Non-Degree Graduate Study - Graduate Students
The Non-Degree Graduate Student Program (post-baccalaureate) allows students to prepare for admission to a graduate degree program either at MU or elsewhere, explore a new discipline, take courses for career advancement, or simply to seek personal enrichment experiences.
A non-degree graduate student may take undergraduate or graduate level courses, but hours earned are not credit toward a graduate degree. However, if a student is later admitted to a degree-granting program, up to 12 hours of earned graduate credit may be applied toward a graduate degree program, at the discretion of faculty in the admitting academic program.
Students admitted under the non-degree seeking status have access to MU libraries, museums, laboratories, and recreational and athletic facilities.
Note: To manage course enrollment, some academic programs require registration permission for non-majors. Contact the academic program in which you wish to take courses for more information.
Eligibility
To be admitted as a non-degree graduate student, applicants must have earned a minimum of a baccalaureate degree or equivalent from a regionally accredited institution. Applicants who completed their baccalaureate degree in a country where English is not the native language must provide evidence of English proficiency. Please consult the Graduate School’s website for acceptable examinations and minimum score requirement.
Tuition and Fees
Non-degree graduate students must pay graduate educational and student activities fees regardless of whether they take graduate or undergraduate courses.
Financial Aid
Non-degree graduate students are not eligible to receive veterans benefits or to hold campus-sponsored assistantships. Federal financial aid may be available to some non-degree students for preparatory coursework. Contact the Office of Student Financial Aid for more information.
How to Apply for On-Campus Non-Degree Study
- Complete the Graduate School’s online Application for Admission.
- While completing your application, you will be asked to upload unofficial copies of your transcript(s) with degree awarded.
- As part of the submission process, you will be asked to pay an application fee. Consult the Graduate School’s website for more information on the application fee.
- Official transcripts should be submitted to the Graduate School before the end of the first semester of enrollment. Transcripts may be sent from your schools electronically via email to this address: gradadmin@missouri.edu.
-
Hard-copy transcripts may be sent to: Graduate School Admissions, 210 Jesse Hall, Columbia, MO 65211.
-
Supplemental application materials, such as standardized tests (e.g. GRE, GMAT), or recommendations, personal statements, writing samples, etc. are not required for non-degree graduate applicants.
Maintaining Good Standing
Non-degree graduate students must maintain a 3.0 GPA. If the cumulative GPA is less than 3.0, the student will be given one automatic probationary semester. If, after one semester of probation, the student’s cumulative GPA does not reach 3.0, the student may be granted a second probationary semester following a successful written petition made directly to the Dean of the Graduate School. (Summer sessions are not counted as probationary semesters.) If the student fails to achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.0 following the second probationary semester, the student will be made ineligible to enroll as a non-degree or degree-seeking graduate student. If at any time a student’s term or cumulative GPA falls below 2.0, the student will be ineligible to enroll as a non-degree or degree-seeking graduate student.
Switching Student Status from “Non-Degree” to “Degree-Seeking”
When transitioning from non-degree status to a degree program, non-degree graduate students should consult the academic program of interest to determine the required application process.