Graduate Catalog 2013-2014

Admissions

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 15 for the Spring semester and April 1 for Maymester/Summer. All applicants requiring standardized test scores should complete examinations at least eight 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 graduate.gcsu.edu 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. All applicants for degree programs must also provide acceptable results of their performance on the applicable graduate tests, i.e.: Graduate Record Examination, Graduate Management Admission Test, Georgia Assessment for the Certification of Educators (GACE), College of Education Writing Assessment, and/or Miller Analogies Test. Specific degree programs may require other supporting materials. Test scores may not be more than five years old and will only be accepted if official. An application is not considered complete, nor will it be processed, until all required documents are on file in the Graduate Admissions Office.

The program coordinator gives approval for admission to a degree program, subject to the minimum requirements of the University. Program admission requirements are frequently more specific and demanding than general admission requirements. 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 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:

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Applicants must submit all required documents for the specific program to which they are applying, including official graduate exam score reports.
  6. 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).
  7. Upon admission and subsequent enrollment, international students are required to join and pay for the GC International Student Health Insurance Plan.

Non-Degree Categories

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.