The Graduate School is pleased to provide the following information.  Please follow the application procedures carefully to ensure timely processing.  

BEFORE YOU BEGIN:  Selecting an application

Before you begin the application process, you must decide whether you will apply as a non-degree student or a degree-seeking student.

• A degree-seeking applicant is one who is admitted to the Graduate School and a department program and may eventually become a degree candidate.  Both the Graduate School and the department must approve admission.  Before applying to a degree program, please be sure to contact the department to which you are applying to determine their admissions deadlines and requirements.
• A non-degree applicant is usually one who does not intend to seek a degree at LSU at the present time, but rather to take only a few graduate-level courses.
  • If you are interested in seeking admission as a non-degree graduate student, first contact the graduate advisor of your intended program.  Some programs restrict non-degree students to particular courses or will not later accept the work toward degree-seeking requirements.  Non-degree admission is restricted to U.S. citizens and permanent residents only.
    

Note:  The non-degree and degree-seeking programs are two different programs and require separate fees.  If you apply to the wrong program, your fee cannot be refunded or transferred. 

APPLYING TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL

You may apply to The Graduate School from the LSU Graduate Admissions website.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. institution or the equivalent from a foreign institution.
  
• A grade point average of at least 3.00 (“A”= 4.0) on all undergraduate work (or last half-degree requirement) and a 3.00 GPA or better on any graduate work already completed. International applicants must have at least a 3.00 GPA, or equivalent, on all college-level work attempted.
  
• Acceptable GRE scores. An acceptable GMAT score is required for graduate programs in the E. J. Ourso College of Business, except for the MS and PhD in economics. The MPA program and the Information Systems & Decision Sciences program will accept either the GRE or the GMAT.
  
• Acceptance by the graduate faculty in the applicant’s area of study.

Non-Degree Admission Requirements:

• A baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution.
  
• A 2.5 cumulative grade average (A=4.0) on all undergraduate work completed and, if applicable, a 3.0 cumulative grade average (A=4.0) on all graduate work completed.

APPLICANT CHECKLIST

Use the list below as a guide for completing your degree-seeking application.  Make sure you have sent or have notified the appropriate officials to send all required items to the Office of Graduate Admissions, 114 David Boyd Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, and the department by the appropriate deadline date.  Failure to submit ALL required documents may result in a delayed or rejected application.

To Office of Graduate Admissions:

1. One official transcript from EACH college or university attended (including summer only work, and even if work appears on another institution’s transcript).  International applicants:  Include degree statements and an English translation of each foreign document.
2. GRE or GMAT scores (if required).  Note:  Recommended/minimum test scores are established by the department.  Contact the graduate advisor in your program for specific requirements.  The ETS institution code for LSU Graduate School is 6373.
3. TOEFL or IELTS scores (if required, see International Applicants section).  The ETS institution code for LSU Graduate School is 6373. 

To Department:

See departmental web pages for additional requirements.

If an International Student:

For identification purposes in the U.S., the spelling and order of your names on your LSU application and the U.S. non-immigrant documentation (Form I-20/Form DS-2019) must match the names on your passport.  If your names on your LSU admissions application do not match your passport, please send a brief letter of explanation.

Please send the following to the LSU Office of Graduate Admissions, 114 David Boyd Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803; Fax: 225-578-2112; E-mail: gradadm@lsu.edu.

• A copy of the name page of your passport.
• A completed Affidavit of Support form and supporting financial documents are required in order for International Services (IS)  to process a Form I-20 (for F-1 student visa) or Form DS-2019 (for J-1 exchange visa).  IS cannot process your non-immigrant documents without this information.  (IMPORTANT: The Affidavit of Support is required only for those individuals who are pursuing F-1 or J-1 student visa status.)  The Affidavit of Support form can be downloaded from the IS Web site: http://www.oip.lsu.edu/iso/admission%20to%20LSU.htm.  NOTE: You can wait to submit the Affidavit of Support after an admission decision has been made for you.  Your application for admission will be processed by the admissions staff even if your financial documents are not included.

For additional information regarding visas and procedures for admitted international students, visit the IS Web site at www.lsu.edu/iso and click on “Prospective Students.”

OVERVIEW OF APPLICATION PROCESS

• Your virtual application is processed and materials you submit with the application are immediately viewable by your department.
• Transcripts and other official documents you send or have sent to the LSU Graduate School are processed and made available to your department with your virtual application.
• Departments may make departmental decisions on your admission at any time but such decisions are generally made after your application file is complete:  application, official transcripts, official test scores, recommendations and other departmentally required documents are received.
• Once a department recommends an applicant to the Graduate School, a final evaluation of the application is conducted by the Admissions staff. If a student meets the general requirements for admission and the department or program recommends admission, the student is admitted.
• Note: Applicants who meet the minimum requirements of the Graduate School are not guaranteed admission, because some graduate programs set higher standards and many have limited space and facilities.

    How long will this process take?  

• The application process varies by department.  
• Some departments process applications year-around, others make decisions only one time each year.  
• Please contact the graduate advisor in your program for estimated processing times. 
  

LSU INFORMATION AND WHERE TO FIND IT

GENERAL INFORMATION

• The Graduate School site will provide you with links to an ONLINE version of this application, information on admissions and links to the academic departments.  Note that applicants must meet the approval of the Graduate School and their department. 
• All postal, FedEx, UPS, physical deliveries should be addressed to: 
  • LSU Graduate Admissions
  • 114 David Boyd Hall
  • Baton Rouge, LA 70803 
• The LSU Home Page can be found on the World Wide Web at the internet address of http://www.lsu.edu.
• The LSU General Catalog is the official document on policies, deadlines, and information for all LSU students.
• The LSU Graduate Bulletin supplies additional information on graduate policies, procedures and degree information.
  

DEPARTMENT INFORMATION

Some academic departments have additional requirements, such as submission of a supplemental departmental application, letters of recommendation, personal statements, etc.  You can contact your academic department by visiting the department, by emailing the graduate advisor of the department, or by mailing your request for information to:

Graduate Advisor
Department of __________
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, LA 70803

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

The academic departments control all graduate assistantships, fellowships, and scholarships.   Please contact the department to which you are applying for information regarding these financial resources.  Information on various awards can be found on the Awards page.

HOUSING

Information on housing can be found at Residential Life or can be reached by telephone at (225) 578-8663. 

TUITION AND FEES

Tuition and fee information can be found at:  http://www.bgtplan.lsu.edu/fees.htm

APPLICATION DEADLINES & FEES

Deadlines & fees for processing degree-seeking applications are as follows:

Many departments have deadlines much earlier than the above dates, especially for financial consideration.  Check with the Graduate Advisor in your program for details.

INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS

• International applicants are advised to submit the application and supporting documents at least ten months in advance of the start of the semester they are seeking admission.
• Test score requirements:  International applicants must demonstrate proof of English proficiency by submitting either a TOEFL or an IELTS score.
• International applicants must provide an official TOEFL score of 550 on the paper-based, 213 on the computer-based, or 79 on the internet-based exam to be considered for admission.  All test scores, including the GRE/GMAT, must be submitted prior to admission.  Though test scores must be sent directly by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to be official, you may submit unofficial copies of your test scores to speed the processing of your application. The ETS institution code for LSU Graduate School is 6373.

Or

• International applicants must provide an official IELTS (International English Language Testing Service) minimum score of 6.5 to be considered for admission. Information about IELTS may be found at the IELTS website (www.ielts.org). IELTS is jointly owned by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia, and the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations.

• Official TOEFL/IELTS scores are those reported directly to LSU by the respective testing service at the request of the student.
• Once the Graduate School and the department have approved admission, and sufficient financial responsibility has been verified, the International Services Office (ISO) is notified.  ISO will then prepare and issue the appropriate immigration documents to you.  Visit the ISO site (http://www.oip.lsu.edu/ISO) for further details.

INTERNATIONAL "OFFICIAL" DOCUMENTS

• Documents submitted to the Graduate School must be written in the language used for instruction (original language).  An English translation of all documents submitted must also be included.  Documents must be prepared by the institution which prescribes the curriculum of study.  
• “Official documents” are defined as official records of transcripts and degree statements in original language AND the English translations prepared by the institution.  These documents must be sealed in the institution’s official envelope with the official stamp across on the envelope.  The individual pages of all documents must be printed on the institutions letterhead or stamped with the official logo/signatures of the proper authority.  Any document not received in this manner is considered unofficial. (Signatures of a professor, government officials other than Ministry of Education, and/or notary public are NOT accepted as official.)
• For applicants from countries whose institutions do not issue official copies to other institutions, the applicant may provide copies of the records for review purposes only. The applicant must prove that the provided documents are official before the admission process is finalized
  
  

INTERNATIONAL DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

The following guidelines indicate the level of study expected of applicants prior to graduate enrollment at Louisiana State University Graduate School.  Please contact the Office of Graduate Admissions for complete details.

• Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa
  • Minimum qualifications: Bachelor’s degrees requiring at least four-years of full-time university study, with a minimum of Second Class Honours. Holders of bachelor’s degrees whose programs represent three years of study are not eligible for graduate admission.
• Baltic Republics and East Europe States and Former Soviet Republics
  • Minimum qualifications: Diplom or Diploma, Inzenyr or Magister.
• Bangladesh, Burma, India, Nepal, Pakistan
  • Minimum qualifications: Bachelor’s degrees requiring at least four years of university study, B.Engr.; B.Sc. (in Engineering); B.Arch.; B.Tech.; or a master’s degree in other fields.  For example, the B.Sc. plus the M.Sc., the B.A plus the M.A., and the B.Com. plus the M.Com. are considered equivalent to the U.S. bachelor’s degree. Do not apply unless you have completed or will complete one of these degrees prior to enrollment.  Post-Graduate Diplomas in fields other than Management may not be considered acceptable for graduate admission.
• Central and Latin America, Mexico, Portugal, Spain
  • Minimum qualifications: Licenciado, Mexican Licenciatura (four year program) or Titulo/professional title or degree representing four or more years of full-time study. 
• France or French patterned systems
  • Minimum qualifications: Diplom, Maitrise or title of Ingenieur. Holders of the Licence (earned after a three year program) degree from France are not eligible for graduate admission.
• Germany
  • Minimum qualifications: Bachelor of Arts or Science from a University.  Vordiplom or Zwischenprüfung "PLUS TWO SEMESTERS" of coursework
• Japan, Korea, Taiwan
  • Minimum qualifications: Holders of bachelor’s degree requiring four years of university study.
• People’s Republic of China
  • Minimum qualifications: Bachelor’s degree requiring at least four years of university study. Holders of bachelor’s degrees awarded in 1982 or later may be considered for graduate admission. 
• United Kingdom and British patterned systems
  • Minimum qualifications: Bachelor’s degree earned after four year program or Diploma in Technology or Technological Engineering or Arts and Design with a minimum of Second Class Upper Division.