Domestic Admission

Admission Information for Domestic Students

1.) Start an Application for Admission.

Please view our FAQs and tutorial videos for detailed instructions on completing the application.

2.) Pay the $40 non-refundable application fee.

3.) Provide an official bachelor's degree transcript and master's degree transcript (if applicable) from a regionally accredited institution. The earned bachelor's degree must have a minimum 2.5 GPA cumulatively or on the last 60 hours of undergraduate study.

If your cumulative GPA is lower than a 2.5 and you already have an earned graduate degree with a minimum 3.0 GPA, this can be used for admission, but we will still need your bachelor's degree for proof of conferral.

Please have all transcripts sent electronically to help speed up the application process. Sending transcript via physical mail will still be accepted; however, there will be a delay in processing. Transcripts sent or brought in by the applicant are not official. Transcripts need to be sent directly to us from the institution's registrar to be considered official for a degree-seeking program.

Previous or current FHSU students do not need to request official transcripts. We already have these and will upload them to your application on your behalf.

4.) Provide letters of recommendation. Letters of recommendation must be submitted on letterhead, contain the signature of the author, and be addressed to the Graduate School at Fort Hays State University. 

5.) Provide any documents required by specific programs. This may include, but is not limited to, a personal statement, letter of recommendation, background check release, writing sample, digital art slides, or entrance examinations score.

Non-citizen domestic residents will be required to submit documentation of their resident status. Additional documents may be required. 

6.) All application materials become the property of the Graduate School upon submission. They may not be copied or returned to the student. This includes letters of recommendation, regardless of whether the applicant waives the right provided by the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (Buckley Amendment).

• Request copies from the recommenders directly.
• Stop by our office in-person with photo identification to view them. We are unable to provide digital or printed copies to protect the integrity of these official application documents and their authors.

Once all application requirements are met, the application is forwarded to the academic department for review. The academic department will have a committee or faculty member will evaluate the application. This evaluation is to determine the type of recommended admission to the departmental program or recommended rejection of the application.

• show a minimum grade point average of 2.50 (C plus) on the last 60 hours of undergraduate credit. (Departments may have a higher minimum grade point requirement average, so an applicant must check departmental admission requirements.);
• have adequate preparation in the area of specialization in the area of proposed study; and
• hold a degree from a regionally accredited institution.

The academic department will evaluate the documents, make a recommendation, and return the application to The Graduate School. Acceptance may have conditions regarding additional academic course work needed, professional standards, certificate/licensure criteria, and/or other conditions that must be met as part of the admission requirements. Applicants not enrolling for the semester in which they are admitted may be required to reapply; check with your program for specifics.

7.) After a decision has been rendered on your application, you will receive two email notifications. The first will be notification of your application decision. The second will be regarding your next steps such as activating your TigerNetID and New Student Onboarding. You should receive both notifications within 24-48 hours.

If you cannot find the email, our New Student Next Steps will be a great resource!