted in the student’s graduate GPA.

A student may request a change from non-degree seeking to a degree-seeking basis, or a change from one academic program to a different academic area of study. In these cases, acceptance into the program requested is based on the review and recommendation of the department. Applications for change of academic area are in the Graduate College, Carrington Hall, Room 306, or available online.

Post Master's

Students who have received a master's or higher graduate degree, and wish to continue taking course work for graduate credit without pursuing another graduate degree should apply as a post master’s student.

Post-Baccalaureate

Since a public university has an obligation to make its resources available for a broad range of purposes not confined to the pursuit of specific degrees, anyone holding a baccalaureate degree may register for individual courses at the graduate level without making formal application to a degree program. A post-baccalaureate student is not required to furnish transcripts and there is no minimum grade point average. Note that students admitted into the post-baccalaureate classification have not been admitted to the Graduate College; they have only been given permission to enroll for graduate-level classes to earn graduate credit. Admission as a post-baccalaureate student does not guarantee future admission into a specific degree program.

Post-baccalaureate students may take either undergraduate or graduate courses. The only limitation is that no more than 9 hours of graduate credit may be accumulated under this classification or applied to a degree program. Graduate courses (500-level and above) taken as a post-baccalaureate student will be counted in the student’s overall graduate GPA.

Students under this classification are considered graduate students and are therefore governed by all Graduate College policies. Post-baccalaureate students must make satisfactory progress in graduate courses and any student receiving more than 9 hours of "C" grade or below will not be allowed to enroll in further graduate classes.
Generally, students in the post-baccalaureate classification are not eligible for financial aid. Students who first register in the post-baccalaureate classification and later initiate the process to change to a degree program will be required to submit the Graduate Admission Application along with the $30 application fee and necessary transcripts. The application will be reviewed by the Graduate College and by the director of the degree program to which the student applied. The student will be notified of the admission decision.

Individuals interested in admission under this classification should contact Tobin Bushman, Coordinator of Admissions and Recruitment, in the Graduate College at 417-836-5335 for information.