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GRADUATE ADMISSIONS

Students desiring admission to graduate study must file an application with the university Admissions Office. In accordance with the University of Wisconsin System policies, graduate students applying to a graduate degree program must submit a $45 application fee. The application fee is non-refundable and does not apply to graduate tuition. If your enrollment is delayed, the application fee will apply to the next two consecutive terms including summer session. It is the student’s responsibility to make arrangements for transcripts of previously established academic records, bearing the official seal of the institution(s) where course work was taken, to be sent directly from the registrar of each institution to the UW-La Crosse Admissions Office.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Unconditional admission to graduate study may be granted to students who meet the following requirements:

A baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution.
(a) An overall undergraduate grade point average of at least 2.85 on a 4.00 scale, or (b) an average of at least 3.00 in the last half of all undergraduate work, or (c) an average of at least 3.00 for no fewer than 12 semester credits of graduate study at another accredited graduate institution. Some programs have higher GPA admission requirements. Item (c) is not applicable to the MBA program.
Departmental or school/college approval to enter the graduate program chosen.
Satisfactory scores on all tests required by program, department or college policy.

Admission on probation may be granted to students with undergraduate grade point averages below 2.85, who are otherwise qualified, if there is evidence of a student’s ability to do satisfactory graduate work. Students admitted on probation may be required by their graduate program director, to complete specified course work with a grade of “B” or better. These credits may or may not apply to the graduate degree, at the discretion of the program director.

(See Retention Standards, p. 20.)

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ADMISSIONS

Admission procedures have been designed to assist international students who wish to earn graduate degrees at UW-L. An international admissions specialist in the Office of International Education coordinates the admission process of any applicant who is not a citizen or permanent resident of the United States. Interested students should request an application packet from:

Office of International Education

116 Graff Main Hall

1725 State Street

La Crosse, WI 54601 USA

Telephone: 608 785-8016

E-mail: uwlworld@uwlax.edu

In addition to meeting the academic admission requirements, international students must also submit the following items to the Office of International Education:

1. Graduate application form and required fees.

2. Official academic records for post-secondary education with English translations.

3. TOEFL score of 550. This is not required for native speakers of English or for applicants currently enrolled in an undergraduate degree program in the United States.

4. Certification of Financial Resources.

5. GMAT result for applicants to the MBA program.

Applicants granted acceptance to their degree program will be required to submit a non-refundable tuition deposit to receive final admission. Students will receive additional information regarding assistantship applications, on-campus housing, health examination requirements, and orientation.

GRADUATE REENTRY

If students voluntarily interrupt university enrollment for one semester or longer while in good academic standing, reentry status may be granted by applying to the Graduate Dean, through the Office of Records and Registration. (Summer session is not considered a semester for reentry purposes.) Application should be made at least one month prior to the beginning of the planned term of re-enrollment.

SPECIAL NONDEGREE STUDENTS

Students with a bachelor’s degree seeking to enroll in particular courses for which they are qualified but not wishing to pursue a graduate degree program, may be admitted with special nondegree student status. Special nondegree students may either receive academic credit for courses successfully completed or may choose to audit. Auditors usually are not responsible for attendance or exams and therefore do not receive academic credit or grades for completed courses.

If special nondegree students decide to enter a degree program at a later date, they may be considered for admission provided they have maintained a “B” average in graduate work and have met all other program requirements. Not more than 12 credits earned as a special student (non-degree) status may be applied toward a degree program at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Further, deans and/or program directors/coordinators may accept or reject credit taken as a graduate special student. A special student who does not meet a minimum 2.50 grade point average admission requirement will not be accepted in any graduate degree program and credits earned as a special student will not apply toward a degree. All graduate level work, including courses taken at other accredited institutions, will be included in the computation of the grade point average for admission determination.

GRADUATE STUDENTS ADMITTED WITH ACADEMIC DEFICIENCIES

Students with deficiencies, who have been provisionally admitted to a graduate program, may be classified with the appropriate special student designation, and, at such time as the deficiencies are removed, may be admitted to the graduate program with the appropriate graduate classification. Such students would be exempt from the “12 credits as a special student” restriction policy statement.