GRADUATE DIVISION

Admission Procedures - Education and Health Care Administration
Admissions Standards - Education and Health Care Administration
Reading Program
Graduate Certificate Program: English as a Second Language (ESL)
Graduate Certificate: Early-Childhood Program Director (ECD)
Health Care Administration Program
Non-Degree and Non-Matriculated (Visiting) Status
Auditing Graduate Courses
Undergraduate Students Enrolling in Graduate Courses
Transfer of Credits and Waiver
The Test of English as a Foreign Language
Admission Procedures - International Students
Admissions Procedures - Physician Assistant Program
Application to the Two-Year PA Master's Program

Admissions Procedures - Education and Health Care Administration

The Graduate Admissions Committee is concerned with each applicant's interest, aptitude, and potential for achievement in graduate studies. The structure of the programs lends itself both to recent college graduates and to professionals who have delayed their graduate studies.
All applicants should possess a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university. Before an applicant will be evaluated, he or she must submit:

• a completed application form;
• an official transcript from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended, showing completion of a baccalaureate degree and graduate courses for transfer consideration (if any);
• A personal interview with the director of the graduate program, if required;
• letters of recommendation from instructors or supervisors
• a professional résumé, if applicable;
• a non-refundable application fee of $35.

The application form and all supporting documents should be submitted to the director of graduate programs at least three weeks prior to the date of final registration in the session or semester in which the applicant seeks to enroll. Written notice of the action of the Graduate Admissions Committee will be sent to each applicant.

At the applicant's request, an interview can be scheduled to answer any questions he or she may have concerning the graduate programs. Additionally, once accepted, students are encouraged to arrange for an interview to design the program of studies.

King's College does not discriminate against any applicant because of race, color, creed, sex, or physical handicap. Admission is based solely upon an applicant's qualifications and ability to meet the established admission requirements.

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Admissions Standards - Education and Health Care Administration

The Graduate Division of King's College considers four principal factors in deciding whether or not to accept a student into a graduate program. These four factors, in order of importance, are:

• the applicant's success in other graduate-level course work, if any;
• the applicant's undergraduate academic record;
• the applicant's personal interview with the director of the graduate program, if required;
• the strength of letters of recommendation assessing the applicant's potential success in graduate studies and/or the applicant's employment experience, if applicable.

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Reading Program

Teaching certification in elementary education, secondary education, or a K-12 specialty area (e.g., art, music, special education, etc.) is required to enter the master's of education program if the applicant intends to seek reading certification. A photocopy of the certification must be submitted with the other application materials.

1. If the applicant has already earned a graduate degree at King's College or another accredited academic institution, the following weight is assigned:
   
   • Graduate coursework 60%
   • Three letters of recommendation and/or experience 40%
     
2. As a general rule, an applicant who has not earned a prior graduate degree must meet the following requirements:
   
   • An undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 or better on a grading scale of 4.00
   • Three letters of recommendation and/or experience

Applicants who fall below the minimum grade point average (3.00) may submit other evidence of their ability to complete a graduate program, such as:

• Grades in graduate-level courses. An applicant may take up to nine credits in the graduate program in Reading as a non-degree probationary student. If the applicant has maintained a 3.00 grade point average (GPA) after completing nine graduate credits, he or she may resubmit the application for admission into the degree program.

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Graduate Certificate Program: English as a Second Language (ESL)

Teaching certification in elementary education, secondary education, or a K-12 specialty area (e.g., art, music, special education, etc.) is required to enter the certificate program if the applicant intends to seek certification as an ESL program specialist. A photocopy of the teaching certification must be submitted with the other application materials.

I. If the applicant has already earned a graduate degree at King's College or another accredited academic institution, the following weight is assigned:

• Graduate coursework 60%
• Three letters of recommendation and/or experience 40%

Graduate GPA x 150 = a maximum of 600 points
Letters of recommendation and or experience = a maximum of 400 points
Total possible: 1000
Scores of 800 or above will be accepted.

II. As a general rule, an applicant who has not earned a prior graduate degree must fulfill the following requirements:

• An undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 or better on a grading scale of 4.00
• Two letters of recommendation and/or experience
  Applicants who fall below the minimum grade point average (3.00) may submit other evidence of their ability to complete a graduate program, such as:

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Graduate Certificate: Early-Childhood Program Director (ECD)

To be admitted into the graduate certificate program, applicants must have completed a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree with an overall undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or better. Applicants must submit an application form, an application fee of $35, official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended, and two letters of recommendation.

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Health Care Administration Program

1. If the applicant has already earned a graduate degree at King's College or another accredited academic institution, the following weight is assigned:
   
   • Graduate coursework 60%
   • Two letters of recommendation and/or experience 40%

   Graduate GPA x 150 = a maximum of 600 points
   Letters of recommendation and/or experience = a maximum of 400 points
   Total possible: 1000
   Scores of 800 or above will be accepted.

2. As a general rule, an applicant who has not earned a prior graduate degree must fulfill the following requirements:
   
   • An undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 2.75 or better on a grading scale of 4.00
   • A one-page personal statement of purpose
   • Two letters of recommendation and/or work experience
   • A personal interview with the director of the graduate program in Health Care Administration
     Applicants who fall below the minimum grade point average (2.75) may submit other evidence of their ability to complete a graduate program, such as:
   • A test score from the Graduate Management Aptitude Test (GMAT), or
   • Grades in graduate-level courses. An applicant may take up to nine credits in the graduate program in Health Care Administration as a non-degree probationary student. If the applicant has maintained a 3.00 grade point average (GPA) after completing nine graduate credits, he or she may resubmit the application for admission into the degree program.

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Non-Degree and Non-Matriculated (Visiting) Status

Individuals who have not yet completed their application materials or who wish to take courses for personal or professional development without obtaining a graduate degree may take up to three graduate courses as non-degree students, provided they have fulfilled the prerequisites for such courses.

Students matriculating for a degree at another graduate school may be admitted to a non-matriculated status and take individual courses. Visiting students may take up to three graduate courses.

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Auditing Graduate Courses

Persons holding bachelor's, master's or doctoral degrees may wish to audit graduate courses at King's College for their personal or professional development. Persons who wish to audit particular courses should seek admission as non-degree students. Generally, an auditing student attends the regular class meeting, completes the assigned reading and participates in discussions, but does not sit for examinations or prepare oral or written assignments. The professor conducting the course, however, may establish different auditing requirements for the benefit of the students. A student auditing a course does not receive a grade for the course, nor can the student elect to change his or her status in the course to credit-seeking.

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Undergraduate Students Enrolling in Graduate Courses

Undergraduate students at King's College may enroll for individual graduate courses if (1) they are seniors at the time of the proposed graduate course; (2) they have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or better; (3) they have the permission of their academic advisor; and (4) the Graduate Division finds there is space available in the course.

Academic credit for graduate courses taken by an undergraduate student will normally be counted towards the student's baccalaureate degree program. If, after completing a baccalaureate degree, the student continues on to a graduate program at King's, academic credit for the graduate course cannot be recounted towards the master's degree.

Undergraduate students not matriculated at King's College may not register for graduate courses.

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Transfer of Credits and Waiver

A student may submit a written petition for transfer of credits for appropriate courses successfully pursued on the graduate level at another accredited institution, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a graduate degree at King's College.

Up to nine credits may be transferred into the master's of education program in Reading or into the graduate certificate program in English as a Second Language (ESL). Up to twelve credits may be transferred into the master's of science program in Health Care Administration. A student may not transfer graduate credits from another institution into the master's of science degree program in Physician Assistant Studies (M.S.P.A.S.) or into a graduate certificate program in Health Care Administration at King's College.

Transfer credit is allowed only for courses in which a grade of "B" or better has been received. Transfer credit is not normally granted for courses taken more than five years before admission to the King's College graduate programs.

The director of graduate programs will review and decide upon the petition for transfer of credits with the recommendations of the relevant graduate program director. Formal notice of rejection or acceptance of the petition will be made shortly after admission to candidacy.

A graduate student who desires to take graduate courses at another institution while matriculating at King's College, with the intention of transferring these to his/her King's College record, must have written permission from his or her advisor, the graduate program director.

In addition to the transfer of credits outlined above, students enrolled in the graduate program in Health Care Administration may challenge all or part of the foundation course work (i.e. Quantitative Business Methods for Health Care, Understanding Organizational Ethics, and Managerial Accounting for Health Care Administration), if they can demonstrate a mastery of the subject matter through training or experience. To challenge a foundation course, a student must make a formal request to the director of graduate programs. The Graduate Division Office will then schedule an examination with the instructor of the course to be challenged. The student must pay 50% of the normal graduate tuition for each graduate course challenged. The combined number of transfer credits and challenge credits together cannot exceed 50% (half) of the total number of credits in the graduate program.

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The Test of English as a Foreign Language

The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required of all applicants whose native language is not English. This test is administered by Educational Testing Service at testing centers in most countries. Test information may be obtained from ETS, Princeton , New Jersey 08540 . A test score of 600 or better (250 or better for computer-based tests) is required for admission. The test requirement may be waived in certain cases where English proficiency can otherwise be demonstrated.

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Admission Procedures - International Students

International students who wish to apply to the graduate programs in health care administration or education must submit all application materials listed above. In addition, a personal interview is strongly encouraged. Because of the part-time nature of the graduate programs, King's College cannot always guarantee that international students will be able to take enough courses each semester to fulfill the requirements for a visa. International students are also encouraged to consider that while housing in residence halls is available, institutional financial aid, including fellowships and assistantships, is not.

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Admissions Procedures - Physician Assistant Program

Unlike the other King's College graduate programs, the M.S.P.A.S. program offers classes during the day and is a full-time program. The program may be entered either by undergraduate first-year students as a five-year integrated B.S./M.S. program, or by individuals with a prior bachelor's degree as a two-year (24-month) master's program. Upon successful completion of the two-year master's program, students receive a Master of Science degree in Physician Assistant Studies (M.S.P.A.S.) and are eligible to take the National Board examination for certification as a physician assistant.

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Application to the Two-Year Master's Program

Applicants who already have a B.S. degree may apply to the two-year master's program. All applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Completion of undergraduate prerequisite courses, preferably with labs: anatomy and physiology (8 credits), general biology (8 credits), chemistry (8 credits), and microbiology (4 credits);
• An undergraduate GPA of 3.0 both cumulatively and in all science courses;
• Completion of 500 clinical hours of health care experience (voluntary or paid), the majority of which must be direct hands-on experience.
• The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required of all applicants whose native language is not English. This test is administered by Educational Testing Service (ETS) at testing centers in most countries. Test information may be obtained from ETS, Princeton , New Jersey 08540 , or by calling (609) 771-7100. A test score of 600 or better (250 or better for computer-based tests) is required for admission.
• Applicants who have completed a baccalaureate degree at an academic institution outside the U.S. must have their transcripts evaluated by an accredited agency.

Applicants who meet the above requirements must submit an application through the Centralized Application System for Physician Assistants (CASPA). For more information, contact:

CASPA
P.O. Box 70958
Chevy Chase , MD 20813-0958
(270) 497-1895
www.caspaonline.org

The CASPA deadline for application is December 1. Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply as early as possible, to ensure that their application with CASPA is complete by the deadline and to ensure the availability of interview slots and admission seats. King's reviews applications starting in late November and schedules applicant interviews in January through early March.

For more information, see the Program's website (www.kings.edu/paprog) or call the King's College Physician Assistant Program Office at (570) 208-5853.

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