Application Information - Graduate Studies and Research

Applications from undergraduate students who have yet to complete coursework for their bachelor's degree can be submitted up to a year before intended attendance. For example, an application submitted in September of the current year would be applicable to the subsequent winter, summer, and fall semesters.  Transcripts from the university that the student currently attends should be sent at the time of application. 
 

Admission to graduate programs for these students will be on a conditional basis, and the student will be required to submit a final transcript for their undergraduate work once their final grades and bachelor's degree are conferred and listed on that transcript.

A graduate student's record remains open for three years from the date of last enrollment unless the student graduates, withdraws, or is dismissed. Graduate students who no longer have active student status must reactivate their files by completing another admission application before enrolling in graduate courses.

Transcripts must be sent from the institution to be considered official.  Any transcripts received from applicants cannot be considered official.

Transcripts should be sent to graduate@nmu.edu.  

If the institution only sends hard copy transcripts, have them mailed to

NMU College of Graduate Studies
1401 Presque Isle Avenue
Marquette, MI  49855

You can check the status of your admissions application at Application Status Check. Please note that it takes up to 10 days to process admissions documents.

No, all course and grade information remains in your student record. This portion of your record will be viewable by the program admissions committee of the program that you are applying for.

Graduate school recommendation letters should come from someone who knows the student in an academic or professional setting. Letters can include information about the student's professional goals, research activity, passion for learning, ability to work as part of a team, or other similar topics. The letter should be addressed to the departmental reviewing committee or to whom it may concern. A specific name address is not necessary. 

There are two routes in which letters may be submitted.  The first is to supply the name and email address for your recommenders into the appropriate portion of the application portal when prompted.  Your recommenders will receive an automated email from our system.

The second route is for those recommenders who may have trouble with the link provided in the automated email.  We encourage any recommenders who fall in this category to feel free to email their letter of recommendation directly to us at graduate@nmu.edu.  The Graduate Studies staff will then attach the letter to your application.  Any letters of recommendation sent by the applicant cannot be considered official.

Yes, there is a $50 application fee. 

Graduate application fees may be paid online through the application portal. Payments may also be made over the phone by calling the Student Service Center at 906-227-1221.

A statement letter is a short document that gives you the opportunity to let the application committee know your plans and aspirations for the future and how attaining the degree you are applying for will help you attain those goals.  Each program that requires a statement may be looking for something just a little bit different.  To see what the program you are applying for may be looking for, please visit the Program Catalog page.

You can check the application deadline of your program on the Program Catalog page. 

You can check the status of your admissions application on the application portal. 

Absolutely! You can register online for a virtual or in-person campus visit.

Check out the Tuition and Fees webpage!

Check out the Cost of Attendance webpage!

Check out the Residency Requirement webpage!

Applications for donor-funded scholarships open every Winter semester. Find more information on our financial aid webpage! 

Graduate Assistantships are also available. These are not guaranteed upon admission, but all full-time graduate students are eligible to apply. You can find more information about graduate assistantship availability and expectations on the GA webpage.

Applications for donor-funded scholarships open every Winter semester. Information regarding scholarships for International Students can be found on the International Programs Office website.

Graduate Assistantships are also available. These are not guaranteed upon admission, but all full-time graduate students are eligible to apply. You can find more information about graduate assistantship availability and expectations on the GA webpage. 

There is no guaranteed funding for graduate school. 

There are grants and scholarships that graduate students can apply for. You can find more information on grants and scholarships relating to financial aid here, and information on research grants here.

To be eligible for Federal Student Aid, students must fill out the FAFSA.

Yes, they are available. These are not guaranteed upon admission, but all full-time graduate students are eligible to apply. You can find more information about graduate assistantship availability and expectations on the GA webpage. 

You need to be enrolled in 8 credit hours to be considered a full-time student. Find more information in the graduate catalog. 

Graduate students are encouraged to take no more than 12 credits per semester. Credit load may not exceed 16 credits per semester. 

Graduate assistants taking more than 16 credits in an academic year are required to pay for the credits that exceed their 16-credit tuition scholarship.

To obtain a graduate degree, a student must maintain a cumulative graduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher.  Students will be placed on probation if their cumulative GPA drops below 3.0 in any semester or if they earn less than a grade of B in more than the maximum allowed credit hours:

• Six (6) credit hours for programs that require less than 50 total credit hours
• Fifteen (15) credit hours for programs that require 50 or more total credit hours

The College of Graduate Studies will notify the student and the relevant department of this action.

Find more information about academic and retention standards in the graduate catalog.

Check the NMU Academic Calendar for class start dates and break information. 

You can register for classes through MyNMU, using the Registration tile.  Refer to this page for detailed registration instructions.

Speak with your academic advisor if there is an elective you would like to take that is not within your graduate program. 

Graduate students may take undergraduate courses, however they do not count towards your graduate degree. Students will be charged as a graduate student while taking these courses. 

Yes, NMU provides laptops for students. You can find more information about this here. 

Part-time students may participate in the laptop program for a fee. Contact the IT Help Desk for more information.

Yes, all prospective international students must pay the $50 application fee. 

Transcripts from any institution outside the United States must be evaluated by an external transcript evaluation company. See the International Programs website for services to request a transcript.

Evaluation reports must come to NMU directly from the company*. Reports submitted via email by the student will not be accepted.

Use one of the following services to request your transcript evaluation.

• ECE (Education Credential Evaluators): With this service, you can submit your official educational documents only once to ECE.  NMU would then receive the verified documents from ECE along with the credential evaluation. Select the "course by course report."
• WES (World Education Services): This service lets you submit your official educational documents only once to WES. NMU  receives the verified documents from WES with the credential evaluation. Select the "course by course report with ICAP."
• SPANTRAN: This service is the least expensive and fastest option.
• Other NACES-approved services

*NMU has an alternate procedure regarding acceptable documentation for applicants with extenuating circumstances. Applicants with extenuating circumstances should contact the Graduate Admissions Office at graduate@nmu.edu for more information.

If an international student has heard from the evaluation company that they are unable to verify the documents because of a strike, that correspondence needs to be forwarded to NMU.

There is no guaranteed funding for international students. International students cannot apply for Federal Student Aid. 

Graduate assistantships may be available. Refer to the GA webpage for more information! 

Information about scholarships for international students may be found on the International Programs Office website.

If you are from a non-English-speaking country, you must provide proof of English language proficiency in one of the following ways:

• English language proficiency test:
  • TOEFL – minimum score of 79 iBT/213 CBT/550 PBT
  • IELTS – minimum overall band score of 6.5
  • ITEP – minimum score of 3.9
  • MET – minimum score of 58
  • Duolingo – minimum score of 105
• Bachelor's degree or higher from a regionally accredited U.S. institution of higher education.
• Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) or higher from an institution of higher education in a country where English is the official language (listed below). Transcript must show English (composition and literature-based, ESL not acceptable) credits with a C or better grade. English-speaking countries include:

Antigua & Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada (except Quebec), Dominica, Fiji, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Liberia, Micronesia, Namibia, Nigeria, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, St. Lucia, St. Vincent Grenadines, St. Kitts & Nevis, Trinidad & Tobago, United Kingdom, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe

• Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on 24 or more earned undergraduate-level credit hours from a U.S. institution of higher education. Credits must include college-level English composition and/or speech.
• Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on 12 or more graduate-level credit hours from a U.S. institution of higher education.
• Successful completion of Level 112 in the ELS Language School

Yes, you may transfer to NMU during your degree. Refer to the transfer credit policy for requirements and details about transferring to NMU to complete your degree.

Yes, there is a transfer credit form that needs to be completed and submitted by your advisor.

No, you are responsible for finding your own housing. 

There is limited on-campus housing for graduate students. Please see the housing website for more information. 

There are multiple Facebook groups where you can find rentals and other students looking for roommates in the Marquette area.  Visit our Community Resources page for more information.