Admissions

Eligibility

Applicants must hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university, or the international equivalent, prior to beginning graduate study. Applicants to certain nursing programs may be considered with an associate's degree in nursing or the equivalent from an appropriately accredited institution.

Admission Requirements

Successful applicants typically have a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale in the last 60 hours or equivalent of undergraduate coursework. GPA alone does not guarantee admission. Applicants who have completed a minimum of nine (9) graduate credit hours or the equivalent will also have their graduate coursework evaluated. All GPA and transcript evaluations are completed in-house by Bradley University admissions staff. Applicants with a lower GPA may be considered on the basis of a combination of other factors including, but not limited to, relevant experience, standardized tests scores, recommendation letters, statement of interest, and other relevant factors. Applicants with a GPA below 2.5, as calculated by the Graduate Admissions Office, will not be admitted to a degree program.

Non-degree-seeking Graduate Students

This admission status is for a student who holds a bachelor’s degree or equivalent from an accredited institution, wishes to register for graduate level courses, and is not currently seeking a graduate degree from Bradley University. The student must meet the minimum GPA requirement for admission. Exceptions for non-degree-seeking students who do not meet the minimum GPA requirement may be made at the discretion of Graduate Admissions.  

  • Non-degree-seeking graduate students must submit an application for graduate admission, including unofficial transcripts and an application fee.
  • Admission as a non-degree-seeking student does not guarantee enrollment in a specific course. Students who do not meet specific course prerequisites may be dropped from courses. Non-degree-seeking students may not enroll in online courses offered by the Counseling Department.
  • Students studying on a visa who wish to enroll as a non-degree-seeking graduate student may also be required to meet additional requirements, including demonstrating English language proficiency or qualifying for a waiver.
  • Admission as a non-degree-seeking graduate student does not constitute admission to a degree program. A non-degree-seeking graduate student who wishes to enter a degree program must apply to and meet all requirements for admission to that program. A maximum of nine (9) semester hours with grades of B or better earned as a non-degree-seeking graduate student may be applied toward a degree or certificate program, with approval of the program’s graduate coordinator.

Admission Requirements

Requirements for admission to graduate education are listed below. Individual programs may require additional application materials or have more selective admission requirements than those of Graduate Admissions. Please refer to the program pages and the current graduate application for admission for specific information on the most current requirements. Unofficial copies of transcripts and other documents may usually be used for admission;  if official documents are required for admission, applicants will be notified by Graduate Admissions. Students who accept an offer of admission will be required to submit official transcripts showing degree conferral, or official transcripts and degree certificate, if not provided in the application. Official transcripts must also be provided for any coursework approved for transfer credit. Documents mailed to the Admissions Office will not be returned; official documents may be presented in person in the Admissions Office if they are the sole copy.​ 

Before being considered for admission, degree-seeking students must submit the following materials. Some departments have additional requirements. Please refer to the Graduate Admissions website for additional admission requirements.

  1. Application Form. All candidates must submit an online application for admission.
  2. Transcripts.
    1. Unofficial transcripts from every post-secondary institution attended are required. 
    2. Applicants who have attended institutions which use semester mark sheets, exam results, or other systems of recording course and exam results must provide copies of all documents in the application. Consolidated mark sheets alone are not accepted.
  3. Statement of Interest. Applicants must provide a short statement of interest or other essay(s). The specific topic varies by program; consult the current application for admission for details. Most will ask you to describe your reasons for interest in the program at Bradley; to explain your relevant achievements, work experience, or research; and to address your career objectives and how the graduate program will assist you in achieving those goals. 
  4. Recommendations. A minimum of two recommendations must be submitted as part of the application. Some programs require additional recommendations and this information will be included in the application. The recommendation requests are sent electronically to your recommender as soon as you enter them in the application system. Recommendations do not have to already have been received in order for you to submit your application, but the required number must be received before your file will be reviewed for admission.
  5. Resume/CV. The resume is not required by all programs; however, it can provide additional information and context for the admissions reviewers and if present will be considered as part of the scholarship review for eligible applicants, so we recommend that all applicants submit one. Programs that require a resume/CV will be identified in the application.
  6. Standardized Test Scores. If a program requires a standardized test score, the official score must be sent directly to the Office of Admissions by the testing agency. Bradley's institutional code for GRE and TOEFL score reporting is 1070. Information on sending other scores may be found on the Admissions website.
  7. Language Proficiency. Certain applicants may be required to provide proof of English language proficiency. Details on acceptable exams, minimum scores, and eligibility criteria for a waiver of the testing requirement may be found on the Admissions website. Graduate Admissions reserves the right to request evidence of English proficiency from any applicant.
  8. Application Fee. A non-refundable application fee of $40 must be submitted. Applications will not be processed until the fee has been received.

Current and Former Bradley Students

Undergraduate-to-Graduate and 4+1 Admission

Current undergraduate students at Bradley University may be eligible for admission to certain graduate programs via pathways such as Assured Admission or accelerated "4+1" or "Undergraduate to Graduate" combined bachelor's/master's options. Eligibility for these pathways is determined by the relevant department or program, not Graduate Admissions. Interested Bradley undergraduates should consult with their academic advisor early in their academic career to determine how to meet the requirements for their program of interest. Students must still apply to the graduate program, but certain application and admission requirements may be waived. The application for graduate admission must be submitted early in the semester you will graduate (i.e. August or September for December graduates; January or February for May graduates), once final grades from the previous semester are available. Admitted students must accept their offer of admission via their applicant portal, but the enrollment fee will be waived.

Other Graduate Programs

Current and former Bradley students - undergraduate, graduate, or non-degree-seeking - who wish to be considered for admission to a graduate program or non-degree seeking graduate student status, outside of the special pathways noted above,  follow the regular graduate admissions process.

Readmission

Students who were admitted to and completed coursework in a graduate program at Bradley University, but have either 1) been out of their program for three or more terms, regardless of whether or not they had an approved leave of absence or 2) stepped out of their program for one or more terms without an approved leave of absence, must submit a simplified Readmission Application. Applications for readmission will not be considered until any outstanding fines, fees, or other holds have been satisfied. Students who were academically dismissed from their program will not be considered for readmission by Graduate Admissions without an approved Petition for Reinstatement.

If you have completed coursework at another institution since your last attendance at Bradley University, you must disclose this on your readmission application, and provide Graduate Admissions with an unofficial copy of the transcript(s). Official transcripts will be required if any transfer credit is requested and approved.

Application or Admission Deferral

Applicants or admitted students wishing to defer their application or offer of admission to a subsequent semester must follow the instructions in their application status portal. 

Applicants who submitted an application but were unable to complete it by the deadline for their original entry term may defer their application to a future term, using the request form in their application status portal. Admitted students may defer their admission to a later term without reapplying one time; this deferral may be requested only after the applicant has accepted the offer of admission and paid the enrollment fee. If the applicant wishes to defer a second time, a new application, application fee, and enrollment fee (if admitted) must be submitted. Additional application materials may be required at the discretion of Graduate Admissions and the department.

Application Deadlines

Applications are processed on a rolling, or continuous, basis for most programs, although not all programs enroll students each term. Applicants are responsible for knowing and abiding by application deadlines. Upcoming application deadlines can be found at https://www.bradley.edu/admissions/graduate/.