Master’s of Professional Studies
Graduate Admissions Requirements
The minimum admission requirements are:
- No GRE required
- A bachelor's degree from an accredited institution
- Satisfactory undergraduate grade point average, a minimum of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale
Applicants must meet one of the following conditions:
- 3.0 grade point average in their undergraduate major course of study
- Combined score of 290 on the verbal and quantitative reasoning sections (new format), and a 3.5 on the analytical writing section
- 5 years professional work experience demonstrated through a portfolio.
The portfolio must include:
- a resume
- a 500- to 600-word essay detailing the reasons for wanting to enter the MPS program and discussing how the program will help the applicant achieve personal and professional goals
- two sealed letters of professional reference
- Additional items that may be included:
- description of professional responsibilities
- professional achievements
- professional awards/recognitions
Portfolio material must be submitted as a packet, not mailed separately.
Satisfying minimal standards, however, does not guarantee your admission. Admission decisions are based on departmental review, using a combination of factors, including an interview to evaluate dispositions for professionals in the chosen concentration.
Students may be admitted with provisional status if they do not meet all of the criteria above but do meet the minimum requirements of the graduate school and are approved for provisional status by the departmental admissions committee. Provisional status will limit students to a maximum of nine (9) hours before the departmental admissions committee makes a recommendation for full admission. To advance from provisional to full admission a student must earn a 3.0 GPA on the nine (9) semester hours of graduate study in the concentration and be approved by the departmental admissions committee.
International Applicants
International applicants must also meet the English Language Requirement by providing a TOEFL - minimum IBT of 71 or an approved equivalent exam and equivalent scores.
International applicants with an IBT below 80 must complete 6 hours of grammar/reading/communication course work. The 6 hours are in addition to the 30 hours required for the Master’s degree.
Special Note: All International students who attend Tennessee Tech University, who are enrolled on the Department of Homeland Securities F-1 or J-1 visa status must complete all midterm and final exams in a proctored setting on the Tennessee Tech University campus in Cookeville, TN.
For more information and/or to apply, please contact the Tennessee Tech Graduate Admissions Office at 931-372-3233 or email gradstudies@tntech.edu.
MPS Fast-track Program Admissions:
The MPS Fast-track program will allow eligible undergraduates to enroll for up to six (6) hours of graduate courses prior to formal admission to the MPS program. The courses will be taken during the student’s junior/senior year and can be used to satisfy both undergraduate and graduate degree requirements. Participation does not change requirements for either the undergraduate or graduate programs of study. The MPS Fast-track program applies to all MPS concentrations.
Once admitted to the MPS Fast-track program, the student will be allowed to enroll in appropriate graduate courses in the junior or senior year with the consent of the student’s undergraduate advisor and the Director of the MPS program. Courses completed at the Graduate Level are only guaranteed to apply to the completion of the MPS graduate degree program. The student must earn a minimum grade of “B” in the graduate courses in order to apply them to the MPS program of study and to continue in the Fast-track program. The MPS Fast-track program is open to all undergraduate majors whom meet the following admissions requirements:
- Fast-track applicant must be earning a baccalaureate degree at Tennessee Tech and completed at least 90 hours of credit;
- Overall undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or better;
- GPA of 3.25 in undergraduate major;
- Recommendation from the student’s undergraduate advisor
Note: in addition to the requirements for admission to the MPS Fast-track program, all requirements for admission to the graduate program must also be met upon graduation. Meeting these minimum requirements does not guarantee admission to the graduate program.
