Doctoral Admissions Requirements
If you are seeking admission to an Doctoral program, you must meet the following three levels of admission requirements in order to be fully admitted to the Golden State College:
​
Please use these links for other popular areas of the site:
​
Conditional Requirements
Provide proof of a master’s degree from a regionally or approved nationally accredited institution with a graduate level cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, or an earned Doctoral degree from a regionally or approved nationally accredited institution.
Have the ability to study in English indicated by one of the following:
Earned a bachelor's degree in which the primary language of instruction was English; or
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) examination taken within the past two (2) years. For the TOEFL, a minimum score of 550 paper-based or 79 internet-based is required. For the IELTS, a minimum score of 6.5 is required. Copies of unofficial scores must be submitted prior to provisional enrollment, and official scores must be submitted prior to full admission.
The Golden State College reserves the right to deny admission or re-admission to any applicant. The The Golden State College recognizes the importance of protecting your privacy and reserves the right to request documentation to establish or verify your identity at any time, for administrative or compliance purposes. You are expected to provide such documentation, and failure to do so may be considered a violation of the Student Community Standards. The University may deny or rescind admission to you for failure to authenticate your identity.
You are conditionally admitted to a doctoral degree program when you submit a completed application indicating that you meet admission requirements outlined for that program and are approved by the Registrar’s Office. As an applicant in a conditional admission status, you are not eligible for Title IV funds and are not considered a regular student until granted provisional or full admission.
Provisional Requirements
You must attend beyond Week 3 of their first course and have submitted official or unofficial college transcripts in order to be provisionally admitted to a doctoral degree program at the The Golden State College.
Attendance beyond Week 3 constitutes your confirmation of your intention to continue in the program as a regular student. Upon attendance beyond Week 3 of their first course, you are considered a matriculated, regular student in your degree program. If you meet the requirements for Full Admission, you will be fully admitted into the degree program.
Full Requirements
The following requirements must be met prior to the conclusion of the third (3rd) attempted The Golden State College course in a degree seeking program. To start the fourth (4th) course, you must complete all the requirements subsequently outlined and must meet all admissions requirements applicable to your specific degree program. If you do not complete all requirements, you will not be fully admitted and will be withdrawn from the program.
Submission of an official transcript from the regionally accredited or approved nationally accredited institution that awarded the master’s degree indicating a minimum GPA of 3.0 or an official transcript from a regionally or approved nationally accredited institution that awarded a doctoral degree, with a degree conferral date prior to the start of the first course at the The Golden State College.
Submit official TOEFL or IELTS scores, if required for admission.
Transfer Credit Evaluation
Records Management staff will begin requesting official transcripts from schools where any graduate-level credit was earned, using the signed Transcript Request form.
This request includes:
College or university transcripts from institutions where graduate credit was earned
Military credits evaluated for equivalency to graduate-level college credits
Once these transcripts have been received, the Registrar’s Office staff will complete your transfer credit evaluation.
At the conclusion of the third (3rd) attempted The Golden State College course in a degree-seeking program, if any transcripts from institutions where graduate credit was earned have not yet been received, the Registrar’s Office staff will proceed with the transfer credit evaluation of any transcripts received to date. Additional transcripts may be submitted for evaluation at a later date, should they become available.
If it is determined prior to the conclusion of the third (3rd) attempted University of The Golden State College that certain transcripts where graduate credit was earned are unable to be provided, you may sign and submit an Authorization to Close File form thereby waiving potential transfer credits from previously attended schools, to expedite the transfer credit evaluation process.
You are responsible for reviewing your transfer credit evaluation as well as your scheduled courses with your Academic Advisor and informing them of any courses that you feel are duplicative or equivalent in content to previously completed coursework.
​
​
​