Earned Admission Status for Master's Students

Ball State University recognizes that some students who do not meet the Graduate School GPA minimum may still be able to make a strong case for admission to a master's program. In these cases, programs may admit a student whose grade point average from their degree-granting institution is less than 2.75 if there is sufficient evidence of the student's academic and/or professional achievement indicating their potential for success in a master's program. Earned admission status requires the approval of the program director. Programs may also choose to not allow earned admissions in their programs.

Students admitted on earned admission status must earn a minimum GPA of 3.0 in their first 9 semester credits of graduate work or be academically separated.  The program director may also specify a required course plan for students admitted on earned admission status, and will communicate this with them directly.  Upon the successful completion of 9 credits of graduate coursework with a minimum cumulative graduate 3.0 GPA, a student admitted under earned admission status will be eligible to assume regular graduate student status.

Students admitted under earned admission status are not eligible for an assistantship until they assume regular student status.

Applicants who have a bachelor's degree from an institution that is not recognized by its USDE accrediting association but who otherwise meet all Graduate School and department requirements for regular admission may request earned admission status. Upon the successful completion of 9 credits of graduate coursework with a minimum cumulative graduate 3.0 GPA, a student admitted under earned admission status will be eligible to assume regular graduate student status. Students admitted through the earned admission status process who are academically separated will not be granted reinstatement into the Ball State Graduate School.