All graduate admission documentation, including recommendation forms, standardized test scores and academic transcripts from other institutions, become part of the official admission file and can neither be returned to the applicant nor duplicated for any purpose.
Application
Oakland University accepts an online Application for Admission to Oakland University Graduate School via www.oakland.edu/grad. To make the online application process convenient, the applicant creates a PIN and password so information can be entered over several sessions. Online information is stored and transmitted through a secured server. Once the online application is submitted, it is available for initial processing by Graduate Admissions.
Applicants who have been previously admitted and have not enrolled within the last two years must submit a Petition to Readmit to Graduate Program.
Recommendations
In most cases, graduate programs require an applicant to submit a minimum of two Recommendation for Graduate Admission forms. The total required recommendation forms are published in the Application Requirements section specific to the graduate program for which the applicant is requesting admission. Unless the applicant has been out of school for more than five years, at least one of the recommenders should be a faculty member who is able to judge the applicant’s preparation and ability to undertake graduate study.
Substitutions for a faculty recommender may include work supervisors or approved others who can comment on the applicant’s academic potential for graduate work.
All recommendations must be submitted on the recommendation forms provided through the application.
The Recommendation for Graduate Admission forms become part of the student’s official admission file. The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 provide student access to his/her educational record; however, the student retains the right to waive access to specific documents in his/her record. Students admitted to graduate study at Oakland University will be permitted access to the recommendations unless the student voluntarily waived this right as an applicant. Students who waived this right will not be permitted access to the recommendations.
Baccalaureate Degree
Applicants must have earned a baccalaureate degree from an accredited U.S. institution OR a degree equivalent to a four-year U.S. baccalaureate degree from a college or university of government-recognized standing.
In addition to a degree equivalent to a four-year U.S. baccalaureate degree, some graduate programs may require an applicant to submit satisfactory scores from the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), including advanced (subject) exams or the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). The GRE and GMAT are administered worldwide by Educational Testing Service (ETS).
Prospective students may apply for admission to the Graduate School at Oakland University during their final year of undergraduate study but must furnish proof of the baccalaureate degree by submitting the official transcript, with the degree posted, by a deadline no later than 45 days from the first day of class for the initial term of enrollment.
The date the baccalaureate degree was conferred must precede the date of enrollment in the graduate degree program.
Official Transcripts
According to the guidelines set by the American Association of College Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), an official college transcript is one that has been received directly in a sealed envelope from the issuing college or university or through a secure electronic transcript service. It must bear the college seal, current date, and an appropriate signature. Additionally, transcripts providing certification of the degree earned must include the degree and the date the degree was awarded. Transcripts received that do not meet these requirements are considered unofficial. All transcripts become the property of Oakland University and will not be returned to an applicant, or sent to another institution.
Minimum Transcript Requirements
Official transcripts are required from all post-secondary educational institutions from which the applicant earned a degree (beginning with first baccalaureate) and all enrollments in graduate-level coursework beyond the bachelor’s degree. Unofficial transcripts may be accepted for admissions evaluation purposes. When unofficial transcripts are received, the student’s acceptance should be regarded as limited standing pending receipt of an official transcript within a specific time frame.
Standards Beyond Minimum Transcript Requirements
As part of the admission requirements, graduate programs may require official transcripts from post-secondary educational institutions from which the applicant earned an associate degree and all enrollment in coursework both pre- or post-baccalaureate degrees.
Undergraduate Preparatory Courses
Undergraduate preparatory coursework refers to courses an applicant must complete in order to be eligible for admission into a graduate program. Preparatory courses are required for admission to the intended program and are NOT considered part of the degree requirements.
Graduate applicants, who do not meet the undergraduate coursework required for admission to a specific graduate program will be given a delayed graduate admission status and admitted to Oakland University at the post-baccalaureate level (PB) with a Graduate Preparatory (GP) student classification.
Financial aid eligibility can be granted for one calendar year to delayed graduate applicants admitted to Graduate Preparatory student classification. The student must produce for the Financial Aid Office an official letter and plan of study that lists the undergraduate preparatory courses required for the program. Only those undergraduate courses listed on the program plan of study can be used for calculation of loan eligibility.
Once the preparatory coursework is completed the student may be admitted to the degree program if the undergraduate preparatory courses are completed with the required grade.