All graduate programs at Columbus State University require that students hold a baccalaureate or master's degree from a college or university recognized by a Council for Higher Accreditation (CHEA) institutional or program accreditor. Specific admission requirements for each graduate program are included with the description of that program in the section, Graduate Academic Programs.

New applicants must submit a formal application to the Admissions Office along with a $50 non-refundable application fee. Georgia residents 62 years of age or older and soldiers serving on active duty are exempt from this fee. Documentation to support the exemption will be required when the application is submitted. All applicants, with the exception of foreign nationals, must provide Social Security numbers, which can be obtained at any Social Security office (social security numbers are required for institutional purposes only). As required under the University System of Georgia policy, a completed certificate of immunization must be received before enrollment. Forms are available at http://admissions.columbusstate.edu/forms/. Specific programs may require additional items such as a resume and/or letters of recommendation.

Admission credentials must be filed on or before the deadline date listed on the calendar in this catalog. Official consideration is given to an application only after all credentials are received. Ordinarily, application processing requires from three to six weeks. Applicants who wish to defer their date of entry to the University should submit an Admission Application Change Form found at http://admissions.columbusstate.edu/forms/. After a year has elapsed, a new application and all official transcripts must be resubmitted if the transcript is not already on file.

Students furnishing the University with false, incomplete, or misleading information relating to their application or academic record will be subject to denial or dismissal.

Official Transcripts

Applicants seeking admission to a graduate program must request that an official transcript from each college and university attended be sent directly to the Admissions Office. Applicants seeking admission to a specialist in an education program or to the doctoral program need only to request an official transcript from the institution where the master's degree was awarded. Transcripts received from other institutions become the property of Columbus State University and will not be released to the student or a third party.

Test Scores

Graduate programs vary in their requirements for entrance examinations. Please review the 'Admissions' tab for your individual program of study's requirements. 

If your program requires an entrance exam, your next step is to schedule the graduate entrance exam. Take the exam 6 weeks prior to the application deadline to ensure adequate time for processing. Exam scores will be reported directly to the CSU Graduate Admissions Office. Arrangements to take the MAT at Columbus State University can be made by registering online at testing.columbusstate.edu. Testing information for the GRE can be found at https://www.ets.org/. Testing information for the GMAT can be found at www.mba.com. Scores from tests taken more than five years prior to application for admission to a graduate program will not be accepted.

School codes for the entrance exams are as follows:

• Graduate Record Exam (GRE) - CSU School Code: 5123
• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) -  CSU School Code: 5123  
• Miller Analogies Test (MAT) - CSU School Code: 1097
• Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) - CSU School Code: R64-XW-20

A photocopy of your personal exam results may be submitted to the CSU Graduate Admissions Office to verify that the exam was taken; however, official test results must be received from the testing agency (e.g., Educational Testing Service, Psychological Corporation, or Graduate Management Admissions Council) before your application will be considered complete.