Admissions Standards
Admission to Castleton's graduate programs is selective. In order to be eligible for enrollment in a Castleton course for graduate credit, a prospective student must hold at least a bachelor's degree from either a regionally or nationally accredited institution of higher learning and have earned at least a 3.0 cumulative grade-point average. However, each department establishes its own requirements, so applicants should check their particular program of interest to see whether they are eligible (and, if not, how they can establish eligibility).
For instructions on how to apply for graduate study at Castleton, go to the program you are interested in pursuing and click on the link for "application information."
Admissions Status
Admission to the university for graduate study is "rolling," meaning that prospective students may apply at any time. (However, individual programs have their own deadlines for consideration in a particular semester, so applicants should check the program in which they want to enroll.)
Students will be notified of the status of their application throughout the process. The applicant will receive written notification of the admission decision, granting admission, denial of admission or wait listing. The option of provisional admission is possible for some applicants.
Provisional Acceptance: Applies to a logistical issue such as an official transcript replacing an unofficial one. The University reserves the right to revoke a provisional admission if the final submission differs from what was expected. A student will need to complete a provision prior to matriculation. The Admissions Office cannot have more than one document pending for provisional acceptance.
Conditional Acceptance: Applies, if a candidate fails to successfully complete a requirement such as a prerequisite, or does not meet the GPA requirement for matriculation. A student who is accepted with a prerequisite requirement will need to complete the prerequisite as a condition of his/her acceptance prior to matriculation, and will need to complete a GPA requirement of 3.0 or higher after matriculation. In some cases, Castleton University may have concerns about a student's ability to complete his or her program successfully. In this instance, the student will be required to take additional courses. Courses must be completed within two semesters of the date of conditional admission and passed with a grade of "B" or better. If these requirements are met, the condition will no longer apply.
Credit for Co-Designated Courses
Graduate students may apply no more than nine credits from co-designated undergraduate/graduate courses toward a degree program. Performance-based courses and internships in which graduate and undergraduate students participate at different academic levels are exempt from this restriction.
Registration
New graduate students will connect with a faculty advisor, discuss their program requirements, and register for their first semester courses.
Course listings can be found online. Students need to register for all courses, including independent studies, field experiences, practicums, written examinations, and theses. Individualized courses also require forms that need to be completed and signed before registration. Students need to register during the published registration period or risk courses being cancelled due to low enrollment. Course cancellations may make it difficult to complete a program plan in a timely fashion.
Registration for graduate courses can be done online, by mail, or in person at the Financial & Registration Services Center in Woodruff Hall.
Late Registration: A student may be able to register on or after the first day of classes with permission of the instructor and the payment of a late registration fee. Check the website for late registration details.
Transfer of Courses
With the written permission of the registrar and the department chair in which their program is housed, students may count toward their degree up to 12 graduate credits earned from institutions accredited by a regional accrediting association or by an accrediting agency recognized by both the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation that are not part of the Castleton graduate program in which they are enrolling (e.g. from a college or university in another state; from another Vermont college or university; from another Castleton program such as the Castleton Center for Schools). Official transcripts must be submitted to the registrar for evaluation and transfer of such graduate credits. Only courses completed within the previous five years for which the student received a grade of "B" (3.0) or better will be accepted for transfer. Pass/Fail courses and courses taken for credit/no credit are not acceptable.
With the approval of the department chair, registrar, and academic dean, students may request advance permission to take graduate courses at other institutions that will be applied to the requirements of their Castleton program. The necessary permissions are indicated through signatures recorded on the Prior Approval of Graduate Course Transfer Form, which students must complete and submit to the registrar before enrolling in any outside-Castleton courses that they intend to transfer into their Castleton program.
Veterans Benefits and Transition Act
Per Section 103 of the Colmery Act:
Any covered individual, is permitted to attend or participate in the course of education during the period beginning on the date on which the individual provides to the educational institution a certificate of eligibility for entitlement to educational assistance under chapter 31 or 33 (a certificate of eligibility can also include a "Statement of Benefits" obtained from the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) website - eBenefits, or VA 28-1905 form for chapter 31 authorization purposes) and ending on the earlier of the following dates:
- The date on which payment from V A is made to the institution,
- 90 days after the date the institution certified tuition and fees following the receipt of the certificate of eligibility.
Castleton University will not impose any penalty, including the assessment of late fees, the denial of access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities, or the requirement that a covered individual borrow additional funds, on any covered individual because of the individual's inability to meet his or her financial obligations to the institution due to the delayed disbursement funding from VA under chapter 31 or 33.
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