Doctoral Program Admission Requirements

To be considered for admission to graduate study toward a doctoral degree, a student must

• Hold an earned baccalaureate or equivalent degree with a cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 on a scale of 4.0 from a college or university accredited by its regional accrediting association. A student with a baccalaureate degree not considered the equivalent to that of Ball State University may be admitted under conditions to be determined by the department concerned and the dean of the Graduate School. Credentials from international colleges, universities, and their equivalents outside the United States are evaluated by the Rinker Center for International Programs (RCIP) and the Graduate School.

• Have previous institutions attended submit one transcript of all previous college work, showing graduation from accredited institutions of higher learning with degrees awarded.

• Achieve acceptable scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). GRE scores older than five years normally are not acceptable.

• Meet any additional admission standards established by the academic unit responsible for each doctoral degree program.

• Be recommended for admission by the academic unit responsible for the doctoral degree program.

Some programs may require an earned master’s degree or equivalent for consideration for doctoral study. In such cases applicants must have a cumulative GPA on the master’s degree of at least 3.2 on a scale of 4.0. Please see admission requirements for specific majors found in other areas of this publication or on the departmental website. The fulfillment of the minimum Graduate School admission standards listed above does not guarantee admission to a specific degree program. 

Students may register for graduate courses leading to the doctoral degree only upon departmental recommendation for admission.

After official admission to a doctoral program, the student has two years in which to begin courses approved by the doctoral program director or the student’s committee. A student who has not taken courses in an approved program during this two-year period will be dropped from the program. The student may reapply for admission.