APPLICATION PROCEDURES
Admission to graduate study at Shepherd University, with the exception of the MAT, is handled on a rolling basis. Students are eligible to register for courses once their applications have been processed and they have been admitted. Applications are considered complete when this form, the application fee, and all supporting materials are on file with the Office of Admissions. Please feel free to contact the Office of Graduate Studies in order to make sure that your application is complete.

The following deadlines apply to the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree only

Application Deadlines Summer and Fall - February 1 Spring - October 1

Admission Deadlines Summer—April 15 Fall—April 30 Spring - November 15

Those wishing to apply for admission to a graduate program at Shepherd University should do the following:

• Obtain an application form from the Office of Graduate Studies (304/876-5313) or the Office of Admissions (304/876-5212).
• Arrange to have official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate studies sent directly to Shepherd University, Office of Admissions, P.O. Box 3210, Shepherdstown, West Virginia 25443-3210. No action will be taken on an application for which there is no official transcript.
• Submit a completed application form to the Office of Admissions, with a non-refundable application fee of $40 in a check or money order payable to Shepherd University. Applicants for the MAT program must remit an additional non-refundable $20 transcript analysis fee.
• Arrange to take any required standardized tests for the program to which you are applying. Scores may not be more than five years old (applies only to GRE and Miller's Analogy scores).

It is the applicant’s responsibility to arrange for all official undergraduate and graduate transcripts and other supporting admissions credentials to be sent directly to the Office of Admissions. No action will be taken on credentials that arrive for which there is no completed application for admission on file. No documents submitted as part of the application procedure will be returned. Applicants who graduated from Shepherd University may make a note of this on their application and will not be required to submit additional Shepherd transcripts.

GRADUATE STUDENT ADMISSION CRITERIA
Applicants for admission to full graduate status at Shepherd University must have earned a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education with a minimum college grade point average of 2.75.

Individual programs also have the following requirements:

Master of business Administration (MBA):
• Score 400 on GMAT OR
• Equivalent score on Major Field Achievement Test in Business Administration.
Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT):
• Passing score on Praxis I Pre-Professional Skills Test, Math, Reading, and Writing.
• Passing score on Praxis II content specialization test for the content area in which applicant will seek certification.
• Completion of at least 50 percent of undergraduate course work required for certification in the chosen area with a grade of C or better in all classes.
• Grades of C or above on: ENGL 101, ENGL 102, and COMM 202 or equivalent courses.
• The lowest GPA accepted for the MAT program under any circumstances is 2.50. Any applicant with a GPA below 2.75 must submit a score of 440 or higher on the verbal and 560 or higher on the quantitative sections of the Graduate Record Exam or a score in the 40th percentile or higher on the Miller Analogies Test.

The Shepherd University MAT program is designed to provide teacher certification eligibility for each graduate. In the interest of the integrity of the academic program, its students, and the schools of West Virginia, it is necessary that every applicant meet Shepherd University’s academic and professional standards. Any applicant who has previously applied to and/or been admitted to any accredited Teacher Education Program(s) but did not complete the program will be presumed to not meet the University’s standards for admission. Such applicant will have the burden of affirmatively demonstrating eligibility for admission to the Shepherd University MAT program.

Master of Music, Music Education (MMME)
Entrants must have completed a bachelor’s degree in music (minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale) and be certified to teach. Any prior graduate work must have a minimum 2.75 GPA on a 4.0 scale. Interested students without certification will be directed to the undergraduate certification program before pursuing the master’s degree. A videotape of teaching or conducting, an entrance
interview, and a theory and history diagnostic exam is also required. The results of these exams may require remedial preparation before admission (this is called provisional acceptance) through either the applicants individual effort or by enrolling in coursework prior to admission.
These entrance materials will be graded by a committee of the graduate faculty and admission will be granted only to those approved by the committee. No research or professional skills are required for entrance into the program, however, the core of the curriculum specifically addresses these skills. Prior graduate coursework from other institutions will be considered for transfer credit
through a transcript evaluation conducted by the graduate committee. The degree requires a minimum of 30 credits beyond the baccalaureate degree.

Provisional Admission
Provisional status may be granted to applicants who do not qualify for full graduate status. Students admitted on provisional status must achieve a minimum GPA of 3.0 during their first six credit hours in a graduate program. Students admitted provisionally who do not maintain the required grade point average will be dismissed from their program and considered ineligible for further graduate
study at Shepherd. Students who do not meet these or other specific admission requirements may, at the discretion of the program director, be admitted on a provisional basis. Provisional status does not apply to the Master of Arts in Teaching.

Tuition and Fees
Graduate Tuition is $281 per credit hour for West Virginia Residents and $402 per credit hour for out of state students.

Contact
For more information, contact the Office of Graduate Studies at 304-876-5313 or by e-mail at maustin@shepherd.edu

Click here for the Graduation Tuition Waiver Policy