If all application requirements are successfully met and the student is approved for admission to the Graduate School, he/she may be admitted to one of the following categories upon acceptance of the admittance offer.
Regular Student
An applicant who meets the required grade point average (GPA) over his/her last 60 semester hours (or equivalent) and whose academic background is relevant, current, and meets established requirements may be granted regular admission. The Graduate School requires a GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or higher for this status. International students residing outside the U.S. are only considered for regular admission.
Provisional Student
Provisional Student status may be granted for domestic applicants whose GPA is between 2.75 and 2.99 and/or whose academic background is deficient or not current. Upon completion of 9 credit hours of course work, the student's graduate advisory committee and department head may recommend that the student be admitted to regular status. Provisional student status is allowed for no more than the equivalent of one semester (12 credit hours of course work is equivalent to one semester) during which time the provisional student must earn a GPA of at least 3.0.
Note: International students are not eligible for consideration for admission as provisional students. Students on provisional status are ineligible for financial aid.
Dual Student
Virginia Tech seniors who intend to receive a bachelor's degree, are within one semester of graduation, and have a GPA of 3.0 or better, may take graduate level course work to satisfy an advanced degree program as dual registrants. Such work may be used to satisfy graduate degree requirements only when it is not used for the bachelor's degree and with the consent of the graduate advisory committee. Students who have file an application for the M.S. degree and complete the Accelerated Undergraduate/Graduate Degree and Course Designation Form (for obtaining Dual Status) will be accepted for Dual Status for the final semester of the undergraduate degree.
Accelerated Undergraduate/Graduate (UG/GR) Student
Undergraduate BC students who have an in-major GPA of at least 3.5, an overall GPA of at least 3.3, and have completed at least 90 credit hours toward their B.S. degree
and have applied for the Accelerated Undergraduate/Graduate (UG/GR) program may be accepted for Accelerated UG/GR Status for the final two semesters of their UG degree.
Students accepted into this program may "double count" up to 12 credits of graded coursework between their B.S. and M.S. degree programs. Students admitted to this program can
typically complete all requirements for the M.S. degree in two additional semesters beyond the B.S. degree. Acceptance must occur prior to taking courses that will be
counted for double credit.
Non-degree Student
Non-degree student status is available for applicants with a bachelor's or higher degree who qualify for admission to the Graduate School as a regular student but who do not
wish to or cannot be listed as a degree candidate for one of the following reasons:
- does not currently desire to work toward a graduate degree;
- desires to transfer the credits for use toward a graduate degree at another institution; or
- there currently is no higher degree available at the university other than the one the applicant currently holds in the department or field of study.
The university places no limits on the total number of hours that may be taken as a nondegree student. "Nondegree" graduate students are not eligible for graduate assistantships. Credits earned by students in either the provisional or nondegree status may be used in meeting degree requirements if recommended by the student's advisory committee and department head and approved by the Graduate School. All students in these admission categories should seek faculty counsel before any course work is taken.
Commonwealth Campus Student
Qualified students who wish to enroll in selected graduate courses may do so as part of the Commonwealth Campus Program. Examples of students who seek admission into the Commonwealth Campus Program include in- or out-of-state students who
- may qualify for regular admission but do not currently wish to work for a graduate degree;
- do not qualify for admission because of a poor undergraduate record but who have several years of appropriate professional experience and wish to improve their credentials;
- require graduate courses for professional certification; or
- are not U.S. citizens and are in a visa status that does not prohibit enrollment.
This classification is open to individuals who hold an earned baccalaureate or higher degree from an accredited post-secondary institution. Students may take up to 12 hours of course work if they remain in good academic standing (students may petition to be allowed to take more courses). Students may not earn a graduate degree while enrolled in the Commonwealth Campus program. If rejected for a degree program, applicants are not eligible for Commonwealth Campus status.
Those students enrolled in courses as Commonwealth Campus students who later decide to pursue a graduate degree from Virginia Tech must make formal application for admission to the Graduate School. Students seeking to pursue graduate course work in the Commonwealth Campus program must complete the Application for Graduate Study and submit a transcript (unofficial is sufficient) or a copy of their diploma for the highest degree attained.
A determination of the applicability of any courses and credits earned while enrolled as a student in the Commonwealth Campus program will be made following admission. The acceptability of any courses and credits toward a degree is at the discretion of the department.
