The College of Graduate and Professional Studies believes that ordinary people can do extraordinary things. In keeping with the mission of Longwood University, the College of Graduate and Professional Studies strives to create a stimulating environment for teaching, learning, research, creative expression, and public service.
Longwood’s graduate programs are built around innovation, diversity and leadership. We are committed to taking this journey with you. Step into a future that’s built on your existing strengths and engineered for your success.
Prospective graduate students are welcome to enroll in graduate courses as a non-degree student prior to admission to a graduate program. However, no more than nine hours of Longwood graduate coursework taken as a non-degree student may be counted towards a degree program or professional endorsement. Graduate program directors may request an exception through the graduate dean to count up to twelve hours provided at least 4 of those 12 hours were taken on main campus or online.
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. Once on the “Apply” page, be sure to select “start graduate application” and being applying online.
The College of Graduate & Professional Studies (CGPS) receives and processes all applicants for admission to graduate programs. Graduate program directors and program faculty review applications and admit applicants they determine will most likely be successful in their graduate studies based on their qualifications.
Because each graduate program may require different preparation, this broad policy is used in conjunction with program-specific admissions requirements.
Prior to starting their graduate program, students must hold a conferred bachelor’s degree or international equivalent from an accredited college or university accredited by the appropriate institutional (formerly regional) accreditation agency. In addition, qualifications and potential for success are determined by a review of at least two of the following, depending on program admissions requirements:
Overall undergraduate GPA
Standardized graduate test score
A personal essay
A résumé
Relevant work experience
Recommendation letter(s)
Appeals: If an applicant is denied admission but feels that the decision was made in error or excluded pertinent information they may submit the Graduate Appeal form. The College of Graduate and Professional Studies Administrative Team will review the form, including any additional information, and will communicate directly with the program director or admissions review committee. The program director or admissions review committee will make a second and final admission decision. The final decision will be communicated to the applicant.
Fees: Each applicant for admission shall be assessed a non-refundable application fee or be granted a fee waiver.
Specific admission criteria is listed in each graduate program found here: Graduate Programs .
Application Deadlines
Our published admission application deadlines in the table below are good guidelines for application submission unless otherwise specified. The non-refundable application fee is $40.00 and is payable by credit card, debit card or electronic check. Payment is collected upon application submission via the online application.
| Program |
Deadline |
|
Communication Sciences & Disorders (Speech Language Pathology) $100 Admission deposit required upon acceptance to program
|
February 1st for Fall Admission (This is a hard deadline, applications for this program submitted after this date will not be considered.) |
| Counselor Education |
Early Deadline: January 15th for Fall and Summer Admission - Standard Deadline: February 15th for Fall and Summer Admission |
| Education; Educational Leadership |
May 1st for Fall Admission |
| Education; Health & Physical Education |
July 20th for Fall Admission, November 15th for Spring Admission, April 20th for Summer Admission |
| MBA |
Please refer to the MBA calendar |
| Reading, Literacy, & Learning |
July 1st for Fall Admission, November 10th for Spring Admission, April 1st for Summer Admission |
| School Librarianship |
July 15th for Fall Admission, December 1st for Spring Admission, April 15th for Summer Admission |
| Education; Special Education |
June 1st for Fall Admission, November 1st for Spring Admission, March 1st for Summer Admission |
*These are suggested application submission dates; we will continue to accept applications until the program is full for program other than CSD, which has a hard deadline. Want to check if the program is full? Email us at graduate@longwood.edu
Enrollment Deposit deadlines are based on admission date and are noted in the admission letter. Unless otherwise specified in the admission letter, the deadline for requesting a refund of the deposit is May 1st.
Applications are reviewed by the appropriate program director and/or program admissions committee only when all application materials have been received and the application is complete. The College of Graduate & Professional Studies sends prompt, written notification to the applicant after a decision has been rendered.
Intent to Enroll
After an offer of admission, applicants are asked to confirm their acceptance through an intent-to-enroll email sent to Graduate Admissions (graduate@longwood.edu) by the date indicated in the admissions letter. The intent-to-enroll indicates commitment to attend a Longwood University graduate program and secures a place in the selected graduate program. Applicants to programs with limited enrollment space are required to pay a deposit indicated in the Application Deadlines chart above. If required, the deposit becomes a credit on the new student’s account.
Applicants may be admitted to a graduate program on conditional status if their application is missing one required element and/or if they do not meet one admission criterion. Conditional admissions requires the approval of the graduate program director and will be monitored by the director of graduate admissions. Full time students must meet all conditions prior to the completion of their first term. Part-time students must meet all conditions prior to the completion of their first two terms. For this policy, terms include summer session, fall semester, and spring semester. All conditions will be specified in the admissions letter.
Conditionally admitted students who are unable to meet their conditions before the specified timeline will not be able to register for additional coursework. These students will be inactivated and would need to reapply for future enrollment. Such students would be ineligible for further conditional admission.
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 if:
- a student’s academic performance fall below established minimums, or
- a student does not enroll in a course for the term admitted and does not request a Start of Term Change or
- a student has a criminal conviction, or
- a student has been disciplined by any college or university.
- No more than nine (9) hours of Longwood graduate coursework taken as a non-degree student may be counted towards a degree program or professional endorsement. Graduate program directors may request an exception through the graduate dean to count up to twelve (12) hours provided at least four (4) of those twelve (12) hours were taken on main campus or online. To avoid delays in program coursework sequences, all application materials should be received before the completion of six (6) hours as a non-degree student.
- A teacher who is primarily interested in licensure renewal but not credit toward a degree program may enroll as a non-degree student.
- A student who is interested in personal enrichment may enroll as a non-degree student.
- 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.
The College of Graduate and Professional Studies welcomes applications from prospective international students.
We offer three degree programs in which full-time enrollment may be possible for international students if studying on F-1 or J visas. Full-time graduate study at LU is defined as six (6) credits per semester - International students wishing to be present in the US to complete a graduate degree are required to take a minimum of three (3) classroom based credits a semester.
Programs offering classroom based credits are Counselor Education, Communication Sciences & Disorders, Reading, Literacy, & Learning, and the Special Education concentration of the Master of Science in 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., Global Credential Evaluators, and Educational Perspectives.
- 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.
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 here: Graduate Programs .
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 offering the course. Permission is required from the department chair of their major, graduate program director, and the Graduate Dean through submission of the Permission for Seniors to Take Graduate Courses form. Once approval has been confirmed by the College of Graduate and Professional Studies, the Registrar and the student will be notified.
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 Accessibility 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 the Accessibility Resources Office as soon as possible if problems do arise.
Health Records
In accordance with the Code of Virginia, a full-time on-campus student, 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. Meningitis and Hepatitis B immunizations are also required; however, waivers can be signed for Meningitis and Hepatitis B if the student chooses not to receive these immunizations.
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