Governors State University encourages applications from qualified students of all cultural, racial, religious, and ethnic groups. Admissions process will vary for first year undergraduate students, transfer students, master’s or doctoral candidates, international students, veterans or certificate program students applying for admission. Details on the application process are available via the GSU Admissions website at http://www.govst.edu/Admissions/. Details on how to apply online and locate other information needed for admission to the university may be obtained by visiting the admission’s website address at http://www.govst.edu/Admissions.
Admission documents sent in support of applications are not returnable or transferable.
Veterans may apply to Governors State University. The application fee will be waived upon receipt of an application accompanied by a copy of the form DD 214. Applications, transcripts, and other documentation can be mailed or dropped off in the Office of the Coordinator for Veterans and Military Personnel. Complete admission and enrollment details for Veterans are found on the Veterans Admission page of the University website.
This classification is for students who are currently attending high school or have graduated from high school but never attended college or have earned less than 24 semester hours from a regionally accredited institution. Special consideration will be applied when considering military veteran, international student, home school student, and GED earner applicants.
Requirements-Applicants must:
Applicants are required to submit official high school transcript(s) and official ACT or SAT score reports (if younger than 21 years old), or official GED. Final high school transcripts must be submitted after graduating or freshman applicants will be unable to begin courses.
*Freshman admits are required to participate in a unique learning community that requires full time attendance with coursework largely taking place between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Monday-Friday. All freshman are admitted for the fall semester.
Applicants must submit a non-refundable $25 application fee.
To apply: Submit an application, the application fee, official high school transcript(s), official test scores, and official college/university transcripts (if applicable), which demonstrate meeting criteria 1-3 above directly to the Office of Admission.
Deadlines: Students are strongly encouraged to apply by the early decision deadline of November 15. After November 15 applications are considered on a rolling basis until April 1st or until the freshman class is filled.
Conditional Admission: Students who demonstrate potential for success in college, but do not meet one or more of the criteria for admission, may be admitted with conditions that include required participation in Mathematics and English Smart Start, a highly individualized program with personal attention of faculty and peer mentors, prior to the start of classes, and recommendations such as a reduced course registration and utilization of academic support services.
This classification is for students who declare an undergraduate major, including those seeking a second bachelor’s degree (Note: second bachelor’s degree-seeking students will be assessed graduate tuition and fees.) Transfer students who have earned less than 24 semester hours of college credit will be admitted as freshman.
Requirements-Applicants must:
Applicants must submit a non-refundable $25 application fee.
To apply: Submit an application, the application fee, credentials, and official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended, which demonstrate meeting criteria 1-5 above directly to the Office of Admission and Student Recruitment.
Deadlines: Most programs are on a rolling admission basis. Students are strongly encouraged to apply early.
The majors listed below have special admission criteria beyond the general university requirements. Requirements could include additional materials and/or application deadlines. Please refer to the specific major sections within the Academic Degree Programs Offered section for the criteria and deadlines.
| Majors | College |
|---|---|
| Art | Arts and Sciences |
| Biology Teacher Education - Post Bachelor Certificate Program | Arts and Sciences |
| Business and Applied Science | Business and Public Administration |
| Chemistry Teacher Education - Post Bachelor Certificate Program | Arts and Sciences |
| Communication Disorders | Health and Human Services |
| Early Childhood Education | Education |
| Elementary and Middle Grades Education | Education |
| English Teacher Education - Post Bachelor Certificate Program | Arts and Sciences |
| Health Administration | Health and Human Services |
| Health Informatics | Health and Human Services |
| Mathematics Teacher Education - Post Bachelor Certificate Program | Arts and Sciences |
| Nursing | Health and Human Services |
| Psychology | Education |
| Social Work | Health and Human Services |
| Social Sciences Teacher Education - Post Bechelor Certificate Program | Arts and Sciences |
This classification is for students who declare a master’s degree, including those seeking a second master’s degree.
Requirements-Applicants must:
Applicants must submit a non-refundable $50 application fee.
To apply: Submit an application, the application fee, credentials, and official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended, which demonstrate meeting criteria 1-3 above to the Office of Admission and Student Recruitment.
Deadlines: Most programs are on a rolling admission basis. However, the following programs have admission deadlines or limited admission periods: Communication and Training, Communication Disorders, Counseling, Criminal Justice, Educational Administration, Health Administration, Occupational Therapy, Psychology, and Social Work. Refer to the specific major sections in this catalog for criteria and deadlines.
The majors listed below have special admission criteria beyond the general university requirements. This could include additional materials and/or application deadlines. Please refer to the specific major sections within the Academic Degree Programs Offered section for criteria and deadlines.
| Master’s | College |
| Accounting | Business |
| Addictions Studies | Health and Human Services |
| Analytical Chemistry | Arts and Sciences |
| Biology | Arts and Science |
| Business Administration | Business |
| Business Analytics | Business |
| Communication Disorders | Health and Human Services |
| Communication | Arts and Sciences |
| Computer Science | Arts and Sciences |
| Counseling | Education |
| Criminal Justice | Arts and Sciences |
| Educational Administration | Education |
| English | Arts and Sciences |
| Health Administration | Health and Human Services |
| Health Informatics | Health and Human Services |
| Human Resource Management | Business |
| Independent Film and Digital Imaging | Arts and Sciences |
| Mathematics | Arts and Sciences |
| Nursing | Health and Human Services |
| Occupational Therapy | Health and Human Services |
| Psychology | Education |
| Public Administration | Arts and Sciences |
| Social Work | Health and Human Services |
This classification is for students who declare a doctoral degree.
Governors State University doctoral programs have varied requirements for admission. Programs may have specific deadlines for the submission of applications and required materials. Contact the appropriate department/division for specific application forms and admission requirements.
Applicants must submit a non-refundable $75 application fee.
To apply: Submit an application, the application fee, credentials, program application fees, and official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended to the Office of Admission and Student Recruitment.
Deadlines: Please refer to the specific major sections in this catalog for criteria and deadlines.
Tranfer students who have not completed a bachelor’s degree from any college or university, have earned 24-59 semester hours (or 36-88.5 quarter hours), and who have not declared an undergraduate major, but plan to do so by their junior year may fit in this category.
Students in this classification:
Requirements-Applicants must:
Applicants must submit a non-refundable $25 application fee.
To apply: Submit an application, the application fee, credentials, and official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended, which demonstrate meeting criteria 1and 2 above directly to the Office of Admission and Student Recruitment.
Deadlines: Most programs are on a rolling admission basis. Students are strongly encouraged to apply early.
Transfer students who have not completed a bachelor’s degree from any college or university, have earned 60 semester hours (or 90 quarter hours) or more of college level coursework, and who have not declared an undergraduate major may fit in this category.
Students in this classification:
Course work completed in this status may or may not be applicable to a major, subject to approval by the advisor and appropriate dean.
Requirements-Applicants must:
Applicants must submit a non-refundable $25 application fee.
To apply: Submit an application, the application fee, credentials, and official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended, which demonstrate meeting criteria 1-3 above directly to the Office of Admission and Student Recruitment.
Deadlines: Most programs are on a rolling admission basis. Students are strongly encouraged to apply early.
Students who have not completed a bachelor’s degree from any college or university and who do not intend to earn a degree may fit into this category.
Course work completed as a non-degree seeking student is not applicable to any degree offered by GSU, except by written exception by the dean of the appropriate college.
Students in this classification are not eligible for university administered financial aid. Applicants must submit the non-refundable $25 application fee.
Requirements-Applicants must:
Students admitted as Undergraduate Non-Degree Seeking Students must re-apply to Governors State University if they wish to change their status to Degree Seeking.
Students with bachelor’s or higher degrees from a regionally-accredited institution who do not intend to earn a degree at Governors State may fit this category.
Coursework completed as a non-degree seeking student does not automatically apply to a degree program. The application of such courses to degree requirements is governed by the policies established by the University and the dean and faculty of each college in effect at the time of admission to a degree program. No more than six (6) credit hours earned while in non-degree status may be applied toward the requirements of any graduate degree program. Transfer of credits earned in non-degree seeking status to a degree program requires approval of the appropriate academic dean. Applicants must submit a $25 non-refundable application fee.
Non-degree seeking students are not eligible for University-administered financial aid.
Requirements-Applicants must:
1. have earned a bachelor’s or graduate degree from a regionally accredited institution.
2. have been in good standing at their last institution attended.
Students admitted as Graduate Non-Degree Seeking Students must re-apply to Governors State University if they wish to change their status to Degree Seeking.
Students not currently enrolled at GSU, who want to earn a certificate, fit this category. Applicants must:
Graduate-level student applicants must submit a non-refundable $50 application fee.
To apply: Submit an application, the appropriate application fee, credentials, and official transcripts from the post-secondary institution, which demonstrate meeting criteria 1-3, to the Office of Admission and Student Recruitment.
The certificate programs listed on Academic Degree Programs Offered have special admission criteria beyond the general university requirements. This could include additional materials and/or application deadlines. Refer to the specific certificate sections in this catalog for the criteria and deadlines of contact the appropriate department/division for specific admission information.
An international student is an applicant who is not a citizen or permanent resident of the United States:
International students are eligible for admission to degree programs but may only be admitted as non-degree seeking students if pursuing a degree at another institution. That institution must provide written verification of enrollment in a degree program.
GSU is authorized under federal law to sponsor nonimmigrant alien students studying on an F-1 visa or J-1 visa.
Applicants on F-1 or J-1 visas, or any other temporary visas, are not eligible to be classified as residents of the State of Illinois for tuition purposes, regardless of actual length of residence in the State of Illinois, unless otherwise authorized by The Office of the Registrar and The Office of International Services.
The applicant on an F-1 student or J-1 student visa must plan to pursue a full-time program of academic study at Governors State University (6 credit-hours per term for doctoral students, 9 credit-hours per term for master’s degree students, and 12 credit-hours for undergraduate students).
All transcripts, letters, financial documents and other admission material become the property of GSU.
NOTE: Governors State University requires that all F-1 and J-1 students have health insurance that meets the U.S. Department of State standards.
For the TOEFL, a minimum acceptable score is as follows:
| Type of TOEFL Exam | Paper | Computer | Internet (iBT) |
|---|
Undergraduate Level Applicants
| Type of TOEFL Exam | Paper | Computer | Internet (iBT) |
|---|
| Type of TOEFL Exam | Paper | Computer | Internet (iBT) |
|---|
Master Level Applicants
Doctoral Level Applicants
For the PTE, a minimum acceptable score is as follows:
| Undergraduate Level Applicants | Total Score: 47 |
|---|
| Master Level Applicants | Total Score: 53 |
|---|
| Doctoral Level Applicants | Total Score: 62 |
|---|
The completed application for admission should be sent to the Office of International Services, Governors State University, 1 University Parkway, University Park, Illinois 60484, U.S.A., with the following documents and academic credentials:
NOTE: Applicants must submit an evaluation of academic credentials. Official foreign credentials must be evaluated by Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin or by any other NACES (National Association of Credential Evaluation Services) member organization. Applicants who would like transfer credit for prior coursework should request a “course-by-course” evaluation report. Applicants who are seeking graduate program admission with no transfer credit should request a “general” evaluation report. For more information, please contact the Office of International Services at 708.235.7611.
Applicants must provide any required additional special admission credentials for the desired major. Refer to other sections of this catalog for any necessary special admission requirements.
Applicants to an undergraduate program must submit a non- refundable $25 application fee.
Applicants to a master’s program must submit a nonrefundable $50 application fee.
Applicants to a doctoral program must submit a $75 non-refundable application fee.
F-1 visa students who wish to transfer to Governors State University must submit a copy of the current school I-20 form, transcript, and a letter from the current school showing dates of enrollment and eligibility to transfer.
The Office of International Services is available to assist students with the visa application process.
Additional information is available on the Office of International Services (OIS) website at www.govst.edu/ois.
OIS is available to help international students arrange for airport pickup and housing. Many students live in the immediate area or in Chicago and commute either by car, train or university shuttle to Governors State University. For further information and to coordinate the details of your arrival at GSU, please contact the Office of International Services at ois@govst.edu.
A student may defer his or her admission/enrollment one time per admission application, not to exceed one year from the original admission term. For example, if a student applies for Fall 2017 admission, he/she may update his/her admission one time, to a future term as far in the future as Fall 2018. International students are allowed to defer their enrollment twice per admission application, not to exceed one year from the original term of application. After one year, a new admission application and application fee is required.
Students who are admitted for a term/semester but do not defer or enroll by the 4th week of classes will be marked as No Show and made inactive. A new application will be required for admission to future terms/semesters.
Reapplication and readmission to the university is required if a student:
Students are subject to the continuing student status policy, with the exception of students enrolled in accredited programs where accreditation requirements would prohibit reactivation of a student’s active level.
Students whose enrollment is interrupted for three or more consecutive terms must contact their advisor to be reactivated before enrollment, with the exception of students enrolled in accredited programs where accreditation requirements would prohibit reactivation of a student’s active status. Any student whose enrollment is interrupted for two or more years (6 or more consecutive terms) must reapply through the Office of Admission and Student Recruitment and will be subject to any new admission and curricular requirements.
With regard to certain accredited programs, the reactivation of a student’s status is determined on a program basis. Occupational Therapy requires that students who have not been enrolled for one year (three consecutive terms, including Summer) must apply for readmission to the M.O.T. program. Bachelor and Master of Social Work require that students who have not been enrolled for three years (nine consecutive terms, including Summer) must apply for readmission to the appropriate B.S.W. or M.S.W. program. Master of Arts in Counseling requires that students who have not been enrolled for more than one year (four consecutive terms, including Summer) must apply for readmission to the Counseling program. Doctorate of Physical Therapy requires that students who have not been enrolled for more than one year (four consecutive terms, including Summer) must apply for readmission to the D.P.T. program.
Readmission and Special Admission provide for the possible petition for readmission by students, who left on academic probation or who were suspended from the university. The policy also provides for cases of special admission requested by applicants who do not meet the published criteria for admission.
All readmissions involving students who left the university while on academic probation or those suspended from Governors State University and all special admission cases (defined herein) shall be considered by the University Committee on Readmissions and Special Admissions. The committee shall make recommendations to the appropriate division or department chairperson or director, who will make the final decision with input from the program faculty.
The policies on readmissions appear in the Appendix .
Additional information regarding special admission opportunities and petitions for admission are available from the Office of Admission and Student Recruitment or on its website at www.govst.edu/admission.
Under special agreement between Governors State University and area community colleges, students may be eligible to participate in a Dual Degree Program. Area community colleges include City Colleges of Chicago, College of DuPage, Harper College, Joliet Junior College, Kankakee Community College, Moraine Valley Community College, Morton College, Prairie State College, South Suburban College, Triton College and Waubonsee Community College. Dual Degree Program students complete their Associate degree at a partner community college and transfer to GSU for their upper-division courses to complete in their Bachelor’s degree program. Students who are interested in participating in the Dual Degree Program are encouraged to contact their counselor at their community college. The benefits of the Dual Degree Program include working closely with advisors from both institutions, participating in student life at both institutions, and specific tuition and scholarship opportunities. Dual Degree Program students are provided with the services from both institutions to help ensure that they make a seamless transition from their community college to Governors State University. For more information, please contact Jessica Specht, Director of Dual Degree Program, at 708.534.4494 or go to www.govst.edu/dualdegree.
The university wishes to ensure that applicants have attained sufficient mastery of the English language necessary to achieve academic success. Prior to admission to a degree or certificate program, all applicants who do not hold a previous degree or diploma from an institution where English was the foundational language must provide evidence acceptable to the University of having attained sufficient mastery of the English language. Applicants must attain a minimum acceptable score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), a minimum acceptable score on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), a minimum acceptable score on the Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE), or have completed a minimum proficiency level of 112 through ELS Education Services Inc.’s Language Centers.
For the TOEFL minimum acceptable scores, see the TOEFL table or refer to GSU Policy 9. For the PTE minimum acceptable scores, see the PTE table or refer to GSU Policy 9. The minimum acceptable IELTS score is 6.0
The attainment of a minimum acceptable score on TOEFL or IELTS does not take the place of any special English language proficiency requirements for specific majors or university requirements as stated in this catalog.
Implementation and verification of the minimum competencies will be done by the Office of Admissions and the Office of International Services.
The university will also consider applications to any degree program for those individuals that are neither citizens nor permanent residents of the United States of America and that will not study at GSU on an F-1 or J-1 student visa.
The completed application for admission should be sent to the Office of International Services, Governors State University, 1 University Parkway, University Park, Illinois 60484, U.S.A., with the following documents and academic credentials:
For the TOEFL minimum acceptable scores, see the TOEFL table. For the PTE minimum acceptable scores, see the PTE table or refer to GSU Policy 9. The IELTS minimum acceptable score is 6.0.
NOTE: Applicants must submit an evaluation of academic credentials. Official foreign credentials must be evaluated by Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin or by any other NACES (National Association of Credential Evaluation Services) member organization. Applicants who would like transfer credit for prior coursework should request a “course-by-course” evaluation report. Applicants who are seeking graduate program admission with no transfer credit should request a “general” evaluation report. For more information, please contact the International Services at 708.235.7611.
Applicants must provide any required additional special admission credentials for the desired major. Refer to other sections of this catalog for any necessary special admission requirements.
Applicants on or seeking F-1 or J-1 visas should refer to the section on international students.
Governors State University awards college credit for Advanced Placement (AP) exams with scores of three (3) or higher depending upon the exam. The AP chart below gives information about earned scores and associated credits earned for each examination. Specific questions in regard to how AP credit(s) potentially apply to your selected major must be directed to an Academic Advisor in the student’s program of study.
If you are a high school student and requested that the College Board send your scores to Governors State University when you took the tests, your scores will be evaluated in early August when GSU receives the score report. If your AP test score meets the requirements for course/elective credit, you will see the appropriate credit posted onto your student record in 8-12 weeks after scores are received by the Admissions Office. Scores of two (2) or one (1) will not be considered for course or elective credit. An AP exam score of three (3) may be considered for credit in some cases as listed on the official GSU AP chart. Scores of four (4) or five (5) will be considered for course or elective credit as listed on the official GSU AP chart.
As defined by the College Board, each AP exam score is a weighted combination of your score on the multiple-choice section and the free-response section of the exam. The final score is reported on a 5-point scale:
5 = extremely well qualified
4 = well qualified
3 = qualified
2 = possibly qualified
1 = no recommendation
If you did not ask the College Board to send your scores to GSU, you will need to contact the College Board directly to make this request. You can obtain reports by:
AP Exams
P.O. Box 6671
Princeton, NJ 08541
Scores by phone: 1-888-225-5427
Check the College Board web site to be sure to follow proper directions to get AP scores:
www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/exgrd.html
The code number for Governors State University is 0807.
If you are a college student transferring to GSU and you took an AP exam in high school, check the AP chart to see if GSU will grant credit for your score. If you want this credit attached to your GSU transcript, contact the College Board. No credit can be posted until a student has enrolled at GSU and official AP scores have been received from the College Board.
