Application and Admissions
The Citadel Graduate College seeks to enroll students whose motivation and educational backgrounds demonstrate a strong potential for success in the academic program of their choice. Specific entrance requirements are detailed in the degree program sections of this catalog. The application process at The Citadel Graduate College (CGC) is a two-part process. The applicant must be accepted into the program to which they seek a degree and must be accepted into the Citadel by the Citadel Graduate College. The Application consists of the following:
- Completion of the online graduate application along with the non-refundable application fee;
- Official transcripts from the undergraduate institution conferring the applicant’s bachelor degree and transcripts from all postgraduate institutions attended.
- Other supplemental items as required by an individual program.
- An official TOEFL score if English is not the native language. The minimum acceptable score of 550 paper-based, 213 computer-based, or 79 internet-based;
*Applicants may be exempted from the TOEFL requirement if the applicant has a minimum of 2 years of course study, with a 3.0 or higher GPA, from an institution accredited by a United States accreditation entity, or the international equivalent from a university of recognized standing in a country in which all instruction is provided in English. Therefore, applicants with completed coursework from the U.S., Australia, Canada (except Quebec), New Zealand, Singapore, and the United Kingdom may be eligible for an exemption. All exemption requests must be made in writing to The Citadel Graduate College and be accompanied by the domestic transcripts showing the minimum requirements for a waiver have been met. Other exceptions may be considered on a case by case basis with written justification and supporting documentation submitted to the Graduate College for review.
Our applicants are able to log into the Citadel’s application portal to view a list of required supplemental items at any time.
The requirements for acceptance into specific programs and degrees are described in this catalog for each program. If accepted, official copies of all admissions documents must be sent directly to the Graduate College, and admission test scores (if required) must be submitted directly from the testing organization and current within five years of application.
Full acceptance is not granted until both the program and Graduate College’s requirements are met. After acceptance by the Graduate College, any non- U.S. citizen planning to attend class on-campus must complete the application for an F-1 Visa and be cleared for a VISA prior to enrolling.
Applicants must not have a record of conviction of a criminal offense showing poor moral character.
Upon acceptance, a letter is sent to the student identifying their faculty advisor. Students are encouraged to schedule an appointment for advising upon admission.
While each program has its own set of admissions requirements, ultimate authority to admit a student rests with the provost or her designee. Typically, departments and programs have the authority to determine admissions criteria and the provost intervenes only in unusual or extraordinary circumstances. However, the decision by the provost as the chief academic officer for the college is final.
Legal Presence and Residency
The State of South Carolina requires all state colleges and universities to verify each student’s legal presence in the United States. As part of the admissions process, each student is required to submit a photocopy of one of the following: a valid South Carolina Driver’s License, a valid state Real ID/License, U.S. birth certificate, or valid U.S. passport.
Joint Degree Programs
The Citadel participates in joint graduate degree and certificate programs with the College of Charleston in Computer Science, English, and History. Students routinely take courses at both institutions. Citadel students will register for all their Computer Science, English, and History at The Citadel, even when a particular course may be offered at the College of Charleston. Students must complete at least 33% of their coursework at their home institution.
Veteran’s Status as a Student on The Citadel Campus
The Citadel welcomes active duty, veterans, and their families to become part of our educational community. The Veteran Student Success Center hosts dedicated resources to assist our veteran and active duty students as they pursue their graduate education.
Admission and Student Categories
Graduate students may be admitted to the Citadel in one of the below categories.
Degree seeking - A graduate student is classified as degree seeking if they hold a bachelor’s degree or an advanced degree, all admission requirements are met and the student has been admitted to a degree program.
Non-degree seeking - A graduate student is classified as non- degree seeking if they hold a bachelor’s degree or an advanced degree but who, at the time of the application, does not plan to pursue a degree. This category authorizes the student to take no more than 8 hours total. Enrolling in courses does not imply admission to a degree program. Persons admitted to the non-degree student status who later wish to become degree seeking must file an application for the desired program and comply with the admission requirements stated above.
Senior Citizens -
South Carolina Senior citizens, those who are age 60 and over and legal residents of the state, who wish to take courses at The Citadel, are eligible to enroll as a degree-seeking or non-degree seeking student on a space available basis. If a student wishes to pursue a degree, they must submit an application for the program of study and follow the appropriate admissions protocol. Proof of age (SC Driver’s License) is required at the time of application.
Registration for classes as a senior citizen is allowed on a space available basis-the timeline for registration is the Monday prior to the start of each semester. Additionally, permission from the instructor may be needed to take a course as a non-degree student. Students are encouraged to request this permission ahead of time and forward the approval in writing to the Registrar’s Office at registrar@citadel.edu.
Students categorized under the senior citizen category must follow all academic regulations of the college, including GPA requirements. To remain enrolled in any term, senior citizen students must pay the required fees for the term by the end of the second week of the beginning of the term or be disenrolled from their class(es).
International Students - An international student who applies to a graduate program at The Citadel must complete the following requirements after admission and before enrolling in classes:
- Provide a completed Immigration Request form.
- If applying for a student visa or transferring a student visa from another institution, must provide evidence of ability to meet all financial obligations while in graduate study at The Citadel by completing the Certification of Finances form prior to enrolling in courses.
- International students may not register before full acceptance into a degree program and clearance from the International Student Director.
Provisional Status - Applicants who do not meet the minimum GPA and/or test score required by their program’s admission criteria may be allowed to pursue coursework as a provisionally admitted student. The purpose of the provisional status is to monitor and support the students’ academic success. Provisional status requires meeting specific academic standards in coursework. Refer to the degree program for provisional requirements.
Undergraduate Students Taking Graduate Courses Academic seniors with a cumulative Grade Point Average of at least a 3.20 may take up to a maximum of twelve hours of graduate courses through The Citadel Graduate College once they have reached senior status. As part of the maximum 12 hours of graduate credit, no undergraduate student may take more than six credit hours of graduate credit in any one term (Fall, Spring, Summer). These courses may provide students a head start on earning a graduate certificate or a graduate degree, but graduate courses may not be used to meet undergraduate degree requirements unless the student is formally admitted to an accelerated program and will NEVER be used in the computation of the undergraduate GPA. Students must have the permission of the Associate Provost. Undergraduate students accepted in an accelerated program at The Citadel may take and share up to twelve hours of structured graduate credit between the graduate and undergraduate majors.
Refer to specific accelerated program requirements for total hours permitted to share.
Admission Test
For any graduate programs that requires submission of an official admissions test score, the test must be current within five years of the application.
Registration
Registration is conducted online through Lesesne Gateway. Students may not attend class until they are fully registered and listed on the class roster. Completed registrations will be honored on a first-come, first- served basis. Tuition and fees are due by published calendar dates. Knowingly attending class without paying is an integrity violation and will result in dismissal from the college. Any changes in registration must be made prior to the end of the term’s Drop/Add period. Information concerning class times and important registration dates can be found for each academic term online at: http://www.citadel.edu/root/registrar-courses.
Completion of coursework for a program in which a student has not been formally accepted does not imply admission into that program. A student may not pursue more than 8 credit hours of coursework for a program to which they have not been formally accepted.
Drop/Add and Withdrawals
Formal notice of intent to drop or withdraw from any class is necessary in all cases. The dates for dropping and withdrawing are listed in the term calendar at: http://www.my.citadel.edu/root/registrar-important-dates. To drop or add a course from the course schedule or to change sections within a course, a student must drop/add through Lesesne Gateway. Approval to drop a course and receive a refund after the published drop date is granted only under documentable extenuating circumstances (i.e. death in immediate family, serious medical issues, military deployment).
After the drop period, students who choose to withdraw must complete a withdrawal form available in the Registrar’s Office or online. Course withdrawal means a student is withdrawing from a course after the drop/add date has passed. A grade of “W” will appear on the student transcript. The “W” does not affect the student’s grade point average (GPA). Ceasing to attend a course does not constitute an official drop or withdrawal from the course. Any withdrawal request that occurs after the published withdrawal date must have a written justification for the late request to accompany the withdrawal form. Late withdrawal requests will be approved on a case-by-case basis by both the academic dean and the Associate Provost for Enrollment Management.
Advisement and the Planned Program
Upon acceptance into a degree program, a student is assigned an advisor. It is the student’s responsibility to confer with this advisor at an early date and at periodic intervals to assure appropriate course selection and awareness of degree requirements. Degree candidates in some programs must file an official program of study. This program of study will be developed in consultation with the student’s advisor and approved by the appropriate Dean or Department Head. This program of study is filed in the Registrar’s Office and will be used in the degree audit process. It is a joint responsibility of the advisor and student to maintain the program of study in a current state. Modifications in a program of study can be accomplished with the written approval of the appropriate Dean or Department Head. Students who wish to select a new degree program must file an application and fee, meet all admission requirements of the new degree program, and be accepted into the new degree program before registration in the new program should occur. Completion of coursework for a program in which a student has not been formally accepted does not imply admission into that program. A student should pursue no more than 8 credit hours of coursework for a program to which they have not been formally accepted.
Audit Policy
A student may elect to audit a course for no credit. Permission to audit must be obtained from the school/department offering the course and a form must be submitted. Students must possess an undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university to audit a graduate level course. Students cannot switch from credit to audit status, or vice versa, after two class meetings. Auditors must apply and be accepted as a non-degree seeking student and are permitted to register for a class on a “space available” basis. The audit tuition is the same as the regular credit hour tuition.
Course Load
Graduate students are considered full-time if they carry six (6) credit hours accumulated over any combination of courses during a full semester. The maximum credit any graduate student may carry is 17 credits per full semester (Fall, Spring, or Summer). For students enrolled in one mini term per semester, 3 credit hours will be considered full-time for the mini term. The semester hour load for students wishing to be classified as part-time is 3 credit hours during a full semester. Students holding Citadel graduate assistantships will be considered as full time if they are taking at least six (6) semester hours. Students enrolled in any combination of summer sessions may not exceed a maximum of five courses (15 credit hours, but 17 credit hours including lab courses). In addition, the maximum load allowed in an individual summer term is 7 credit hours (Full Summer, Summer I, Summer II, Mini term A, Mini Term B).
Summer School
The Citadel’s Summer School is managed by the Associate Provost of Enrollment Management who has the responsibility for the coordination and administration of all aspects of The Citadel’s graduate and undergraduate summer school programs.
All Summer School students are ultimately the academic and administrative responsibility of the Provost. Students residing in the barracks, regardless of academic status, are the disciplinary responsibility of the commandant. All other students who are not members of the corps of cadets remain as stated above.
Course Substitution
Course substitutions in degree programs can only be authorized by the approval of the Head of the Department and Dean of the School. Forms to initiate this procedure are available in the Registrar’s Office or online.
English Fluency Policy
In accordance with the laws of South Carolina, The Citadel ensures the English fluency of its teaching faculty. Should a student challenge the English fluency of a member of the faculty, standard procedures for student academic grievances will be followed. If a review committee is called for, the native language of one of the faculty members will not be English.
Readmission Policy
In exceptional and extraordinary circumstances, a graduate student can petition their academic school dean for reinstatement through a letter of appeal, but the granting of such appeals would be considered unusual and rare.
Transfer Credit
The Citadel Graduate College does permit up to 12 hours of transfer credit from other accredited higher education institutions and from military education and training recommended for credit by the American Council on Education. Exceptions may be granted by the Associate Provost of Enrollment Management. Only graduate credit hours in which grades of “B” or higher have been earned are transferable and applicable to degree requirements. Some programs allow fewer hours of transfer credit. Students should check the requirements for specific programs for the maximum number of credit hours that may be transferred into The Citadel.
To be transferred, credit hours must be earned on the graduate level and have been earned within six years of the date of admission to The Citadel. Students who desire to take a course at another institution for transfer while enrolled in CGC must obtain prior approval from their department head.
Ordinarily, course work accepted for transfer must parallel course work available at The Citadel. However, where the head of the major department or Dean of the school feels that graduate course work not equivalent to courses at The Citadel will enhance the program, up to six semester hours of such credit may be acceptable. These will be part of the maximum allowable transfer hours for that program and must be graduate level courses.
Graduate students applying for transfer credit will use the “Transfer Credit for Graduate Programs” form located online at https://www.citadel.edu/root/images/registrar/graduate/transfer%20credit%20approval%20-%20graduate.pdf Submit the form to the Registrar’s Office through the student’s advisor and department head with a copy of the course description from the catalog of the originating institution and the course syllabus. An official copy of the transcript for the institution where the credit was earned must be on file with the Registrar.
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