Policies apply to all graduate students whether on campus, online, virtual,  or at extended campus locations. 

Admission to Graduate and Professional Studies

All graduate programs offered by Concordia University are administered by the specific academic departments under the general supervision of the Vice President for Academics.

Students interested in enrolling in graduate and professional studies are encouraged to contact the Graduate Admission Office at 262.243.4300 for information on admission requirements and the process.  Information may also be found online at the Concordia websites, www.cuw.edu or www.cuaa.edu.

Admission Requirements - Professional Programs

Admission requirements may vary by program.  The following programs have specific academic and  professional entrance requirements:

• Athletic Training (MS)
• Nursing (MSN, DNP)
• Occupational Therapy (MOT, DOT)
• Pharmacy (Pharm D)
• Physician Assistant Studies (MS)
• Physical Therapy (DPT)
• Speech Language Pathology (MS)

Detailed admissions requirements and process information for each program are on the respective program pages of this catalog.

Admission Requirements - Graduate Programs

General requirements for admission to graduate studies are:

• Minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.00 for full acceptance.
• Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution.

In addition to these general admission requirements, each program may have other requirements.  See individual program pages for additional requirements.

Application Process - Graduate Programs

1. All applicants must submit the following:
   • Complete online application: www.cuw.edu/apply or www.cuaa.edu/apply
   • One-page essay describing the applicant's reason for pursuing a graduate degree
   • Resumé/CV detailing education and relevant professional experience
   • Letters of recommendation (Please see individual program pages for specific requirements or if needed)
   • Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended
   • Brief video introduction recorded and submitted through application portal
   • Government-issued photo ID
   • English Language Proficiency:   Students without demonstrated experience in an English academic or professional setting must present a minimum TOEFL score of 79 on the internet based test; an overall band score of 6.5 on the IELTS; an overall 61 on the PTE; 7 Oxford ELLT; 180/C1 Advanced Cambridge; 58 MET (Michigan English Test); 480 KTE (Kaplan English Test); or an overall 105 on Duolingo for regular acceptance. Other tests of English proficiency may be considered at the discretion of the department.

Additional notes:

• Graduate entrance exams (GRE) are not required for admission.
• If the applicant has completed graduate-level coursework in the last seven years and wishes to transfer credits, official transcripts must be submitted for evaluation.

2.  Application evaluation process

 Once an applicant’s file is complete, the Admission Committee will make one of three decisions:

• Fully admitted to the program with no conditions.
• Conditionally admitted:  Applicant must meet the conditions outlined in the acceptance letter to continue graduate program enrollment.
• Denial of admission:  A letter is emailed to the applicant, giving the decision of the Admission Committee.*

*If an applicant is denied and is eligible to appeal, they must write a letter to the program director stating their intentions and reasons for appealing the decision.

Applications may be denied if suspected fraudulent activity or irregularities in the provided information are detected during the application process. Applicants have the right to appeal such decisions by undergoing further verification, which may include a meeting with the Director or Vice President of Enrollment and submitting additional supporting documents.

Application Deadlines

If there are application deadlines, they are specified on the individual program pages.

Transfer Credit Policy

A student may be allowed credit for work completed at the graduate level prior to enrolling at Concordia University Wisconsin/Ann Arbor (CUWAA). In some cases, an articulation agreement may govern the transfer of credits. In the absence of an articulation agreement, the following requirements are established:

• College-level courses taken at CUWAA, no matter the format, are considered ‘residency’ courses. Some pre-identified continuing education unit (CEU) credits taken through CUWAA Continuing Education Studies may be used for transfer credit.  CEU credits cannot be used to fulfill residency requirements.
• Students must earn a minimum of 15 credits to be awarded a master’s degree and at least half of the program 
• credits to be awarded a doctoral degree at CUWAA.
• If there is no specified program policy, the university allows for transfer of up to 50% of the overall credit requirements for a degree program and up to 25% of the overall credits for a certificate program, provided credits are from another regionally accredited university.

Before awarding transfer credits:

• The student must provide official transcripts documenting completion of graduate-level coursework and the grade(s) obtained for this work.
• Courses older than seven years will not be transferred unless an exception is granted by the program director and/or Dean.
• The number of graduate credits for a course taken at another institution must be equal to or greater than the number of credits for a comparable course at CUWAA (i.e. a two-credit course will not transfer in for a three-credit course).
• If there is no specified program policy, each course grade must meet the CUWAA graduate admission standard of a 3.0 (B) or better. Courses in which the student received lower than a 3.0 (B) will not be considered for transfer.

Additional Information:

• Transfer credits are not used in calculating a student’s grade point average (GPA).
• Students are required to be ‘in residence’ (i.e. complete at least one course) at CUWAA during the semester of graduation. It is recommended that students meet with their academic advisor or program director prior to the final semester to review their degree evaluation and make plans for completion of all remaining program requirements.
• Specific program policies related to maximum transfer credits, currency of coursework, or minimum grade requirements are listed in each program section of the catalog or in the department’s handbook.

In case of special extenuating circumstances, the Academic Office may approve exceptions to this policy.

Credit Sharing Between Concordia Programs

A student completing multiple programs at CUWAA may be permitted to have shared credits count for both programs.

• An Undergraduate and Graduate Program: If graduate-level courses were approved to be taken as part of a student’s undergraduate degree, up to 15 credits may be used toward the completion of a master’s degree.
• Two Masters Programs: If there is no specified program policy, a student may share up to 15 credits between two master’s programs. A minimum of 15 unique, non-overlapping credits is required in each program to award a degree.
• A Masters and Doctoral Program: If there is no specified program policy, a student may have up to 15 credits of doctoral work count toward a master’s program. A minimum of 15 unique, non-overlapping credits at the master’s level, and 30 unique, non-overlapping credits at the doctoral level, is required to award each degree.
• If there is no specified program policy, grades for graduate-level shared credits must meet the CUWAA admission standard of a 3.0 (B) or better to count for both programs.

Acadeum Course Sharing

Acadeum is a course-sharing platform that allows students to take courses taught by institutions of our choosing. Acadeum is a tool meant to support the mission of CUWAA by supporting student progression and retention. It also allows us to open our unfilled courses for other institutions’ students to take.

Acadeum online courses should only be used for students who have immediate course scheduling needs that cannot be fulfilled by taking a course at CUWAA:

1. Transfer and non-traditional students who need to take a prerequisite course and/or are off sequence and unable to follow the student educational plan.

2. Graduating students needing a final course not offered prior to graduation.

3. Students whose class session has been canceled and have no other course options within the current academic year and/or cannot wait until it is offered to remain on track for graduation.

4. Students who fail a course and need to retake it without waiting until the next time it is offered to remain on track for graduation.

5. Students who must demonstrate improved academic ability due to continued probation. 

Eligible CUWAA students will work with their staff or faculty advisor and department chair for Acadeum course approval. Eligible CUWAA graduate students will work with their program chair/director for Acadeum course approval. The program chair/director will send the approvals to the Registrar’s Office for Acadeum course enrollment.

Internal Transfer to Another Graduate Program

If a student wishes to move from one program to another (e.g. from Education to Business), he or she must submit a new online application and at minimum a new essay explaining the reasons for the change.  Program directors may request additional documents as well.  All admission procedures for the new program must be followed.  Even though a student has been admitted to one graduate program, he or she is not guaranteed admission to or transfer to another graduate program.

Conditional Admission

Conditional admission at the graduate level is defined as admission to the university for students who do not meet the graduate admission standards (refer to the program of interest). Upon review of a student’s academic record, the Admission Committee may grant applicants conditional admission to Concordia University.

Conditional admission requires the student to achieve good academic standing (GPA of a 3.0 or higher) within the first semester of enrollment. Students who are conditionally admitted may be required to fulfill stipulations specific to their program.  Students who earn a GPA of 3.0 or higher within their first semester of enrollment are removed from conditional admissions status. Failure to fulfill stipulations of the program and/or failure to maintain good academic standing during enrollment (GPA of 3.0 or higher) in the first semester will result in probationary status (see the Probation and Dismissal Policy).