Admission Categories

• Undergraduate Admission
• Graduate Admission
• Limited Enrollment Admission
• Admission as an International Student
• Upgrading Level of Admission
• Returning Students

Undergraduate Admission

The following are the minimum admission standards for students intending to pursue study towards the Certificate in Applied Linguistics at GIAL:

1. At least 60 semester hours of undergraduate-level instruction has been completed at an accredited institution of higher education, with a GPA of 2.80 or better, AND
2. Completion of all general admissions requirements.

Students admitted to GIAL under these minimum criteria will be eligible to study ONLY in the program leading to the Certificate in Applied Linguistics. They will be awarded undergraduate admission, valid only for the certificate program. GIAL does not offer undergraduate degrees.

Should students later wish to pursue studies towards one of the advanced programs of GIAL, they will need to upgrade their admission status to graduate admission, using the criteria specified below.

Students are encouraged to complete all requirements for graduate admission before commencing studies at GIAL, to allow smooth transition from the Certificate program to advanced studies at GIAL

Graduate Admission

Minimum admission standards for students intending to pursue study towards the advanced degree programs at GIAL are:

1. Completion of an undergraduate degree at an accredited institution of higher education, with a GPA of 2.80 or better, AND
2. Satisfactory score on the GRE tests, with a combined verbal and quantitative score of at least 1000, AND
3. Satisfactory performance on the TOEFL exam (or its equivalent) where appropriate, AND
4. Completion of all general admissions requirements.

Students admitted to GIAL in completion of the admissions requirements listed above will be awarded graduate admission to GIAL, which allows study in both the advanced degree programs of GIAL and/or the Certificate in Applied Linguistics program. Students are encouraged, wherever possible, to seek graduate admission to GIAL before beginning studies, as it facilitates a smooth transition from certificate program to advanced studies.

Limited Enrollment Admission

Students with no GRE intending to take 15 hours or less of graduate credit may apply for admission to GIAL as a Limited Enrollment Student. Minimum admission standards for Limited Enrollment Students are:

1. Completion of an undergraduate degree at an accredited institution of higher education, with a GPA of 2.8 or better (out of 4.0).
2. Completion of all general admissions requirements.

Coursework requirements for Limited Enrollment Students are the same as for degree students. Limited Enrollment and Graduate Degree Students are expected to do the course work, are graded, and upon satisfactory completion of the work, receive credit for the course. Limited Enrollment Students who wish to continue past the maximum 15 graduate hours may do so only after submitting a status upgrade form to GIAL, accompanied by GRE scores and the non-refundable application fee (if applicable).

Admission as an International Student

GIAL is authorized under Federal law to enroll nonimmigrant alien students. Please contact GIAL International Student Center (email: isc@gial.edu) for international student admission requirements and procedures. An international student application form will be sent upon request.

Upgrading Level of Admission

Some students elect to attend GIAL first as undergraduates, and later as graduate students. (Note: only students with graduate admission may study in the advanced courses offered by GIAL.) A limited number of students with an undergraduate degree, who want to take some graduate courses, but who have no intention of completing a degree, may enter as limited enrollment students.

Students who choose to upgrade their level of admission must submit an Admission Status Upgrade form. If they upgrade during the same bimester in which they were originally admitted, there will be no charge for the upgrade. If they upgrade in a bimester other than the one in which they were originally admitted, the form must be accompanied by the required non-refundable application fee. All necessary requirements for the upgraded admission status must be met before an upgrade will be approved.

Returning Students

Students returning to GIAL after an absence of more than one bimester will need to re-activate their student file with the GIAL admissions office. This must be done by submitting an Application for Readmission form, indicating that it is a reactivation of an earlier application, accompanied by a non refundable application fee. Students seeking re-admission by this means will need to meet all admission standards for the study program they are now proposing to pursue (which may involve an upgrading of admission, for example, from undergraduate to graduate admission). Students who had an Intended Plan of Study approved and filed with the Registrar before the absence began will not be assessed an application fee for reentry to that program.