General

1. Are your graduate programs accredited?

2. What kind of financial aid is available?

3. Are research opportunities available for graduate students?

4. How do I find out when classes are offered?

5. Are course syllabi available online?

6. Can I take a class without being admitted to a program?

7. What campus services are available for graduate students?

Application

8. How will I know when my application is complete?

9. What do you mean by an "official transcript"?

10. Do I really need to submit transcripts from every college I’ve attended, even if the transfer courses are on my main transcript?

11. Can I apply for a graduate program before I finish my bachelor’s degree?

12. Who makes the admission decision?

13. When will my application be sent to the graduate program?

14. What is a "priority deadline"?

15. How long does it take for a decision letter to be sent to me from Graduate Admission?

Program

16. I’d like to take some time off from my graduate program — is this possible? What should I do when I’m ready to come back?

17. How long will it take me to complete the program?

18. What is your placement rate after graduation?

19. Do I need to take the GRE or MAT?

General

1. Are your graduate programs accredited?

The College of St. Catherine is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association. The graduate programs also are accredited by the following organizations:

• Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education
• Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education of the American Occupational Therapy Association
• Council on Social Work Education
• Minnesota Board of Nursing
• National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission
• All teacher licensure programs are approved by the Minnesota Board of Teaching
• The Master of Library and Information Science program is accredited by the American Library Association through Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois.

Graduate students receive financial aid through the College of St. Catherine (or the University of St. Thomas for MSW students), federal student loan programs, employer tuition reimbursement, and independent sources.

For more information, link to:

Financial Aid

FAFSA

FastWeb

3. Are research opportunities available for graduate students?

To learn more about research opportunities, contact your program director. Ask what the faculty’s current research areas are, what research graduate students have worked on in the past, and what opportunities might be available in the next year or two. St. Catherine’s Centers of Excellence also may provide research opportunities.

Centers of Excellence

4. How do I find out when classes are offered?

Course schedules are available online. Graduate courses are numbered 5xx-8xx.

Note: The Social Work Department has listings for courses offered through the University of St. Thomas. For more information, call (651) 962-5810.

5. Are course syllabi available online?

Yes, syllabi are available online at: http://minerva.stkate.edu/cscit.nsf/pages/online. Syllabi are password protected. You will obtain your username and password when you register for a Lotus Notes account prior to beginning your first term in your graduate program.

For more information, visit the McGlynn Computer and Technology Center Web site.

6. Can I take a class without being admitted to a program?

Some graduate programs may allow you to take one or two courses as a non-degree student. Program director or course instructor permission is generally required before non-degree students are allowed to register for a particular course. You may enroll for up to 6 graduate credits as a non-degree student. If you wish to complete additional course work, you must complete the full application process and be accepted to the program as a degree/certificate-seeking student.

7. What campus services are available for graduate students?

Graduate students have access to all St. Catherine’s student services.

Student Services

Application

8. How will I know when my application is complete?

When you submit an application for admission to one of our graduate programs, you will receive a letter from the Office of Graduate Admission confirming that your application has been received, and a list of any missing admission materials you must submit in order to complete the application process. Once all required materials have been received, the Office of Graduate Admission will send you a letter confirming that your file is complete. If you think your application is complete but you haven't heard from us, please don't hesitate to call us at (651) 690-6933.

9. What do you mean by an "official transcript"?

Official transcripts are sent out by an institution's Registrar's office and arrive in sealed envelopes, often with a stamp across the seal. You must contact each post-secondary institution you have attended and request an official transcript. Most schools charge $3-$10 per transcript; some require a written request, while others accept requests that are submitted online. We recommend that each institution send the official transcript directly to the Office of Graduate Admission, #4027, at the College of St. Catherine. If you have the transcript sent directly to you, do not open the envelope. If the transcript is opened by anyone outside of our Graduate Admission office, it is no longer considered an official transcript and we cannot use it to complete the admission process.

10. Do I really need to submit transcripts from every college I’ve attended, even if the transfer courses are on my main transcript?

You need to submit official transcripts from every institution at which you have earned undergraduate or graduate credit, even if those classes appear on another transcript. You do not need to submit transcripts from programs that do not award college credits, even if offered at a graduate level (such as programs awarding Continuing Education Credits).

11. Can I apply for a graduate program before I finish my bachelor’s degree?

You may apply and be accepted to a graduate program prior to completing your undergraduate degree, but you will not be allowed to begin any graduate course work until we receive official documentation that you have successfully completed all requirements for (and have been awarded) a baccalaureate degree. First, submit the most current transcript available from your college as part of the application process. Include your expected graduation date in your application. After completing your undergraduate requirements, request that the Registrar's Office at your school send St. Catherine's another official transcript as soon as your degree is posted. Don't assume that the transcript with your degree on it will be sent after graduation — it often takes a few weeks for new degrees to be posted on transcripts.

12. Who makes the admission decision?

Each program makes its own final admission decisions. Decisions are always made by program faculty, usually through an admission committee. Graduate Admission counselors process your application materials and send them to the appropriate committee when your admission file is complete. The Graduate Admission office will send you official notice of the faculty decision after your file has been reviewed.

13. When will my application be sent to the graduate program?

Depending on your program's admission process, your file will be sent to the graduate program admission committee for review once your application is complete or when your program's admission deadline has passed.

14. What is a "priority deadline"?

A "priority deadline" means that admission decisions will be made for all completed applications received by that deadline. Applications received or completed after the deadline will be considered on a space-available basis.

15. How long does it take for a decision letter to be sent to me from Graduate Admission?

Decision letters are sent within one week of receiving a program's admission decision. For reasons of privacy and security, we cannot give decisions over the phone or by e-mail. How long your program takes to make it's decision depends on the admission process and the time of year. Some programs have "rolling admission" and review each completed application file as it arrives. Other programs have deadlines and review all completed applications after the deadline has passed.

Program

16. I’d like to take some time off from my graduate program — is this possible? What should I do when I’m ready to come back?

Whether a program allows a student to take leave of absence depends on its structure, curriculum and policies. Ask your program director about the possibility for a Leave of Absence within that program.

When you are ready to return from a Leave of Absence, contact your program director to discuss the appropriate process. If you have been gone for less than one year (2 semesters/3 weekend terms), you can register for courses through the Registrar's Office. If you have been away from your program for more than one year, you will need to reapply through the Office of Graduate Admission. The first step in the reapplication process is to submit a new program application; you do not need to submit an application fee if you are reapplying to a graduate program. A Graduate Admission counselor will contact you regarding any additional materials you may need to submit to complete the reapplication process.

17. How long will it take me to complete the program?

This varies according to program, whether you are a full-time or part-time student and, in some cases, according to your prior course work. Use the "Contact Us" link on the left side of this page to request specific program information.

18. What is your placement rate after graduation?

Each program tracks post-graduate placement rates for its own students. Contact the graduate program you are interested in to obtain placement rate information.

19. Do I need to take the GRE or MAT?

The DPT program requires all applicants to submit Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores. For the MAED and MLIS programs, applicants who have an undergraduate cumulative GPA below 3.0 may be required to submit GRE scores. MLIS applicants may choose to submit Miller Analogies Test (MAT) scores instead of GRE scores. MAED/MLIS applicants who are unsure of their cumulative GPA should contact the Graduate Admission Office prior to making arrangements to complete the GRE/MAT.

For more information about taking the GRE, see their Web site: www.gre.org

For more information about the Miller Analogy Test (MAT), see their Web site: www.milleranalogies.com

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