Graduate Catalog 2023-2024 | Admission Requirements

Admission Requirements

All candidates for admission to any graduate program must fulfill the following general admission requirements:

1. An earned baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution or an institution that the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has authorized to grant bachelor degrees.
2. GPA requirements may be as follows:

• A cumulative grade point average of 2.5 (based on a 4.0 system) of undergraduate coursework, or a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 (based on a 4.0 system) in the last 60 hours of the undergraduate degree.
• A 3.0 from undergraduate coursework taken after completion of bachelor’s degree, in combination with the last 60 hours of undergraduate degree.
• If fewer than 12 hours of graduate level coursework, then the last 60 hours, including the graduate hours, will be used to calculate the grade point average, It needs to be at least a 3.0 for admittance.
• Admissions to a doctoral program requires a master’s degree with a minimum of 36 credit hours in an appropriate field from a regionally accredited college or university. Leveling work may be required. Preferred grade point average of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale in all previous master’s degree work.

3.  Any foreign applicant whose native language is not English, applying to the teacher education program must also submit a passing score of 26 or higher on the oral communication skills of the TOEL-IBT as listed in TAC 230.11 per state guidelines.  Demonstration of oral communication skills is required for admittance provided the applicant does not hold a bachelor’s degree or higher from a university where English was the primary language of instruction.

Admission Requirements for Specific Programs

In addition to University admission requirements, each academic program may have admission requirements that are more rigorous. Please refer to respective academic program description for additional information.

Application Deadlines

Acceptance letters or I-20s are not guaranteed after the application deadline dates.

• Fall semester: June 15
• Spring semester: October 15
• Summer semester: March 15

Application deadlines vary for each graduate program and may precede the University deadline. See the University Graduate catalog for program deadlines.

Meeting the priority deadline does not guarantee admission although it does ensure priority consideration. Applications submitted after the priority deadline will be considered on a space available basis until the program’s final deadline.

Note: All credentials submitted for admission purposes become the property of Our Lady of the Lake University and will not be returned. Applicants who have attended OLLU are not required to submit OLLU transcripts.

Domestic Admission

Domestic students are those who are United States citizens or permanent residents.

Application Requirements for Domestic Applicants

1. Submission of a competed application for admission by the applicable deadline.
2. Non-refundable application fee of $40
3. Official transcripts from all regionally accredited colleges and universities where degrees were conferred.

• For admission to any of the doctoral programs, applicants must provide evidence that a Master’s degree has been earned from a regionally accredited university.

4. All foreign transcripts must have an official course-by-course credential evaluation report from an OLLU recommended credential evaluation service. These credentials must indicate a minimum educational preparation equivalent to a U.S. baccalaureate degree and evidence of completion of Master’s degree from an accredited university if applying to a doctoral program.

Credential Evaluation Services:

The following agencies are recommended by OLLU. Other agencies approved by National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES)may be used but additional documentation may be required.

Special Admission

A student who wishes to register only for course work and not as a degree candidate may be considered for admission as a non-degree seeking student. Please refer to the department policies regarding whether respective departments will consider special admission. No more than 12 credit hours earned as a non-degree seeking student may be applied toward a degree and these credits must have been earned not more than one calendar year prior to admission to the degree program. There is no guarantee, however, that courses taken in the special admission category will be accepted as part of the degree curriculum, or that acceptance as a non-degree seeking student will lead to regular admission to the master’s or doctoral program.

Application Requirements for Special Applicants

1. Submission of a completed application for admission by the applicable deadline.
2. Non-refundable application fee of $40
3. Must submit an official transcript verifying the highest conferred degree and an overall grade point average of at least 2.50.
4. A letter of intent that describes the reasons for enrolling in the specific course.
5. Additional materials may be required depending on the program of study.  Refer to the University Graduate catalog for additional requirements.

Transient Admission

Occasionally, a graduate student from another institution may request permission to take one or two courses at OLLU to complete degree requirements at the home institution. Such students must meet the foundation and prerequisite requirements for any courses to be taken.

Application Requirements for Transient Applicants

1. Submission of a completed application for admission by the applicable deadline.
2. Non-refundable application fee of $40.
3. A letter of intent that describes the reasons for enrolling in this specific course.
4. An official copy of the most recent graduate transcript.

Conditional Admission

Conditional acceptance is granted on the merits of each case. Please refer to the department policies regarding whether respective departments will consider conditional admissions. In some circumstances, applicants who do not meet all of the requirements for regular admission may be admitted conditionally, providing they fulfill the conditions listed in their letters of conditional acceptance within the period of specified time. If conditional acceptance is given because of missing official credentials, the period of time to provide those documents will not extend beyond the first term of attendance.

Readmission

[SSM] Any student whose program is interrupted by an absence of one year or more will incur the obligation of meeting changed requirements as printed in the current graduate catalog.

A readmission application is required for the following reasons:

1. Application to continue graduate level coursework when a year or more has passed since a student’s last date of attendance.
2. Application to continue graduate level coursework when a student has been placed on Enforced Scholastic Withdrawal and has remained out of the program for one full semester or two summer sessions.

Application Requirements for Readmit Applicants

1. Submission of a completed application for admission by the applicable deadline.
2. Non-refundable application fee of $40
3. Official transcripts from all regionally accredited colleges and universities attended since last attending OLLU.
4. A letter of intent that describes the reasons for stopping out and what has changed in order to continue in the program.
5. Student was placed on Enforced Scholastic Withdrawal: A letter of intent to include:

• Explanation of previous academic performance
• Plans for improving academic performance and corrective actions
• Any other documentation which will support request for readmission

• Note each respective academic program may have additional requirements for students placed on ESW.

Residence Requirements and Transfer Credit

All credits toward the master’s or doctoral degree must be taken at Our Lady of the Lake University with the exception of those credits which come under the transfer credit policy. Graduate credit will not be awarded for portfolio-based experiential learning which occurs prior to the matriculation into a graduate program.

Graduate credit hours may transfer if the following conditions are met:

1. The credits must be earned at a regionally accredited institution, including institutions of the United Colleges of San Antonio (UCSA), prior to admission to Our Lady of the Lake University.
2. Each course transferred must have a grade of “B” (3 grade points on a scale of 0-4) or better.
3. The number of credits does not exceed the maximum for the specific graduate program, which may be found in the corresponding program description in this catalog. Note: The maximum credit hours applied to an individual student’s degree in any graduate program may not exceed one-third of the total graduate credit hours required for the degree.

Transfer of credit earned prior to a matriculation at Our Lady of the Lake University must be formally petitioned by the student and approved by the program adviser and Dean of the College or School.

• A maximum of six credit hours in graduate programs other than psychology and social work.
• A maximum of 18 credit hours for the 66-hour Master of Science program in School Psychology or 60-hour Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy.
• A maximum of six graduate semester hours may be transferred into the MSW program.  Six graduate semester hours from a Council on Social Work Accredited social work program may transfer into the foundation curriculum if the courses are judged to be equivalent to the courses being offered in the program.  Students admitted as advanced standing may only transfer 3 hours of elective credit.  No courses will be approved for transfer into the concentration portion of the program except for three hours of elective credit. Prior approval must be obtained from the director of the MSW program to ensure earned course credits will be accepted for transfer and counted toward the degree.
• A maximum of 39 credit hours in psychology or counseling discipline may be transferred into the PsyD program.

After matriculation, all credits earned must be taken in residence unless the student receives approval prior to taking the course. To have a course approved:

1. Students should obtain a “Letter of Transferability” form from the Registrar’s Office
2. Complete the form, obtain signatures.
3. Return the form to the Registrar’s Office.

If the course is offered through extension/correspondence, documentation certifying that the course may be used toward a degree at the home institution must accompany the form