Admission to the School of Graduate Studies

To be considered for admission to a graduate program at Messiah College, applicants must complete the admission application and meet all of the stated requirements for the general application as well as the specific requirements for the chosen program. With the exception of the programs in Doctor of Physical Therapy,  Master of Occupational Therapy and the Dietetic Internship, admission decisions are processed on a rolling or continuous basis. No applicant will be considered until his/her application file is complete. Acceptance is limited to the semester indicated on the student’s application.

Admission Requirements

  • Degree-Seeking, Non-Degree Seeking, and Certificate Students.  The minimum requirements for all students seeking admission into graduate programs for the purpose of earning a degree, Certificate of Graduate Studies, Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies (CAGS), personal enrichment, Act 48 credit, or other purposes not leading to a degree include the following:
    • Bachelor’s or Master’s degree 
    • Official transcripts indicating the degree earned
    • Completed application and the application fee
    • Cumulative GPA of 3.00 (< 3.0, may be considered on an individual basis)

    Programs may have additional requirements to be reviewed.

  • International Students. Messiah College School of Graduate Studies considers applications submitted by permanent residents/green card holders and non-U.S. citizens/international students for the majority of programs. However, the Doctor of Physical Therapy, Master of Occupational Therapy, and Dietetic Internship program cannot accept international students due to governmental regulations.

    A majority of Messiah College graduate programs are delivered primarily or entirely online.  Those programs which are conducted entirely online (MBA, MSL, and MEd) can be completed from the student's home country. Due to governmental regulations, international students who wish to study full time in the United States must be aware that it is not possible to obtain an F-1 student visa for our degree programs, with one notable exception: if the program being pursued requires an on-campus intensive as part of the curriculum, Messiah College may be able to issue you the required paperwork for you to obtain a visa for the intensive portion of the coursework only. International students are encouraged to contact the Director of Graduate Enrollment for more information.

    International students must submit all transcripts (those from both U.S. and non-U.S. institutions) as part of their application. Messiah College requires a course-by-course evaluation of international transcripts and the transcript must be converted to the American grade point average system. Transcripts in a language other than English must also include an official English translation.

    Messiah College requires a course-by-course evaluation of international transcripts including a conversion of the GPA to the United States' grade point average system.  In addition, transcripts in a language other than English must be translated into English.  While there are several services that complete these evaluations, Messiah College highly recommends that all international transcripts be evaluated by World Education Services, Inc.  If utilizing WES, please order the WES Basic Course-by-Course Evaluation (fees are paid directly to WES when the evaluation is ordered).  If the WES Basic Course-by-Course Evaluation is ordered, there is no need to send an additional copy of your official international transcript to Messiah College, the WES Evaluation will suffice.  All transcripts and evaluations should be sent electronically to Messiah College to gradprograms@messiah.edu.

    All international applicants must demonstrate proficiency in the English language. International students demonstrate proficiency by submitting official test scores from TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System). Messiah’s official minimum score for the TOEFL is an 80 ibt or 550 pbt. The official minimum score for the IELTS is a 6.5. 

    Test scores must be from the last two years or more recent.  Photocopies of score reports will not be accepted.  TOEFL scores should be sent directly to Messiah College (code 2411) from ETS.  IELTS scores should be mailed to Messiah College School of Graduate Studies.  International applications are not considered complete until Messiah College School of Graduate Studies receives official TOEFL or IELTS scores.  An offer of admission cannot be made nor can a visa document be issued if an application is incomplete. 

     The TOEFL/IELTS requirement may be waived for the following:

    1. Native citizens of the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand or Canada (except Quebec).
    2. Students who have studied full-time for at least two academic years within the last five years in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, or New Zealand, or with English language instruction in Canada.  Transcripts are required that demonstrate that this requirement has been met.
    3. Students who have earned an undergraduate or graduate degree in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, or New Zealand, or Canada (except Quebec).

    Note:  Students who are citizens of India, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Singapore or British Commonwealth countries are NOT exempt from the TOEFL requirement.

Regional Accreditation Policy

Messiah College will review applications for admission from students who have earned an undergraduate degree from a U.S. institution that is not regionally accredited. The application will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. During this review process, applicants may be asked to provide additional information, such as::

  • Documents that include the undergraduate institution’s history, faculty credentials, relationship to state or national educational agencies and accreditation status from all current, proposed and previous accrediting agencies recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)
  • A list of regionally accredited institutions that have accepted students for graduate studies from their institution (as provided from an institutional representative)
  • Syllabi and/or course descriptions that demonstrate the student’s academic preparation
  • GRE, GMAT or other standardized tests 
  • Other information as requested by the Program Director

Upon favorable review, students may be granted admission. Provision of any/all information above does not guarantee admission.