Admissions

Thank you for your interest in the Student Affairs Administration (SAA) program at UW-La Crosse. Please read all the information regarding our Graduate Studies guidelines and the SAA application requirements before you apply.

To qualify for unconditional admission to graduate study at UW-La Crosse, you must have:

  1.  A baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution.
  2.  An overall undergraduate grade point average of at least 2.85 on a 4.00 scale, or
    An average of at least 3.00 in the last half of all undergraduate work, or
    An average of at least 3.00 for no less than 12 semester credits of graduate study at another accredited                 graduate school.
  3. Departmental (SAA) or school/college approval to enter the graduate program chosen.
  4. The SAA program does not require the GRE or other tests for admission to the program.

If you have an undergraduate grade point average between 2.50 and 2.84 and are otherwise qualified, you may be admitted to graduate programs on probation if there is evidence of your ability to do satisfactory graduate work.

If you have earned at least six credits in an accredited graduate school with grades of "A" or "B," you may be admitted on probation if you meet all other requirements. If your undergraduate grade point average is below 2.50, you may be allowed to take six semester credits of advanced undergraduate or graduate course work (specified by the appropriate program director). If you earn a "B" or better in each course, you may be granted admission on probation, however, these credits will not apply to a graduate degree.

If you entered on probation, after completing nine graduate semester credits with a cumulative graduate grade point average of 3.00 or better, you will be removed from probation. If you haven’t attained the required 3.00 or better, you will be dismissed.

Application Requirements

Your application will be considered "complete" when all of the following materials have been received by the SAA program:

  1. The Graduate Studies electronic application (the Admissions Offices forwards a copy to SAA after they approve it)
  2. The SAA electronic application(On-Campus or Online) .
  3. Your resume.
  4. A writing sample.
  5. Two letters of recommendation.
  6. The names and contact information for two additional references.

Complete the application process as indicated in the "Apply Now" section. Please note that all the application processes are completed electronically -- either online or via email. Our Admissions Coordinator, Teresa, would really appreciate it if you would follow the application directions to a "t" since it definitely helps her with organizing all the incoming materials.  After the deadline dates pass, only complete applications will be considered by the SAA Admissions Committee. The SAA Admissions Committee will consider all aspects of your application materials including your academic history, campus involvements, and work experiences. For On-Campus applicants, interviews will be conducted as part of the application and graduate assistantship process. For Online applicants, interviews will be conducted as needed and preference is given to those currently working in higher education or who have comparable work experience.

The SAA faculty seek students with diverse backgrounds and interests. Students admitted to the program have a variety of academic backgrounds (no particular major is required) and experiences. Multi-cultural experiences (both academic and work/personal) are valued and encouraged.

Enrollment Targets

We anticipate enrolling 15-20 students in the next Online cohort and 15 students in the On-Campus cohort (2009-11). It's difficult to predict how many students will apply to the Online program and we generally anticipate 40-60 complete applications for the On-Campus program although that can vary from year to year as well.

The Application Timeline/Process

The SAA Admissions timeline is as follows:

November 15th -- applications will begin to be accepted per the directions in the "Apply Now" section. All communication regarding your application status is done via email. The SAA Admissions Committee will not look at the applications until after the application deadline and once they are officially informed that you meet the graduate school requirements. You will receive an email to notify you that your application is complete. We appreciate early applications (to help us stay organized) but please note that there is no priority given to early applications.

February 1st -- the application deadline for the SAA Online Program; the SAA Admissions Committee will begin to review completed Online applications after this date. Late applications will continue to be accepted if spots are still available. Check the top of this page for updates.

February 15th -- the application deadline for the SAA On-Campus Program; the SAA Admissions Committee will begin to review completed On-Campus applications after this date. Late applications will continue to be accepted if spots are still available. Check the top of this page for updates.

Beginning in Mid-March through April 1st -- offers to join the SAA Program and graduate assistantship offers will be sent out via email; notifications of being put on the "waiting list" and non-admittance will also be emailed at this time.

April 1st -- final deadline to accept our offer to the Online program or your "spot" will be offered to another applicant who is on the "waiting list."

April 15th -- final deadline to accept our offer to the On-Campus program or your "spot" will be offered to another applicant who is on the "waiting list."

May 1st -- all admissions decisions should be finalized.

3rd week in May -- Online program begins.

Tuesday after Labor Day -- On-Campus program begins (some graduate assistantships start at the beginning of August).