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6 TOWSON UNIVERSITYLetter from the Dean,Office of Graduate StudiesTowson University introduced its first graduate degree program, a master’s in elementary education, in 1958. Since then, the graduate program has grown to offer more than 80 graduatedegrees and certificate programs, including five doctoral degree programs, serving close to 4,000students. The Office of Graduate Studies continues to help thousands stay ahead of change andin top demand by offering programs in the liberal and fine arts, teacher education, allied healthfields, computer and information technology, natural sciences, social sciences, and various professional disciplines and interdisciplinary areas.The full- and part-time programs are led by nationally prominent faculty members who combinetheory and applied, practical knowledge while encouraging collaboration on research projectsand creative productions. Students have the opportunity to learn in an environment complemented by the diverse perspectives and experiences of their peers, who hail from a variety ofgeographic locations, cultures and ethnic backgrounds.As Maryland’s metropolitan university, TU offers a valuable, yet affordable education thatblends advanced levels of study with innovative conveniences. Graduate students may registeronline, utilize academic and career services, and enjoy small class sizes and an accessible faculty.Classes are offered during the day and in the evening at the suburban Baltimore campus and atoff-site locations in Harford, Baltimore, Montgomery and St. Mary’s counties. Some of thegraduate programs are now available partially or fully online.In 2011-2012, TU was awarded over 30 million in research grants and contracts. These fundshave enabled TU to offer research opportunities to its students, support the scholarly activitiesof its faculty, and engage in partnerships with business, community and government agencies.As the demands of the work force change, the Office of Graduate Studies will strive to prepare itsstudents by offering a sound balance of theory and application and will continue doing what itdoes best—bringing teaching and learning together to provide an excellent learning experience.Janet V. DeLanyDean, Graduate Studies

TOWSON UNIVERSITY7THE College of Graduate Studies AND RESEARCHEnrollment in Graduate Studies has continuedto grow, with 3,947 students enrolled in fall2011. A team of administrators and staffwithin the Division of Academic Affairs iscommitted to providing graduate studentswith both quality educational programs at thepost-baccalaureate level and the highest levelof student support services.Towson University offers graduate studentscutting-edge courses and programs of study todevelop the specific skills and knowledgeneeded by career professionals. TU hasaccepted the challenge set out by the MarylandHigher Education Commission (MHEC) toprovide rigorous, innovative graduate programs that respond to specific state, regionaland national work force and societal demands.Moreover, many enrolled graduate studentsare working full time, so graduate courses areoffered at convenient times and at off-campussites as well as at the main TU campus. Selectcourses are offered online and through hybridformats.TU currently offers over 80 graduate programs at the certificate, master’s and doctorallevels. Faculty members from across the university community work together to promotegraduate-level education. Many of the facultymembers are renowned scholars who encourage graduate students to collaborate on facultyresearch projects and creative productions.More applied graduate programs will bedeveloped as the needs of students, businessesand the community continue to grow. TheOffice of Graduate Studies is guided by itsvision and mission to provide the best possibleeducation for its graduate students.Graduate Studies CommitteeThe Graduate Studies Committee, a committee of the University Senate, determines graduate education policy and is responsible forgraduate curriculum and standards. The voting membership comprises ten members of thefaculty (two each from the College of Education, the College of Health Professions, theCollege of Liberal Arts, and the Jess and Mildred Fisher College of Science and Mathematics; and one each from the College of Businessand Economics and the College of Fine Artsand Communication) and two graduate students. The dean of Graduate Studies and thedirector of Cook Library are ex-officio members. The Graduate Studies Committee alsohears student appeals that are related to academic matters. The appeals process is describedin Appendix E.AdministrationThe dean and staff of the Office of GraduateStudies administer and implement the policiesestablished by the Graduate Studies Committee for graduate education. On all matters ofcurriculum and academic requirements forindividual graduate programs, the faculty contacts are the graduate program directors.Office of Graduate StudiesThe office, located on the third floor of theAdministration Building, is open Mondaythrough Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. (except forscheduled holidays).For more information, contact:Office of Graduate StudiesTowson UniversityAdministration Building 3118000 York RoadTowson, MD 21252-0001410-704-2078gradstudies@towson.edu

8 TOWSON UNIVERSITY

PROCEDURES AND POLICIES9Procedures and PoliciesApplication and GraduateAdmissionThe application process is administered throughUniversity Admissions. To request a completeapplication package, contact Admissions at410-704-2115 or admissions@towson.edu. Toapply online, please visit http://grad.towson.edu.University Admissions at Towson University admits graduate applicants whose academic and personal qualifications give promiseof success in graduate study. The applicantmust hold a baccalaureate degree from aregionally accredited college or university, orfrom a Maryland college or university that isapproved by the Maryland Higher EducationCommission, or the equivalent of this degreefrom another country. Any student takingclasses on the Towson University campus orany off-site location administered by the University System of Maryland must meet theuniversity’s immunization policies prior toregistration.If a specific application deadline is not notedon the program’s requirements, please assumethe program has rolling admissions. However,in the case of rolling admissions please note thatin order to ensure timely processing for all documents prior to a term beginning, we ask that allcompleted application materials be submittedby August 1 for fall admission, December 1 forspring admission and May 1 for summer admission. While we will continue to accept applications and materials after these dates, we cannotguarantee that your application will be reviewedin time for the start of classes.Full AdmissionStudents admitted to full status must meet thebasic minimum requirements of the university,plus the additional requirements of the individual program.In order to meet the basic minimum requirements for full admission to the university anapplicant must have 1) earned a baccalaureatedegree with a minimum GPA of 3.00 (on a4-point scale) in either the cumulative units ofthe degree or the last 60 credits of the degree,or 2) earned a master’s degree or doctoratefrom a regionally accredited college or university.In cases where the above minimum standards are not met, the last 60 credits mayinclude courses taken beyond the baccalaureate degree that are 300-level or higher. Coursesused for admissions purposes may not beapplied toward the graduate degree.Since some individual programs may haveadditional requirements and enrollmentrestrictions, meeting the above minimumrequirements may not ensure admission to aspecific program. Please refer to the programlisting for specific requirements.Conditional AdmissionAdmission with conditions may be granted toapplicants whose academic achievement doesnot meet the standard required for regularadmission or whose department requirementsare incomplete. All students admitted withconditions must maintain a cumulative gradepoint average (CGPA) of 3.0 within their first9 graduate units. See individual programdescriptions for specific requirements. Students admitted to a program with conditionsmust satisfy requirements and correct anydeficiencies as determined by the programdirector. The letter of admission containsinstructions requiring the student to discussthe conditions with the program director.Requirements that must be completed to continue in the program, and the timetable forcompleting the requirements, are listed on aletter prepared by the program director andsent to the student.

10 PROCEDURES AND POLICIESException to PolicyAn applicant who is a professional with significant work experience in a field relevant tothe program and whose undergraduate degreewas obtained at least 10 years prior to his orher application to Towson University maypetition the director of University Admissionsfor an exception to policy regarding the minimum GPA. This request should include documentation of at least five years of successfulwork experience in the relevant field and at leasttwo letters of recommendation supporting therequest from relevant supervisors. The petitionwill be reviewed by the program director whowill assess the applicant’s qualification for theprogram and will inform the AVP/Director ofAdmissions in writing of his or her recommendation for conditional admission.Non-Degree EnrollmentStudents may elect to enroll for graduatecourses as non-degree students. Students generally choose non-degree status when 1) theiracademic goal is not completion of a degree orcertificate program; 2) they wish to begincourse work prior to final evaluation of theircredentials for admission to a program; or 3)they have been denied admission to a programbut choose to take selected courses. Nondegree students should be aware that manydepartments limit entry to courses at the 600level to fully matriculated students enrolled ina specific graduate program.Degree seeking candidates have priority forregistration above non-degree students. Nondegree students who wish to take coursesabove the 600 level may do so after a transcript evaluation. Requests for an evaluationshould be directed to the program director andthe AVP/Director of University Admissions.Some courses are available to degree-seekingcandidates only. Students should consult thedepartment with questions. A limit of 12 units,taken while a non-degree student, may beapplied to a degree program with the approvalof the program director. Students holding anF1 visa are not eligible for non-degree status.Non-degree students are not eligible for financial aid.International ApplicantsTo ensure the timely processing of visa documents, the application and all accompanyingdocuments for international students livingabroad must be received no later than April 15for the fall term and October 15 for the springterm. Applicants who are residing in theUnited States should submit their materials nolater than July 1 for the fall term and November 15 for the spring term. Applicants mustalso adhere to program-specific deadlines.Towson University requires that applicantswho have attended institutions outside theUnited States submit to University Admissionsan official copy of their educational records,plus an assessment of their records from a credential-evaluating service center. The assessmentshould include a course-by-course evaluation ofthe student’s academic records, including thedegree received and GPA. This assessment usually takes three to four weeks and should be sentdirectly to University Admissions.Among the authorized credential evaluationservice centers are:AACRAOAmerican Association of CollegiateRegistrars and Admissions OfficersForeign Credential ServicesOne Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 520Washington, DC 20036t. 202-296-3359 f. 202-822-3940www.aacrao.orgASCISSAmerican Service Center forInternational Students and Scholars, Inc.P.O. Box 250Hunt Valley, MD 21030t. 410-370-8092 f. 410-785-6638www.asciss.orgWESWorld Education ServicesBowling Green StationP.O. Box 5087New York, NY 10274t. 212-966-6311 f. 212-739-6100www.wes.org

PROCEDURES AND POLICIESEnglish ProficiencyInternational students must provide verification of their English competency by submittingan English assessment report for either theIELTS or TOEFL testing systems.Unless otherwise noted, students who haveearned their baccalaureate degree or a higherdegree from an accredited U.S. college or university may be eligible to have the requirementof TOEFL and IELTS scores waived.International English LanguageTesting System (IELTS)A minimum score of 6.0 is required for admission, except where noted. Information regarding the IELTS testing system is availableonline: www.ielts.org. Also, students residingin the United States may write to the testingcenter directly or contact:IELTS International825 Colorado Boulevard, Suite 112t: 323-255-2771 f: 323-255-1261Global inquiries: Please see the IELTS websitefor more information.Test of English as a Foreign Language(TOEFL)A minimum score of 550 on the written test ora total score of 79 on the iBT (Internet-based)test is required for admission. Some programsmay require higher scores.Information about the TOEFL test is available online at www.toefl.org, or students maycontact ETS directly:TOEFLEducational Testing ServicePrinceton, NJ, 08540Towson’s institution code is 5404. A departmental code is not needed.Towson University is a test site for TOEFLand also administers an institutional TOEFLin the fall, spring and summer. Informationcan be obtained from Towson’s English Language Center at 410-704-2552. Visit ex.asp for additional visa and immigrationinformation.11Pre-Degree for International StudentsTowson University offers international students the opportunity to apply for admissionprior to the receipt of the bachelor’s degree.There are certain conditions under whichinternational students may apply for the statusof pre-degree. Pre-degree admission does notguarantee that a student will be eligible toenroll for the intended admit term. All deadlines and requirements must be met, includingbut not limited to academic and immigrationrequirements, in order for a student to enrollat the university.Students receiving their final degree reportsby June 15 (October 1 for students seekingspring admission) should plan to fax a copy oftheir academic records, including the diplomastatement, to University Admissions. Studentsreceiving their final degree reports in Julyshould plan to request admission for the following spring term.Required: At the time of application, students will submit a credential evaluation oftheir academic records and a letter of verification from their college or university validatingthat the student will be eligible for graduationat the completion of the current term. The finaltranscript indicating conferral of a bachelor’slevel degree will be evaluated by UniversityAdmissions. If students wish to have the I-20form express mailed, express mailing chargesand administrative fees associated with thisprocess will be assessed. Students admittedprior to the receipt of their bachelor’s degreeswho are unable to obtain the necessary documents to begin course work at Towson beforethe start of their admit term may request adeferment to the next term. The request mustbe in writing to University Admissions. A deferment letter is sent to students showing the newstarting term. The International Student andScholar Office (ISSO) is notified and can issuea new I-20 form to the student, if and when thestudent requests, for the next term. DefermentI-20 forms will not be express mailed fromUniversity Admissions.

12 PROCEDURES AND POLICIESAdmission Prior to ReceivingBaccalaureate DegreeAdmission to some programs may be grantedto seniors in their final term. Undergraduatework through the first term of the senior yearis evaluated; therefore, transcripts submittedmust include all grades through that term.Admission standing is subject to cancellationor change if the admission credentials remainincomplete or do not meet the requirementsfor admission upon receipt of the final transcript. Final transcripts showing degree conferral must be received by University Admissionsby the end of the student’s first term of enrollment. Some programs have accelerated master’s degree programs in which undergraduatesare allowed to begin their graduate work.These are described in the individual programsections.Graduate Work by Seniors at TUSeniors at TU may register for a maximum of6 units of graduate study (500-level coursesrecommended) if they meet the following criteria: 1) the graduate courses must be in excessof the units required for the bachelor’s degree;2) the student submits to the Registrar’s Office,in advance of registration,

Towson University's policies, programs, and activities comply with federal and state laws and University System of Maryland regulations prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex, disability and sexual orientation. Towson University is a non-smoking campus. Towson University Graduate Catalog