The Graduate Application Process

Fort Valley State University welcomes you to apply to one of our graduate programs.

We look forward to you joining FVSU as you make the important decision to continue your graduate studies!

To be considered for graduate admissions at Fort Valley State University, applicants must hold at least a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university and must meet other program admission requirements.

Admission requirements change periodically in response to mandates by the University System of Georgia Board of Regents (USG) or Fort Valley State University. Prospective students are encouraged to check the Graduate Studies website for updates on the general admission process and to check the program of interest for program-specific updates and requirements to be considered for admission.

Applicants who are currently in the last semester of undergraduate work when applying will be evaluated based on their completed academic work and their current course enrollment. Formal admissions decisions for these students cannot be made until their degree is conferred.

Deadlines for completed applications and submission of all supporting materials and documentation are varies based on the graduate program. Early submission of all application materials is strongly encouraged.

The steps outlined below will help you to complete the graduate application process.

1. Apply for Graduate Admission and pay the non-refundable processing fee.
   Click here if you are applying and have never been a graduate student at FVSU.
   Click here if you were previously enrolled as a degree-seeking graduate student at FVSU.
2. Click here to pay the non-refundable application processing fee.
   • US Citizens and Permanent Resident Applicants: $20.00
   • International Applicants: $75.00
3. Submit Résumé or Curriculum Vitae.
   Pursuant to FVSU, your application requires the inclusion of all post-high school education and employment, as well as information about ongoing international affiliations and research funding, if applicable.
4. Submit your Statement of Purpose.
   550-600 Word Statement of Purpose should be in essay format and include personal characteristics/disposition, professional goals, academic background, research, work/volunteer experience, and why you?
5. Submit 3 letters of recommendation.
   Click here for the Recommendation for Admission Form. Completed recommendations are required for you to be considered for admission into the graduate program. An older version of the recommendation form will not be accepted. Recommendations from friends or relatives are not acceptable.
   Please make sure your recommenders are aware of the following:
   1. Your recommenders must be the sole authors of your form and letters of recommendation. Drafting, writing, translating, or submitting your own reference, even if asked to do so by a recommender, is a violation of our application terms.
   2. Letters of recommendation without the completed form will not fulfill the recommendation requirement for admission review.
   3. All recommendations must be emailed directly from the recommender’s academic/business professional email to graduatestudies@fvsu.edu.
   4. Your recommender cannot copy you on the submission of the recommendation for admission. If you are copied, this would be a violation of the Public Law 93-380, Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. As a result, the recommender nor will the recommendation for graduate admission be considered for admission.
   5. Mailed recommendations for admissions will not be accepted.
6. Official transcripts are required from EACH College and/or University you have attended (foreign and within the United States).
   Contact each institution you have attended and request that they mail an official copy of your transcript directly to the FVSU Graduate Studies.
   If you previously attended Fort Valley State University – you will also need to request an official transcript.Electronic Delivery Method (preferred method):

   Official transcripts must be submitted directly by the college/university in a secure electronic format such as Student National Clearinghouse, or Parchment
   to graduatestudies@fvsu.edu.

   This address is for institutional use only. Transcripts sent to this address by the student will not be accepted.

   Please note:
   1. Transcripts bearing the stamp “Issued to Student,” hand-delivered transcripts, transcripts mailed or handled by the student, faxed transcripts, or transcripts issued to third parties cannot be accepted.
   2. Transcripts must be current, up-to-date transcripts. We will not accept official documents/academic records for admissions-related purposes via fax, email (pdf), or postal mail directly from the applicant. Documents received in this manner will be destroyed without review.
   3. Transcripts must be submitted electronically or postmarked no later than the deadline to be considered for desired term and program.
   4. Transfer credit reflected on a transcript issued by another institution is not acceptable, you must submit a transcript from the institution at which the credit was earn.
   5. Official transcripts become the property of the Fort Valley State University and will not be returned, and copies will not be released to students or third parties.

   If your college/university or testing agency does not support sending official documents electronically, the documents should be mailed to our mailing address in a sealed envelope by the issuing institution:

   Transfer work outside the U.S
   If you have attended colleges or universities outside the 50 U.S. states or the District of Columbia, you must provide a foreign credential report which includes English translations and information showing detailed, course-by-course evaluations and appropriate U.S. degree equivalency.

   The foreign credential report MUST be an independent review prepared by an agency. These agencies are private enterprises that charge a fee for their services and that expense is the responsibility of the applicant. The following agencies are approved. Reports from any other agency will NOT be accepted.

   List of Professional Academic Credential Evaluation Agencies – Professional transcript evaluations of college/university transcripts must include a course-by-course evaluation with GPA calculation). Will not accept agencies not listed. 

   Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. (AICE)

   National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES)

   Education Credential Evaluators

   WES World Education Services

   Josef Silny & Associates, Inc.

   Original or certified true copies of documents must be mailed directly to the Office of Graduate Studies or submitted directly by the Professional Academic Credential Evaluation Agency to graduatestudies@fvsu.edu, which is the preferred method.

   
   Traditional Mail Delivery Method: Transcripts must be in the original envelope, sealed from the institution they are being requested from. They must be mailed to:

   Fort Valley State University

   Office of Graduate Studies _ Troup Building Room 319
   1005 State University Drive
   Fort Valley, Georgia 31030

   Fort Valley State University may require you to submit a credential evaluation for certain college/university coursework. You will be notified if this is required.

   Admission decisions will not be made based on copies, faxes, or other unofficial documents.

7. Test of English Proficiency.
   If English is not your native language, even if you are currently a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and regardless of how long you have resided or been educated in the U.S., you must demonstrate English proficiency. (Official test scores must be received directly from the testing agency).
   A). Applicants from the following countries are exempt from the English Language Proficiency requirement: Anguilla, Antigua Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Canada Cayman Islands, Christmas Island, Cook Islands, Dominica, Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), Gambia, Ghana, Gibraltar, Grenada, Guam, Guyana, Hong Kong, Ireland, Jamaica, Jersey, Kenya, Malawi, Federated States of Micronesia, Monteserrat, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pitcairn Islands, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, Saint Vincent/ Grenadines, Sierra Leone, South Africa, St Helena Ascension, Tristan da Cuhna, Tobago, Trinidada, Turks and Caicos Islands, Uganda, United Kingdom Great Britain, United States of America, Virgin Islands, or Zimbabwe.
   B). Applicants provide an official transcript showing one of the following are exempt from the English Language Proficiency requirement.
   • a degree earned at an accredited U.S. college or university accepted by Fort Valley State University
   • a degree earned at a foreign institution where the language of instruction was exclusively English
   • successful completion (‘C’ or higher) of ENG 1101 and/or ENG 1102 or its equivalent in one or both courses, at an accredited U.S. institution accepted by Fort Valley State University
   C). Applicants do not exempt by A or B above can take either of the following tests: (Official test scores must be received directly from the testing agency).
   Please note that TOEFL and IELTS scores expire two years after the test date. The applicant should take one of these tests at the earliest available date to ensure that the scores are reported in time to meet application deadlines. Applicants will not be admitted if they lack an acceptable proficiency score
   1. Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) 
      Minimum required score:  Internet version (iBT) – 69
      Minimum required score:  Paper TOEFL – 523
   2. International English Language Testing System (IELTS)*
      Minimum required score: 6
      Note: If you have not sent your official test scores to FVSU, we will accept scanned copies of score reports with the online application and will verify your scores with IELTS.

    

8. Submit your Verification of Lawful Presence.
   Click here to review the documents that are acceptable to provide verification of residency and lawful presence.
   Each University System institution shall verify the lawful presence in the United States of every successfully admitted person applying for resident tuition status, as defined in Section 7.3 of this Policy Manual, and of every person admitted to an institution referenced in Section 4.1.6 of this Policy Manual.
   Any student requesting to pay at the in-state tuition rate will be required to provide verification of their lawful presence in the United States in order to be classified as an in-state student or awarded an out-of-state tuition waiver.

   There are several ways for a student’s lawful presence in the United States to be verified. In some instances, the student will not need to submit any additional documentation. For example, if the student completes the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the U.S. Department of Education determines that the student is eligible to receive federal student aid, no additional documentation may be needed.

   In other situations, a student may need to provide documentation of lawful presence, such as a copy of their U.S. birth certificate, Georgia driver’s license (without the “Limited Term” notation), United States passport, or Permanent Resident Card. Students should contact their college or university to learn more about what may be needed.

   Any applicant whose status cannot be verified is not eligible for in-state tuition regardless of how long he or she has lived in Georgia. Students who want to qualify for in-state tuition rates must verify their lawful presence in Georgia.

   If you have been classified as an out-of-state student for tuition purposes, verification of lawful presence in the United States will not change your status as an out-of-state student without further proof that you are a resident of Georgia for tuition purposes.

   This must be received prior to enrollment, NOT prior to admission.
   

9. Submit your Certificate of Immunization record. Click here for the “FVSU Certificate of Immunization”
   The FVSU Certificate of Immunization, a Board of Regents’ policy and institutional policy, is required of all new students. If the applicant attended the university in the past either as an undergraduate or graduate student, varicella (chicken pox) is required for all U.S. born students in 1980 or later and is required for all foreign-born students regardless of year born. Proof of a tetanus booster within the last ten years is also required for all return students.
   Several health professional-related graduate programs at FVSU require separate immunization forms with additional immunization requirements beyond what is required by the university.
   Please note:
   • Older version of the Certificate of Immunization that is prior to November 2021 form will not be accepted.
   • This form must be validated by a health care provider with a signature and medical office stamp.
   • All vaccinations or history of disease must be validated by a licensed health care provider with a signature and medical office stamp.
   This must be received prior to enrollment, NOT prior to admission.
10. Click here to Complete your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), if applicable. FVSU School Code: 001566.

Please allow 5-7 business days (Mon-Fri 8:00am-5pm EST) for the application and status checklist to update to reflect materials that you submitted and any outstanding required documents.

If your documents are not marked as received after 5-7 business days (Mon-Fri 8:00am-5pm EST), please forward a copy of your delivered and downloaded receipt confirmations to, graduatestudies@fvsu.edu.

For your awareness:

• You must also meet program-specific requirements to be considered for admission into a graduate program. Based on the program of study, your checklist will reflect additional items required to be considered for admission.
• Achievement of the minimum admission requirements of Graduate Studies does not guarantee admission to a graduate degree program.
• All supporting materials must be received by the entry term deadline. Any supporting materials received after the deadline may be reviewed on a space-available basis.
• If a deadline is missed, the applicant may apply for another term by notifying the Office of Graduate Studies. (Only one term change per application/academic year)
• It is the applicant’s responsibility to monitor the checklist to confirm the receipt of required documents.
• All materials and documents submitted as part of an application for admission become the property of FVSU and cannot be returned.

The program coordinator and faculty in each department begins reviewing applications shortly after their application deadline.

Have Questions? Contact Us!

For additional information about graduate admission, contact us at: graduatestudies@fvsu.edu or 478-822-7594.