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The Graduate School - Prospective Student FAQs

 

A WKU ID number is a nine-digit number beginning with 8 that is assigned to each person who submits an application. The ID number is issued within 1 to 3 business days of the application submission.
If you have not been admitted or you are an international applicant, you will need to submit a new graduate school application here. When you submit the new application, be sure to use your existing WKU ID number (nine-digit number beginning with 8) as the login ID. This will allow the application to autofill with most of your information, will allow the Graduate School to migrate all admission documents you have already provided to the new application, and will prevent you from paying another application fee. Once this new application is received, the term that you are being considered for admission will be updated.
Please enter the institution code 699999, which will create an entry of Foreign College in the previous colleges section. Once we receive your official transcript(s) from your previous international university or universities, the Foreign College entry will be replaced with the name(s) of your previous university.
Once an application is submitted, it takes 1 to 3 business days for it to visible in our system. If you have not applied to WKU in the past, you will receive a WKU ID number via email once your application is visible. If you have applied in the past, you can track when the application is visible by checking your application status here.
Active-duty members of the U.S. military and veterans, as well as their dependents, are eligible for application fee waivers. If this applies to you, please call or email the Graduate School at (270) 745-2446 or graduate.school@wku.edu.
Yes, you can apply for more than one graduate program. Please note that you cannot pursue a Doctoral and Graduate program simultaneously.
No. The application fee is a one-time nonrefundable fee. As long as you use your assigned WKU ID number as the Login ID when submitting a new application for the same type of application (Graduate or Doctoral), you will not be charged another application fee.
Domestic students may defer their admission by using the Change of Term Request form to change their term of enrollment. International students must submit an updated application for the new term, as well as updated financial documents, in order to create a new I-20 form. When you submit the new application, be sure to use your existing WKU ID number (nine-digit number beginning with 8) as the login ID. This will allow the application to autofill with most of your information, will allow the Graduate School to migrate all admission documents you have already provided to the new application, and will prevent you from paying another application fee. Once this new application is received, the term that you are being considered for admission will be updated.
Please visit the Admission page for more information.
To change your program you must submit an updated application for admission into the new program. To be considered, you must fulfill any additional program requirements.  Admission to one program does not guarantee admission to a different program. When you submit the new application, be sure to use your existing WKU ID number (nine-digit number beginning with 8) as the login ID. This will allow the application to autofill with most of your information, will allow the Graduate School to migrate all admission documents you have already provided to the new application, and will prevent you from paying another application fee (as long as the program is at the same level, i.e. Master's vs Doctoral.
To reapply you must submit an updated application, seeking admission into the new program. To be considered, you must fulfill any additional program requirements. When you submit the new application, be sure to use your existing WKU ID number (nine-digit number beginning with 8) as the login ID. This will allow the application to autofill with most of your information, will allow the Graduate School to migrate all admission documents you have already provided to the new application, and will prevent you from paying another application fee (as long as the program is at the same level, i.e. Masters vs Doctoral.
No, the Graduate School cannot accept paper applications. You may, however, apply online. Payment can be made by credit card online, or check or money order can be mailed or dropped off at the office.
Applicants can only be classified as either Graduate or Undergraduate. If you submit an undergraduate application after submitting a graduate application, your graduate application will be automatically inactivated.
You will be notified via email.
Once all admission documents have been received for an application, it is forwarded to the program for review and an admission recommendation. The timeline for an admission recommendation depends on the program. For a timeline specific to your program, please contact the Program Coordinator, whose information can be found by clicking here, selecting your program, and going to the Overview Tab.
The Tuition Incentive Program (TIP) is only available to undergraduate students, thus graduate students are not eligible for TIP.

Domestic applicants can have their official transcript delivered electronically through third-party delivery service like Parchment or National Student Clearinghouse. Both Domestic and International applicants can request that their university mail an official transcript to our office or mail a transcript that has remained sealed from being issued by the previous university’s registrar’s office. Official, sealed transcripts can be dropped off at our office. Please see the address provided below.

The Graduate School
Western Kentucky University
Wetherby Administration Building, Room 207
1906 College Heights Blvd. #11010
Bowling Green, KY 42101-1010

Every degree-seeking student is assigned to an advisor. The advisor should be the most important person in the course of your graduate study. Your advisor will work with you in developing a program of study (graduate degree program). The graduate advisor will assist you in the selection of your graduate committee for direction and guidance during thesis writing if you choose the thesis option. You should work closely with your advisor while in graduate school at WKU.

The admission letter that is sent to your email address includes the name and contact information of your assigned graduate advisor.

A transcript evaluation is performed as part of the application process for international applicants. Once official transcripts are provided, a member of our staff performs a transcript evaluation to determine equivalency to a degree in the United States.

Educators who earn master’s degrees may be eligible for a pay raise. Please see your school district’s pay scale. WKU offers a tuition discount for practicing educators. Please click on this link for more information: https://www.wku.edu/educatordiscount/

WKU multiplies the quarter hour by 0.67 to get the semester hour.  For example, if you have earned six quarter hours, they will be converted to four semester hours.

The WKU Graduate School's GRE code is 1901.

Almost all funding comes in the form of assistantships.  Each academic department handles its own assistantship selection process.  Please contact the graduate program coordinator of your program (contact info is available at https://catalog.wku.edu/graduate/programsoffered/).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 Last Modified 2/1/24