How is an application to the graduate program evaluated?
An application to the graduate program along with all supporting materials is reviewed by all members of the department graduate faculty. Each application is reviewed first in terms of meeting the minimum academic (a ‘B’ average or a 3.0 GPA on 4.0 scale) and TOEFL (550 on the paper-based exam and 213 on the computer-based exam) criteria. Applications not meeting these criteria are immediately rejected. The subsequent reviews take place in a committee meeting in which all applications are discussed and ranked through a consensus process. While individual faculty may weigh each criteria slightly different, sustained academic excellence, good to outstanding GRE scores, past work or research experience in areas of interest, well written statement of purpose, leadership and extracurricular activities are all considered important. In certain situations, a telephone or personal interview may be deemed necessary by the graduate faculty. Students ranked according to merit are offered admission
