Admission Requirements

Students wishing to pursue studies leading to a graduate degree must first apply to the Graduate School. The LSU General Catalog provides specific information regarding the requirements and conditions of admission. In general, the student who wishes to enroll for graduate study must have earned a Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) from an accredited college or university. Although there are no restrictions regarding the major area of study pursued in the baccalaureate program, graduates of curricula outside the program area will be required to satisfy prerequisite requirements in the program area. This prerequisite work will not carry graduate credit, but is intended to satisfy deficiencies. The number of courses required will depend on the student's background and preparation; such requisite courses may have pre-requisites that need to be fulfilled prior to enrolling in those courses. To that end, the MSIE Program does not have pre-requisites in terms of admission to the program.

Please know that the department does not mandate the GRE, but it is highly encouraged and will be taken into consideration during the review process if a score is provided for admission. The Graduate School can provide further information on the GRE. Generally, only those students who have at least 2.75 (on a 4.0 scale) grade point average overall and 3.00 on the last 60 hours in their undergraduate courses and satisfactory GRE scores will be admitted. However, cases may be considered on an individual basis considering grades in the junior and senior years and GRE scores. In rare cases, applicants may be granted probationary admission, and they must then satisfy the Graduate School and departmental requirements for satisfactory progress or be dropped from the program. See section on "Satisfactory Progress" for more details. Non-degree seeking students may be admitted as "Non-matriculated" students if they qualify for admission to courses.

English Requirements

All applicants whose native language is not English and who have not completed their degree requirements at an accredited U.S. college or university are required to submit their scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The Graduate School has minimum requirements for TOEFL scores depending on which version of the TOEFL test is taken. Additionally, international students must take the LSU Comprehensive English Language Test after arrival on campus and before registration. If the test results indicate a deficiency in English, the student will be required to register for appropriate English language courses. International graduate assistants (teaching, service, or research) must complete ENGL 1051 during their first semester unless a waiver is granted as a result of interview with the English Department . Repeated registration of such courses may be required until the student can demonstrate sufficient proficiency in English.