Admissions Policies

Applicants for admission to graduate study at Alabama Agricultural & Mechanical University must hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university (or the equivalent of a four-year baccalaureate degree from another country.) In many degree programs, the number of applications received from individuals qualified for graduate study regularly exceeds the number of students who can be accommodated. In such cases, only the most highly qualified are offered admission. The number of spaces available in various departments is limited according to the availability of faculty, special resources, and funds for students requiring financial assistance. The decision to admit an applicant is based primarily on a combination of the following criteria:

1. Quality of undergraduate and previous graduate work. The Graduate School requires as a minimum a 2.75 on a 4.0 scale in all undergraduate courses taken at a regionally accredited college or university.
   Adequate performance in prerequisite courses is also required (i.e. all grades in these courses must be a “B” or above).
2. Official, GRE/GMAT scores for programs that require entrance exams.
   The following Master’s degree programs do not required GRE/GMAT scores: Biology, Early Childhood Education, Family & Consumer Sciences, Plant & Soil Science, Psychology, Secondary Education, Social Work and Urban Planning.
3. Letters of Recommendation that speak to the applicant’s potential for successful completion of the degree program to which the applicant is applying.
4. Supplemental evidence of potential success for graduate studies. Some programs require other evidence of potential for success, such as a portfolio, personal interviews, examples of scholarly work, and or research.
5. Available space in the program, and competitive rating within the applicant pool for the given term of entry.

Applicants for Admission Must Meet the Following Minimum Requirements

Regular/Full Admission

To be admitted unconditionally, applicants must:

1. Have a minimum grade point average of 2.75 on a (4.0 GPA scale) at the undergraduate level from a regionally accredited college/university.
2. Submit a minimum score of 146 on the verbal and 140 on the quantitative portions of the GRE (if required). Together the combined score must be a minimum of 286. Some programs may require higher GRE scores. MBA students are required to attain a minimum GMAT score of 350.
3. Hold a baccalaureate degree or its equivalent from a regionally accredited college or university.
4. Meet all program-specific requirements.

Conditional Admission

Students who do not meet one of the two main requirements (GPA or GRE/GMAT test scores) for regular admission may be admitted conditionally. Students admitted conditionally are allowed one semester to fulfill the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Graduate Management Analytical Test (GMAT) requirement. Students are required to earn a minimum grade of “B” in these courses to progress to regular admission. Students failing to meet these standards can be at the discretion of the Dean of Graduate Studies dismissed from the Graduate program.

The Office of Graduate Studies updates the records of students, who were admitted conditionally, during the first two weeks of each semester and during the following periods:

• April 15-25
• July 15-25
• November 15-30

The Office of Graduate Studies will not process any student seeking a change of status outside the dates listed above.

Conditionally admitted students have two semesters (inclusive of summer sessions) to remove all provisions outlined in the original letter of admissions. Students who fail to remove conditions at the end of two semesters will be ineligible to receive student loans or other forms of financial assistance. Deferral of admission status is not allowed for: Psychology, Social Work, and Communicative Sciences.

Nondegree Admission

This is a category for students who do not intend to seek an advanced degree from Alabama A&M University. Persons seeking to enroll as nondegree students must possess an undergraduate degree from a regionally or nationally accredited institution. They also must have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale). nondegree students usually include:

1. Those who intend to transfer graduate credit earned at Alabama A&M University to other institutions.
2. Those who intend to use graduate credits earned for professional certification.
3. Those that enroll for personal satisfaction.

A nondegree student who subsequently seeks full admission must satisfy requirements for admission to the specific program. nondegree students are only allowed to transfer a maximum of 9 semester hours if they get approval to enter an AAMU graduate degree program.