Application Policy Information

Admission Requirements

The requirements set forth on each individual program page (detailed both in the Graduate Catalog and our website) are the minimum standards for admission to enter a graduate program at Texas State. Meeting these requirements does not necessarily ensure acceptance into a graduate program. Some programs recommend that applicants arrange a personal interview with the appropriate graduate faculty.

Communication

It is your responsibility to read all communications sent from The Graduate College. All admissions communications will be sent to the email address provided on your application. Please provide an email account that will remain active for an extended period of time after the application submission and verify that it is correct before submitting the application.

Typically, you will receive your first email from The Graduate College within two days after you submit your application; however, in some cases, it may take up to four days. If you have not yet received an email after this time, first check your junk or spam folders. If no communication can be found, then please contact our office.

Deadlines

Deadlines represent the last date an application will be guaranteed to be considered for admission. Deadline types and dates vary by program and are noted on each individual program page.

If you do not meet the program's specific deadline, unfortunately, you will be denied admission and will need to submit a new application and application requirements in order to be considered for future terms or other programs of study.

We highly recommend submitting your application and all of the admission requirements well in advance of the program's deadline. More information regarding the submission process can be found on our application information page.

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  • This type of deadline means the application and other application requirements must be submitted by the program's specified deadline day. Admission requirements will be submitted in the online application.

  • This type of deadline means that the application received and/or completed after the program's specified deadline day may be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis, with no guarantees for admission consideration.

  • This type of deadline represents the day an application must be complete in order to be considered for certain types of funding (scholarships, assistantships or fellowships) or to be given priority consideration. 

  • This deadline typically comes after a program's priority deadline. It represents the day by which the application should be complete in order to guarantee admission consideration. If the program has a flexible deadline (defined above), applications completed after this day may be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis, with no guarantees for admission consideration. 

  • Applications are available until 11:00 p.m. CST (12 midnight EST) on the day of the deadline. If a program is not listed for a specific term, the program is either no longer available or is not offered for that particular term. 

Decision Process

Once your application is complete, your grade point average (GPA) will be calculated. The program will be notified, and using one of the decision timelines detailed below, will make an admissions recommendation to the graduate dean with whom the final admissions decision rests.

After an admissions decision has been made, you will receive an email notification from The Graduate College. As noted in the communication section above, all admissions communications will be sent to the email address provided on the application.

During this time, you can check the status of your application in the portal of your online application.

You may submit an admission appeal to the graduate dean via the online form within three weeks of the date of the decision. The written appeal should explain the reason(s) why the decision should be reconsidered along with additional supporting documentation (if any). Admission appeals will be answered via email within three weeks of receipt of your appeal.

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  • Applicants who are currently on probation or suspension at other colleges or universities are not eligible for admission consideration by The Graduate College. The dean of The Graduate College may refuse admission to any applicant, regardless of whether or not the applicant meets the admission requirements, if the dean of The Graduate College judges that such action is in the individual's or the University's best interest. The University reserves the right to deny admission to any prospective or former student who have criminal records including any conviction of a felony, offenses involving moral turpitude, or other offenses of a serious nature.

Decision Timelines

As explained in the decision process above, admissions recommendations will be provided by the graduate program after the application has been reviewed. The time frame in which this takes place is typically determined by whether the program admits on a “rolling” or “firm” basis. In most cases, a program will make recommendations about 3–4 weeks after an application completes. During peak times, this time frame could increase to up to six weeks.

The decision time frame may also depend upon the type of deadline the program has. If the program has a firm deadline, the admissions committee may wait until after the deadline has passed to review eligible applications. This could mean that you might wait beyond the typical six-week time frame to know the final admissions decision of your application if you completed your application before the firm deadline. 

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  • Some programs make admissions recommendations on a "rolling" basis: the program will consider applications and make decisions as applications complete.

  • Some programs make admissions recommendations on a "firm" basis: the program will consider applications after the posted deadline, and applicants will be notified within a specific time frame.

GPA Calculations

Once your application is complete, Graduate Admissions will calculate a specific GPA for admission consideration. If you are applying to a program that only requires a bachelor's degree and your degree was earned at a U.S. institution, this GPA is based on the last 60 undergraduate semester hours of letter-grade work earned before receipt of your bachelor's degree and is referred to as the "last-60-hour GPA". If you have also completed graduate-level course work not culminating in a graduate degree, we will calculate a second GPA based on your last 60 semester undergraduate hours plus your letter-grade graduate hours. If you have completed a graduate degree, your overall graduate GPA will also be available for the admissions committee to review.

Effective Fall 2024: Graduate Admissions will calculate an overall GPA or a GPA of the last 60 hours of undergraduate course work (plus any completed graduate courses) for admission consideration. The “last 60 hour GPA” is based on the last 60 undergraduate semester hours of letter-grade work earned before receipt of your bachelor's degree.

If you are applying to a program that requires a master's degree, the GPA calculation is based exclusively on the overall graduate hours of letter-grade work and is referred to as the "overall graduate GPA".

Additionally, some programs require a subject-specific GPA for admission consideration. This will be noted on the program page under "Transcripts & GPA".

If your degree was earned at a non-U.S. institution, and has been determined to be the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree, Graduate Admissions will convert the foreign grading system to the equivalent U.S. grades. They will calculate a GPA based on the last 20 undergraduate credits earned before the receipt of your bachelor’s degree. To be consistent with usual U.S. grading policies, we do not include the thesis, viva, project, or mini project in the calculation of the last 20 credits.

Effective Fall 2024: If your degree was earned at a non-U.S. institution, and has been determined to be the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree, Graduate Admissions will convert the foreign grading system to the equivalent U.S. grades. They will calculate a GPA based on an overall GPA or the last 20 undergraduate credits earned before the receipt of your bachelor’s degree.

Official Transcripts

While Graduate Admissions will accept copies of your official transcripts (i.e. transcripts issued by your previous institution(s)’ registrar’s office) to satisfy the application requirement, they will need your official transcripts sent to their office before you can register for your second semester of courses. Texas State University reserves the right to request your official transcripts at any time during the admission process. Once Graduate Admissions receives your official transcripts, they will compare them to the copies that you submitted during the application process. Texas State also reserves the right to rescind any offer of admission made if discrepancies between the transcripts used for application purposes and the corresponding official transcript(s) are found.

Enrollment/Reapplication

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  • After admission to your program, you are expected to enroll in the term in which you are admitted. If you fail to enroll in the term of your admission, you are not guaranteed admission for future terms. Please see below if you have to defer your initial enrollment.

  • If you are unable to enroll in the term in which you were admitted, some programs may allow you to defer your admission to a future term; however, the semester must be within the next two terms. For example, if you were admitted in fall, you could defer your admission to the following spring or summer. Because of the term restriction, this option may be available only for programs that admit in multiple terms throughout the academic year. To confirm your options, please contact Graduate Admissions. 

  • You are expected to enroll each fall and spring term (summer is optional). If you do not take classes in a spring or fall term, you will need to reapply.

    If it has been less than a year since your last enrollment, the update enrollment form may be used to update your record rather than a new application and fee. 

    If you do not enroll within a one-year period after your initial enrollment, you will be required to submit a new application and application fee. We encourage you to review any program-specific enrollment requirements with the graduate advisor of your program as admission is not guaranteed.

    In addition to the forms above, it may be helpful to submit a leave of absence form if you are a master's, specialist, or pre-candidacy doctoral student; doctoral candidates must submit the leave of absence form.

  • Major: Should you desire to change your major program or add a Teacher/Professional Certification, you must complete a new application and pay the application fee. Allow a minimum of six weeks to process program changes. Acceptance into one graduate program does not ensure acceptance into another graduate program.

    Minor: If you wish to change your minor, you must complete a Change of Minor Form.

  • If you wish to change your program format/modality, you must complete a Change of Format/Modality Form.

    This form is required for masters/doctoral students wanting to switch their current course format, modality, and/or campus to an identical graduate program offered through another format or on a different campus. Examples include (but are not limited to) transitioning from the San Marcos campus to the Round Rock campus, switching from an in-person to an online program, and changing from a non-accelerated to an accelerated program.

  • If you have exceeded the four-year time limit to complete a TXST Certificate, the six-year time limit to complete a master's degree, or the ten-year time limit to complete a doctoral degree, contact your graduate advisor or Doctoral Program Director to request a time extension.

  • All returning students should review the meningitis vaccination requirement by visiting the vaccination policy page.

  • As a point of information required by the Texas Occupations Code, Section 1, Chapter 53, Sections 53.151 – 53.152, as amended in 2017 by HB 1508, if you are applying for admission to or currently enrolled in an educational program that may prepare an individual for an initial occupational license as defined under Texas Occupations Code Section 58.001 and/or if you later decide to change to an educational program that prepares you for an initial occupational license as defined under Texas Occupations Code Section 58.001, in accordance with state law, please be advised of the following:

    • An individual who has been convicted of an offense may be ineligible for issuance of an occupational license upon completion of the educational program.
    • Each licensing authority that may issue an occupational license to an individual who completes an educational program must establish guidelines that state the reasons a particular crime is considered to relate to a particular license and any other criterion that affects the decisions of the licensing authority.
    • Local or county licensing authorities may issue additional guidelines related to criminal history. Applicants should contact their respective local or county licensing authority for more details.
    • A person may request a criminal history evaluation letter regarding the personal eligibility for a license issued by a licensing authority under Texas Occupations Code Section 53.102.

    Applicants are encouraged to review all applicable eligibility requirements related to the respective occupational license. Questions related to eligibility requirements should be directed to the applicable licensing authority.