Exam and Waiver Requirements
Many App State graduate programs offer entrance exam waivers to qualified applicants. To be considered for an exam waiver, applicants must either hold a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher or meet one of the following conditions:
- Applicants currently in an App State Accelerated Master’s program, with a grade of “B” (3.0) or higher in every graduate-level course completed.
- Applicants who within the last five years have successfully completed at least 9 credit hours of courses in a graduate certificate program at App State with a cumulative GPA of a 3.3 or higher.
- Applicants who have completed a master’s or doctoral degree in a related discipline with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Additional exam waiver criteria vary by program. Review the list below to determine if your program of interest offers an exam waiver option.
Program | Alternative admissions criteria used in lieu of the standardized exam: | |
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Accounting: Master of Science Degree |
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Appalachian Studies: Master of Arts Degree |
The standardized exam requirement may be waived for applicants with a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher, with a satisfactory review of the submitted work sample. |
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Applied Data Analytics: Master of Science Degree |
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Athletic Training: Master of Science Degree |
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Biology: Master of Science Degree |
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Business Administration: MBA Degree Program |
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Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Master of Arts Degree |
A cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher. |
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Computer Science: Master of Science Degree |
A 3.2 average in undergraduate computer science courses involving programming and software engineering, architecture and systems, algorithms and theory, and written communication skills (as demonstrated by a "B" or better in a communication course). |
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Curriculum Specialist: Master of Arts Degree |
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Elementary Education: Master of Arts Degree (currently inactive) |
Cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.4 or higher. |
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Engineering Physics: Master of Science Degree |
3.0 or higher GPA in five core undergraduate Physics and Math courses (Physics I & II and Calculus I, II, and III). |
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English: Master of Arts Degree |
The standardized exam requirement may be waived for applicants with a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher. |
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Exercise Science: Master of Science Degree |
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Geography: Master of Arts Degree |
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Health Administration: Master of Health Administration Degree |
Cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher. |
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Higher Education: Master of Arts Degree |
Cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher and submission of an essay on what applicant believes are most pressing issues facing higher education today. |
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History: Master of Arts Degree |
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Industrial-Organizational Psychology and Human Resource Management: Master of Arts Degree |
Official exam scores required |
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Library Science: Master of Library Science Degree |
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Marriage and Family Therapy: Master of Arts Degree |
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Mathematics: Master of Arts Degree |
Official exam scores required |
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Media, Technology, & Learning Design: Master of Arts Degree |
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Middle Grades Education: Master of Arts Degree |
Official exam scores required |
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Music Performance: Master of Music Degree |
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Music Therapy: Master of Music Therapy Degree |
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Nursing: Master of Science in Nursing Degree |
Cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.5 or higher. |
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Nutrition (Dietetics): Master of Science Degree |
Cumulative UGPA of 3.0 or higher AND submission of a written statement addressing prior experience and career goals. |
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Nutrition (Public Health Nutrition Practice): Master of Science Degree |
Cumulative UGPA of 3.0 or higher AND submission of a written statement addressing prior experience and career goals. |
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Political Science: Master of Arts Degree |
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Professional School Counseling: Master of Arts Degree |
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Psychology: Master of Arts Degree |
Cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher |
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Public Administration: Master of Public Administration Degree |
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Reading Education: Master of Arts |
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Romance Languages: Master of Arts Degree |
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School Administration: Master of School Administration Degree |
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Social Work: Master of Social Work Degree |
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Special Education: Master of Arts Degree |
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Speech-Language Pathology: Master of Science Degree |
Official exam scores required |
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Student Affairs Administration: Master of Arts Degree |
The standardized exam (GRE) requirement may be waived for applicants who have one or more years of student engagement/involvement experience (e.g., served as a Resident Assistant or as a student leader in a club or organization) or higher education-related work experience. |
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Technology: Master of Science Degree |
Official exam scores required |
Program | Alternative admissions criteria used in lieu of the standardized exam: | |
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School Psychology: Master of Arts & Specialist in School Psychology Dual Degree Program |
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Program | Alternative admissions criteria used in lieu of the standardized exam: | |
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Clinical Psychology: Doctor of Psychology Degree |
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Educational Leadership: Doctor of Education Degree |
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Program | Alternative admissions criteria used in lieu of the standardized exam: | |
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Addiction Counseling Certificate |
Standardized entrance exam scores are not required for applications to certificate programs. |
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Aging, Health, and Society Certificate |
Standardized entrance exam scores are not required for applications to certificate programs. |
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Appalachian Studies Certificate |
Standardized entrance exam scores are not required for applications to certificate programs. |
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Autism Certificate |
Standardized entrance exam scores are not required for applications to certificate programs. |
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Birth through Kindergarten Graduate Certificate |
Standardized entrance exam scores are not required for applications to certificate programs. |
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Business Analytics Certificate |
Standardized entrance exam scores are not required for applications to certificate programs. |
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Climate Change Certificate |
Standardized entrance exam scores are not required for applications to certificate programs. |
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College and University Teaching Certificate |
Standardized entrance exam scores are not required for applications to certificate programs. |
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Digital Media Literacy Certificate |
Standardized entrance exam scores are not required for applications to certificate programs. |
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Elementary Education Graduate Certificate |
Standardized entrance exam scores are not required for applications to certificate programs. |
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Elementary Mathematics Education Certificate |
Standardized entrance exam scores are not required for applications to certificate programs. |
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Emotional and Behavioral Disorders Graduate Certificate |
Standardized entrance exam scores are not required for applications to certificate programs. |
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Expressive Arts Therapy Certificate |
Standardized entrance exam scores are not required for applications to certificate programs. |
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French Certificate |
Standardized entrance exam scores are not required for applications to certificate programs. |
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Gender, Women's, and Sexuality Studies Certificate |
Standardized entrance exam scores are not required for applications to certificate programs. |
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Geographic Information Science Certificate |
Standardized entrance exam scores are not required for applications to certificate programs. |
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Health and Physical Education Graduate Certificate |
Standardized entrance exam scores are not required for applications to certificate programs. |
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Instructional Technology Facilitation Certificate |
Standardized entrance exam scores are not required for applications to certificate programs. |
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Instructional Technology Leadership Certificate |
Standardized entrance exam scores are not required for applications to certificate programs. |
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International Leadership Certificate |
Standardized entrance exam scores are not required for applications to certificate programs. |
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Middle and Secondary Teaching Certificate |
Standardized entrance exam scores are not required for applications to certificate programs. |
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Music Theory Pedagogy Research and Practice Certificate |
Standardized entrance exam scores are not required for applications to certificate programs. |
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Non-profit Administration Certificate |
Standardized entrance exam scores are not required for applications to certificate programs. |
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Nursing Education Certificate |
Standardized entrance exam scores are not required for applications to certificate programs. |
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Online Design, Communication and Engagement Certificate |
Standardized entrance exam scores are not required for applications to certificate programs. |
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Planning Certificate |
Standardized entrance exam scores are not required for applications to certificate programs. |
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Public Health Nutrition Practice Certificate |
Standardized entrance exam scores are not required for applications to certificate programs. |
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Reading Education Certificate |
Standardized entrance exam scores are not required for applications to certificate programs. |
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Rhetoric and Composition Certificate |
Standardized entrance exam scores are not required for applications to certificate programs. |
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School Leadership Certificate |
Standardized entrance exam scores are not required for applications to certificate programs. |
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Sociology Certificate |
Standardized entrance exam scores are not required for applications to certificate programs. |
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Spanish Certificate |
Standardized entrance exam scores are not required for applications to certificate programs. |
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Special Education Graduate Certificate |
Standardized entrance exam scores are not required for applications to certificate programs. |
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Systemic Multicultural Counseling Certificate |
Standardized entrance exam scores are not required for applications to certificate programs. |
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Teaching Emergent Bilingual Populations in the Content Areas Certificate |
Standardized entrance exam scores are not required for applications to certificate programs. |
Program | Alternative admissions criteria used in lieu of the standardized exam: | |
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Applied Data Analytics - Interdisciplinary Analytics Concentration, MS and Business Administration - Interdisciplinary Business Concentration, MBA |
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Applied Data Analytics - Interdisciplinary Concentration, MS and Industrial-Organizational Psychology and Human Resource Management, MA |
Official exam scores required |
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Applied Data Analytics - Interdisciplinary Concentration, MS and Public Administration - Not-for-Profit Management Concentration, MPA |
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Applied Data Analytics - Interdisciplinary Concentration, MS and Public Administration - Public Management Concentration, MPA |
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Applied Data Analytics - Interdisciplinary Concentration, MS and Public Administration - Town, City and County Management Concentration, MPA |
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Business Administration - Interdisciplinary Business Concentration, MBA and Higher Education - Community College and University Leadership Concentration, MA |
Official exam scores required |
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Business Administration - Interdisciplinary Business Concentration, MBA and Industrial-Organizational Psychology and Human Resource Management, MA |
Official exam scores required |
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Business Administration - Interdisciplinary Business Concentration, MBA and Public Administration - Public Management Concentration, MPA |
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Clinical Mental Health Counseling - Clinical Mental Health Counseling, General Concentration, MA and Music Therapy, MMT |
Undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher and completion of all other admission requirements. |
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Clinical Psychology, PsyD with en route Clinical Psychology MA |
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Educational Leadership - Educational Administration, EdD and Educational Administration, EdS |
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Educational Leadership - Higher Education Concentration, EdD and Higher Education - Community College & University Leadership Concentration, EdS |
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Engineering Physics - Systems and Laboratory Automation Concentration, MS and Applied Data Analytics - Interdisciplinary Analytics Concentration, MS |
Official exam scores required |
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Library Science (MLS) and Media, Technology, and Learning Design - Instructional Technology Specialist/K-12 Concentration (MA) |
Official exam scores required |
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Mathematics - College Teaching Concentration, MA and Engineering Physics - Systems and Laboratory Automation Concentration, MS |
Official exam scores required |
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Political Science - American Government Concentration, MA and Applied Data Analytics - Interdisciplinary Concentration, MS | ||
Political Science - Environmental Politics and Policy Analysis Concentration, MA and Applied Data Analytics - Interdisciplinary Concentration, MS | ||
Political Science - International Relations/Comparative Politics Concentration, MA and Applied Data Analytics - Interdisciplinary Concentration, MS | ||
Technology - Appropriate Technology Concentration, MS and Engineering Physics - Systems and Laboratory Automation Concentration, MS |
Official exam scores required |