Admission Policies

Advanced Substitutes

Students who have taken undergraduate courses that are clearly parallel to required courses in their program at Trinity Graduate School may modify their program by way of advanced substitutes. This policy allows students to build on, rather than duplicate, studies that they have already completed. Advanced substitute courses are to be approved in advance by the student's program director.

Application for Readmission/Reactivation

There are certain situations in which students may need to submit a supplementary application.

  • If they are accepted to Trinity Graduate School but do not enroll
  • If they withdraw temporarily

However, if more than two years lapse after original acceptance, withdrawal, or completion of their first program, students will be required to submit new application materials, including recommendations and personal statements. Students who are readmitted are subject to the requirements of the catalog that is current at the time they re-enroll in coursework.

Change of Enrollment Date

Students may find it necessary to change their anticipated enrollment date. If the new semester in which  students intend to enroll is within two years of the semester for which they were originally admitted, the change can be made administratively. If the new semester is more than two years from original admittance, a student will be required to submit new application materials.

Students who must change the date of enrollment should notify the Admissions Office. The Admissions Office will notify them of any special instructions at the time of the change. These students will also need to contact the Housing Office and the Office of Student Financial Services, because the change may affect the availability of campus housing or financial aid. A student’s program of studies will be governed by the catalog that is current in the semester he or she enrolls.

Active and Inactive Student Status

Students who desire not to register for classes for a period of one to three semesters (twelve months) should request a Leave of Absence (LOA) from the Student Life Office (see Leave of Absence Policy in this Catalog). This apprises Trinity of student program plans and enables appropriate services to be provided. If a student desires to leave TGS, a Withdrawal must be completed through the Student Life Office (see “Withdrawal” in this Catalog).

If a LOA or Withdrawal has not been completed and students do not register and successfully complete coursework each consecutive semester (fall, spring; summer is exempt), their status is rendered inactive (e.g., active students must register for at least one course each semester). Inactive students must reapply to TGS with no guarantee of readmission.

 

Change of Program (COP)

If after initial enrollment the student wishes to be admitted to a different program, the following apply:

  • All possible options should be considered in consultation with a faculty member, Enrollment Counselor, Program Director, and/or Records Office representative in light of coursework already completed.
  • Admission to one TGS/TEDS program does not guarantee admission to another program. All admission requirements for the new program must be met.
  • At least one semester of TGS/TEDS coursework must be completed before a COP application will be considered, together with the review of that semester’s grades. No more than one change of program will be permitted within a single semester.
  • The online Change of Program application should be submitted by the following dates: January 15 for the spring semester and September 1 for the fall semester. Changes requested after those dates may be recognized in the next academic term.
  • The catalog current at the time of admission to the degree program, not the catalog in effect at the time of original enrollment, will govern the student’s new program.
  • If COP is denied, applicants may submit a written appeal within thirty days to the Director of Admissions.

Interschool Transfers

Contact the Admissions Office for detailed information about transferring from one school to another within Trinity International University (e.g., transferring from the Graduate School to the Divinity School).

Student Classifications

Visiting Students

If students wish to take courses for credit on a part-time basis but do not want to enroll in a degree program, they may submit a Visiting Student application. In addition to the application form, they must submit an official transcript indicating that they hold a completed bachelor’s degree or higher with a minimum GPA of 2.0 sent directly to our Admissions Office. (Visiting students receive “conditional acceptance” until this transcript is received). Visiting students may enroll in a maximum of 9 hours each semester, and it is recommended that they enroll in no more than 12 hours before applying to a degree program. Please contact the Admissions Office for more information.

Auditors

If students want the opportunity to take one or more courses per semester but have no interest in earning graduate credit or a degree, they are invited to audit classes of their choice. An auditor may usually participate in all class functions but will not be held accountable for tests or assignments, nor receive a grade or credit. No application is required, and the person need not have completed a bachelor’s degree. The graduate school, however, reserves the right to limit the number of auditors in any class, and some classes may be closed to auditors. 

 

Transfer Credit

Students may receive credit for studies taken at fully accredited graduate-level institutions when such work parallels courses listed in our catalog and after successful completion of a full semester of academic work at Trinity Graduate School. Official transcripts of previous work showing satisfactory grades in the courses must be submitted for consideration.

Transfer credit is not given for undergraduate studies and is usually not granted for coursework taken at non-accredited graduate schools. Also, graduate-level coursework that has been applied toward an undergraduate degree cannot be allowed as transfer credit toward a Trinity Graduate School degree. To be considered for transfer credit, the course grade must normally be a “B-” or better from an accredited graduate-level program.

If a master’s degree has been completed at another institution, possible transfer credit will be limited to a maximum of 50 percent of the total credits required for the shorter degree.

If a student wishes to receive transfer credit for work done at another accredited graduate school, an official transcript from that graduate institution must be filed for evaluation, along with the Transfer Credit Request form to the Trinity University Records Office. (Note: the Transfer Credit Request form is available for download at MyTIU > Records.)

The Records Office will evaluate transfer coursework under the direction of the TGS Associate Dean and Program Directors. Transfer of credit is not automatic; it is considered only when requested.

Regardless of the amount of coursework that a student may have taken elsewhere, all students must fulfill the minimum residency requirement for their programs at Trinity Graduate School.

Master of Arts in Leadership

24 hours must be taken through TIU coursework.  A maximum of 6 hours may be considered for transfer credit.

Master of Arts program in Counseling Psychology (Florida campus)

A maximum of 24 hours may be considered for transfer credit, of which only 12 hours of the concentration may be transferred.