Admission to the Graduate School is conducted by formal application, which is available online. Graduate admissions committees will consider all application materials when making admission decisions, so each piece of the application is important. In addition to an application, applicants must submit a non-refundable application fee, standardized test scores, transcripts, and letters of recommendation, which are described below in detail. Please send materials to

Baylor University Graduate Admissions
One Bear Place #97264
Waco, Texas 76798-7264
or via email to GraduateAdmissions@baylor.edu.

Qualified students will be admitted regardless of race, color, national or ethnic origin, gender, age, or disability.

• Applicants must submit an application and pay an application fee ($50 for all other programs, and $100 for EMBA programs).
• Baylor Graduate School accepts unofficial transcripts and test scores for application evaluation purposes. Should Baylor choose to extend an offer of admission, you will be notified that official transcripts and test scores must be submitted before you will be admitted and allowed to register. This includes official transcripts for each college or university at which a degree (bachelor’s or higher) was earned.

Transcripts

The Graduate School requires that all applicants have either a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution in the United States or proof of equivalent training at a foreign institution of higher learning. A credential evaluation may be requested for admission if we are unable to confirm that a degree is equivalent to a 4-year bachelor’s degree in the U.S. To prevent delays in reviewing application materials, we strongly encourage international applicants to consider providing a credential evaluation to ensure that we can proceed with the admissions process. Applicants are expected to have a record of undergraduate study and experience that is predictive of success in graduate study. A minimum grade point average or standardized test score is not specified. Records for current and former Baylor University students must be requested by the student through the Office of the Registrar and sent to the Graduate School.

Proof of Degree

The Graduate School must receive proof of an earned degree. If the transcript from the school at which the applicant earned a bachelor’s degree, or bachelor’s-equivalent, does not clearly state proof of degree completion, including the date on which that degree was conferred, the applicant must request that additional documentation, such as an official diploma certificate showing proof of degree, be mailed to the Graduate School.

Baylor University students applying to a joint bachelor’s/master’s degree program must provide proof of completion of their junior year (90 semester hours).

International applicants should be particularly mindful of this requirement since transcripts from non-U.S. institutions frequently lack proof of conferred degree information. Transcripts in languages other than English must be translated by an official translating agency and in some cases evaluated by WES (World Education Services www.wes.org), Spatran, or another organization or service provider. If the applicant is admitted before receiving a degree and final transcript, the applicant is required to have an official, final transcript documenting proof of degree sent to the Graduate School by the first day of class. Without proof of degree, the applicant will not be able to register for classes for their second semester.

Test Scores

Standardized testing measures of academic preparedness for graduate study can be an important component of the admissions process. GRE, GMAT, and MCAT test scores must be less than five years old to be considered. The GRE General Test is required for admission to some programs, please see your programs admissions page or contact Graduate Admissions@baylor.edu for confirmation. 

Applicants should request test agencies to send scores directly to the Graduate School. Baylor University’s College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) code is 6032. No minimum standardized test scores are required for any civilian graduate program, but applicants may contact the graduate program director for the program to which they are applying to find out what scores are considered competitive. Scores are determined to be satisfactory in light of other admission materials submitted and special factors specific to individual disciplines as well as institutional standards monitored by the Graduate School.

Letters of Recommendation

Letters of recommendation should address the applicant’s potential for success in the graduate program to which he or she has applied. Recommendations should come from professors, employers, or other individuals qualified to accurately assess academic or professional skills. While letters of recommendation will vary in content from discipline to discipline, letters of recommendation for doctoral applicants should address the applicant’s academic accomplishments and preparedness for doctoral study.

The Graduate School does not use recommendation forms. As part of the Graduate School’s online application, applicants list their recommender’s email address, mailing address, Institution/Employer name, and send them an email with instructions about how to submit their letter of recommendation online. Applicants have the option to send recommenders the email in advance of the online application, which allows the recommenders more time to submit their recommendation. Applicants should let their recommenders know ahead of time that, once the applicants have submitted their name, they will receive an email from GraduateAdmissions@baylor.edu. For more details, log in to the online graduate application.

If a recommender submits his or her letter using the Baylor online recommendation tool, please do not submit a paper copy. If necessary, recommenders may submit their letters directly to the Graduate School or may provide recommendations to the applicant in a sealed envelope signed across the seal, “for submission to the Graduate School.” Recommenders may also send their letter via email as a scanned image to GraduateAdmissions@baylor.edu (high quality image >=200dpi; .pdf, .jpg, .gif, .tif, .bmp). Letters should include full name, title, phone number,  and mailing address of the recommender. Letters should also include the full name of the applicant and the degree to which the applicant is applying.

Letters of recommendation should be submitted and should be written on institutional or business letterhead. One to three letters of recommendation are required for applications to programs in the Hankamer School of Business.

Additional Admissions Items

Applicants must also submit any additional items or materials (e.g., writing sample, statement of purpose, or taped performance) required by the prospective department or degree program. Additional admission items required may be found in the Curriculum section of this catalog.

International applicants are expected to satisfy the following admissions requirements:

1. TOEFL, IELTS, and DUOLINGO: International applicants must provide a test score from one of the three tests. The test score must be less than two years old to be considered. They must attain a minimum of 550 on the paper-based, 213 on the computer-based, or 80 on the internet-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), attain a minimum overall band score of 6.5 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or attain a minimum overall score of 125 on the Duolingo exam.
   
   Applicants to doctoral programs who submit an internet-based TOEFL score are recommended to score a minimum of 20 on the speaking section of the test. Note: All programs in the Hankamer School of Business require a minimum TOEFL score of 600 on the paper-based test, 250 score on the computer-based version, or 100 on the internet-based version, a minimum overall band score of 7.0 on the IELTS, or a minimum overall score of 125 on the Duolingo exam.
   
   The TOEFL, IELTS, and Duolingo are not required, if the applicant has a degree conferred by a U.S.-accredited higher education institution, or if the official language of their country, or region of their country, is English. TOEFL, IELTS, and Duolingo scores are valid for two years. After that time, the applicant must retake the test and submit the new scores to the Graduate School. For information about TOEFL, go to www.ets.org; for IELTS, go to www.ielts.org; for Duolingo, go to https://englishtest.duolingo.com/applicants.
2. When all of the preceding requirements have been received and satisfied, and after the applicant has been accepted by a degree program, the international student must complete the Immigration Status Form (www.baylor.edu/globalengagement/index.php?id=925421) and submit financial documents as instructed by the CGE office (Center for Global Engagement). For more information on how to obtain an I-20, which is required for an F-1 (student) visa, contact or see the ISSS website at CGE. Baylor requires all international graduate students to carry medical insurance prior to enrollment (see Health Insurance section of this catalog).
   
   Unexpired application materials including applications, transcripts, test scores, letters of recommendation, and resumes will be held for two years, after which point they will be destroyed. Applications submitted after stated deadlines may not be considered. Applications on which admission decisions have not been made may be deferred up to one academic year. Declined applicants must reapply. A student desiring admission to any graduate degree program must complete the application process, even if another graduate degree has been earned at Baylor University.

Bacterial Meningitis Vaccine Requirement

All new, entering college students in the state of Texas who are under the age of 22 are required by law to have had a bacterial meningitis vaccine within the last 5 years and at least 10 days prior to the first class day.

A student may be exempted from this requirement in two ways:

1. An affidavit or certificate signed by a physician who is duly registered and licensed to practice in the United States, stating that in the physician’s opinion, the vaccination would be injurious to the health and well-being of the student; or
2. An affidavit signed by the student saying that the student declines the vaccination for reasons of conscience, including religious belief. A conscientious exemption form from the Texas Department of State Health Services must be used. This form may be requested by going to www.dshs.texas.gov/immunize/school/exemptions.aspx.

Bacterial meningitis caused by Neisseria meningitis may be a serious infection, rapidly leading to death or disfigurement. The best way to prevent infection is to be immunized against it. College students are at increased risk because of age and lifestyle issues.

Important: All new, entering students under age 22 must comply with the above requirements at least 10 days prior to the first day of the semester/term. For the latest information about this requirement, visit the Baylor Health Services/Health Center website at www.baylor.edu/health_center. To ask questions, please call Baylor Health Services at (254) 710-1010.

The Graduate School’s letter of admission constitutes the University’s only official notification of the admission decision. (Admission is specific to individual graduate programs, the specific semester, and the stated terms of admission.) Admitted applicants must submit the Health Form and be cleared by Baylor Health Services before registering for classes. Attempts to enroll after the one year period will require re-application. The University reserves the right to refuse admission to any applicant whose previous academic record is deemed unsatisfactory.

Additional Considerations

Deferments

An admitted applicant may request to defer their admission no more than twice, and only up to one academic year per request, with written permission from the graduate program. Deferral of an application does not guarantee admission in the future term or funds promised in the initial admission offer.

Prerequisites

Applicants will be expected to complete all undergraduate prerequisites in both the major and minor fields in which graduate study will be pursued. The determination of appropriate prerequisites is made by each program’s graduate program director and/or the chairperson of the department in which the graduate program is housed. Students otherwise eligible for unconditional admission and who require no more than six semester hours of prerequisite course work may, with the permission of the graduate program to which the student applies, concurrently pursue both graduate study and prerequisite course work in the first semester. The total course load, however, may not exceed fifteen semester hours.

Qualifications

• The Graduate School recognizes the breadth of talents and aptitudes that are required to successfully complete a given graduate program and to demonstrate exceptional proficiency under gainful employment. With this in mind, consideration for alternative valid and reliable standardized measures required for admission will be made by the Graduate School where appropriate college/school administrative endorsement has been received.
• A student may be admitted on probation for a total of nine semester hours of graduate course work, contingent upon both the recommendation of the graduate program director and the approval of the Graduate School. Students on probation cannot receive university funding for either stipend or tuition. If the student is unable to maintain the overall GPA requirement of 3.0 at the conclusion of the nine hours, the student will be dismissed from the Graduate School.
• If evidence of sufficient qualifications for admission is inconclusive, a student may be admitted on probation for a total of nine semester hours of graduate course work, contingent upon both the recommendation of the graduate program director and the approval of the Graduate School. Students on probation cannot receive university funding for either stipend or tuition. If the student is unable to maintain the overall GPA requirement of 3.0 at the conclusion of the nine hours, the student will be dismissed from the Graduate School.

Admission to Candidacy

Admission to a graduate program does not automatically guarantee a student’s candidacy for a graduate degree. See the section in this catalog entitled Admission to Candidacy. Any degree program may require its master’s students to pass a qualifying examination before program completion. All doctoral degree candidates must take a preliminary examination before admission to candidacy.

Stay Informed

It is the student’s responsibility to become informed and to observe all regulations and procedures concerning degree completion required by the graduate program to which he/she is admitted. This includes attention to all internal deadlines (degree completion, registration, graduation, etc.), as well as the use of appropriate dissertation/thesis guidelines, and satisfying registration throughout degree completion and financial settlement procedures.