Admissions and Academic Program Procedures

Admission to Graduate Study

Any person who holds a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, or any equivalent degree from a college of good standing and who wishes to enroll as a graduate student at Missouri S&T must submit all required application materials to admissions. Required materials include an on-line application, an official transcript sent from all undergraduate and any graduate institutions, standardized test scores (GRE or GMAT) if required by your academic program and non-refundable application fee of $55 for U.S. citizens and permanent residents or $75 for international applicants, payable to Missouri S&T. Other application materials may be required by individual programs, so please refer to the department’s website or entry in the Areas of Study section of this catalog to find out the specific admission requirements for your prospective degree program. All graduate school admissions must be approved by the chair or designate of the appropriate department, as well as the vice provost of enrollment management.

Application Deadlines

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.  To ensure the best possible outcome and allow for time for review and consideration, application materials should be received by the Missouri S&T office of admissions by the following dates:

Masters

  • Fall semester: April 30
  • Spring semester : November 15
  • Summer session: March 15

Doctoral

  • Fall semester: February 15
  • Spring semester: September 15
  • Summer session: November 15

Applications, transcripts, English proficiency test scores (if applicable), required immigration documents, and any other materials required by an individual degree program must be received by the above dates in order to facilitate the student's admittance to Missouri S&T.  Students whose credentials are not complete or are still being processed by the above dates may have their admission delayed.  Students are strongly encouraged to submit their complete application package as early as possible, to ensure that all documents can be processed in a timely manner.

International Student Admission

International students who wish to enroll at Missouri S&T must submit all required application materials, as well as to demonstrate a command of English sufficient to pursue graduate work at Missouri S&T. International students for whom English is a second language, or whose schooling has been conducted in another language, must demonstrate sufficient command of English to successfully pursue work at Missouri S&T by doing one of the following:

I. Take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

The campus minimum for TOEFL scores is 80 (internet-based scoring).

Students may obtain TOEFL information from:  https://www.ets.org/toefl/html

Official TOEFL scores should be sent directly to Missouri S&T, using school code 6876.

II. Take the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam.

The minimum acceptable overall band score on the IELTS exam is 6.5. 

Students may obtain test information from:  https://www.ielts.org

III. Take the Pearson Test of English (PTE) exam.

The minimum acceptable overall band score on the Pearson Test of English (PTE) exam is 58.

Students may obtain test information from https://PearsonPTE.com.

IV. Take the Duolingo English Test (DET) exam.

The minimum acceptable overall band score for Duolingo English Test (DET) exam is 115 for campus.

Student may obtain test information from:  https://www.englishtest.duolingo.com/test_takers

V.  Pathway Program

Students may also meet the English proficiency requirements with a minimum SAT evidence based reading and writing score of 500.  Students accepted into the Pathway Program have met S&T's academic requirements except English language proficiency.  they will be allowed to take academic classes, while taking one English class during their first semester.  Upon passing the course, the students meet the S&T's English language requirement.  The Pathway Program requirements are 60 for TOEFL, 5.5 for IETLS, 50 for PTE, and 105 for Duolingo.

Readmission After a Lapse in Enrollment

Main campus students who do not register for one semester must complete and submit a Former Graduate Student Refresh Registration (SRR) Eligibility Form (available at http://registrar.mst.edu) in order to reinstate their registration. Distance education students who do not register for three consecutive semesters must complete and submit the SRR form to reinstate their registration. A returning student can use this form to reestablish his or her admission status, provided that the student:

  • has a graduate GPA greater than 3.0
  • has taken his or her first graduate course within the past 2 years for certificate students, 5 years for master's students, and 7 years for doctoral students

All these criteria must be met in order for the student to reestablish active status as a regular graduate student. If any of these criteria are not met, the student must reapply for graduate admission to his or her former department. A student who wishes to change departments or change from non-degree status to regular or probational graduate status must submit a complete graduate admissions application package to his or her prospective department.

Admission Categories and Graduate Student Classifications

Graduate students at Missouri S&T are admitted or classified in one of the following categories:

Regular Status

Admission as a regular graduate student is normally limited to those who ranked in the upper third of their baccalaureate graduating class or who have done quality work at the graduate level. For this requirement, a cumulative B average (3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale), or a B average (3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale) for the student’s last sixty credit hours of undergraduate coursework is considered equivalent to an upper one-third standing. If the student’s undergraduate coursework does not meet the standards of the graduate degree granting department, the student may be required to take additional courses, for non-graduate credit, as determined by the chair or designate of the academic department. For more specific information about minimum GPA requirements, please consult your prospective department’s website or entry in the areas of study section of this catalog.

Probational Status

Any person not eligible for admission as a regular graduate student may be considered for admission as a probational graduate student. Probational graduate admission is normally limited to those students who ranked in the upper one-half of their baccalaureate graduating class, or who have achieved at least a cumulative 2.75 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) for their entire undergraduate career, or a 2.75 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) for their last sixty credit hours of undergraduate coursework. Minimum GPA requirements for particular departments may be set higher, so please consult your prospective department’s website or entry in the areas of study sections of this catalog for more specific information.

Any probational graduate student who subsequently desires to pursue a degree as a regular graduate student may apply to change his or her status from “probational” to “regular.” However, such consideration is not permitted until the probational graduate student has completed a minimum of twelve credit hours of graduate coursework with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher. After these initial twelve hours are completed satisfactorily, the probational student may, with the concurrence of his or her advisor, apply for regular student status by submitting Form 1. The approval of Form 1 by the department chair and the vice provost of graduate education confers “regular” status to a formerly “probational” graduate student.

Only those credits completed as a probational graduate student that are subsequently approved by the student’s advisor, department chair, and vice provost of graduate education may be applied toward a graduate degree. However, all coursework completed as a probational graduate student, as well as the student’s GRE scores, will be considered relevant to this change-of-status decision. Probational graduate students may retain their probational status for no more than one additional semester after completing their first twelve hours of graduate coursework. Regardless of the student’s admission status, all completed graduate coursework (excluding 5000, 6000, and graduate research) will apply toward the student’s cumulative GPA. Students with probational status are not allowed to register for graduate research credit until the semester in which the minimum of twelve credit hours of graduate coursework that form the proposed schedule on Form 1 will be completed.

Non-degree Status

Any prospective student who wishes to study at the graduate level but who does not intend to pursue a graduate degree or graduate certificate may be considered for admission as a non-degree graduate student. Typically, this category of admission applies to, but is not restricted to, individuals who have a job-related need for a particular graduate-level course. Admission to non-degree graduate student status requires an application form, official transcripts, and an application fee, but neither GRE nor GMAT scores are required. Prospective students seeking admission in this category are encouraged to refer to their prospective department’s website or entry in the areas of study section of this catalog for further department-specific information regarding non-degree status admission requirements.

Non-degree students may enroll in any graduate course as long as they meet the course prerequisite(s). Up to nine hours of graduate coursework taken as a non-degree student may be counted toward a Missouri S&T graduate degree or graduate certificate program, if applicable. Furthermore, if a student initially enrolls as a non-degree student and is subsequently accepted into a graduate degree or graduate certificate program before completing a particular course, that course may be accepted toward the graduate degree program subject to approval by the student’s advisor, department chair, and the vice provost of graduate education.

Students who must take particular undergraduate courses due to their different or deficient undergraduate degree, or for any other reason, but who otherwise meet graduate admission requirements are encouraged to apply for graduate admission by the first semester that they plan to take one or more graduate courses. These students must receive permission from their department in order to enroll in these graduate courses.

Dual Enrollment Student Status

Undergraduate students may apply for dual enrollment as both an undergraduate and a graduate student. A student who seeks dual enrollment must submit an application to the office of graduate and international admissions. Admission for dually enrolled students is granted by the department chair and the vice provost of enrollment management. Students are eligible to enroll when they have obtained senior status, with a minimum GPA of 3.5 if two semesters remain, 3.0 if in their final semester. Students must declare which courses are to be taken for graduate credit within the first two weeks of the semester. A dually enrolled student must take at least three hours of undergraduate credit from Missouri S&T each semester.  Dually enrolled students are limited to sixteen total credit hours per semester, but petitions for additional credit hours will be considered by the vice provost of graduate education. Dual enrollment forms are available at https://registrar.mst.edu/media/administrative/registrar/documents/dualenrolled_updated_092022.pdf#220915033253. If a dually enrolled student fails to meet minimum undergraduate scholastic standards, his or her resulting academic probationary status will be that of an undergraduate and will be evaluated without reference to the student’s grades in his or her graduate course(s).

Grad Track Pathway (Accelerated Master's Program)

The Graduate Track Pathway (GTP) program is designed for exceptional undergraduate students at Missouri S&T interested in pursuing graduate degrees with an opportunity to complete the requirements for both degrees at an accelerated pace.  This program allows eligible students to use a set of designated credits (credit hours may vary based on the established departmental requirements toward their bachelor's degrees and then also toward a future graduate degree/certificate.   

Refer to the Grad Track Pathway Admission and Standards available online at https://grad.mst.edu/programs/minerundergraduates/ and consult your (prospective) department for additional information.

Graduate Student Forms

With the help of their advisors and department chairs, all graduate students must complete and submit a series of forms to the office of graduate education throughout the course of their degree programs. These forms are used to indicate academic intentions, details of degree programs, membership of advisory committees, and performance on various examinations. All graduate student forms are available online at the office of graduate education webpage.

Graduate Student Appeals

Graduate students at Missouri S&T have the right to appeal decisions made about their performance or their status. For details regarding the appeals procedure, please refer to the Student Academic Regulations Handbook, available online at http://registrar.mst.edu/academicregs/.

Graduate Student Registration

The graduate student registration guidelines are outlined in Policy Memorandum No. II-20, which is available at http://chancellor.mst.edu/policy/. This policy establishes enrollment requirements for graduate students including, but not limited to, enrollment hours, continuous enrollment, graduate teaching and research assistants, etc. It allows the student to remain compliant while minimizing educational cost.

Graduate Assistantship Permissible Schedules

Graduate students enrolled in a full-time academic program may enroll in no more than sixteen credit hours of coursework during any regular semester and nine credit hours during the summer session, except for those students enrolled in the eighteen-credit-hour MBA core semester. Graduate students who are employed by the university as graduate instructors, teaching fellows, or graduate teaching and research assistants may not exceed a total of eighteen credit hours during a regular semester or nine credit hours for the summer session of combined coursework and employment assignment. The credit-hour equivalent for graduate teaching appointments varies according to how many hours the student teaches. The chart below outlines permissible schedules for graduate instructors, teaching fellows, and graduate teaching and research assistants. The “appointment” column indicates the level of employment assigned to a graduate student. A 0.25 FTE, full time equivalent, appointment requires approximately ten hours per week of effort; a 0.50 FTE appointment requires approximately twenty hours per week of effort; and a 0.75 FTE appointment requires approximately thirty hours per week of effort. Graduate instructors accept the responsibilities of a full-time position that requires forty hours per week of effort. The time commitment of each teaching fellow varies. The “credit hours of coursework” columns indicate the maximum number of academic credit hours in which a student with a particular appointment may enroll during a semester or summer session.

Credit Hours of Coursework

Appointment Regular Semester Summer Session
0.250 FTE Grad. Asst. 14 7
0.500 FTE Grad. Asst. 12 6
Graduate Instructor 8 4
Teaching Fellow 9 0

In addition to the above schedule, any graduate student may enroll for no more than one credit hour in graduate seminar courses in a given semester.

Grading System for Graduate Students

Grades in graduate courses, with the exception of the below listed pass/fail courses, are A, B, C, and F. “A” is an honor grade and indicates outstanding work. “B” means that the work is entirely satisfactory. “C” means that the work will be considered satisfactory, to a limited extent, in fulfilling the requirements for advanced degrees. “F” means that the student has not earned credit for the course. 6050, 5080/6080, 5085/6085, and graduate research grades are satisfactory (S) and unsatisfactory (U). Grades of “S” and “U” are also permitted for courses numbered 5000, 5010, 6000, and 6010. For ongoing graduate research, a delayed grade (DL) can be used. Delayed grades are sometimes assigned to students enrolled in graduate research until all of the research has been satisfactorily completed and the thesis or dissertation is successfully defended. Delayed grades may be changed to “S” upon satisfactory completion of the research or “U” if the research is not satisfactorily completed.

The grade of incomplete (I) is given only at the end of a semester or session in which the student is prevented from completing a course due to sickness or unavoidable absence within the last four weeks (three weeks of classes plus finals weeks) of a fall or spring semester or within the last week and a half plus the final exam period of an eight-week summer session.  Incomplete grades can be assigned only if the student had earned a passing grade in the course up to the time of such sickness or unavoidable absence. Effective Winter 2001, students must complete the work in which they are deficient within one year from the close of the semester in which the Incomplete (I) grade was recorded. Failure to do so will cause the incomplete grade to be changed automatically to an “F” or a “U.” Effective Fall 1992, a student may not withdraw from a course in which he or she receives a grade of incomplete.

GPA Requirements for Graduate Students

In order to earn a graduate degree a student must achieve both a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher for all graduate courses listed on the plan of study and cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher in all coursework taken at Missouri S&T.  In order to earn a graduate certificate, a student must achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher in the courses approved for the certificate.  On any plan of study or certificate program, no substitution may be made for a course in which the student has earned less than a B grade. All graduate students are encouraged to maintain at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA at all times, and certain departments may even require this minimum GPA. In cases where a graduate student repeats a course, both the original and repeat grades will be used in calculating the student’s GPA, and both will appear on the student’s transcript.

If the semester GPA falls below 3.0 the student will be placed on probation for the following semester.  If the semester GPA is not 3.0 or above in the following semester that coursework is taken, the student shall no longer be a candidate for a graduate degree or certificate from Missouri S&T.

Course Time Limits

All graduate credit will only be valid if earned within the previous ten years, with no possible extension. This ten-year time limit does not apply to graduate credit that has been used toward a previously awarded degree or certificate.

Graduate Learning Outcomes

The Graduate Learning Outcomes for Missouri University of Science and Technology as required by the Higher Learning Commission are listed below:

Knowledge 

  • Doctoral
    • Students will demonstrate mastery of the contemporary state of knowledge within their discipline through original and substantial contributions.
  • Master's (Thesis and Non-Thesis)
    • Students will demonstrate a proficient understanding of the contemporary state of knowledge within their discipline through usage.
  • Certificate 
    • Students will demonstrate a working understanding of the contemporary state of knowledge within the scope of their certificate.

Communication

  • Doctoral
    • Students will demonstrate mastery in communication (oral and written) in the standards of published work in their discipline.
  • Master's (Thesis and Non-Thesis)
    • Students will demonstrate proficiency in communication (oral and written) in the standards of professional work in their discipline.
  • Certificate
    • Students will demonstrate effective communication strategies that apply discipline-specific expertise.

Integrity and Ethics

  • Doctoral, Master's (Thesis and Non-Thesis) and Certificate (the same for all)
    • Students will demonstrate the highest standards of professional behavior, integrity, and ethical conduct. 

Scholarship Independence

  • Doctoral
    • Students will demonstrate the ability to independently identify, explain, and develop scholarship including a clear plan for addressing open research questions in their field.
  • Master's Thesis
    • Students will demonstrate, with some direction, the ability to independently identify, explain, and develop scholarship including a clear plan for addressing open research questions in their field.
  • Master’s Non-Thesis
    • Students will demonstrate the ability to identify, explain, and evaluate scholarship including methodology and conclusions.
  • Certificate
    • Students will demonstrate the ability to identify, explain, and evaluate scholarship including methodology and conclusions within the scope of their certificate.

Critical Thinking

  • Doctoral
    • Students will demonstrate the independent, self-directed, ability to evaluate arguments, assess assumptions about information and data, and synthesize knowledge.
  • Master’s (Thesis and Non-Thesis)
    • Students will demonstrate, with some guidance, the ability to evaluate arguments, assess assumptions about information and data, and synthesize knowledge.
  • Certificate
    • Students will demonstrate the ability to identify arguments, understand assumptions about information and data, and synthesize knowledge within the scope of their certificate.