Graduate Admissions

If you want to pursue a graduate certificate, you’ll need:

• a bachelor’s degree from an institution that is accredited by its regional accrediting association; review transcript submitting guidelines before applying 
• either a cumulative baccalaureate grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.75 on a 4.0 scale or a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in the latter half of your baccalaureate
• to meet departmental admissions criteria

After the Graduate School has determined you meet minimum requirements, the academic department you’re interested in will review your materials. Each program area, department, or school sets its own admission standards.

Learn More about the Application Process

Graduate certificates let you supplement your education through programs that are highly specific in nature and require less time to complete than traditional graduate degrees.

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Ball State must receive your official transcript before the university can process your application. Request transcripts from all colleges and universities you attended. You do not need to submit Ball State transcripts. 

The university or college that issued your degree must send an official copy of your transcript directly to Ball State. You can often request your transcripts through an institution’s website. Also, official transcripts must include a college seal, date, and appropriate signature. All transcripts become Ball State property.

Transcripts may be submitted by:

• Mail – Send official copies to the Graduate School, Ball State University, 2000 W. University Ave., West Quad 100, Muncie, IN 47306.
• Electronic – Official electronic transcripts may be submitted by an institution directly to bsutrans@bsu.edu.

The Graduate School must receive all of your application materials no later than one week before the beginning of the academic term you wish to start.

However, your desired program might have different deadlines. Check with the program director for those dates.

Admission standards are established for each doctoral degree program at Ball State by your academic unit. You will be admitted to graduate study toward a doctoral degree when you have met the following minimum criteria and been recommended for admission by the academic unit responsible for your degree program. All doctoral applicants must:

• hold an earned baccalaureate or equivalent degree with a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 on a scale of 4.0 from a college or university accredited by its regional accrediting association; a student with a baccalaureate not considered the equivalent of a degree from Ball State may be admitted under conditions to be determined by the department and the dean of the Graduate School
• hold an earned master's degree or equivalent, which most programs require for consideration for doctoral study; in such cases, applicants must have a cumulative GPA on the master's degree of at least 3.2 on a scale of 4.0
• have previously-attended institutions submit one copy of an official transcript of all previous college work, showing graduation from accredited institutions of higher learning with degrees awarded
• achieve acceptable scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general test; GRE scores older than five years are not acceptable
• meet any additional admissions standards established by the academic unit
• be recommended for admission by the academic unit

Credentials from international colleges, universities, and their equivalents outside the U.S. are evaluated by the Rinker Center for International Programs and the Graduate School.

The fulfillment of the minimum Graduate School admission standards listed above does not guarantee admission to a specific degree program.

Students may register for graduate courses leading to the doctoral degree only upon departmental recommendation for admission.

After official admission to a doctoral program, you have two years to begin courses approved by the doctoral program director or your committee. If you have not taken courses in an approved program during this two-year period, you will be dropped from the program. However, you may reapply for admission.

Learn More about Admission

Ball State offers programs leading to these degrees: doctor of philosophy (PhD), doctor of education (EdD), doctor of arts (DA) in music, doctor of audiology (AuD), and doctor of nursing practice (DNP).

See Our Programs

Ball State must receive your official transcript before the university can process your application. Request transcripts from all colleges and universities you attended (this includes dual credit courses earned while in high school). You do not need to submit Ball State transcripts. 

The university or college that issued your degree must send an official copy of your transcript directly to Ball State. You can often request your transcripts through an institution’s website. Also, official transcripts must include a college seal, date, and appropriate signature. All transcripts become Ball State property.

Transcripts may be submitted by:

• Mail – Send official copies to the Graduate School, Ball State University, 2000 W. University Ave., West Quad 100, Muncie, IN 47306.
• Electronic – Official electronic transcripts may be submitted by an institution directly to bsutrans@bsu.edu.

The Graduate School must receive all of your application materials no later than one week before the beginning of the academic term you wish to start.

However, your desired program might have different deadlines. Check with the program director for those dates.

If you want to pursue an EdS, you’ll need:

• a master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution or an equivalent degree with a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale; if your master’s degree is not considered equivalent to a Ball State degree, the dean of the Graduate School and your department representative will determine your admission
• acceptable scores on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE)
• at least two years of successful teaching or other professional experience

The Rinker Center for International Programs partners with the Graduate School to evaluate programs outside the United States. If English is not your native language, you’ll need to have an acceptable score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or other approved graduate admissions tests.

The fulfillment of the minimum Graduate School admission standards listed above does not guarantee admission to a specific degree program.

Students may register for graduate courses leading to the doctoral degree only upon departmental recommendation for admission.

After official admission to a doctoral program, you have two years to begin courses approved by the doctoral program director or your committee. If you have not taken courses in an approved program during this two-year period, you will be dropped from the program. However, you may reapply for admission.

Learn More about Admission

Ball State offers programs leading to these degrees: doctor of philosophy (PhD), doctor of education (EdD), doctor of arts (DA) in music, doctor of audiology (AuD), and doctor of nursing practice (DNP).

See Our Programs

Ball State must receive your official transcript before the university can process your application. Request transcripts from all colleges and universities you attended (this includes dual credit courses earned while in high school). You do not need to submit Ball State transcripts. 

The university or college that issued your degree must send an official copy of your transcript directly to Ball State. You can often request your transcripts through an institution’s website. Also, official transcripts must include a college seal, date, and appropriate signature. All transcripts become Ball State property.

Transcripts may be submitted by:

• Mail – Send official copies to the Graduate School, Ball State University, 2000 W. University Ave., West Quad 100, Muncie, IN 47306.
• Electronic – Official electronic transcripts may be submitted by an institution directly to bsutrans@bsu.edu.

The Graduate School must receive all of your application materials no later than one week before the beginning of the academic term you wish to start.

However, your desired program might have different deadlines. Check with the program director for those dates.