All master’s degree programs are selective and require program permission before admission and registration for any graduate courses. Admission standards are established for each master’s degree program at the University of Pikeville by the responsible academic unit. Students should contact the appropriate program director for specific program admission requirements and an application. Students must meet the following minimum criteria to be considered for admission to graduate study toward a master’s degree:
- Complete the graduate program application for the program of interest. These are available in the Office of Admissions or from the specific graduate program office.
- Hold an earned bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited university or college or meet the special admission requirements. The University of Pikeville reserves the right, even after the enrollment of students, to make individual curricular adjustments whenever serious deficiencies have been identified by the program faculty. Students may be required to take such courses without credit toward the master’s degree and at their own expense.
- Provide official transcripts of all post-secondary degree course work (undergraduate and graduate).
- Satisfy one of the following:
- an undergraduate cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale (all undergraduate course work, including work completed after the baccalaureate degree, is used to calculate the cumulative GPA).
- a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for the last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework taken (all coursework taken in semester when the 60th semester hour was taken will be included in the GPA calculation).
- Meet all program admission requirements.
Special Admissions
There are three groups of students who must meet special admission requirements:
International Students
All international students who have earned the equivalent of a baccalaureate degree must have their transcripts evaluated by an agency approved by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). All international students whose primary language is not English are required to take the standardized Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) offered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). The minimum required score for a paper test is 550, for an Internet test is 79, and for a computer test is 213. International students who have completed a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in the U.S. are exempt from this requirement. International students will be officially admitted and issued a Form I-20A only after Enrollment Services has been notified that they have successfully passed the TOEFL, have met the program admission requirements, and have submitted a statement certifying their ability to meet all financial obligations.
Graduates of Non-Regionally Accredited U.S. Colleges and Universities
Graduates of colleges and universities that are not regionally accredited must meet the University of Pikeville undergraduate requirements for graduation before their applications for graduate study will be approved. In such instances the program director will evaluate the student’s preparation and if a student's undergraduate preparation is deemed inadequate, this deficiency must be satisfied by taking designated courses that will not be counted as graduate credit. The University of Pikeville reserves the right, even after the enrollment of students, to make individual curricular adjustments whenever serious deficiencies have been determined by the program director. Students may be required to take such courses without credit toward the master’s degree and at their own expense.
Non-Degree students are those students who are not seeking a degree at the University of Pikeville. Students must be qualified to enroll in classes with prerequisites unless a waiver is granted by the Dean of the appropriate college. A student may take up to six hours under this status. Students classified as non-degree are not eligible for financial aid.
Transfer Applicants
Transfer students interested in transferring in graduate level coursework are required to submit official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended by the specified document deadline. Transcripts will be evaluated by the University Registrar in consultation with the appropriate graduate program director. The Registrar’s Office will notify the applicant regarding the transferability of the coursework. The University of Pikeville accepts credit for graduate courses from regionally accredited institutions according to the policies outlined below:
- Transfer credit will be awarded for courses comparable to those taught at the University of Pikeville and/or that are compatible with the graduate program curriculum.
- Credit will be granted only for courses with a grade of “B” or above and are subject to the degree time limits established by the individual programs. In general, no coursework older than ten (10) years may be used to satisfy degree requirements at the time of graduation. Specific programs may have shorter time limits. For specific program requirements refer to the program listing in the University of Pikeville Catalog.
- Transfer hours are limited to a maximum of one-third of the program requirements. Only course work with a grade of “B” or better will be accepted for transfer. For specific program requirements refer to the program listing in the University of Pikeville Catalog.
- A minimum of nine of the last twelve semester hours used to complete the master’s degree requirements must be taken at the University of Pikeville.
- The final grade point average (GPA) will include only those hours earned at the University of Pikeville.
- Upon receipt of official transcripts, the University will make every effort to inform students of the amount of credit that will transfer prior to enrollment, but no later than the end of the first term of enrollment. A notation of “P” and the credit hours transferring are recorded on the University of Pikeville transcript; grade point averages and quality points are not recorded.
Students may petition for the transfer of credit not covered by the aforementioned. Requests will be considered on an individual basis per established criteria. Further information and appropriate procedures for requesting transfer credit may be obtained from the Registrar’s Office.
Readmission
Any student who has been away from the University of Pikeville for at least one academic semester or has withdrawn during the previous semester must reapply for admission. An updated application and official transcripts from any institutions attended while away from the University of Pikeville are required for readmission. Please consult with the Program Director of the appropriate graduate program for details regarding rejoining the program.
Categories of Admission
All graduate students at the University of Pikeville are admitted under one of the following categories:
- Degree candidates (regular) are those students seeking a graduate degree and meeting all
requirements, general and program, for admission. - Special students (non-degree seeking) are those students not meeting all requirements for “regular” acceptance who may be admitted to certain classes as special, non-degree seeking students. Students must be qualified to enroll in classes with prerequisites and have permission of the Graduate Program Director and the appropriate Dean to enroll. A student may take up to six (6) hours under this status. Students classified as non-degree are not eligible for financial aid.
- Readmit students are those seeking readmission to their program after non-enrollment for one full semester.
Orientation
Each graduate program is responsible for its own orientation program for incoming students.