Texas State University
 
JC Kellam 280
601 University Drive
San Marcos, TX 78666-4680
Ph: (512) 245-2581
Fax: (512) 245-8365
gradcollege@txstate.edu

The Graduate College

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Admission Documents

    All admission materials must be filed with the Office of the Graduate College.  The mailing address is as follows:

The Graduate College
Texas State University-San Marcos
601 University Drive
San Marcos, TX 78666-4605
Phone: 512-245-2581
Fax: 512-245-8365

    Applications for master’s and doctoral programs should be forwarded to this address and not to any specific department.  All materials submitted become the property of the University and cannot be released, except in accordance with the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act or the state Public Information Act.  Incomplete application files are kept for only one year and are then destroyed.

Application for Admission
   
An application for admission to the Graduate College may be made on the official Graduate College Application for Admission or prospective students may apply online through the Texas Common Application process.  The paper application may be obtained from the Office of the Graduate College or on our web site at http://www.gradcollege.txstate.edu. This application is not the same as the application that undergraduate students complete.  Prospective students wishing to apply online via the Texas Common Application process will find a link to the application from our web site as well.  In addition to the required general application for admission to the Graduate College, some departments or programs require applicants to complete a separate “program application.”  Prospective students are encouraged to contact their proposed major department for specifics.
Application Fee
   
A non-refundable application fee of $40.00 (check or money order payable to Texas State in U.S. currency) is required for all degree-seeking students.  International students also will need to pay a non-refundable international/evaluation fee, which is $50.00 (check or money order payable to Texas State in U.S. currency).  International students who have earned a bachelor’s degree from Texas State do not have to pay the $50.00 international/ evaluation fee.  No application will be processed until the necessary fees are paid.  A $10 non-refundable application fee is required of individuals seeking certification, certificate, non-degree status, or visiting student status.
Official Transcripts
   
An applicant for a graduate degree program at Texas State must have one official transcript from each senior level post secondary institute attended sent to the Office of the Graduate College.  Transcripts will not be required from community colleges, with the exception of applicants to the following programs: Accounting, Agricultural Education, Applied Sociology, Biology, Business Administration, Communication Disorders, Communication Studies, Computer Science, Education Programs (CAMP, CMED, MAC, and TRP), Family and Child Studies, Geography, Geography Ph.D., Health Psychology, History, Industrial Mathematics, Interdisciplinary Studies in Biology, Interdisciplinary Studies in Psychology, Legal Studies, Literature, Mass Communication, Mathematics, Middle School Mathematics Teaching, Physical Therapy, Political Science, Population and Conservation Biology, Public Administration, Rhetoric and Composition, Sociology, Software Engineering, and Technical Communication.
   
Transcripts must be mailed directly from the university or college attended or submitted in a sealed university envelope with the university’s registrar’s signature on the back of the envelope.  The transcript must reflect all college work attempted and any degree(s) conferred.  Please check with the Texas college or university attended to determine if the transcripts can be submitted electronically to Texas State.  Texas State transcripts will be supplied.
    International Students. All international students are expected to provide transcripts and diplomas according to the following guidelines. To insure acceptance of your documents please read carefully.  All documents are required before your application will be processed.
   
Applicants must have a baccalaureate degree from an acceptable accredited institution and a recognized 4-year program either abroad or in the United States.
   
Diploma - The Office of the Graduate College requires two official copies of your diploma: one translated into English and one in the native language.  To insure acceptance of the diploma as official, please make sure that the University Registrar verifies the original diploma with their official signature and university seals.  The official diploma needs to be placed in a university sealed envelope with the university stamp affixed to the envelope and sent directly to the Office of the Graduate College.
   
Transcripts – The Office of the Graduate College requires two official transcripts from every college or university attended: one translated into English and one in the native language.  Transcripts may include any additional legend that will assist in their evaluation.  To insure acceptance of transcripts as official, please make sure the University Registrar verifies the transcripts with their official signature and university seals.  The official transcripts need to be placed in university sealed envelopes with the university stamp affixed to the envelope and sent directly to the Office of the Graduate College.
Graduate Record Exam (GRE)
   
Although the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is not a requirement of the Graduate College, effective Fall 2007, the GRE score is required to be on file in the Graduate College prior to admission consideration for the following programs: Anthropology, Aquatic Resources – PhD, Aquatic Biology, Biology Communication Disorders, Computer Science, Counseling and Guidance, Education Ph.D., Educational Administration, Geography-Master’s and Ph.D., Healthcare Administration, Health Psychology, Health Services Research, Healthcare Human Resources, History, Industrial Mathematics, Interdisciplinary Studies – Biology, Legal Studies, Mass Communication, Mathematics-Master’s and Ph.D., Mathematics Education Ph.D., Middle School Mathematics Teaching, Physical Therapy, Population & Conservation Biology, Professional Counseling, Public Administration, School Psychology, Secondary Education, Social Work, Software Engineering, Special Education, Theatre, and Wildlife Ecology.  (Effective Fall 2008, the GRE will not be required for the following programs:  Communication Disorders, Education Ph.D., and Social Work.)  The GRE may be required by other programs if the grade point average (GPA) is below the minimum required GPA.  Applicants are required to take the general portion (verbal and quantitative sections) of the GRE.  The writing section is also required for some programs.  Subject examinations are not accepted.  Some certification programs, such as Counseling and School Psychology, require the GRE scores be on file (unless the student holds a master’s degree) before admission can be granted to students under post-baccalaureate or post-graduate status.
   
If an individual has taken the GRE some years ago and the Educational Testing Service is no longer able to report the official GRE score, the individual must retake the GRE so that a current valid score can be submitted.  GRE score reports that bear the designation of “applicant’s copy” or “institutional examinations” are not considered official scores for admission purposes.
   
GRE information bulletins and application forms may be obtained from the Educational Testing Service, P.O. Box 6000, Princeton, New Jersey 08541-6000, U.S.A.; the University Testing Center at Texas State University-San Marcos; the Office of the Graduate College; or http://www.ets.org/gre. Please allow adequate time for the examination results to reach the University prior to the admission application deadline.
Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT)
   
All applicants for the graduate business programs and the Master of Accountancy degree programs are required to take the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT).  The official results of the GMAT must be on file in the Office of the Graduate College before the application for admission will be considered.
   
If an individual has taken the GMAT some years ago and the Educational Testing Service can no longer report an official GMAT score, the individual must retake the GMAT so that a current valid score can be submitted.  GMAT score reports that bear the designation of “applicant’s copy” are not considered official scores for admission purposes.
   
GMAT information bulletins and test application forms may be obtained from the Educational Testing Service, P.O. Box 6103, Princeton, New Jersey 08541-6103, U.S.A.; the University Testing Center at Texas State University-San Marcos; the Office of the Graduate College; or http://www.mba.com/mba/TaketheGMAT.
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)/International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
   
All international applicants and US citizens whose native language is not English must meet proficiency requirements in the English language and are required to have the official results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) sent before the application for admission will be considered.  The paper-based minimum score of 550, computer-based score of 213, or the internet-based test with 78 total score and section scores of: 19/speaking, 19/listening, 19/reading and 18/writing, is required for admission as a graduate student.  For students with a TOEFL score between 500-547 (paper-based), 173-210 (computer-based) 59-77 (internet-based) with 4 out of 4 minimum section scores of 14 or above or the IELTS with scores between 5.5-6.0 (academic) there are options to take academic classes while enrolled in TSIE classes.  Refer to the Texas State Intensive English section in the Categories of Admissions chapter of this catalog for more information about those options.  Native speakers of English may receive an exemption from taking the TOEFL or the IELTS.  The TOEFL or IELTS requirements may be waived if an applicant already possesses a bachelor’s degree from an American university located in the United States.  However, the TOEFL or IELTS requirements vary among programs.  The Educational Testing Service must mail the score directly to the Office of the Graduate College.  Some applicants may be required to provide further evidence of proficiency in the English language depending upon program requirements.
   
Official TOEFL or IELTS scores more than two years old are not released by the Educational Testing Service; therefore, if an applicant has taken the TOEFL or IELTS more than two years before the semester for which he or she is applying, the applicant must retake the TOEFL or IELTS so that a current valid score can be submitted.  TOEFL or IELTS score reports that bear the designation of “applicant’s copy” or “institutional TOEFL scores” are not considered official scores for admission purposes.
   
The TOEFL and IELTS are administered at various centers in the United States and abroad at least six times each year.  Application forms and information bulletins may be obtained from the Educational Testing Service, P.O. Box 6151, Princeton, New Jersey 08541-6151; the University Testing Center at Texas State University-San Marcos; the Office of the Graduate College; or http://www.ets.org. For information on the IELTS go to the web site at http://www.ielts.org.
International/Evaluation Fee
   
If you are a non-U.S. citizen, or if your application is considered for admission based on foreign credentials, you must submit a non-refundable international/evaluation fee of $50.00, in addition to the $40.00 application fee (check or money order made payable to Texas State in U.S. currency) with the Application for Admission to the Graduate College.  No application will be considered until the necessary fee is paid.  International students who have earned a bachelor’s degree from Texas State do not have to pay the $50.00 international evaluation fee.
F-1 Visa
   
International students who will attend Texas State on an F-1 student visa must furnish proof of sufficient financial resources for educational and personal expenses.  Texas State will not issue an I-20 Form until all of the financial and academic requirements for admission have been met and the Dean of the Graduate College has approved the graduate advisor’s recommendation for admission.  An international student on an immigrant visa is not required to furnish proof of financial support and is not issued an I-20 Form.
Mandatory Health Insurance for International Students
   
International students are responsible for any medical expenses incurred while in the United States.  As a non-resident, the student may not be eligible for any of the public assistance medical plans offered in the U.S.  All non-immigrant international students are required to have medical insurance during the entire school year as a condition of enrollment at Texas State (UPPS 07.09.04 International Student Health Insurance).  International students who are enrolled in educational programs that are less than a semester in length are required to have medical insurance throughout the period of that program.  The fee for the Texas State international student insurance plan is automatically added to the tuition and fee bill at the time of registration.  International students will be billed the health insurance premium twice a year and it must be paid in full by the fall and spring tuition payment deadlines.  Fall insurance coverage will be billed prior to the fall semester and spring/summer coverage will be billed prior to the spring semester.  International students who wish to have the insurance premium waived must present proof of comparable insurance (including medical, evacuation, and repatriation) to the Student Health Center for approval prior to the registration payment deadline for each semester or educational program.  Insurance waiver information and forms may be obtained by visiting the Student Health Center web site at http://www.healthcenter.txstate.edu/internationalstudents/internationalstudents.asp, e-mailing requests to healthcenter@txstate.edu, or calling the Medical Records Department at 512-245-2161.  International students may obtain insurance coverage for a spouse and/or dependent children.  For more information, contact the Texas State Student Health Center at 512-245-2161.
   
Admission document requirements vary from program to program.  Be sure to check individual departments for additional document requirements.