Admissions
Admission Process
Graduate Application Summary
The Office of Graduate Admissions & Academic Services processes and maintains all the inquiries and applications for active graduate students at the University of Saint Joseph. Every graduate student must complete an application if they intend to take coursework and/or receive a graduate degree. Even before applying, each graduate student must determine whether they want to apply as a non-degree seeking student or a degree seeking student.
- A non-degree seeking student is defined as a student interested in completing coursework outside of a graduate degree program.
- A degree seeking student is defined as a student interested in being admitted to a graduate degree program regardless of whether or not they intend register for coursework prior to being admitted to a graduate degree program.
Degree seeking students who meet the requirements to take coursework but are not ready to be admitted into a graduate degree program are limited to six credits before they must be admitted. Once a degree seeking student has been admitted to a graduate degree program, there are no limitations to the number of credits they can take within that program. All coursework completed by a degree seeking student admitted in a Master degree program is eligible for financial aid.
Note: In the event a graduate student is attempting to be re-admitted to a graduate program because the graduate student was previously withdrawn or dismissed, the student should complete the same process designated for degree seeking students. All previous credits will be reviewed by the department during the appointment to complete the planned program of study (more information below.)
Step-By-Step Process for Non-Degree Seeking Students
Step 1: The student completes the non-degree seeking application.
Once an application is processed by the Office of Graduate Admissions and Academic Services, the student will receive an application packet through standard mail with a welcome letter that has their student ID number, a list of admission requirements needed to be submitted to take coursework, and login credentials to view the Graduate Admissions tab of MyUSJ (where the student has access to see what admissions requirements are outstanding and which have been submitted) plus a supplemental insert that helps the student complete the admission requirements.
Note: The student must still declare what program offers the coursework they would like to complete so the proper admission requirements can be determined.
Step 2: The student begins submitting the admission requirements.
As admission requirements arrive to the Office of Graduate Admissions and Academic Services, the student’s record will be updated in both the physical file and in the online database. Students will have the ability to track their file online using the login credentials provided in the welcome packet.
Note: Outside of the application, every non-degree seeking must also submit the $50 application fee, a transcript showing degree conferral from a regionally-accredited institution, and must meet the minimum GPA and course prerequisites of the program in which they would like to complete coursework.
Step 3: The student submits all of their admission requirements.
Once all of the admission requirements have arrived, the student will be notified by email of their status with further instructions on how to complete their initial registration, if applicable.
Note: Students that do not meet the degree requirement, minimum GPA, or course prerequisites of the program in which they would like to complete coursework are not eligible to take courses as a non-degree seeking student. The only option for these students is to take additional coursework outside of the University of Saint Joseph to improve their academic background and then re-apply as a non-degree seeking student once they believe they meet the requirements.
Step 4: The student completes their initial registration.
Non-degree seeking students will always have to register using the paper registration form. Once the initial registration is processed by the Registrar’s Office, the student will be sent an email informing them of how to access their USJ email, MyUSJ, and Blackboard accounts. These accounts are to be used to communicate with any University of Saint Joseph staff or faculty.
Note: Non-degree seeking students are limited to six credits. If a non-degree seeking student wishes to take additional credits beyond the six credit maximum, they should submit a typed petition to the Office of Graduate Admissions and Academic Services explaining their reasoning and interest in taking additional coursework.
Step-By-Step Process for Degree Seeking Students
Step 1: The student completes the degree seeking application.
Once an application is processed by the Office of Graduate Admissions and Academic Services, the student will receive an application packet through standard mail with a welcome letter that has their student ID number, a list of admission requirements needed to be submitted to be accepted into the program selected on the application, and login credentials to view the Graduate Admissions tab of MyUSJ (where the student has access to see what admissions requirements are outstanding and which have been submitted) plus a supplemental insert that helps the student complete the admission requirements.
Note: The Doctorate of Nursing Practice and Dietetic Internship programs both have a separate application from all the other graduate degree programs.
Step 2: The student begins submitting the admission requirements.
As admission requirements arrive to the Office of Graduate Admissions and Academic Services, the student’s record will be updated in both the physical file and in the online database. Students will have the ability to track their file online using the login credentials provided in the welcome packet.
Note: Degree seeking students who submit the $50 application fee, a transcript showing degree conferral from a regionally-accredited institution, and meet the minimum GPA and course prerequisites of the graduate degree program are eligible to complete their initial registration (see Step 5) before being admitted to the graduate degree program. Once all of the above listed admission requirements have arrived, the student will be notified by email of their status with further instructions on how to complete their initial registration, if applicable. These students are limited to a maximum of six credits before they must be admitted to a graduate degree program.
Step 3: The student submits all of their admission requirements.
Once all of the admission requirements have arrived, the Office of Graduate Admissions and Academic Services will make a copy of the student’s file and submit it to the Program Director from the program in which the student has applied. After a review of the file, the Program Director will reach out to any student being considered for admission to set up an appointment to complete the Planned Program of Study.
Note: The appointment for the Planned Program of Study is an opportunity for the student to ask questions relating to the courses in the program to which they have interest. The form completed during the Planned Program of Study appointment is used by the student as an outline for what courses should be taken each semester.
Step 4: The student completes the Planned Program of Study.
Once the planned program of study has been completed, the student has completed the final step of their admission process and the Program Director will inform the Office of Graduate Admissions and Academic Services of the department’s decision regarding the admission of the student. The Office of Graduate Admissions and Academic Services will then inform the student of this decision through standard mail.
Note: All degree seeking students who have been admitted to a graduate degree program are eligible for financial aid. It is advised that all degree seeking students who have been admitted to a program interested in financial aid contact the Financial Aid Office (860.231.5245) before registering for coursework.
Step 5: The student completes their initial registration.
Degree seeking students who have been admitted to a graduate degree program must register the first time on the paper registration form. Once the initial registration is processed by the Registrar’s Office, the student will be sent an email informing them of how to access their USJ email, MyUSJ, and Blackboard accounts. These accounts are to be used to communicate with any University of Saint Joseph staff or faculty.
Note: This completes the admission process for degree seeking students. Once a degree seeking student’s MyUSJ account has been created, most students have the ability to register for any future coursework online with the exception of students who have been admitted to a program that controls their own registration. Students in those programs should contact the Office Manager or Program Director to complete the registration process.
