The Prairie View A&M University Graduate School is an administrative and academic support unit within Academic Affairs.  The mission of the Graduate School is to provide administrative coordination for graduate education through collaborative oversight of graduate program planning, delivery, admissions, and evaluation within a rigorous and intellectually stimulating environment.

Prairie View A&M University was authorized to establish a Division of Graduate Studies in 1937. Since that time, the University has sustained its commitment to excellence in teaching, research, and service by offering a wide range of advanced educational opportunities, including master's, doctoral, and certification programs. The Graduate School provides the infrastructure for advanced study by offering opportunities for qualified students pursuing graduate education and degrees. Graduate programs are administered through the joint oversight of the Graduate School and the University’s colleges and schools. Through this collaborative partnership, the University supports graduate students in achieving their academic, research, and professional goals.

The Graduate School serves as the primary source of information for students pursuing advanced degrees at Prairie View A&M University. The University Catalog is the official publication describing graduate programs, academic policies, and degree requirements. General inquiries regarding graduate study should be directed to the Graduate School. Questions concerning specific degree programs should be directed to the college or school offering the program. Graduate students are responsible for understanding and complying with all policies, procedures, and regulations established by the Graduate School and the colleges or schools in which their programs of study are offered. The University reserves the right to modify, amend, or discontinue programs, policies, regulations, and course offerings at any time as deemed necessary by appropriate University authorities.

Colleges and Schools with Graduate Programs

• College of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources
• School of Architecture
• Marvin D. and June Samuel Brailsford College of Arts and Sciences
• College of Business
• Whitlowe R. Green College of Education
• Roy G. Perry College of Engineering
• College of Nursing
• College of Public Affairs and Societal Impact
• School of Public and Allied Health

Prairie View A&M University offers graduate programs leading to master’s and doctoral degrees, as well as professional certification and certificate endorsements. Most graduate degree programs are offered on the main campus in Prairie View. In addition, selected graduate programs in education, business, engineering, and nursing are offered at off-campus locations, primarily in the Houston area. These sites include the Prairie View A&M University Northwest Houston Center and the College of Nursing, located in the Texas Medical Center in Houston. Selected graduate programs are also available in online formats.

Application Procedures

A completed application for admission is required and must be received by the Graduate School at https://www.pvamu.edu/graduateschool/ by the published deadlines. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the required admission documents are received by the Graduate School on or before the application deadline. An applicant whose admission documents are received after a stated deadline date should contact the Graduate School to inquire about the next enrollment period.

Even though the applicant may meet the general requirements for admission to the Graduate School, there are program admission requirements noted in this catalog. Admission to a department/program is not guaranteed until the applicant receives official notification by the Graduate School. The student may not enroll in any graduate courses until this official notification is received. Failure to adhere to this policy will nullify any graduate-level coursework undertaken by the student.

Requirements for the admission process are outlined below:

1. A completed online application for admission to Graduate School at www.applytexas.org website and payment of a $50 non-refundable application evaluation charge.
2. A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university or, for most doctoral programs, a master’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
3. An official transcript from the registrar of each regionally accredited college or university previously attended is required.  For most doctoral programs, a master's degree from a regionally accredited college or university is required.
4. A bachelor's degree documenting a minimum undergraduate cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.75 on a 4.0 grading scale for regular degree status or 3.0 on the last sixty semester credit hours for regular status.
5. A bachelor's degree documenting a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 grading scale for conditional or non-degree seeking graduate student status.  Students below a 2.5 GPA who have acquired relevant experience that could contribute to ensuring their success in graduate study, may be considered for conditional admission upon a holistic review and recommendation by the respective department head and dean.
6. Three letters of recommendation from persons in the field of the applicant’s academic major or area of concentration.
7. A 1000-word statement of purpose describing academic goals and professional interests (or as required by department). 

Click here (https://www.pvamu.edu/graduateschool/graduate-programs-certificates/programs/) for Admissions standards for specific graduate programs.

Graduate Certificates

Graduate certificates (https://www.pvamu.edu/graduateschool/graduate-programs-certificates/graduate-certificates-at-pvamu/) are offered within the academic departments and may have additional admission requirements. Please visit Academic Programs and Degree Plans for additional information on certificate program requirements at https://catalog.pvamu.edu/academicprogramsanddegreeplans/ website.

Second Master's Degree

Persons holding a previously earned master’s degree from Prairie View A&M University may pursue an additional master’s degree at Prairie View A&M University only with the specific approval of the Graduate School Dean. All requests for a second master’s degree from Prairie View A&M University must be approved by the Graduate Dean before a student can be admitted to a program. Such approval will be given only when the following conditions are judged to have been met:

1. A complete admissions application packet for the second master’s degree and application evaluation charge was submitted to the Graduate School 
2. The proposed second master’s degree must be in a different major field of study than the previous degree
3. A degree plan is submitted for the Graduate Dean’s approval;
4. Courses counted toward a previously earned master’s degree may not be applied to the second master’s degree unless they constitute specific course requirements for the major concentration in the second master’s degree program. In such cases, no more than twelve semester hours of such courses may be counted toward the second degree and must be included in the degree plan for the second master’s degree. Courses must be less than six years old at the time the degree is awarded. No more than six semester hours taken before the start of the program may be transferred from another institution. Graduate credit earned at another accredited institution during enrollment in the graduate program at Prairie View A&M University cannot be used to satisfy a certificate/degree requirement at that institution fulfilling the degree requirements at Prairie View A&M University. Only courses with a grade of “B” or better may be transferred. An “A” grade from another institution or earned in extension may not be used to validate a grade of “C” earned at Prairie View A&M University. An official transcript denoting the transfer course(s), year, and grade received must be on file in the Office of the Registrar before acceptance of transfer credit is official. The official Approval of Transfer Credits Form, the official transcript (or copy of the official transcript on file in the Office of the Registrar) denoting the transfer course(s), the year with grade(s) received, and a copy of the course description(s) from the transfer institution’s catalog must be received by the Graduate School before transfer credits may be reviewed for approval. Transferred courses must meet the established time limit.

Degrees beyond a second master’s degree are considered “stand-alone” degrees. Credit hours from previous degrees will not be accepted toward “stand-alone” degrees.

Types of Admission to Graduate School

Once an application submission is complete, it is reviewed by program faculty and a recommendation regarding admission is sent to the Graduate School Dean. The Graduate Dean decides whether or not to accept this admission recommendation. The Graduate School provides the official notification of admission to potential students.

Students can enroll in Prairie View A&M University's graduate programs by meeting one of two regular admissions standards or through special standards described below.

Full Admission for Graduate Study

The criteria required for full admission to graduate study are as follows:

• A  bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
• Minimum 2.75 cumulative GPA or 3.0 on last sixty SCH. 
• Three letters of recommendation from persons in the field of the applicant's academic major or area of concentration.
• A 1000-word statement of purpose describing academic goals and professional interests (or as required by the department).
• If from a country where English is not the official language there are international applicant English proficiency requirements:
  • TOEFL: 550 paper; 79 internet-based; IELTS: 6.0

Several departments maintain additional specific requirements for admission to graduate study in terms of courses taken, grades in relevant courses, documentation of discipline-specific experiences, additional letters of recommendation, test scores, and/or an application essay.  These allow a holistic review of each applicant.

Conditional Admissions for Graduate Study

• A  bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
• Minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA.
• Three letters of recommendation from persons in the field of the applicant's academic major or area of concentration.
• A 1000-word statement of purpose describing academic goals and professional interests (or as required by the department).
• If from a country where English is not the official language there are international applicant English proficiency requirements:
  • TOEFL: 550 paper; 79 internet-based; or IELTS: 6.0

A student with a cumulative GPA below 2.5 who has acquired relevant experience that could contribute to ensuring their success in graduate study, may be considered for conditional admission upon a holistic review and recommendation by the respective department head and dean.

A student admitted to this category may enroll in a maximum of twelve (12) semester credit hours of graduate courses.  To continue, the student must have achieved a GPA of 3.0 and be recommended by the department faculty for graduate study acceptance.

Graduate Work by an Undergraduate Student

Undergraduate students who are juniors or seniors may, upon being recommended by the department head and the dean of the school or college, register for up to six semester hours of graduate courses while completing undergraduate degree requirements. Applicants must meet the GPA requirements for Full Admission to Graduate School. The combined load of the graduate and the undergraduate courses must not exceed eighteen semester credit hours. 

4+1 Program Admission

• Only graduate-level courses with a grade of “B” or higher may be used at the graduate level.
• The graduate courses cannot be more than six years old at the time the graduate degree is awarded.
• Courses graded on a pass/fail basis are ineligible. 

Post-Baccalaureate Graduate Acceptance (Non-Degree Seeking)

Students who hold bachelor's degrees with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 and who wish to take graduate courses or seek graduate-level certification without qualifying for a degree may be admitted as Non-Degree Seeking students. Students must meet all course prerequisites to be admitted to advanced courses. Elevation to degree-seeking status must be recommended by the appropriate school or college dean within the completion of the first twelve semester credit hours if the student attained and maintained a 2.75 GPA and is approved by the Graduate School Dean.

Admission to an Accelerated Bachelor's-to-Doctorate Program

The bachelors-to-doctorate degree program, offered by select programs, is designed to ensure that the program results in student learning outcomes aligned with the typical doctoral program in exit outcomes. These programs are structured to admit students from either the bachelor's and/or master's degrees. An example of this format is the Ph.D. program in Clinical Adolescent Psychology. Doctoral students in the Clinical Adolescent Psychology doctoral program will receive a (pass through) master's after meeting specific program requirements. 

Transient Graduate Acceptance

A student who has a bachelor's degree with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 and wants to take graduate courses without qualifying for a degree or seeking graduate-level certification can be admitted as a Transient (Non-Degree Seeking) student.  Transient status is extended for ONE TERM ONLY and requires a letter of good standing and an official transcript from the current institution.  Special permission must be given by the Graduate School Dean if a second term of Transient status is sought.  After two terms in transient status, the student must submit a complete admissions application packet for consideration as a degree-seeking student.

Concurrent Study for Two Different Degrees

A student pursuing a graduate degree program at Prairie View A&M University may not simultaneously enroll and complete coursework to meet the requirements for any other degree offered by this institution.  However, a graduate student within three to six semester hours of completing the first graduate degree requirements may seek approval to enroll in up to six semester hours of graduate courses applicable to a second degree.  Courses completed in this category must apply to the second degree ONLY.  Total enrollment for the term may not exceed nine semester credit hours.

The first degree must be completed in its entirety before additional work may be taken to meet requirements for the second (2nd) degree.  The format and requirements for a request to pursue two different graduate degrees concurrently may be obtained from the Graduate School.

Second Master's Degree

Students who wish to pursue a second master's degree must meet all Full Admission criteria as defined by the degree program and obtain permission from the Dean for Graduate School to be able to pursue a second master's degree in a different field of study.

Graduate Study Acceptance from Non-Accredited/Non-Equivalent Institutions

A student who is a graduate of a non-accredited institution whose degree is not considered equivalent to a baccalaureate degree or a master's degree at Prairie View A&M University may not be admitted directly to master's or doctoral status. Instead, he/she may be considered for admission as an undergraduate or post-baccalaureate student.  Upon completion of the baccalaureate degree, the student may then apply and be considered for admission to the desired degree program.

Doctoral Graduate Study Acceptance

A completed application for admission is required and must be received by the Graduate School by the identified deadline for the program for which admission is sought.  Assessment of doctoral applicants involves a multi-step process.  It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that the required admission documents are received by the Graduate School on or before the application deadline.

Colleges and departments often determine additional qualifications for admission to doctoral programs.  The admitting department should be contacted for details regarding admission types.

Even though an applicant may meet the general requirements for admission to Graduate School, he/she must also meet the admission requirements of specific programs as specified in this catalog.  Admission to a department/program is not guaranteed until the applicant receives official notification from the Graduate School. The student may not enroll in any graduate courses until official notification is received. Failure to adhere to this policy will nullify any graduate-level coursework undertaken by the student.