Applying to the NIU Graduate School

An applicant for admission is ordinarily expected to meet or exceed the following requirements: (1) Master's degree from an accredited institution, (2) Preferred minimum graduate GPA of 3.50 and (3) Preferred experience in educational administration.

Master’s Degree students must fulfill all requirements for this degree within a period of six consecutive years. The date of entry into the first course of a student's graduate program, including work for which transfer credit is allowed, is viewed as the starting point of the six-year period.

In meeting the hour requirements for the Master's Degree, the total credits transferred from an accredited institution plus that earned at Northern Illinois University as a student-at-large may not exceed 15 semester hours.

In meeting the hour requirements for the Certification Only program, a maximum of nine hours may be transferred from an accredited institution and may be subject to time limitations. The remaining 18 hours must be earned at Northern Illinois University.

Upon notification of admission to either the Master's Degree program or the Certification Only program in School Business Management, the student should contact the academic advisor to plan a program of courses. An official program of studies should be filed with the Graduate School before or during the semester for which the student is admitted. Failure to file a program on a timely basis may result in the loss of credit.

To remain in good academic standing, a student must maintain a 3.00 GPA in all graduate course work in the major field as well as in the total program.

It is the responsibility of students to know and observe all regulations and procedures relating to the program they are pursuing as may be found in the Graduate Catalog and/or various documents of the program, department, and college. In no case will a regulation be waived or an exception granted because students plead ignorance of, or contend that they were not informed of, the regulations or procedures.

A comprehensive exam is required of all students at the end of their coursework. The comprehensive exam is a six hour internship and is required for both Master’s Degree and Certification Only students. These six (6) hours must be taken over three consecutive semesters. The student should enroll in the internship after most of the course work for the degree has been completed. The student must contact the Coordinator for School Business Management to obtain an application for the internship the semester preceding the semester in which the students plans to start the internship. The application and information packet describes the nature of the internship and the necessary procedures to officially enroll for the internship.

For Master’s Degree students, when nearing completion of requirements for a degree, a student must file an application for graduation with the Graduate School office. The final date for filing this application is indicated in the Graduate School Calendar.