If you have questions regarding our graduate programs, email our program assistant.
Admission as Candidate for a Master's Degree
If you'd like to pursue a master's degree at Northern, please declare this intent when admitted to graduate study. The minimum grade point average for admission to a master's degree program is a cumulative 2.75 for bachelor's degree work.
If you don't meet this minimum GPA, you may be admitted if you've earned a GPA of:
- 3.00 during your last 64 semester hours of undergraduate credits, or
- 3.25 in your undergraduate major, or
- 3.25 in your last 12 credits of graduate work from a program leading to a degree at an accredited institution.
Non-Degree-Seeking
Non-degree-seeking candidates must submit the following information to the Office of Graduate Studies:
- An application form for admission to graduate study, and
- An official transcript of all college or university credits, including both undergraduate and graduate credit (if applicable).
- If you were born after 1956 and will receive instruction on campus, one of the following documents is required: documentation of immune status for measles, mumps and rubella; proof of two doses of measles, mumps and rubella vaccine; separate vaccinations against all three diseases; or proof of the presence of an immune antibody titers against measles, mumps and rubella.
- Non-degree seeking students do not qualify for financial aid.
Degree-Seeking
Degree-seeking candidates must submit the following information to the Office of Graduate Studies:
- An application form for admission to graduate study,
- An official transcript of all college or university credits, including undergraduate and graduate credit (if applicable),
- A $35 application fee, and
- Two letters of reference addressing the student's potential for success in graduate study.
- If you were born after 1956 and will receive instruction on campus, one of the following documents is required: documentation of immune status for measles, mumps and rubella; proof of two doses of measles, mumps and rubella vaccine; separate vaccinations against all three diseases; or proof of the presence of an immune antibody titers against measles, mumps and rubella.
International Student Admission
In addition to the above requirements for admission to graduate study, international students must provide evidence of:
- A minimum score of 550 on the paper-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), or
- A minimum score of 79 on the Internet-based TOEFL, or
- A minimum score of 6 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or
- International students are required to purchase a South Dakota Board of Regents medical insurance policy, proof of which must be provided before registering. The insurance requirement applies to the student, student's spouse and any other accompanying dependents.
Non-Degree Admission
If you'd like to complete graduate credit for professional growth or certification purposes, you may be admitted on a non-degree basis. You may later request a change in status to a degree program. As a non-degree student, you may transfer a maximum of nine credit hours to the degree program. Non-degree seeking students do not qualify for financial aid.
Provisional Admission
If you're unable to meet the requirements for admission to a degree program, you may apply for provisional admission.
Candidates completing a minimum of six graduate credit hours at Northern State University, with a minimum GPA of 3.00, may request a change in status to a degree program. However, only nine credits may be applied toward a degree program at a later date.
Provisionally admitted students do not qualify for financial aid.