Graduate Admissions

Prospective students are cordially invited to visit Ferrum College. Appointments for interviews and tours of the campus may be arranged by calling the Office of Admissions, which is located in the Spilman-Daniel House, at (540) 365-4290 or 1-800-868-9797 or online at admissions.ferrum.edu/experience-ferrum/visit/. Staff are available on weekdays for campus tours at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., and by appointment, on Saturdays at 10:30 a.m., except during holiday weekends.

General Admissions Standards for Graduate Programs 

Apply to Ferrum College’s graduate programs by:

• Submit an online admission application specifying the desired graduate program. 
• Submit official transcripts for all undergraduate coursework (and graduate coursework, if applicable)  Note: Unofficial transcripts can be submitted at the time of application, but if admitted to the program, official transcripts must be received by the college before the third week of your first term classes.

Each graduate and certificate program have additional admissions requirements.  Program specific admissions requirements are listed below. 

Students who wish to enroll in any graduate or certificate program should meet all criteria in the general admission and program specific standards related to their desired degree or certificate. 

Graduate Degree Specific Admissions Requirements

 Athletic Coaching Program Specific Admissions Requirements, M.S.

• A Bachelor’s degree in Health and Human Performance or a related field with a discipline cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher.
• Submission of a 1000-word essay describing how your previous coursework/life/career experiences have prepared you for a graduate program in athletic coaching and sports and your intended goals based on successful completion of the program.

Curriculum and Instruction Program Specific Admissions Requirements, M. Ed.

• A Bachelor’s degree in education or a related field from an accredited institution
• Minimum 3.0 overall GPA* in undergraduate coursework OR if an applicant possesses a Master’s degree or has taken any graduate-level coursework before applying must have an average of at least a 3.0 GPA in their graduate coursework.
• Submit official transcripts for all undergraduate coursework (and graduate coursework, if applicable)  Note: Unofficial transcripts can be submitted at the time of application, but if admitted to the program, official transcripts must be received by the college before the third week of your first term classes.
• Current resume, including evidence of professional teaching license or relevant work experience for non-licensed applicants
• Contact information for three professional or academic references (Name, email address, phone number, nature of academic or professional relationship).
• Statement of Professional Goals responding to the following prompt: How do you see this program helping you to achieve your career goals? You have two options on how to submit your statement
  • 1-2 page written statement  OR a 2-4 minute screencast video response
• *If you do not meet the above GPA qualifications and your overall GPA falls between a 2.75 and 2.99, and you still want to be considered for admission, please include in your Statement of Professional Goals a supplemental section contextualizing your previous academic performance, including any extraordinary circumstances that impacted your prior coursework.  Additionally, an interview via Zoom may be required at the discretion of the M.Ed. Director.  

Nursing Program Specific Admissions Requirements, MSN:CNL

• A Bachelor’s degree in Nursing from a regionally accredited school
• Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher (on a 4.0 scale)
• Submit three satisfactory academic and professional recommendations
• Submit a resume or CV
• Hold a license as a registered nurse in the U.S. with eligibility to transfer the license to Virginia; students must have an unencumbered RN license in Virginia before the first day of classes
• Be available for an interview, if requested

Psychology Program Specific Admissions Requirements M.S.

Standard Admissions Requirements for the Psychology, M.S. Program

• Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are accepted, but not required
• Completion of at least 12 credits in undergraduate coursework in psychology or a related field with a 2.75 UGPA or higher (or alternative acceptable experience)
• Academic writing sample demonstrating adequate command of APA formatting
• Formal Admissions Interview

Standard Admissions Requirements for the Clinical & Counseling Psychology, M.S.

The M.S. in Clinical and Counseling Psychology is a clinically-focused degree designed to prepare students to work with a client/patient population. Students who have earned a 3.0 GPA or higher in the generalist track do not need to meet any additional admissions requirements. Students applying directly to this program or who did not earn a 3.0 GPA in the generalist program must submit the following:

• Completion of at least 12 credits in undergraduate coursework in psychology or a related field with a 3.0 GPA or higher
• Academic writing sample demonstrating adequate command of APA formatting
• Three references, at least one academic and one professional
• Resume or Curriculum Vitae
• Submission of an APA-style entrance essay with the following sections included:
  • What are the applicant’s goals and how will the degree be used after graduation?
  • How will the applicant balance graduate school with family, career, sports, etc?
  • Discuss the applicant’s ability to perform in an online degree program
  • Explain thesis research interests and faculty alignment.
  • List potential practium site location in the student’s interest area
• Admissions Interview  

Early Admissions (Jump Start) Requirements for the Psychology, M.S. Program

Undergraduate students with demonstrated exceptional performance in the field of psychology may be eligible to enroll in select graduate-level coursework via the early admissions option* starting in their senior year. Undergraduate students accepted into this track may take up to four graduate-level courses in total. Requirements for the early admissions track include:

• Completion of at least 12 credits of undergraduate coursework in psychology with a 3.5 psychology GPA or higher
• Academic writing sample demonstrating adequate command of APA formatting
• Three Letters of Recommendation, at least two of which must be from undergraduate professors familiar with the student’s academic abilities
• Formal Early-Admissions Interview

Any additional program-specific admissions requirements will be deemed satisfied. Formal admission to the graduate program will be reviewed by the appropriate program director and an admission decision provided in writing. 

Teacher Leadership and Coaching, Ed. S. Program Specific Admissions Requirements

• A Master’s degree in education or related field, 
• A 3.0 overall GPA in graduate coursework, 
• Current resume/CV, including evidence of minimum of 3 years of teaching and/or leadership experience, 
• Submit official transcripts for all undergraduate coursework (and graduate coursework, if applicable)  Note: Unofficial transcripts can be submitted at the time of application, but if admitted to the program, official transcripts must be received by the college before the third week of your first term classes.
• Contact information for three professional or academic references (Name, email address, phone number, nature of academic or professional relationship).
• Statement of Professional Goals responding to the following prompt: How do you see this program helping you to achieve your career goals? You have two options on how to submit your statement
  • 1-2 page written statement  OR a 2-4 minute screencast video response
• *If you do not meet the above GPA qualifications and your overall GPA falls between a 2.75 and 2.99, and you still want to be considered for admission, please include in your Statement of Professional Goals a supplemental section contextualizing your previous academic performance, including any extraordinary circumstances that impacted your prior coursework.  Additionally, an interview via Zoom may be required at the discretion of the Ed.S. Director.  

Graduate Certificate Specific Admissions Requirements

• A Bachelor’s degree in education or related field from an accredited institution
• Submit official transcripts for all undergraduate coursework (and graduate coursework, if applicable)  Note: Unofficial transcripts can be submitted at the time of application, but if admitted to the program, official transcripts must be received by the college before the third week of your first term classes.
• Current resume, including evidence of professional teaching license or relevant experience for non-licensed applicants

• A Master’s degree in education or a related field from an accredited institution
• Submit official transcripts for all undergraduate coursework (and graduate coursework, if applicable)  Note: Unofficial transcripts can be submitted at the time of application, but if admitted to the program, official transcripts must be received by the college before the third week of your first term classes.
• Current resume, including evidence of professional teaching license or relevant experience for non-licensed applicants

General Admissions Procedure

Admission to graduate programs is rolling, and a student may enter at the beginning of any academic semester.  Admission to graduate study is granted to those who meet the academic requirements and who hold a baccalaureate degree from any regionally accredited institution of higher education, and to certain qualified Ferrum College seniors. 

Students may be admitted to graduate study in any one of several categories:

1. Admitted Degree Seeking – a student who meets the requirements for admission to the chosen program. 
2. Conditionally Admitted – a student who fails to satisfy one or more of the requirements for admission to a graduate program. This is a temporary classification and will be changed as soon as the specified conditions are satisfied. Most graduate students will be limited to (12) twelve graduate credit hours unless they are unconditionally admitted to a graduate program. Reasons for conditional admittance could be, but are not limited to, the following:
   • Not all application materials have been received. All materials necessary to remove conditional status must be submitted by the end of the semester in which the student is first enrolled.
   • Grade point averages below the minimum specified for these programs. Students must earn at least a 3.0 grade point average (GPA) upon completion of the first (12) twelve semester hours of graduate credit. Failure to achieve the 3.0 GPA level within the allowable (12) twelve hours shall result in the student’s dismissal from the program.
3.  Admitted Non-degree Seeking – A student who meets the requirements for admission to graduate study but does not wish to work toward a graduate program. Students admitted as non-degree seeking will be permitted to take up to (12) twelve hours in a program which may later be applied toward a program upon formal admission to that program.
4. Visiting Student – Students who are pursuing a degree at another institution may wish to take courses at Ferrum College. These students must submit a letter from the graduate dean of the home institution indicating that the student is in good standing and has approval to take the specified courses for transfer. Visiting students must submit an application for admission but no other transcripts or credentials are required. Application as a visiting student is not to be considered as an application for admission to a graduate program.
5. Not Admitted–An applicant who does not meet the requirements for admission to graduate study and has been denied admittance. The applicant will be notified of the denial and the reason for the denial in writing.

When to Apply for Admission

Academic Calendar

Fall – Candidates for the fall semester at Ferrum College may apply for admission upon completion of their post-secondary or graduate education and at least 15 days prior to the start of the Fall 1 Term.

Spring – Candidates for the spring semester should apply upon completion of their post-secondary or graduate education and at least 15 days prior to the start of the Spring 1 Term  

Summer — Candidates for the summer semester at Ferrum College may apply for admission upon completion of their post-secondary or graduate education and at least 15 days prior to the start of the Summer 1 Term.

How to Apply for Admission

Visit our website to create an account and apply online.  

Office of Graduate Admissions, Spilman-Daniel House
Ferrum College
P.O. Box 1000
Ferrum, VA 24088-9000

Applicants should:

1. Send an official electronic transcript of undergraduate/graduate work to admissions@ferrum.edu. This interim record will be used in making the admissions decision. 

How to Accept an Offer of Admission

An accepted student will indicate their intention to enroll at Ferrum College by submitting an enrollment deposit (if required) and following the detailed enrollment guide in their acceptance packet.  All course fees should be paid in full at least one week prior to the start of the academic term. The payment is refundable in full until the first day of class of the academic term (also see the Institutional Withdrawal Policy in the Financial Information). Once the full payment has been received, or the payment plan established, the student will have online access through Colleague Self-Service to courses via the College Learning Management System (LMS).

Special Admissions Categories

Admission as a Special Student

Individuals registering for fewer than 9 hours per semester and not intending to complete a specific program of study may be admitted as special students.

Admission as a Transfer Student

Ferrum College welcomes transfer applicants. Transfer students should follow the same admissions procedure as outlined for all graduate student applicants. In addition, transfer students must request that an official transcript of their college work be sent to the Ferrum College Office of Graduate Admissions for review of credit. 

Students with transferable credit will not be required to repeat equivalent course content at Ferrum College. Only credit hours, not grade point average, transfer to Ferrum College. 

Transfer Credit Policy

Ferrum College Graduate Transfer Credit policy holds that a maximum of 50% of the required semester hours from a recognized and regionally accredited graduate school may be transferred toward a graduate degree. Graduate student transcripts must list all coursework transferred from another institution used toward the completion of an individual program of study. 

Requests for transfer credit must be appropriate to the student’s planned program, carry a grade of at least “B”, and be approved by the appropriate Graduate Program Director.  The appropriate Dean may be consulted as well for approval of transfer credit. Acceptance of transfer credit does not imply completion of any portfolio tasks associated with that course. Students are to consult with their academic advisor and Graduate Program Director concerning deficiencies that may result as a part of the transfer process.

Further, graduate program students must earn at least 50% of the required hours of course credit at Ferrum College in their online program. Graduate student transfer credit allotment is monitored through periodic degree audits of student files. These audits are conducted by the Office of the Registrar. 

Time Limit on Transfer Credits

Readmission for Former Ferrum Students

Admission as an International Student

International students desiring admission to Ferrum College are encouraged to apply as early as possible. Students must submit:

• Copy of undergraduate transcripts from non-U.S. institutions translated into English.  
• Score results from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (T.O.E.F.L.) exam, or the English Proficiency Exam (E.P.E.), International English Language Testing System (I.E.L.T.S.), or the Scholastic Aptitude Test (S.A.T.) are required.
• Personal Financial Information sheet (provided by the Office of Admissions).

The I-20 Form is provided only after a student is accepted and has demonstrated the ability to pay tuition, room, board, and fees, and has submitted the $250 confirmation deposit indicating intent to enroll.

Admissions Appeals

Admissions applications are reviewed and evaluated by the appropriate academic program before an admissions decision is made. Applicants will be notified when an admissions decision has been made. Graduate applicants will be notified as to which admission category they have been assigned (See Admissions Standards). 

Applicants who wish to appeal an admission decision regarding admission requirements, categories of admission, independent study, time limits to a degree, or other concerns, must submit a written letter of appeal to the appropriate graduate program director and to the Division Chair of the School of Graduate and Online Studies. 

New Student Programs

Orientation

Ferrum College offers an online graduate orientation module to ensure that all new students begin their college careers as smoothly and pleasantly as possible. All new graduate students are introduced to Ferrum College and the School of Graduate and Online Studies through an online Graduate Orientation course through the College LMS, Brightspace/D2L.  This course includes an introduction to the College LMS, information about Ferrum College’s academic and student policies, and information about academic and student resources.