Graduate Admissions

In accordance with the mission of the School, Springfield College’s School of Professional and Continuing Studies accepts potential students for graduate study who are motivated to achieve social and economic justice and who embody a commitment to the principles of Humanics, community partnership, and academic excellence.

Students are a diverse group and bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the classroom. The curriculum relies on this breadth of diversity and experience. Applicants should be prepared to participate fully and contribute to the educational environment.

The following pages include information about these topics:

Successful applicants to the Human Service graduate program must have an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited college or university and five year’s experience in human services and show the ability to succeed academically.

All applicants should note that some professions within the field of human services require background checks for criminal history that may prevent a student from being employed in the profession in which s/he wishes to be trained. If concerned, an applicant should discuss his/her history with a faculty advisor available on each campus regarding possible limitations for employability following graduation.

1. Fill out the online application form and submit it with the $40 application fee (Please note: The application fee is waived for applicants who have graduated from an undergraduate program at Springfield College, and for veterans with proof of veteran status).
2. Submit official transcripts from all regionally accredited colleges attended, including a final transcript from the institution from which the bachelor’s degree was awarded. (Student copies of transcripts will not be accepted. Applicants who have completed courses at Springfield College are not required to submit official transcripts).
3. Submit an up-to-date copy of a personal résumé.
4. Submit a typed, two to three page personal statement in response to questions specified on the application form. Both the content of the essay and the quality of the writing will be evaluated.
5. Submit a reference from a person who can speak to the content of your personal statement and who can address the following qualities: interpersonal skills, ability to analyze and think critically, imagination and creativity, clarity and precision in oral expression, clarity and precision in written expression, effectiveness in chosen profession. References from family members or personal friends will not be accepted.
6. Schedule an interview with faculty or staff member.
7. Demonstrate commitment to human services as evidenced through significant experience in human service work.

In addition to completing the above procedure, the applicants must provide the following:

1. Proof of an education equivalent to a United States baccalaureate degree. To assist with the determination of educational equivalency, all foreign credentials must be evaluated by an international transcript evaluation service. The completed evaluation should be submitted with the application materials.
2. Evidence of proficiency in reading, writing, and speaking the English language. The TOEFL test may be submitted to fulfill this requirement.
3. A financial guarantee statement, which may be obtained from the campus. A strictly enforced regulation of the United States Immigration Service makes it necessary for the School to receive a guarantee of the applicant’s financial support for the period of time s/he will be enrolled for study.
4. An accepted international student must deposit $1,000, which will be credited toward tuition charges before the College will issue the U.S. government’s Immigration Form I-20.

Listed below are the deadlines for submission of applications. The School’s deadlines for submission of complete applications are:

• September Term: August 15
• January Term: December 15
• May Term: April 15

Please note: applicants for financial aid should understand that applying after the deadline may mean reduced financial aid awards for that academic year.

Once the applicant has completed the application process by submitting all required documents, the file is reviewed. All application materials are reviewed to evaluate demonstrated commitment to serving the community, ability to succeed in the program, and ability to complete the program in four to six terms. Files are reviewed as they are completed, so it is advantageous for candidates to complete the application process as soon as possible.

Applicants will receive one of the following decisions: full acceptance, probationary acceptance, contingency acceptance, or denial. All decisions will be communicated via mail. Denied applicants may reapply for admissions and should contact the campus admissions office to discuss their reapplication file.

No student is admitted to full graduate standing with less than a 2.5 undergraduate index. Applicants with less than a 2.5 index, but not less than 2.0, will be considered for probationary admission if their application materials offer convincing evidence that, if given an opportunity, they will meet the academic standards at Springfield College.

Graduate students who are admitted on probation will have their records reviewed following the semester in which they complete nine semester hours of graduate credit at Springfield College. If their academic index is 3.0 or better, they will be removed from probation. If the index is between 2.5 and 3.0, they will remain on probation through the semester in which they complete 20 semester hours of graduate credit. At that time, the index must be at least 3.0 or they will be dismissed from degree candidacy. All graduate students admitted on probation whose academic index is below 2.5 following the semester in which they complete nine semester hours of graduate credit at Springfield College will be dismissed from candidacy for the master’s degree.

Admission to the graduate program requires possession of a bachelor’s degree. Applicants who are within a semester of receipt of their bachelor’s degree may be accepted provided they have met all degree requirements and submit a final undergraduate transcript by the Drop-Add Deadline of the term in which they wish to enroll.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, applicants accepted into the term to which they have applied may need to defer enrollment. Notification of intent to defer should be made in writing to the Admissions Office of the campus to which the applicant is accepted.

Students who have not been admitted to a graduate program but who wish to take graduate courses are required to submit a nonmatriculated application (which may be obtained from the Admissions Office of the appropriate campus) and official transcripts demonstrating receipt of the bachelor’s degree. Nonmatriculated students may only take up to 12 credits and are ineligible for financial aid.

No more than 12 semester hours taken as a nonmatriculated student prior to admission to graduate study may be applied toward the master’s degree. Nonmatriculated students may be admitted to those courses for which they have the prerequisites, with the approval of the faculty members who teach the courses and with authorization.

Students may register for one course for audit designation per semester. An audit carries no credit, has no grade point equivalent, and is recorded as an X on the transcript. Although the course is entered onto a transcript, it does not affect a student’s full- or part-time status. Audited courses are not eligible for credit earned through proficiency examinations.

The length of time needed to complete requirements for the master’s degree depends on several factors: the nature of the undergraduate preparation, the quality of achievement in graduate courses, the professional purposes of the student and the amount of fieldwork or part-time employment carried.

Work for the degree must be completed within five years from the time of initial registration for graduate courses. In exceptional cases, the time limit may be extended by the Office of Academic Affairs following a petition by the graduate student and with the recommendation of the Campus Director, prior to the end of the five-year period. In such instances, the student’s original program is subject to reexamination, and additional requirements may be imposed.

Students whose enrollment has lapsed for more than one year are required to seek readmittance through the Admissions Office at the local campus. Students must settle all accounts prior to re-enrollment.

The College reserves the right to make whatever changes in admission requirements, fees, charges, tuition, instructors, regulations, and academic programs at its sole discretion prior to the start of any class or term. The College also reserves the right to divide, cancel, or reschedule classes or programs if enrollment or other factors so require.