Graduate Admissions

Our graduate programs are designed to provide capable students with opportunities for individual inquiry, to prepare qualified individuals for professional leadership roles, to integrate technology throughout the learning process, and to promote the current best practices in our fields of study

No more than nine Longwood non-degree graduate hours may be counted towards a degree, certificate or professional endorsement program. Students are expected to apply to a Longwood graduate program prior to enrolling in classes. At the latest, all application materials should be received before the completion of six hours.

To apply to all degree and professional endorsement programs, visit the Longwood University website homepage, www.longwood.edu, and select the “Apply” link at the top of the page to apply online. 

Admission criteria is listed in the program information which can be found in the Programs  link.

Application Deadlines

Our published admission application deadlines in the table below are good guidelines for applicaiton submission unless otherwise specified. The application fee is $65.00 and is payable by credit card, debit card or electronic check.Payment is collected upon application submission via the online application.

Enrollment Deposit deadlines are based on admission date and are noted in the admission letter.  Unless otherwise specified in the admission packet the deadlines for requesting a refund of the deposit are June 10^th for Fall, November 15^th for Spring, and March 31^st for Summer.

Applications are reviewed by the appropriate program admissions committee only when all application materials have been received and the application is complete. Once the committee has rendered a decision, the College of Graduate & Professional Studies sends prompt, written notification to the applicant. 

Deposit

After an offer of admission, a $100.00 tuition deposit is required of all master’s degree and professional endorsement seeking applicants as an indication of commitment to attend Longwood University. New students are informed of the deposit in the offer-of-admission letter from the College of Graduate and Professional Studies. Deposits, made payable to Longwood University, are processed in the Office of Cashiering and are refundable provided a written withdrawal/refund request is submitted to the College of Graduate and Professional Studies prior to the stated deadlines in the table above. The deposit becomes a credit on the new student’s account.

Cancellation of Admissions Offer

Longwood’s Honor Code prohibits lying, cheating, and stealing. Students who complete the Application for Graduate Admission pledge to abide by the Honor Code. Should a student falsify the information provided on the application, alter academic documents, plagiarize the essay or otherwise issue an untrue statement as part of the application process, the offer of admission will be revoked. The University also reserves the right to revoke an offer of admission:

• should a student’s academic performance fall below established minimums, or
• should a student not enroll in a course for the term admitted, or
• should a student have a criminal conviction, or
• should a student have been disciplined by any college or university.

Non-Degree Students

1. No more than nine Longwood non-degree graduate hours may be counted towards a degree, certificate or professional endorsement program. Students are expected to apply to a Longwood graduate program prior to enrolling in classes. At the latest, all application materials should be received before the completion of six hours.
2. A teacher who is primarily interested in licensure renewal but not credit toward a degree program may enroll as a non-degree student. 
3. A student who is interested in personal enrichment may enroll as a non-degree student. 
4. Graduate courses may be audited, with permission of the instructor and registration takes place in the Office of the Registrar.

Apply here to attend as a Non-Degree Student.

International Students

The College of Graduate and Professional Studies welcomes applications from prospective international students.

We offer four degree programs in which full-time enrollment may be possible for international students if studying on F-1 or J visas.  Full-time enrollment at the graduate level is nine (9) credit hours per semester.  Those programs are Counselor Education, Communication Sciences & Disorders, Reading, Literacy, & Learning, and Special Education.

Graduate international applicants must meet the following application requirements in addition to all program specific requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree from a recognized accredited institution.

• Official credential evaluation for all international institutions where a degree, bachelor or higher, was obtained.  The College of Graduate and Professional Studies accepts degree to degree and course by course evaluations.  If the program you are applying to has prerequisite coursework, a course by course evaluation is strongly recommended.  We accept credential evaluations from, but are not limited to: World Education Services, Inc. (www.wes.org), Global Credential Evaluators (www.gcevaluators.com), and Educational Perspectives (www.gcevaluators.com).

• If the primary language of instruction where the applicant obtained a degree, bachelor or higher, is not English submission of official TOEFL or IELTS scores is required.  The minimum score requirements are an 80 (Internet Based Test) on the TOEFL or a 6.5 on the IELTS.

Graduate international applicants offered admission will be contacted by the International Student/Scholar Advisor who will communicate the additional requirements for international students, and who will issue the non-immigrant visa forms.  Graduate students will not be permitted to begin coursework until all additional requirements are met (financial certification, health insurance, immunization records, etc.).

Limited financial assistance in the form of graduate assistantships may be available.  Information on assistantship positions and policies can be found here, http://www.longwood.edu/graduatestudies/graduate-assistantships/.

International students wishing to be present in the US to complete a graduate degree are required to take a minimum of 6 classroom based credits a semester.  Qualified international students may complete an on-line graduate degree while remaining in their home countries.  A list of all programs is available on our website, http://www.longwood.edu/graduatestudies/.

Second Master’s Degree

A maximum of six (6) credit hours from the first Master’s degree may be applied to the second Master’s degree, provided a grade of B or better was earned in the course(s), they are no more than five years old, and they are applicable to the new program.

Senior Undergraduate Students

A senior at Longwood University may take up to six (6) hours of graduate credit that may be counted towards the graduate degree and electives in the undergraduate degree. Such credit may be earned only in 500-level courses and, if it meets course requirements for the degree, may be counted toward a master’s degree. The senior must have an overall GPA that meets the minimum GPA required for admission to the graduate program which offers the course and must receive permission from the department chair of their major and then the Dean of the College of Graduate and Professional Studies. In any case where an undergraduate student is registered for a 500-level course that is to be applied to a graduate degree, the Dean of the College of Graduate and Professional Studies must notify the Office of the Registrar of this designation.

Students with Disabilities

In accordance with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, students with disabilities will not be discriminated against on the basis of their disability.

Admission to the graduate program is based on the requirements outlined in the Catalog. Admissions decisions are made without regard to disability. All students are expected to present academic credentials at or above the minimum standards for admission as established by the Graduate Council.

Once a student has been admitted, requests for accommodations should be directed to the Director of Disability Resources at 434.395.2391, TDD 711, or by fax at 434.395.2434. The Director will work with the student, based upon appropriate documentation, to provide and structure reasonable accommodations to meet the student’s needs.

Longwood University recognizes both the wide variation in the needs of students with disabilities and the fact that as students progress through their programs, unanticipated needs may arise. Contact your academic advisor, the program director, the College of Graduate and Professional Studies or Disability Resources as soon as possible if problems do arise.

Health Records

In accordance with 23-7.5 of the Code of Virginia, a full-time student (nine hours at the graduate level), enrolling for the first time in any public institution of higher education in this Commonwealth must have a health record and history on file in the University Health Center. Prior to pre-registration for the second semester, students must furnish documented evidence, provided by a licensed health professional or health facility, of diseases for which the student has been immunized, the numbers of doses given, the dates when administered, and any further immunizations indicated. These immunizations include diphtheria, tetanus, polio-myelitis, measles (rubeola), German measles (rubella), mumps, and meningitis according to the guidelines of the American College Health Association. Tuberculosis screening within the past year is also required. Any student who fails to furnish this information will not be eligible for registration for the second semester.