General Admission Requirements

Graduate admission and readmission decisions are made by the Graduate Council based on a variety of factors including, but not limited to: academic records, scores on standardized tests, an analysis of the application for admission, prior enrollments, lapses in enrollment, relevant character or conduct records, and other criteria as may be relevant. Louisiana College seeks to admit students whose academic preparation and background, personal characteristics, behavior, conduct, and cooperative spirit indicate that they would profit from and contribute positively to the life of a Christian university community.

Even though one may be accepted as a graduate student, the applicant may be required to take additional undergraduate courses if lacking any of the undergraduate prerequisites. International students may need to meet additional requirements. Satisfaction of the specified prerequisites does not guarantee an applicant’s admission to graduate study at Louisiana College. In evaluating applicants, the College will make an effort to consider all relevant aspects of the applicant’s record and suitability for graduate study at Louisiana College.

Louisiana College reserves the right to deny admission to any applicant without assigning reason and to reject any applicant, rescind admission, or discontinue a student’s continue enrollment if (a) between the date of an application and the start of classes there is a change in the condition or status of any information provided by the applicant that would have been a basis for denying the application when it was reviewed by the Graduate Council or (b) any information provided by an applicant proves to be untrue at the time of its submission.

Louisiana College complies with all applicable federal and state nondiscrimination laws, and does not engage in prohibited discrimination on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, age, genetic information, veteran status, or disability in admissions and employment. As a religiously affiliated university, Louisiana College is exempt from certain provisions of some nondiscrimination laws.

Some programs have exceptions or other expectations in addition to the following general admission requirements. The applicant must meet any additional requirements as put forth by the respective graduate degree programs.

Application Procedure

Each applicant to the graduate programs at Louisiana College must complete the following:

1. Complete and submit an application to the Admissions Office. Applications are available online through the Admissions Office. admissions@lacollege.edu
2. Submit an application fee $50. (Some programs require an additional fee.)
3. Hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
4. Submit official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended.
5. Present an undergraduate record that shows a 2.5 GPA based on a 4.0 scale (Some programs require a higher GPA; see program descriptions for deviations from this general requirement.)
6. Demonstrate appropriate undergraduate foundation in major courses for the degree pursued.
7. Submit two (2) letters of recommendation.
8. Submit a writing sample.
9. Submit a resumé.
10. Present proof of immunizations: Documents proof of two immunizations for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) if born on or after January 1, 1957.
11. Louisiana College does not provide medical coverage for students, so students are strongly encouraged to have their own major medical coverage.

Students are responsible for requesting official transcripts from previous colleges and universities be mailed to the Dean of the respective school or program. All required transcripts must be on file in the respective school or program before an applicant may be admitted as a student.

Official transcripts are defined as the following:

• Official transcripts from the respective college and university may either be mailed directly from the institution to Louisiana College or emailed electronically from the institution to LC. Electronic or E-Scripts are accepted if sent by the respective college and universities. Transcripts should be mailed from the university or college directly to the Dean of the respective school or program. Transcripts brought by an applicant, relative, etc. or marked “issued to student” are not considered official. For further information regarding transcripts, students may call 318-487-7222.
• Transcripts from international institutions and universities must be reviewed and evaluated through an approved agency. See Admissions for International Students for more information.

Please note that transcripts from any college or university sent to Louisiana College for use in permanent records cannot be copied for student use. Additional copies of these documents for personal use must be obtained directly from institutions previously attended.

Conditional Acceptance

Louisiana College may conditionally admit applicants who do not satisfy all the requirements for full admission. The candidate must write a letter of appeal to the program director, school dean, or division chair of the respective program. The appeal letter should provide the following: 1) an explanation of the circumstances detailing why the student has underperformed academically, 2) any relevant documentation, and 3)an action plan that will help the student be academically successful. The Graduate Council will consider the appeal based on the candidate’s demonstrated potential for successfully completing graduate level coursework. (Examples included, but are not limited to, the student’s GPA on the last 30 hours of the undergraduate program or the student satisfactorily completing graduate-level coursework in another discipline.) If the appeal is approved, the candidate must meet the following requirements:

• Achieve a 3.0 GPA for the first term with completion of a minimum of six credit hours.
• Meet all other requirements for progression in the Graduate Handbook and Student Handbook of the respective degree program.

If a 3.0 quality point average is attained and all other requirements are met, the candidate is required to petition the Registrar for a change of classification upon the close of the term. The candidate must attain a fully admitted status before being eligible to preregister for a second term. Failure to achieve a minimum 3.0 GPA may result in dismissal from the program.

Admissions for International Students

International Student: Any student who is not a US citizen and seeks F-1 status

Requirements for Admission:

• Official completed Louisiana College graduate application
• Official evaluated transcripts from a credential evaluation service
• Demonstration of English proficiency
• Current valid passport
• Demonstration of financial eligibility

1. Completed Louisiana College Application: Louisiana College strongly prefers all students use the online application; however, we realize the online application is not available to some international students. In such instances, students may apply by emailing the paper version of the application to the international office. Application forms are not sent to international students until eligibility for admission has been determined. This determination is based upon the academic records and the required tests.
2. Official Transcripts: Scans of transcripts will be considered by Graduate Admissions for initial admission consideration. However, all accepted students must bring with them and submit to Admissions, official transcripts prior to registering for classes. Any discrepancies in the scans and the official transcripts may result in the student’s admission offer being revoked.

Official copies (or copies notarized as official) of the transcripts or mark sheets should be mailed directly to:

International Student Services
Office of Admissions
1140 College Drive, Box 546
Pineville, LA 71359-0560

It will be necessary for such records to indicate above-average ability on the part of the student based on evaluated transcripts of high-school or college courses taken.

A student who has earned college-level course credits in a foreign country comparable to the course credits in the American university system and who wishes to use those credits toward a degree must have the transcripts evaluated by an approved credential service. Information on these can be obtained from the Admissions Office. Transfer credits are limited to six (6).

3. Demonstration of English Proficiency: Applicants will be accepted to Louisiana College without conditions based on their mastery of the English language as described below:
   
   Unconditional Admission - Students whose native tongue is not English and desire to be unconditionally admitted to Louisiana College shall exhibit adequate mastery of the English language as evidenced by the TOEFL or IELTS exams. Unconditional admission is defined for the purpose of this section as applicants who are allowed to enroll in for-credit courses with no additional assistance, requirements, or stipulations. Scores obtained within three years of the application date will be considered for admission. Exam scores older than three years of the application date will not be considered for admission. The exam scores required for unconditional admission are as follows:
   1. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)-Internet based test (IBT)- An official TOEFL IBT score sent directly from the ETS testing agency should be sent to Louisiana College on behalf of the student. Students will earn a minimum composite score of 85 on the TOEFL-IBT. Reading and Writing section scores will individually be higher than 20. Students submitting other forms of the TOEFL (paper or computer-based) shall obtain equivalent scores as described above.
   2. International English Language Testing System (IELTS) - Students must submit an official IELTS score from the IELTS testing agency sent directly to Louisiana College. Scores equivalent to the TOEFL described in the section above must be obtained.
4. Current Valid Passport - Students must submit a copy of their valid passport to be considered for admission.
5. Demonstration of Financial Eligibility - The United States Government requires all F-1visa sponsors to ensure a student’s ability to finance their education in the USA. A student must have sufficient funds available to pay all institutional charges at the time of registration. A statement of financial responsibility must be submitted stating that the student has sufficient funds available to support tuition, room and board at Louisiana College. Louisiana College requires students to submit a bank certificate scan showing financial assets in excess of $25,000 USD to cover one year’s expenses of studying at Louisiana College. International students are subject to the payment deadlines and purge dates outline in the Financial Information section .

Additional Information

In order to receive an F-1 visa, international students must schedule an appointment with the nearest U.S. consulate or embassy in their country within 90 days of departure. They must take along their documentation, letter of acceptance, and I-20 for presentation and review. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recommends the entering student be honest and have copies of all documentation sent to Louisiana College available for review by the U.S. custom official at the consulate, embassy, or U.S. port of entry. Custom officials may at any point of the student’s travel to the United States deny him/her entry into the country.

Students residing in the United States who are not U.S. citizens and are not on F-1 status may enroll with permission from the Admissions Committee and must pay tuition and fees in full at registration.

Transfer Credit

Louisiana College recognizes that appropriate graduate-level courses completed at other accredited institutions may be acceptable for credit. Students must submit course descriptions, a syllabus, and a Course Evaluation Request Form to petition the head of the graduate program for graduate credit to be transferred. Transfer credit must be submitted with the application, reviewed, and accepted by the division chair, major professor, and/or the dean of the graduate school within the first term of enrollment. Students are limited to 6 hours of transfer credit. However, students may write a letter of appeal to the Dean of the school or program and petition the Graduate Council to accept up to 3 additional hours. Once admitted to the LC graduate program, students may not take graduate courses elsewhere.

In order to determine if work completed at other institutions is commensurate with the requirements of the respective graduate program, the following criteria will be employed:

• Transfer courses must be appropriate for the degree program and have commensurate academic content and learning outcomes to the course being substituted.
• Even when prior coursework is deemed satisfactory, the head of the program reserves the right to evaluate student competency through examination when such evaluation is deemed necessary.
• All transfer credit must have earned a grade of “B” or better.
• The student must be in good standing with the institution at which the courses were completed.
• Transfer credit will only be evaluated if a student has followed all the guidelines outlined in this policy.

Transfer credit for international students must meet all the criteria above and have detailed credential evaluation by one of the following services:

World Education Service, Inc.
P.O. Box 5087
Bowling Green Station
New York, NY 10274

Education Evaluators International, Inc.
11 South Angell Street #348
Providence, RI 02906

Any student who prefers to use a different evaluation service must submit a request in writing to the Registrar and ask for a written approval.

Readmission Policy

Graduate students who plan to re-enter graduate school after missing a fall, spring, or longer length of time should contact the respective school or division for readmission at least three weeks before registration. A student readmitted after an interruption of more than two years in the course of study at Louisiana College may, at the discretion of the University, be required to fulfill the graduation requirements in the catalog in force at the time of readmission.

Students who change degree programs assume responsibility for meeting all prerequisite and degree requirements for the degree to which they are changing as established by the Graduate Catalog in use at the time the change is requested.

Students placed on academic suspension who want to continue in the degree program may appeal to the Dean or Director of the program and the Graduate Council. The student should submit a letter of appeal to the Dean or Director of the program addressing the circumstances that resulted in suspension, explaining any changes, and requesting reinstatement. The Dean or Director of the program will submit the appeal letter to the Graduate Council for consideration. In such cases, the decision of the Graduate Council regarding readmission will be final.

Changing Majors

If a student changes from one major to another or changes emphasis within the major where there are different requirements for Admission, the student must reapply and meet the admission requirements of the new program, including any undergraduate prerequisites and standardized tests. Graduate hours accumulated during the first major will remain on the transcript (official permanent record) but will be excluded from the overall GPA calculation for the new program.