Applying for, and Requirements of,

a Master's Degree

Apply Online

To be considered for admission into a master's or doctoral program, prospective students must apply online. For more information about the application process, contact The Graduate Center at gradadmissions@spu.edu.

GENERAL ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS FOR MASTER'S DEGREE PROGRAMS

To be admitted to a master's degree program at SPU, you must meet the following requirements:

1. Hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university or its equivalent.
2. Submit letters of recommendation from at least two people. The letters submitted must come from unrelated individuals familiar with your intended field of study.
3. Submit official copy of transcript(s) from the college or university that granted your bachelor's degree and any institution attended since that time.
4. Present a grade point average of at least 3.0 (4.0=A) in the last 45 quarter credits of coursework completed before applying for admission or in all undergraduate work, whichever is higher.
5. Present an acceptable score on the appropriate entrance examination as required by the particular program of study.
6. Meet the specific entrance requirements given for your intended field of study.
7. Pay the appropriate application fee.

You must also meet any additional admission requirements of the particular program in which you intend to study.

If English is not an your first language,you must submit a minimum score of 550 on the written version of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), regardless of previous coursework (575 for the MBA and ISM programs, 580 for the MSN program, and 600 for the TESOL program).

Applicants who are not citizens or permanent residents of the United States must provide an official confidential statement of financial support covering each year of intended enrollment.

PROBATIONAL AND PROVISIONAL ADMISSION TO MASTER'S DEGREE

PROGRAMS

Applicants with exceptional qualifications and recommendations who meet all requirements except numbers four or five of the admissions requirements may be considered for admission to graduate education at the University on a probationary status.

If you meet all of the admission requirements, but need to complete additional coursework before being admitted to a graduate program, you may be admitted on a provisional status.

Students admitted on probationary or provisional status may enroll for up to 9 credits of graduate-level coursework approved by an advisor in the proposed field of study. If they complete the stipulated 9 credits within a 12-month period with grades of B or better in all courses, they must apply or reapply for full admission. In no case will more than 9 credits taken while on probationary or provisional status count toward a graduate degree program.

Students who are fully admitted or placed on probationary status are eligible for up to $20,500 of Stafford loan funds, provided all other eligibility requirements have been met. Students admitted on provisional status are eligible for only up to $12,500 of Stafford loan funds for one consecutive 12-month period.

In accordance with U.S. government regulations, international students admitted on probationary or provisional status are not eligible for F-1 (student) visa status.

ADMISSION AND PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS FOR DOCTORAL PROGRAMS

Seattle Pacific University offers five doctoral programs. Refer to the specific doctoral program for admission and program requirements.

RE-ADMISSION

Students who would like to re-enroll after 4 quarters (1 year) have passed must submit all new application materials. The Graduate Center will inform the student if additional credentials need to be submitted. 

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR A MASTER'S DEGREE

The following requirements apply to all master's degree programs. (Specific degree requirements are listed each program section of this Catalog.) Each master's degree student must:

1. Satisfactorily complete the approved program of study.
2. Complete the minimum master's requirement of 33 credits required for the degree. The last 15 credits of the degree must be earned at SPU.
3. Complete no fewer than 27 credits on the master's degree after being admitted to the specific degree program.
4. Complete at least a 3-credit graduate course in Christian faith and values.
5. Maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher. No course in which a grade below C (2.0) is earned may apply toward a master's degree. If a student's cumulative GPA falls below 3.0, he or she will be placed on academic probation.
6. Maintain the professional and personal standards expected of graduate students that are stipulated for each program. Failure to maintain these standards may result in removal from the program of study and degree status.
7. Apply for the master's degree no later than the second week of the quarter before the student plans to graduate. For example, students expecting to graduate at the end of Winter Quarter should apply no later than the second week of Autumn Quarter. Application forms are available online.
8. Make application for any required comprehensive examination at least four weeks before the examination is scheduled and pay the comprehensive examination fee at Student Financial Services (SFS).
9. Pay the cost of binding the requested copies of the thesis/project (if applicable) to the appropriate graduate office.
10. Students who may reasonably complete all graduation requirements by the start of the following Autumn Quarter may seek special permission to participate in Commencement. This requires that the director of graduate studies for the student's program make such a recommendation to the registrar.

Participation in the University's Hooding and Commencement exercises, held at the end of Spring Quarter each year, is optional.

Note: Degrees are awarded and posted to academic records after all degree requirements have been completed. This occurs during the quarter following the last quarter of enrollment.

SECOND MASTER'S DEGREE

If you hold a master's degree from an accredited institution, you may earn a second master's degree at Seattle Pacific under the following conditions:

1. You meet the normal admission requirements for admission to the University and to the specific degree program.
2. You meet all degree requirements for the second degree.
3. Credits you earned while taking your first master's degree may be used to meet the requirements of the second master's degree, provided those credits were taken within seven years of admission to the second degree program.
4. Regardless of how many credits from the first master's degree are counted toward the second master's degree, you will in any case complete a minimum of 27 credits on your approved program of study at SPU after being admitted for the second degree. Of these 27 credits, at least 15 will be in 6000-level courses.
5. The specialization in the second master's degree program will be different from that of the first master's degree. You may work toward two master's degrees simultaneously.

<< Back to 2014-15 Graduate Catalog Home