Graduate Admissions

Final, official transcripts from all previously attended postsecondary institutions are required. Transcripts should be forwarded directly from the issuing institution in a sealed envelope in order to be considered an official transcript. Applicants with transcripts from institutions that generate electronic transcripts should provide this email address when submitting their transcript request: electronictranscript@nova.edu.

Photocopies and facsimiles will not be accepted as final, official transcripts.
 
Admissions decisions are based on degrees earned at regionally accredited institutions or an officially approved equivalent, such as an evaluation by one of the approved agencies. The evaluation must include a course-by-course analysis and list all course subjects with United States semester credits and a GPA on a 4.0 scale. For more information, refer to the Transcript Evaluation section.

Applicants may be provisionally admitted based on a preliminary review of unofficial transcripts and/or program-specific admission requirements. However, full admission to any degree program requires the submission of all final, official documents required for admission within 90 calendar days from the official start date of the term.

Once provisional acceptance is granted, students who do not attain full admittance within 90 calendar days from the official start date of the term will not be permitted to continue their studies. Registration will be prohibited and other services may be suspended.

NSU’s Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice offers concurrent enrollment into additional graduate programs for recertification and/or professional development purposes. Current College of Education students interested in concurrent enrollment must complete the appropriate admission application for the intended program of interest, along with the concurrent enrollment form. Students interested in concurrent enrollment must discuss the enrollment process with an Academic Adviser prior to registering for classes. Students interested in enrolling in another NSU school program (besides Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice) are not required to complete a concurrent enrollment form.

Please note that NSU reserves the right to rescind or place conditions upon admissions offers should information become available that calls into question an admitted student's academic performance or character, including that which reflects a violation of NSU's Code of Student Conduct.

A maximum of six semester hours of graduate credits will be considered for transfer if all of the following requirements are met:

• The requirements for the student’s specialization or concentration allow for transfer of credit.
• The credits were earned within the preceding five years from the first term of enrollment in the Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice.
• The credits were earned at a regionally accredited graduate institution.
• The content of the courses requested for transfer is equivalent to the study area courses in the program.
• The courses were not used toward a prior degree.
• The grade earned for each course was a B or better. A grade of P (Pass) or CR (Credits) or other such grade cannot be accepted as equivalent to B unless it can be officially verified as such.
• An official transcript has been received by the Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice Office of Student Services to aid in the evaluation of the courses under consideration for transfer.
• A Transfer of Credit Request Form has been completed by the student and mailed to the Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice Office of Student Services.

The student must provide the Department Chair with a syllabus and catalog description of the courses for which transfer is sought. Faculty members evaluating transfer courses may require the student to provide further documentation and supporting materials such as class notes. Written approval for transfer of credit will be provided by an Academic Adviser. 

No transfer of credit will be allowed for the following:

• Any transcribed certificate program
• Supervised Teaching Internship or supported Teaching Externship
• Applied Dissertation Benchmarks
• Practicum

Transferred credits will decrease the overall total credits required for degree programs, but will not be computed in the student’s overall grade point average. Because state requirements for additional certification coverage may change, and passing scores on state certification examinations are required in many cases, it is mandatory that all students pursuing additional certification coverage consult an academic adviser concerning current state policies that may affect transfer of credit.

A maximum of six semester hours of graduate credits in teacher education will be considered. Please refer to “Transfer of Credit” in the Student Information section of the catalog for further information.

No transfer of credit will be allowed for the following courses:

• EDU 5000: Orientation to the Graduate Teacher Education Program
• Core courses: CUR 526, CIT 502
• Capstones: Administrative Internship, Applied Field Experience, Applied Professional Experience, Arts Leadership Institute, Educational Applied Research Project, Field-Based Project, Supervised Reading Practicum, Supervised Teaching Internship or Supported Teaching Externship

A maximum of six semester hours of graduate credits in teacher education will be considered. Please refer to the Student Information section of the catalog for further information.

No transfer of credit will be allowed for the following courses:

• EDU 5000: Orientation to the Graduate Teacher Education Program
• Core course: EDU 708
• Capstones: Administrative Internship, Applied Field Experience Selections, Applied Professional Experience, Arts Leadership Institute, Educational Applied Research Project, Field-Based Project, Supervised Reading Practicum

A maximum of six semester hours of credit will be considered for transfer if all of the following requirements are met:

• The credit was earned within five calendar years of the request for transfer.
• The credit was earned post-master’s degree from a regionally accredited university.
• The content of the courses requested for transfer is equivalent to the study area courses in the program.
• The courses were not used toward a prior degree.
• A grade of A or B was earned in each of the courses requested for transfer. A grade of P (Pass) or CR (Credit), or other such grade cannot be accepted as equivalent to a “B” unless it can be officially verified as such. No credit for experiential learning or other forms of advanced standing will be granted.
• Exceptions to the maximum number of transfer credits allowed are made only with the approval of the Department Chair.

No transfer of credit will be allowed for the following: 

• DSO 8000—Doctoral Student Orientation 
• EDD 8000—Foundations of Graduate Studies in Education 
• Applied Dissertation Benchmarks Practicum

The student must provide the Department Chair with a syllabus and catalog description of the courses for which transfer is sought. Faculty members evaluating transfer courses may require the student to provide further documentation and supporting material such as class notes.

Acceptance of graduate coursework from other colleges and/or universities is not guaranteed. Applicants who wish to request evaluation of prior coursework for consideration as transfer credit should fill out the Transfer of Credit request contained in the application and submit associated course descriptions and official transcripts at the time of application to the doctoral program.

Students currently enrolled in a Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice Ed.D. program should request and receive prior written approval from the Department Chair before enrolling in any other institution's courses that are intended to be submitted for transfer credit.

Credits earned at NSU are transferable only at the discretion of the receiving school. Students who wish to transfer credits from NSU should contact the admissions office of the receiving school for information. Please refer to specific programs for additional transfer of credit information.

Applicants who do not hold baccalaureate or graduate degrees from institutions accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) or another U.S. regional accrediting association must provide official documentation of degree equivalency for admission. This includes those who hold degrees from foreign institutions. The evaluation must include a course-by-course analysis and list all course subjects with United States semester credits and a GPA on a 4.0 scale by one of the NACES-approved agencies.

For information, contact one of the following: 

Academic Evaluation Services, Inc.
11700 N. 58th Street G & H
Tampa, FL 33617
Phone: (813) 374-2020
Fax: (813) 374-2023
Academic Evaluation Services, Inc. 

Educational Credential Evaluators
P.O. Box 514070
Milwaukee, WI 53203-3470
Phone: (414) 289-3400
Educational Credential Evaluators

Evaluation Service, Inc.
333 W. North Avenue, #284
Chicago, IL 60610
Phone: (847) 477-8569
Fax: (312) 587-3068
Email: info@evaluationservice.net
Evaluation Service, Inc.

Josef Silny & Associates, Inc.
7101 SW 102nd Avenue
P.O. Box 5087
Miami, FL 33173
Phone: (305) 273-1616
Fax: (305) 273-1338
Josef Silny & Associates, Inc.

World Education Services
P.O. Box 5087
Bowling Green Station
New York, NY 10274-5087
Phone: (212) 966-6311
Fax: (212) 739-6100
World Education Services

Favorable evaluations will also be accepted by one of the evaluating agencies approved by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). A current list of members can be viewed by visiting NACES. 

NSU Accreditation

Nova Southeastern University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate’s, baccalaureate, master’s, educational specialist, doctoral, and professional degrees. Nova Southeastern University also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of Nova Southeastern University may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).

View all of NSU's accreditations.

Applicants who have indicated a language other than English as their primary language on the application form will need to demonstrate English language proficiency by one of the methods below. Test results must be sent directly from the testing agency to the admissions office (see above address). Proof of English language competency can also be in the form of the successful completion of a degree at an approved United States institution of higher education.

• TOEFL score of 213 on the computerized test, 550 on the paper test format, or 79 on the Internet format
  IELTS score of 6.0
• Pearson Test of English-Academic (PTE-Academic) minimum required overall score of 54—students must be physically present at a Pearson Test center to take the test; flexible test dates are available at Pearson Test Centers worldwide
• College Level Freshman English course passed with a grade of C or higher in a freshman-level English composition course at a U.S. regionally accredited institution
• GMAT score of 450
• GRE scores of 1,000 (combined Verbal and Quantitative scales only) for tests taken prior to August 1, 2011, or GRE scores of 300 (combined Verbal and Quantitative scales only) for tests taken on or after August 1, 2011

International applicants are required to obtain an F-1 student visa in order to study on campus at NSU. International candidates who intend to study in the United States are required to obtain an I-20 form from NSU and must be full-time, degree-seeking students, and must attend classes in the South Florida area or at any one of NSU’s regional campuses in the state of Florida. 

International candidates may not qualify for an I-20 and a subsequent student F-1 visa due to the online instructional delivery format of all FCE programs currently available. Candidates should contact an academic adviser or an assistant/associate director of recruitment to discuss their options prior to beginning the application process. 

For further information about student visas, contact the Office of International Affairs at (954) 262-7240.