Admission Policies
The following policies govern admission to all graduate degree programs.
In order to be considered for graduate study at Shippensburg University, you must provide official transcript(s) from every institution that has awarded you college credits. For admittance to a master’s degree program, you must show you have been awarded a bachelor’s degree from a college or university that is accredited by the appropriate regional accrediting agency. For admittance to post-master or doctoral programs you must show you have been awarded a bachelor’s and master’s degree from a college or university that is accredited by the appropriate regional accrediting agency. Academic departments, at their discretion, may require an interview, resume, writing sample, goal statement, letters of recommendation, standardized testing or other requirements as deemed necessary.
Shippensburg University takes a holistic approach to graduate admissions. Individual graduate degree programs may have their own specific requirements for admission. Information on these requirements may be found under the description of the degree program on the website at http://www.ship.edu/academics/colleges/graduate/application_process/. All applicants to the Graduate School at Shippensburg will either be “Admitted” or “Denied.” If, pursuant to a review of the admitted applicant’s undergraduate credentials, an academic department notes academic prerequisites requiring supplemental coursework, the required foundational background courses will be noted by the Registrar’s Office. Pursuant to department policy, foundational courses may, or may not, be taken simultaneously with courses required to obtain the graduate degree. Graduate degrees will be awarded only upon completion of the courses required to satisfy the foundational requirements. The required foundational courses are in addition to the graduate courses required to complete the degree.
Your application for admission will be reviewed by the academic department to which you are applying. The department will then make a recommendation to the Executive Director of Admissions. You will be officially notified of a decision by the Office of Admissions.
An offer of admission to graduate study requires you to matriculate to Shippensburg University for the semester for which you have been admitted. You must confirm your offer of admission immediately upon receiving your letter of admission. Failure to do so will prohibit your ability to schedule and begin classes. Confirmation can be completed online through the admissions application portal. Instructions are outlined in the letter of admission. If you do not matriculate by enrolling in graduate coursework at Shippensburg within that semester, you may defer your application for a maximum of one year. If the application is more than one year old, you must submit a new application and pay an additional application fee.
Students applying for a second graduate degree (master’s, post-master’s or doctoral) or additional certification at Shippensburg University must submit an updated graduate application. No additional application fee is required.
Policy on Prior Disciplinary Suspension/Dismissal in Admissions
As required by PASSHE, Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania requests that all applicants for admission or individuals intending to take classes must disclose information regarding any disciplinary suspension or dismissal imposed by other higher education institutions. Shippensburg University is committed to promoting a safe and secure work and learning environment for all members of the University community.
If an applicant has met all admission criteria for general university admission and for the specific program to which they applied or non-degree admission, and they have answered in the affirmative that they have been the subject of a disciplinary suspension/dismissal, the applicant will receive a document that details the policy and the procedures of the University. The applicant will also be provided with a copy of a Dean of Students Certification Form in order to access additional information that the applicant must complete and send to their previous institution(s) in which they have received an outcome of disciplinary suspension or dismissal.
For the purposes of this policy, a disciplinary suspension/dismissal has the following meaning: “Any instance of judicial or administrative action taken by a previous institution for behavior on University property or off University property that is not consistent with that institution’s Student Code of Conduct that has resulted in a suspension or dismissal.”
The university will not necessarily deny admission to the university in general or a particular academic program or to housing because of a disciplinary issue. This information will only be considered after it has been determined that the student has met all admission criteria for the university and the specific program to which they applied. Each case will be separately evaluated based upon the rational relationship of interests and needs of the university to the nature, severity, recency of the disciplinary issue; circumstances surrounding the issues; records of other issues; the responsibility and repentance of the applicant; and any other relevant factors. These factors will be carefully considered and weighed. The disclosure of information and access to related additional information will be made to the Special Admissions Review Committee and Divisions of Enrollment Management, Student Success, and Student Affairs as appropriate.
Policy on Criminal Convictions in Admissions Degree Seeking and Non-Degree
As required by PASSHE, Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania requests all applicants for admissions or individuals intending to take classes must disclose information regarding criminal convictions. Shippensburg University is committed to promoting a safe and secure work and learning environment for all members of the University community.
If an applicant has met all criteria for general university admission and for the specific program to which they applied or non-degree admission, and s/he answered in the affirmative that s/he has a criminal conviction, the applicant will receive this document that details the policy and the procedures of the University. The applicant will also be provided with a copy of a Consent and Authorization to Access Additional Information form that the applicant must complete and return. The members of the Special Admissions Review Committee will review all documents and recommend an admissions decision to the Office of Admissions as they deem appropriate.
For the purposes of this policy, a “criminal conviction” has the following meaning:
“Any instance in any state or national jurisdiction where you have plead guilty or been found guilty by a judge or jury to charges that you committed a felony offense. This includes any plea of ‘no contest’ or ‘nolo contendere’, and any conviction that may be under current appeal.” It does not include an arrest that does not result in a charge, or charges being dropped, or being found not guilty, or a conviction overturned on appeal, or convictions that have been expunged, or convictions that have been executively pardoned.
The university will not necessarily deny admission to the university in general or a particular academic program or to housing because of the presence of a conviction. This information will only be considered after it has been determined that the student has met all admission criteria for the university and the specific program to which they applied. Each case will be separately evaluated based upon the rational relationship of interests and needs of the university to the nature, severity, recency of the crime; circumstances surrounding the crime; records of other convictions; the responsibility and repentance of the applicant; and any other relevant factors. Generally, the university does not accept anyone who has not completed their criminal sentence, absent any extraordinary circumstances. All of these factors will be carefully considered and weighed. The disclosure of information and access to related additional information will be made to the Special Admissions Review Committee and Divisions of Enrollment Management, Student Success, and Student Affairs as appropriate.
Admission Procedures
Applicants for admission to Shippensburg University should apply online at http://www.ship.edu/graduate/admissions/graduate_admissions/. They may also e-mail gradadmiss@ship.edu or call (717) 477-1213.
Applications are accepted for the fall, spring, and summer terms. Complete and submit the application together with a non-refundable application fee of $45 (subject to change) to the Office of Admissions. Checks should be made payable to Shippensburg University. You should make arrangements with other colleges and universities you have attended to have official transcripts sent to the Office of Admissions. You must submit transcripts from any institution that has awarded you undergraduate or graduate credit. It is not necessary to submit a transcript of work taken at Shippensburg University.
Candidates are encouraged to submit applications as soon as possible to the degree program of choice. Please refer to the individual departmental descriptions or https://www.ship.edu/graduate/ for more specifics.
Examinations
Certain departments require you to present standardized test scores either as a regular admission requirement or for those students whose undergraduate quality point average is less than 2.75 (2.8 for the Master of Social Work) on a 4.0 scale. Information on these requirements may be found under the description of the degree program. Please be aware some graduate programs have minimum GPA requirements higher than a 2.75 on a 4.0 scale (a 3.0 for the M.Ed. in Dual School Counseling and M.Ed. in Literacy) and may not accept testing as an alternative.
Miller Analogies Test
Some departments require applicants to take the Miller Analogies Test (MAT). Information regarding the test is available at pearsonassessments.com/graduate-admissions/mat/about.html.
Graduate Record Examinationrson
Some departments require applicants to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Applications and information on the GRE General Test are available at www.ets.org/gre.
Other Admission Categories
Non-Degree Students
If you are a college graduate not planning to enroll in a degree program, you may apply and register as a non-degree graduate student. You must complete the online graduate non-degree application in order to register. The application is available at https://www.ship.edu/pcde/non_degree/.
As a non-degree student, you may enroll for any graduate course for which you have the necessary prerequisite coursework, with the approval of the academic department offering the course. Certain courses may not be available to non-degree graduate students. Academic departments may restrict enrollment in their courses or give scheduling preference to majors.
If you are planning to pursue a degree program you should not enroll as a non-degree student. While non-degree students may subsequently apply for a degree program, there is no assurance they will be admitted. Also, academic departments at their discretion may approve a maximum of nine credit hours of coursework (with grades of B or higher) taken in non-degree status to count toward a graduate degree. Non-degree students are required to meet the minimum academic standards outlined under Academic Policies and Procedures. Applicants who have been denied admission to a degree program may take classes as a non-degree student with the permission of the academic department offering the course(s) on a course-by-course basis.
International Students
Applicants from outside the United States who do not hold immigrant visas or permanent resident/resident alien status must complete an international application for admission. You may complete an application online at www.ship.edu/admissions/international.
Applicants for admission must have their complete academic records (transcripts, mark sheets, degree certificates, diplomas, etc.) evaluated by a NACES approved professional credential evaluation service. The Graduate School prefers that you use one of the following professional evaluation services: Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) or World Education Services (WES).
Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc.
P.O. Box 514070
Milwaukee, WI 53204-3470
USA
ECE telephone number: (414) 289-3400
ECE fax number: (414) 289-3411
ECE e-mail: eval@ece.org
ECE website: www.ece.org
OR
World Education Services
P.O. Box 745, Old Chelsea Station
New York, New York 10011-0745
USA
WES telephone number: (800) 937-3895
WES fax number: (212) 966-6395
WES e-mail: info@wes.org
WES website: www.wes.org
ECE or WES will then forward their official evaluation of your credentials to the Office of Admissions. Once the evaluation of credentials has been received, the application for admission will be processed.
International applicants who have English as a second language must present an official TOEFL score report sent directly to the Shippensburg University Office of Admissions from the Educational Testing Service (ETS). Scores from the paper-based, computer-based, or Internet-based TOEFL are acceptable. An official Intensive English Language Testing System (IELTS) score report sent directly to the Shippensburg University office of Admissions from British Council et al. or via Duolingo English language exam is also permissable.
All materials including admission application and fee, official TOEFL or IELTS or Duolingo score report, credential evaluation results, and financial information should be submitted to the Office of Admissions.
Immigration regulations require an affidavit of support and a current bank statement if the support is not furnished by an official governmental or international agency. In order to receive the I-20 document (required to apply for your F-1 student visa), you must be admitted to the degree program AND have your financial information (affidavit of support, current bank statement, and income verification) approved by our Director of International Programs. An I-20 will not be issued prior to receiving and reviewing the required documents listed above.
Upon arrival on campus, students holding F-1 visas must report to the Director of International Programs located in the Center for Global Education, Mowrey Hall room 247. Bring your passport, visa, and student copy of the I-20.
Please be advised that students on the F-1 visa must be enrolled in full-time degree programs in order to maintain their immigration status. Also for F-1 students, no more than the equivalent of one graduate class or three credits per session (semester, term) may be taken online OR through distance education.
International students are required to pay out-of-state tuition and are not permitted to work off campus without proper authorization. Limited on-campus employment is sometimes available for qualified students. All international students are required to carry adequate health and accident insurance.
Further questions regarding international students at Shippensburg University should be addressed to the Center for Global Education, Mowrey Hall Room 247, 1871 Old Main Drive, Shippensburg, PA 17257-2299 USA, (717) 477-1279 or e-mail: meburnett@ship.edu.
Transfer Students
Shippensburg University may admit to its graduate program transfer students from other regionally accredited graduate schools provided they are in good standing in those schools and satisfy all other admission requirements. A maximum of nine credit hours of graduate coursework earned at another institution may be accepted as transfer credit toward a graduate degree. The courses must be part of a graduate degree program at the sponsoring institution and must be appropriate for the student’s program at Shippensburg University. In order to be evaluated for transfer credit, courses must be listed on an official graduate transcript with a final grade of B or higher. Credit earned more than five years prior to the date you begin your graduate program at Shippensburg does not qualify for transfer credit.
The academic department of the graduate degree program to which you are applying does a transfer credit evaluation. Additional documentation (such as catalog course descriptions) may be required to complete this process. Students wanting to appeal their transcript evaluation must contact the appropriate department chair for reconsideration.
Condensed one-week graduate courses for three graduate credits may qualify for transfer credit based on the following criteria: the number of contact hours follows our credit hour policy, and the student learning outcomes and their assessments are at the graduate level. Non-college educational experiences do not qualify for graduate transfer credit.
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