Admission for Graduate Students

Graduate School
105 Laws Hall
Phone: 513-529-3734
www.MiamiOH.edu/graduate-studies/

About Admission

To be admitted to a graduate program at Miami, you must have earned a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution. You must be fully admitted to the Graduate School to be eligible to receive graduate credit.

Graduate School admission standards are the minimum standards for all graduate programs. Individual departments may have higher standards and additional requirements. You are expected to be fully cognizant of your department’s requirements.

You may apply for admission online at: www.miamiOH.edu/graduate-school/admission/index.html

The Graduate Admission Office's contact information is:

Nellie Craig Walker Hall
301 S. Campus Avenue
Oxford, OH 45056
Phone: 513-529-4723
E-mail: applygrad@MiamiOH.edu
Web: https://miamioh.edu/graduate-school/admission-funding/index.html

Admission information for international students appears lower on this page.

To Apply for Admission

Submit to the Graduate School

  • Your completed application with the required nonrefundable application fee. Your application will not be processed until the application fee is received.
  • Applicants for graduate study must have earned at least a US equivalent Baccalaureate degree. Applicants must submit 1 copy of their academic record/transcript at the time of application. Unofficial documents are accepted at the time of application. Unofficial documents must include the applicants’ name, institution name, and course listing with individual grades earned.
  • Admitted students must have an official final transcript from their Baccalaureate institution and all schools attended after receiving your Baccalaureate sent directly to the Graduate School in order to register for classes. Photocopies and notarized copies of academic records are not accepted as official. Documents can be certified as true copies by a U.S. Consular official or by a recognized educational authority in the applicant's home country. Records issued in a language other than English must be accompanied by a literal (not interpretive) certified English translation.
  • Official final transcripts are not required from Miami University graduates.
  • All international students must provide proof of English proficiency by meeting ONE of the following requirements:

    • You have earned a Bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited university in the US
    • You have earned a Bachelor's degree from or are a citizen of one of these countries.
    • You have earned a minimum passing score on one of the English language tests accepted by Miami University.

Submit to Your Major Department

  • Additional materials required by your department. These may include letters of recommendation, personal statement, test scores, or a portfolio. Contact your major department for information.

Submit to the Student Health Service:

  • Your completed Miami University Graduate Student Medical History form. You will not be allowed to register until your completed form is returned to the Student Health Service.
  • Students under 30 years of age are required to provide proof of immunizations.

Admission Tests

Each department offering a graduate program determines the tests required for admission, if any. The following tests may be required by specific departments.

Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT)

This is required for applicants for graduate study in the Farmer School of Business. Information can be obtained from:

Graduate Management Admission Council
P.O. Box 2969
Reston, VA 20195
customercare@gmac.com
888-505-6559

www.gmac.com/gmat

Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

Information and online registration is available at www.gre.org. An information booklet can be obtained from:

Graduate Record Examination
Educational Testing Service
P.O. Box 6000
Princeton, NJ 08541-6000
Phone: 866-473-4373
www.ets.org/gre

Grade Point Average

For admission purposes, the computation of grade point averages is determined by the institution that awarded the baccalaureate or graduate degree. An exception to this applies to incomplete and failing grades—Miami University will count these as zero points. Plus and minus grades that are clearly explained on transcripts will be counted in the grade point average.

For admission to the Graduate School as a degree candidate with regular standing, you must have earned a grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.75 (4.00 scale) at the institution awarding your bachelor’s degree. You must have at least a 3.00 GPA for all graduate work attempted. Undergraduate course work taken after the completion of your bachelor’s degree will not be considered in determining your grade point average.

Students who do not meet minimum criteria for regular admission may, under certain circumstances, be granted conditional admission.

International Student Admission

Non-immigrant students from other countries are encouraged to apply for admission to graduate study.  International students may be admitted with regular standing or English proficiency conditional admission.

English Proficiency Conditional Admission

Conditional admission to the Graduate School is possible if you meet the graduate department’s academic requirements, but do not meet the Graduate School’s English language requirement. Students with TOELF iBT scores between 65-79, IELTS scores between 5.5-6.0, Duolingo scores between 90-109, or ELS 112 Certificate can be considered for conditional admission to the ACE-G program. Students with TOEFL iBT score below 65 or IELTS score below 5.5 can be considered for conditional admission to the ELC program.

Applicants can request conditional admission when completing the application or the Graduate School may admit students conditionally based on their English proficiency scores.

If you are conditionally admitted, you must begin your English language studies prior to your academic study. You must achieve a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.00 in ELC and/or ACE-G in order to progress to the academic program. Failure to complete the English program successfully will result in a cancellation of your conditional offer of admission. For more information about our conditional admission, please go to www.MiamiOH.edu/graduate-school/admission/international-application.html

After you are admitted and on campus (prior to class registration), you must take an examination in the use of English administered by Miami's English department. If this test indicates that you need additional instruction in English, you must register for ENG 119 (specially designated for graduate students) in your first term of study, which may require that you reduce your academic course load until it is determined that your English proficiency is adequate to pursue a full course of study.

In addition, if you are assigned instructional responsibilities (including laboratory supervision) as a teaching associate or graduate assistant, you are required by Ohio state law to demonstrate English-speaking proficiency. After arrival on campus, you may be required to take a test that assesses your proficiency in spoken English.

Continuing Graduate (Non-Degree) Status

If you would like to take graduate-level courses, but do not intend to pursue a graduate degree, you can apply for admission with continuing non-degree graduate status (CGS). After you are admitted, you can earn an unlimited number of graduate hours within an indefinite period of time; however only twelve hours may be applied to a degree program.

To apply for admission, submit to the Graduate School:

  • Completed admission application form;
  • Nonrefundable application fee.

If you are admitted as a CGS student, you will not be able to enroll in certain courses if the department or program has limited enrollment; students who have been admitted to a degree-granting program have first priority. Check with the department about enrollment restrictions. If you have been denied regular or conditional admission to a degree program, you can enroll in courses in that department as a CGS student only if the department grants permission. If you take courses as a CGS student after you have been denied admission as a degree student, these courses cannot be applied to a future degree program.

If you are a CGS student (and have not previously applied for degree admission) and desire admission to a degree program, you must apply for admission and meet Graduate School and departmental standards for admission. No more than twelve of the most recent graduate hours earned with CGS status can be applied toward a graduate degree and then only with the approval of the department. All twelve hours are subject to normal time limitations for credit toward a degree.

Visiting (Transient) Status

If you are pursuing a graduate degree at another institution and intend to complete your program there, you can apply for admission with “transient status.”

To apply for admission:

  1. obtain a transient status application from the Graduate School, and
  2. complete your part, then forward the entire form to the dean of your graduate school with a request for the dean to complete it and send it directly to the Graduate School of Miami University.

After you are admitted with transient status, you can enroll in courses if you have fulfilled departmental and divisional requirements for the program and prerequisites for the courses. Admission does not make you a candidate for a graduate degree at Miami University.

Graduate Inclusive Excellence Scholars Program (GIES)

The Graduate Inclusive Excellence Scholars (GIES) Program provides a Graduate School funded stipend and tuition waiver for one academic semester per year for either two years for master's students or four years for doctoral students. This will result in either two semesters or four semesters of Graduate School funded support for master's or doctoral students, respectively. Departments will provide the remaining stipend and tuition waiver for the duration of the student's graduate program and will assign assistantship duties for the awardee.

This program also provides additional opportunities including monthly networking/community-building events as well as the opportunity to be involved in the Graduate School’s cross-cultural mentoring and the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) advisory board.

Website: https://miamioh.edu/graduate-school/admission-funding/funding-awards/graduate-inclusive-excellence-scholars.html

 For more information, contact the Graduate School, 513-529-3734.

Ronald E. McNair Graduate Assistantship Program

The Ronald E. McNair Graduate Assistantship Program is intended to attract current undergraduate McNair Scholars and McNair Alums to Miami's graduate programs, with the goal of increasing the number of diverse domestic students completing graduate study at Miami University.

The Program provides a Graduate School funded stipend and tuition waiver for one academic semester per year for either two years for master's students or three years for doctoral students. During the student's program, they will also be provided an additional Graduate School funded Research Assistantship for either one semester for master's students or two semesters for doctoral students. The student will choose which semester(s) they wish to be appointed on the Research Assistantship. This will result in either three semesters or five semesters of Graduate School funded support for master's or doctoral students, respectively. Departments will provide the

remaining stipend and tuition waiver for the duration of the student's graduate program. When not on the Research Assistantship, the nominating department will assign assistantship duties for the awardee.

For more information, contact the Graduate Admission office (513-529-4723; applygrad@MiamiOH.edu)