Application Procedures

Application Process

To be considered for full admission to the Columbia College Graduate Program, an applicant’s file must include the materials outlined below. All documents should be submitted electronically or sent to Graduate Admissions, Columbia College, 1001 Rogers Street, Columbia, MO 65216.

Graduate programs and individual graduate level courses may be offered at some Adult Higher Education Campuses. Students interested in taking graduate courses at nationwide campuses should contact the respective location for information. Go to www.ccis.edu/nationwide/ for a map of nationwide locations.

To be considered for Full or Post-Baccalaureate admission to any Columbia College graduate program, all of the following must be submitted to the Graduate Admissions Office:

1. Completed application for graduate admission: http://www.ccis.edu/apply.
2. Non-refundable application fee of $55. Checks should be made payable to Columbia College. The application fee is waived for students who earned a baccalaureate degree at Columbia College.
3. Official transcripts from the following:
   • From all institutions where a bachelor’s degree was earned
   • From all institutions where a master’s degree was earned
   • From all institutions where any of the required prerequisite courses were completed
   • From all non-U.S. institutions where any coursework was completed
   • All other transcripts may be submitted as unofficial copies.
   • For those applicants admitted before a Bachelor’s degree was granted, a transcript reflecting the receipt of a Bachelor’s degree, with graduation date, must be received by the Office of Admissions no later than the end of the first session of admission. Applicants will be prevented from registering for subsequent sessions pending receipt of a final transcript by the institution.
4. Three complete Columbia College graduate program recommendation forms. All should attest to the applicant’s ability to successfully perform graduate work and at least 80% of the quantified descriptors should be in the two highest categories. A recommender is someone with a professional (i.e. supervisors, co-workers, etc.) or academic relationship to you. Recommenders may not be close friends or family members. Recommenders’ names and email addresses are required to be listed on the application form. Once the application is submitted, a recommendation form will automatically be emailed to each recommender listed.
5. A personal goal statement of 300-500 words. The goal statement should establish a correlation between the goals of the graduate degree program and the applicant’s personal and professional goals. MAT and M.Ed. applicants should include a personal statement of teaching philosophy and leadership goals.
6. Current resumé.

The application, recommendation letters, personal goal statement and resumé should be submitted using the online application. To be guaranteed consideration for enrollment in a session, the completed file needs to be received no later than two (2) weeks prior to the beginning of any academic session. Review of graduate application files will not begin until six months prior to the intended term of enrollment.

M.Ed. applicants: In addition to the application procedures and requirements for admission, applicants for the M.Ed. must:

• Submit a personal career goal summary which elaborates upon the general admission personal goal statement, and demonstrates that the applicant has goals and personal qualities which are compatible with the goals and competencies focused upon in the program. This statement must illustrate the candidate’s professional competency thus far, including impact on students and student achievement; and
• Have a baccalaureate degree and teacher certification. It is a state requirement that principal licensure is not recommended until teachers have at least two years of experience;
• Complete a Psychology of the Exceptional Child course (EDUC 390 or EDUC 525 if taken through Columbia College);
• Possess a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale from a regionally accredited degree-granting institution.

Prospective students not meeting these criteria may be eligible for conditional admission.

MAT applicants: In addition to the application procedures and requirements for admission, applicants for the MAT must:

• Submit a personal career goal summary which elaborates upon the general admission personal goal statement, and demonstrates that the applicant has goals and personal qualities which are compatible with the goals and competencies focused upon in the program; and
• A valid teaching certificate or a signed statement indicating that the student will not, at any point, seek certification.
• Applicants who have successfully completed admission procedures required by Columbia College will be evaluated by the Admissions Office for acceptance into the Master of Arts in Teaching Degree Program. To be considered, applicants must also have earned a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale from a regionally accredited degree-granting institution, or a combination of scores on the verbal and quantitative sections of the Graduate Record Examination adding up to 300.

MBA applicants: Students with a cumulative GPA of less than 3.0 from a regionally accredited institution may submit for consideration a GMAT score of 550 or higher. Students who have not completed the appropriate concept courses (or their equivalent) in their baccalaureate degree must complete these courses as a post-baccalaurete student before being considered for full admission to the MBA program. Please click here  to view a complete list of MBA post-baccalaureate courses.

Admission Criteria

MBA: Serving the needs of working adults with graduate studies in business is a guiding principle in the MBA program. To this end, admission to the MBA program rests heavily upon the extent to which the applicant has had the opportunity for work-related experience that would complement further study in business at the graduate level.

Applicants who have successfully completed graduate admission procedures required by Columbia College will be evaluated by the Admissions Office for admission to the MBA program. The MBA program is open to all who are qualified and show promise for success in graduate study.

The following factors are considered in the admission process:

1. A baccalaureate degree with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above from a regionally-accredited institution, as represented by official transcripts from the degree-granting institution. Students with a cumulative GPA of less than 3.0 from a regionally accredited institution may submit for consideration a GMAT score of 550 or higher.

2. The potential of the student to achieve academic and career goals by enrolling in the MBA program. This factor requires evaluation of the narrative component of the application and three graduate program recommendation forms attesting to the ability of the student to complete the MBA program.

MSCJ: Applicants who have completed admission procedures will be evaluated by the Admissions Office for acceptance into the Master of Science in Criminal Justice degree program. To be considered, applicants must meet the following criteria:

1. A baccalaureate degree in criminal justice or closely related cognate area.

2. A cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale from a regionally accredited degree granting institution.

Students possessing a baccalaureate degree in a field other than criminal justice may enroll as a Post- Baccalaureate. Post Baccalaureate students may take graduate courses with permission from the MSCJ Graduate Program Coordinator.

English Proficiency Requirements

To be considered for full admission, all students who do not speak English as a native language must provide official scores from an English proficiency or standardized admission test. Appropriate scores from the following exams demonstrate English language proficiency:

Please note that credentials are reviewed carefully to confirm that applicants have the requisite English language proficiency to succeed academically at Columbia College. Therefore, the Admissions Office reserves the right to require additional documentation to verify English language proficiency.

Applicants from the following countries are required to submit SAT/ACT scores in lieu of English proficiency: Australia, Canada (English speaking provinces), Ireland, Malta, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.

Columbia College does not offer beginning-level English as a Second or Other Language (ESOL).

Columbia College will also consider the following evidence of English language proficiency:

• A grade of “C” or higher from an English composition course completed at a U.S. Institution and deemed equivalent to the Columbia College ENGL 111 course
• Successful completion of a U.S.-based English as a Second or Other Language Program (ESOL) or Intensive English Program (IEP) and a letter of recommendation from the institution for full academic admission. This requirement is accepted at the discretion of the Admissions Office.

International Student Application Procedures

International applicants are required to submit the following materials to be considered for graduate admission. All documents and fees must be received before Columbia College will issue an I-20 Form. Application materials should be sent to Graduate Admissions, Columbia College, 1001 Rogers Street, Columbia, MO 65216.

1. A completed and signed application for graduate admission, accompanied by a non-refundable $55 (U.S. dollars) application fee. Checks should be made payable to Columbia College.
2. Proof of English language proficiency as evidence by a TOEFL score of at least 550 on the paper-based exam or 79-80 on the internet-based exam. The minimum IELTS score required to demonstrate English language proficiency is an overall band score of 7.0 with no individual band below a 6.5. See English Proficiency Requirements chart.
3. Official, original transcripts in the native language from each undergraduate and graduate college or university attended, as well as English translations that are notarized by the translator.
4. Three completed Columbia College graduate program recommendation forms. All should attest to the applicant’s ability to successfully perform graduate work and at least 80% of the quantified descriptors should be in the two highest categories. Applicants should utilize the recommendation forms available during the application process.
5. A personal goal statement which establishes a correlation between the goals of the graduate degree program and the applicant’s personal and professional goals and a summary of relevant work experience. Applicants must also submit a current, professional resume.
6. MAT applicants must submit, if available, proof of teacher certification.
7. Official bank documents attesting to the applicant’s or the sponsor’s ability to pay tuition, books, supplies, fees, and living expenses for one year. Students must also complete a SEVIS Supplement form. The total cost of attendance will be determined on an annual basis by Columbia College.
8. Students transferring to Columbia College from an institution within the United States must complete a Transfer Eligibility Form and furnish a copy of a passport, valid visa, I-94 and I-20 from the last school attended.

International applicants attending the Columbia, MO, Elgin, IL or Denver, CO campuses may speak with their local campus representatives for information on admissions requirements and the issuance of I-20 Forms.

Students who have studied graduate-level work at international universities/colleges may petition to receive graduate transfer credit. International institutions will be checked for regional accreditation; if an institution does not have regional accreditation, then the institution will be evaluated per the Office of the Registrar international credentialing process (see Evaluation of Credit and Testing  for additional information on the transfer process.)