College of Graduate Studies

Students applying to Tennessee Tech may receive a residency status of in-state, domestic out-of-state, international out-of-state, or border county. This status must be verified before the start of every semester. Verifying residency can be done by filling out the FAFSA or submitting one of the legal EVEA documents.

In-State Residency

Students are considered in-state if they have lived in the state of Tennessee for at least a year for non-academic purposes. 

Domestic Out-of-State Residency

Attend the #1 ranked public university in Tennessee* known for low student debt and high starting career salaries. Tech out-of-state rates are competitive with in-state tuition rates across the country. Students are considered domestic out-of-state if they live outside the state of Tennessee and do not live within one of the designated Kentucky border counties. Tech graduates consistently enter workforce with the least debt of all public Tennessee universities. Make this advantage your advantage: check out Tennessee Tech's affordable out-of-state tuition.

*Money Magazine (2018)

International Out-of-State Residency

An international student is classified for educational purposes as a person who is a citizen or permanent resident of a country other than the United States. Tennessee Tech is authorized under federal law to enroll non-immigrant students. For tuition purposes, degree seeking international undergraduate students are accessed international out-of-state tuition. The cost of international out-of-state tuition is a combination of the in-state rate, the domestic out-of-state rate, and the international out-of-state rate. If you are an international student, please visit Tech's International Admissions page for more information.

Border Counties

Students who live in Clinton, Cumberland, McCreary, Monroe, Wayne or Whitley counties in Kentucky are eligible for in-state tuition.

Applying for In-State Residency or Exceptions

Full In-State Classification

Tennessee Tech policy states that a person cannot qualify for in-state fees if he or she came to Tennessee for the primary purpose of attending college. For example, if you moved to Tennessee and immediately enrolled at Tech as a full-time student, you are presumed to have moved to Tennessee for the primary purpose of attending college and you will not be eligible for in-state fees. The presumption is a student cannot acquire domicile in this state while enrolled as a full-time student.

If you have been given a status of “Classification in Progress” or “Out-of-State” and wish to apply for full in-state residency, you may do so by submitting copies of documents supporting your request including, but not limited to: deed of trust of primary domicile, long-term lease of primary domicile, evidence of longevity in the state, evidence of full-time employment in Tennessee or transfer to Tennessee, military discharge papers, driver’s license, etc.

What if none of the above applies to me?

You may want to consider our full-time/part-time program to reduce your tuition costs.  Graduate students who work a full-time job (or a combination of part-time jobs totaling 30 hours or more a week) and are registered for seven graduate level credit hours or less a semester qualify for this tuition-reduction program.  After submitting signed letters from each employer on letterhead documenting your start date, hours worked per week, and the likelihood the job will continue throughout the semester, students enrolled in this program will receive in-state rates for at least two consecutive semesters.  At the end of the calendar year, the student is then eligible to apply for permanent in-state classification.  

For a PDF of Frequently Asked Questions on the In-State Residency Classification, click here.

Graduate Domestic Applications Deadlines

Semester	Domestic Applicant Deadline	Deadline to Submit All Documents	Readmission Application Deadline
Spring 2023	November 1, 2022	December 10, 2022	November 1, 2022
Summer 2023	May 1, 2023	May 15, 2023	May 1, 2023
Fall 2023	July 1, 2023	August 1, 2023	July 1, 2023

Note:  the submission deadline is a guarantee that your completed application will be processed in time to register for that semester.

Students seeking a Graduate Assistantship should apply for the assistantship one semester in advance. More details about Graduate Assistantships can be found here.

If you were previously admitted to a degree program and you have become inactive (skipped a semester, etc.) you must reapply for admission.   

Step 1
Apply online for Graduate School admissions along with the payment of the nonrefundable application fee of $35.  

Note:  You will be able to upload the documents needed to complete Steps 2 through 5 of the application process. We will still need OFFICIAL test score reports and transcripts, but the uploaded copies will allow us to proceed with the processing of your application. (PDF is preferred.)

Step 2
Submit additional departmental application requirement documents.  Select the "Graduate Degree Programs" tab on our website navigation bar to determine any additional documentation that you may need.   (Preferred method of delivery is by upload in the application portal.)

Step 3
Request Official Transcripts.
a.  Upload your unofficial transcripts - (if you upload a copy of your transcript - we can speed up your application processing time.)

We do require "Official" transcripts from ALL institutions attended beyond high school. Official transcripts are sent directly from the institution to Tennessee Tech, not submitted by the student.  You may request your transcript via your previous school's website.

Step 4
Specific test and score as required by the individual departments/colleges.  For the specific test scores required, please see the program you are interested in under the section Degree Programs on our navigation bar. 

College	Official Test Score Reports
College of Arts and Sciences	General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
College of Business Administration	Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
College of Education, Master's and Ed.S	Miller Analogies Test (MAT) or General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
College of Education, Ph.D.	General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
College of Engineering	General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
School of Environmental Studies, Ph.D., PSM	General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
School of Professional Studies, MPS	General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
School of Nursing	None

Step 5
Submit the application and pay your application fee through the portal. 

Applications will not be reviewed or processed prior to the receipt of your application fee.

Any supplemental materials should be uploaded in the application portal (preferred) or emailed to gradstudies@tntech.edu

Official documents (transcripts and test scores) must be mailed to:

Graduate Studies
Tennessee Tech University
1 William L. Jones Drive, Room 306 
P.O. Box 5012
Cookeville, TN 38505

Once all materials have been received, the application will be evaluated for admission. This is completed by the individual departments (with the exception of the programs in Curriculum and Instruction where the Office of Graduate Studies performs the evaluation).

After an admission recommendation is made, Graduate Studies will notify the student.

Admissions Application Deadlines

Semester	Application Submission Deadline	Deadline to Submit All Documents
Summer 2023	March 1, 2023	March 15, 2023
Fall 2023	May 1, 2023	June 1, 2023

Note:  the submission deadline is a guarantee that your completed application will be processed in time to register for that semester.

If you were previously admitted to a degree program and you have become inactive (skipped a semester, etc.) you must reapply for admission. 

This is your online application guide. The steps below explain the application process. 
If you have any questions, please contact the College of Graduate Studies.

Step 1
Apply online for Graduate School admissions along with nonrefundable application fee ($40 international students).

Step 2

Submit additional departmental application requirement documents.  Select the "Graduate Degree Programs" tab on our website navigation bar to determine any additional documentation that you may need.   (Preferred method of delivery is by upload in the application portal.)

Step 3
Request Official Credential Evaluation
a.  International applicants are to provide a credential evaluation from one of the following agencies IF the University attended did NOT use a 4.0 grading scale:

• SPANTRAN (www.spantran.com)
• WES  (www.WES.org)
• ECE (www.ECE.org)
• International Education Research Foundation (www.IERF.org). 

The evaluation is providing GPA and degree equivalency evaluation of the student's previous coursework. (If the student attended a US university prior to applying to Tech, the student may not need such an evaluation. )

A copy of the evaluation may be uploaded by the student with "official" evaluation to follow.

We do require "Official" transcripts from ALL institutions attended beyond high school.  The credential evaluation service may include official international transcripts in the credential evaluation. 

Step 4
Non-immigrant students already in the U.S. must submit the following additional documents:

• Photocopy of passport
• Photocopy of visa
• Photocopy of I-94
• Photocopy of all previously issued I-20s
• Complete the International Student Advisor Report Form

Resident Aliens

A lawful permanent resident of the United States (holder of a "green card") may be required to take the English Placement Test or other tests to determine proficiency in English and the necessity for taking courses in English.

Step 5
International students from non-English speaking countries must submit satisfactory scores on either the TOEFL, IELTS, PTE Academic, FLS International Language Center, ELS Language Centers, TOEIC, CEFR, or SLEP exams.  Duolingo scores are also accepted by Tech.

IELTS Scores must provide the following exact information when requesting scores be sent to Tennessee Tech:

Account Name: Tennessee Tech University
Address:  PO Box 5012
City: Cookeville
State: TN
Zip Code: 38505

Official Test Score Reports Required for Admission to Tennessee Tech *

All International Students	Score at least
IELTS	6.0
TOEFL--Education (Master's and Ed.S. levels, NOT Counseling & Psychology), Master's English, Biology, and MPS. PhD Environmental Sciences Biology	525 paper-based (71 iBT)
TOEFL-- PhD Exceptional Learning, PhD Environmental Sciences Chemistry. MS/PhD  Engineering, MACC, MBA, Chemistry, Mathematics, and PSM	550 paper-based (79 iBT)
PTE Academic--Education (Master's and Ed.S. levels, NOT Counseling & Psychology) and Master's Biology, English, Mathematics, and MPS, PhD Environmental Sciences Biology	48
PTE Academic--Education (Ph.D. level), MS/PhD Engineering, MACC, MBA, Chemistry, PSM, PhD Environmental Sciences Chemistry	53
Duolingo	100
FLS International Language Center--Master's Biology, Chemistry, English, EXPW, MACC, MBA, Engineering, ASTL, MPS, and PSM. PhD Environmental Sciences (Biology, Chemistry), PhD Exceptional Learning	Level 16
FLS International Language Center--Master's Mathematics, All Education	Level 18
ELS--NOT Education	Level 112
TOEIC--Education (EXPW only); Master's: Biology, English, Mathematics, MPS; PhD Environmental Sciences Biology	690
TOEIC--PhD Exceptional Learning; PhD Environmental Sciences Chemistry; MS/PhD Engineering; MACC; MBA; Chemistry; PSM	750
SLEP--Education (EXPW only); Master's: Biology, English, Mathematics, MPS; PhD Environmental Sciences Biology	55
SLEP--PhD Exceptional Learning; PhD Environmental Sciences Chemistry; MS/PhD Engineering; MACC; MBA; Chemistry; PSM.	58
CEFR--NOT Education	B-1
SLEP--PhD Exceptional Learning, Environmental Sciences Chemistry. Master's Engineering, MBA, Chemistry, and PSM.
CEFR--NOT Education

Step 6

Specific test and score as required by the individual departments/colleges. For the specific test scores required, please see the program you are interested in under the section Degree Programs on our home page

College	Official Test Score Reports
College of Arts and Sciences	General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
College of Business Administration	Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
College of Education, Master's and Ed.S	Miller Analogies Test (MAT) or General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) (Only the GRE is accepted for admission to Counseling and Psychology)
College of Education, Ph.D.	General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
College of Engineering	General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
School of Environmental Studies, Ph.D., PSM	General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
School of Professional Studies	None
School of Nursing	None

Step 7
Your application fee should be paid with your online application. Any supplemental materials should be uploaded in the application portal (preferred) (or emailed to gradstudies@tntech.edu or mailed to: 

Graduate Studies
Tennessee Tech University
1 William L. Jones Drive, Room 306
P.O. Box 5012
Cookeville, TN 38505

Note:  All application fees must be paid to begin the review process.

Once all materials have been received, the application file will be evaluated for admission. This is completed by the individual departments.

After an admission recommendation is made, Graduate Studies will notify the student.

* The following are countries where English is the official language, thus an English proficiency exam is not required:
Anguilla; Antigua and Barbuda; Australia; Bahamas; Barbados; Belize; Bermuda; Botswana; The British Virgin Islands; Cameroon; Canada (except Quebec); Cayman Islands; Dominica; England; Fiji; Gambia; Ghana; Gibraltar; Grenada; Guyana; Ireland, Northern; Ireland, Republic of; Jamaica; Kenya; Lesotho; Liberia; Malawi; Malta; Mauritius; Montserrat; Namibia; New Zealand; Nigeria; Papua New Guinea; St. Kitts and Nevis; St. Lucia;

St. Vincent and the Grenadines; Scotland; Seychelles; Sierra Leone; Singapore; Solomon Islands; South Africa; Swaziland; Tanzania; Tonga; Trinidad and Tobago;

The Turks and Caicos Islands; Uganda; United Kingdom; Vanuatu; Wales; Zambia