How to Apply for Graduate Admission
Check the Graduate Program Application Requirements
Program Delivery Method: Main Campus
Application Terms: Fall, Spring
Application Deadline:
- To start classes in Fall
- To start classes in Spring
GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIPS
The English Department offers teaching and research assistantships to master’s and doctoral candidates on a competitive basis. If you are a new applicant and wish to be considered for an assistantship, be sure to check the appropriate box on the Graduate School application. To guarantee consideration for a GA position, applications must be completed by January 31. Decisions about assistantships are generally made in March and announced in April.
To complete your application, you will need to upload the following required materials to your
Cardinal Landing Portal:
- Writing sample: Provide an 8-15 page, double-spaced writing sample that meets the following:
- Preferably, provide a paper written for a class. The writing sample should exemplify your best work.
- The writing sample can be a revised class paper or a section from an undergraduate or master’s thesis. It should reflect your ability to write well, analyze, and engage with scholarly debates and research.
- If you do not have a sample of academic work, write a new paper on a subject related to the previous or proposed field of study.
- Applicants interested in pursuing the Creative Writing concentration should submit a creative writing sample in either fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, or some combination of genres (poetry can be single-spaced).
- Statement of purpose: Provide a written statement of 750-1000 words detailing your academic and intellectual biography and your purpose in seeking a graduate degree at Ball State University.
- Two letters of recommendation
- Transcript/credential evaluation from your highest earned degree: learn more about our transcript/credential evaluation requirements.
ANSWERS TO YOUR FAQs ABOUT APPLYING TO GRADUATE SCHOOL
Read our
blog for more information on how to write a statement of purpose, how to request letters of recommendation, and how to draft the best writing sample. We also discuss general guidance to assist you in applying to our graduate programs.
EARNED ADMISSIONS
Our program allows students the opportunity to be considered for
earned admission. This option is available to students whose GPA from their degree-granting institution is less than 2.75 but who have provided sufficient evidence of academic and/or professional achievement to indicate their potential for success in a graduate program. Additional application materials may be requested to be considered. Students admitted on an earned admission status must earn a minimum GPA of 3.0 in their first 9 semester credits of graduate work or be academically dismissed.
Please connect with the director of graduate studies (contact listed above) to discuss application and program earned admission requirements.
ENGLISH PROFICIENCY
Non-native speakers of English must submit Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores of at least 79 for master’s degree programs and 81 for doctoral programs or another of the
required scores accepted by International Admissions.
ACCEPTING ADMISSION
Admitted students must accept their admissions by confirming their enrollment via the Decision Reply Form available on the Application Status Portal by July 31 for Fall and December 1 for Spring.
Step 
Carefully fill out all sections of the application, sign to acknowledge requirements, and submit the form.
Step 
Once all required checklist items in your Cardinal Landing are received, your application is complete and ready for department review.
Check the graduate school admissions requirements below before applying.
To be eligible for admission in the Ball State Graduate School, you must have a bachelor’s degree or higher from an institution recognized by an USDE accrediting association or a NACES member credential evaluation from non-U.S. institutions. Some doctoral and specialist degree programs (but not all) require a master's degree from an institution recognized by an USDE accrediting association.
To be eligible for regular admission for a licensure, graduate certificate, or master's degree program, you must meet one of the criteria below:
- earned a minimum of a 2.75 GPA from your undergraduate degree-granting institution.
- earned at least 9 graduate credit hours with a minimum of a 3.0 GPA.
- have a conferred master's or doctoral degree from an institution recognized by an USDE accrediting association.
To be eligible for admission to a doctoral or specialist degree program, you must have earned a minimum of a 3.0 GPA from the undergraduate degree-granting institution.
For doctoral and specialist degrees that require a master’s degree for admission, you must have earned a minimum of a 3.2 GPA from the master's degree-granting institution.
Master’s applicants whose GPA falls below the 2.75 minimum may be eligible for earned admission. In these cases, programs may admit a student whose grade point average from their degree-granting institution is less than 2.75 if there is sufficient evidence of the student's academic and/or professional achievement indicating their potential for success in a master's program. Students admitted on earned admissions status must achieve a minimum GPA of 3.0 in their first 9 credits of graduate work or they will be academically separated. Earned admission status requires the approval of the program director. Programs may also choose to not allow earned admissions in their programs.
Please connect with the graduate advisor for your program of interest to discuss eligibility.
Application Opens
- To start classes in Fall: Tuesday after the Labor Day holiday
- To start classes in Spring: Tuesday after the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday
- To start classes in Summer: Tuesday after the Memorial Day holiday
Graduate Application
APPLY NOW
All graduate students complete the same application, but admission criteria depends on your program requirements.
International applicants to on-campus programs will be required to submit all application materials by the earliest of two deadlines: either the international application deadline or the graduate program deadline. Applicants to online-only programs must submit all application materials by two weeks before the start of term.
Your application must be completed at least two weeks before the start of the semester. Start of term dates can be found on our Academic Calendar. Some graduate programs have priority application deadlines. Please review your program of interest's requirements for more details.
After you apply
International Graduate Students
Beginning Fall 2026, all on-campus, degree seeking students admitted to Ball State must confirm their enrollment by replying to the International Decision Reply Form in their Cardinal Landing portal. Please review our 5 Steps to Admission for detailed information on enrollment and arrival planning.
From the Cardinal Landing Portal, admitted students can accept their admissions offer via the Decision Reply Form, review their next steps to enrollment, and learn more about orientation. Admitted students must accept their offer of admission via the Decision Reply Form by the Thursday prior to the start of the term.
Check Your Application Status
Helpful Tips
Applications are $60 per program.
You can pay your application fee (nonrefundable) with Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover. Or you may pay online with an electronic check from a U.S. bank.
You do not have to pay the application fee if you are a:
- Ball State student currently enrolled in classes or a Ball State alumni
- current Ball State employee (full-time, benefits-eligible)
- veteran or active-duty military
- guest student seeking credits to transfer to another institution
- prospective student who attended a Ball State graduate program information session
You must have a bachelor’s degree or higher from an institution recognized by a regional accrediting association to apply. There is no minimum GPA for nondegree study. You will need to complete the Graduate School application for admissions by selecting "non-degree study" on the program selection page of the application. Upon admission, you must receive permission from the department offering the course(s) you wish to take prior to registering.
Application Deadlines
To begin classes at the beginning of the term,
- your application must be completed two weeks before the start of the semester you’re planning to enroll. Start of term dates can be found on our Academic Calendar. If you are an international applicant, your application must be received by the international admissions deadline.
To begin classes second part of the term,
- October 1 (Fall term)
- March 1 (Spring term)
- June 1 (Summer term)
Applicants interested in enrolling in second part of term courses are encouraged to connect with the department prior to applying to verify course availability.
Ball State is authorized to accept online students from all U.S. states, as is required by the U.S. Department of Education. However, if you are planning to study
nursing, due to some state-specific licensure requirements we are not accepting nursing students from all U.S. states. Review our
state authorization website to learn if we are accepting nursing students from your state.
Our Accelerated Master's Program (AMP) allows you to begin your graduate studies at Ball State while still an undergraduate student. With this option, you can start taking classes for your master's degree while completing your bachelor's degree and double-count your courses toward both, saving time and money as you pursue an advanced education in your field of interest.
This program is open to currently enrolled or admitted Ball State undergraduate students with at least 75 college credit hours and a 3.25 cumulative GPA. Learn more about our AMP degrees.
To apply for AMP, complete the Graduate School application for admission by following the requirements listed for your program of interest. You will need to select “Yes” when answering: “Are you a current Ball State University undergraduate student applying to the Accelerated Master's Program?” This will ensure your application is considered for AMP admission.
Some of our graduate programs are offered through a blended delivery method. This means that in addition to studying online, you will be required to take in-person courses and/or meet in-person at scheduled times throughout the semester.
Prior to applying for admission consideration, connect with the
graduate advisor to discuss how the program's blended format can help you reach your next degree goals.
Other methods of delivery for our graduate programs include:
- Main Campus (Muncie, Indiana): All courses and program requirements are completed on-campus.
- Online: All courses and program requirements are completed online.
- Indy Center (Indianapolis, Indiana): Some courses and program requirements are completed at our Indy Center instructional site while others are completed at our main campus or online.
- Please note that for our Master of Urban Design all courses and program requirements are completed at the Indy Center.
- Fishers Center (Fishers, Indiana): Some of the courses and program requirements are completed at our Fishers Center instructional site while others are completed at our main campus or online.
If you are a Ball State graduate student interested in completing your current graduate degree program and have not taken graduate classes for more than a year, please follow the instructions below to re-enroll:
- Press the "apply now" button (listed above), then select "graduate application"
- Select "academic intent" from the menu on the left side of the page
- Choose "re-activate" and answer the rest of the questions accordingly
- On the next page, select the term in which you wish to re-start classes
- Fill in the rest of the required information and submit the application
If you received a "Re-Admit" error when attempting to register for classes, then you need to select:
- “Re-activate my Ball State account (admitted Ball State graduate students only)” option under “Academic Intent” in the Re-enroll Application.
If you were admitted and enrolled in your graduate program and/or you stopped taking graduate classes less than one year ago, please reach out to your graduate advisor to discuss next steps to return to your graduate program.
Do not choose the re-activate option if you are any of the following:
- a first-time applicant to a Ball State graduate program
- applying for a new or different Ball State graduate program or certificate than one in which you are already enrolled
- previously applied for a Ball State program but never attended any classes
Application Deadlines
To begin classes at the beginning of the term,
- your application must be completed two weeks before the start of the semester you’re planning to enroll. Start of term dates can be found on our Academic Calendar. If you are an international applicant, your application must be received by the international admissions deadline.
To begin classes second part of the term,
- October 1 (Fall term)
- March 1 (Spring term)
- June 1 (Summer term)
Applicants interested in enrolling in second part of term courses are encouraged to connect with the department prior to applying to verify course availability.
The types of transcripts required at the time of application vary by program. You will be requested to submit documents for either your complete academic record or your highest earned degree based on your program of interest. Learn more about our transcript requirements and how to submit documents.
Transcript Information
You must provide a NACES member credential evaluation of your foreign education transcript(s) if the degree was earned outside the U.S. Members of NACES are independent, non-governmental organizations that provide credential evaluation services to individuals who have completed part or all of their education outside of the United States. Your NACES Member Evaluation report must contain the following:
- U.S. equivalency of study/degree
- U.S. equivalent overall credits & GPA earned
- Accreditation status of institution(s)
- Course-by-course evaluation (each course listed along with credits and grade earned for the course)
Please have your official credential evaluation sent directly to Ball State University (school code 1051; email address admissions@bsu.edu) by the credential evaluation service.
Learn more about our credential evaluation requirements and how to submit documents.
EARNED ADMISSION
Some of our graduate programs allow students the opportunity to be considered for earned admission. When available, this option is open to applicants:
- whose GPA from their degree-granting institution is less than 2.75 but who have provided sufficient evidence of academic and/or professional achievement to indicate their potential for success in a graduate program.
- who have a bachelor's degree from an institution that is not recognized by its regional accrediting association but who otherwise meet all Graduate School and department requirements for regular admission.
Additional application materials may be requested to be considered. Students admitted on a probationary status must earn a minimum GPA of 3.0 in their first 9 semester credits of graduate work to gain regular admission in the program.
Please connect with the graduate advisor for your program of interest to discuss eligibility.
CONDITIONAL ADMISSION
Students who are conditionally admitted to the Ball State Graduate School must complete the requirements set forth in the admit letter. If the conditions for a student’s admission have not been fulfilled within the time period specified (usually one academic semester), the student will be barred from subsequent registration in the Graduate School. Graduate programs are not required to consider applicants for conditional admission.
Conditional admissions may be granted in the following scenarios:
- An applicant meets all Graduate School academic requirements except for the minimum English proficiency requirement. Learn more about our conditional admissions for English proficiency.
- An applicant’s undergraduate major does not prepare them for their chosen master’s degree programs and compensatory course work is required to fully admit them to the graduate program. Learn more about department conditional admission.
Please connect with the graduate advisor for your program of interest to discuss eligibility.
If you are an international student, planning on studying with us on a student visa, your application can ONLY be considered for regular admissions or conditional admission when you meet all Graduate School academic requirements except for the minimum English proficiency requirement. Applications for on-campus study will not be considered for earned admissions or conditional admissions for reasons other than language proficiency because of student visa eligibility regulations. Questions? Connect with us at intadmit@bsu.edu.