Prospective Students

Graduate Students

Admission Information

• What are the requirements to be a graduate student?
• How do I apply?
• Are there any application deadlines?
• I want to apply, but my degree is not posted on my transcript yet, what do I do?
• Once I have submitted everything to the Graduate School, am I admitted?
• How soon will I be notified as to whether I have been admitted or not?
• I was denied admission, what do I do now?
• I have decided to withdraw my application; do I get my application fee back?
• I am not doing well in my current program; can I change to another?
• I have decided to double major, what do I need to do?
• Can I pursue both an undergraduate and graduate degree at the same time?
• I’m a senior at NMSU and I plan to pursue a graduate degree; can I start taking graduate classes?
• I am a graduate student at another university, and I would like to take a few classes at NMSU and transfer them back to my home university. Can I do this?

What are the requirements to be a graduate student?
To gain admission, a student must hold a Bachelor’s degree or other advanced degree from an accredited institution. For those seeking a Master’s degree, a GPA of 3.0 is required for admission as a regular student. Students whose GPA is between 2.5 and 2.9 can apply as a provisional student. All students applying for Doctoral degrees must have at least a 3.0 GPA.

How do I apply?
See our To Apply page for details.

If you are an International student, you need to apply through International Student Services.

Are there any application deadlines?
The Graduate School does not have a set deadline; however, we recommend that you apply at least 30 days prior to the start of the semester. Also be aware that many departments do have deadlines, and in this case make sure you then submit your application to the Graduate School at least 30 days before the departmental deadline. See our Graduate Degrees page for details.

I want to apply, but my degree is not posted on my transcript yet, what do I do?
Submit your application. As long as you are in your last semester at your current institution, you can be admitted as a tentative student. Once your degree is posted, you will have a full semester to provide a final transcript to our office.

Once I have submitted everything to the Graduate School, am I admitted?
If you are applying to be an undeclared student, yes, we will admit you if you meet the requirements for admission. For students who are applying for a specific program and department, we send your application and other materials to the department and they make the decision whether to admit you to their program. You may need to submit additional materials to the department, so please make sure to check departmental requirements.

How soon will I be notified as to whether I have been admitted or not?
We notify students by mail as soon as the department gives us their decision. However, some departments only meet once a semester to make their selections, while others have a "rolling" admissions process, so they make their decisions as applications come to their department. Please contact either Graduate Student Services at (575) 646-2736 or the department you are applying to for a better idea of when you can expect to hear about your admission decision.

I was denied admission, what do I do now?
If you were denied admission by the Graduate School because of your GPA, we recommend that you apply through the main admissions office as a non-degree seeking student. You can take 9 or more hours of graduate coursework and if you successfully complete these classes with a GPA of 3.0 or higher, you can reapply to the Graduate School. Note: only 9 credits can be transferred.

If you were denied by an academic department, even though your GPA is acceptable, you can contact the department directly and ask what their decision was based upon. Also, since you still meet the basic requirements to be a graduate student, you may apply to another department after filling out a new application and paying the application fee.

I have decided to withdraw my application; do I get my application fee back?
No, the application fee is non-refundable.

I am not doing well in my current program; can I change to another?
Yes, simply stop by our office in the Educational Services Building and ask to fill out a Change of Major Request form. We will then send your file out to the new department for their consideration.

I have decided to double major, what do I need to do?
Stop by our office in the Educational Services Building and ask to fill out a Change of Major Request form. We will then send your file out to the new department for their consideration.

Can I pursue both an undergraduate and graduate degree at the same time?
No, you must be either a graduate student or an undergraduate student. You cannot have dual status unless you are in an approved Joint Degree Program. See the Graduate Catalog for more information.

I’m a senior at NMSU and I plan to pursue a graduate degree; can I start taking graduate classes?
Yes, an undergraduate student may take up to 6 credits of graduate-level courses for credit towards a graduate degree. The following outlines the requirements and restrictions:

• You must be in the last 15 credit hours of receiving a Bachelor’s degree
• You must be completing all requirements for graduation.
• You must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, or a 3.0 GPA for the last 45 credits you have completed.
• You need to file a Senior Petitioner form with the Graduate School at least 30 days prior to registration.
• You need to file a Senior Petitioner Course Form for each course by the deadline to add courses for that semester, and obtain approval from your undergraduate advisor and the graduate instructor(s).
• You then need to register for graduate level course(s) at the Graduate School. Please refer to the Graduate Catalog for more details.

I am a graduate student at another university, and I would like to take a few classes at NMSU and transfer them back to my home university. Can I do this?
Yes, you would be considered a Visiting Student at NMSU.

First, you must apply to the NMSU Graduate School and pay the application fee at least 30 days prior to registration. You must also have a letter sent from your home university’s graduate dean indicating that you are admitted to that institution, are in good standing, and that the courses taken at New Mexico State University are acceptable for transfer to your home university. You will not be required to submit transcripts; however, the department must also agree to admit you. Please note that the department may require other materials to be submitted before admitting a visiting student. You will not be eligible for undeclared status, so you must apply to a specific department. Visiting Students are also not eligible or for graduate assistantships.