Graduate School
Prospective Students
Important NoteThe Graduate School at Temple University is an administrative office only:
|
Options: Apply vs. Non-Matriculate
Are you a prospective graduate student who wants to begin coursework before applying? Or do you want to take a graduate course or two as a non-matriculated student as credits toward a degree elsewhere? Answers to some questions may be found in the guide to Continuing Education Graduate Online Orientation.
Non-matriculated students are those who take courses but are not officially working toward a degree at Temple University. Matriculated students are those who apply to a program, take courses, and work to earn a degree.
Non-matriculated students enjoy unique opportunities at Temple University. Some students may “try out” a few courses, meet professors, and evaluate prospective programs. Other students may choose to enrich their personal lives or achieve professional goals by taking courses with no intent to apply to a specific graduate degree program.
Non-matriculated graduate students may take up to nine graduate credits. At that point, the student must decide whether to:
- Apply and be officially admitted into a degree program. The required form is the Graduate School Application.
- Continue to take courses as a non-matriculated student if working toward a certificate program. The required form is the Request to Exceed 9 Semester Hours of Graduate Coursework for Certificate Program.
Please note that any credits in excess of nine, whether taken as part of a certificate program or simply for personal or professional enrichment, may not later be applied to a degree program, should the student eventually decide to formally apply to a degree program.
Non-matriculated students who intend to apply to a degree program should ensure the program in which they are interested accepts non-matriculated credits. Students are strongly encouraged to seek academic advising from the graduate faculty or professional advisors within the program. In any case, the maximum number of credits that may be applied to a degree program is nine. To take coursework in a specific discipline, the non-matriculated student must contact that department for an initial credential review and to be registered for the class(es) of interest.
Non-matriculated students who plan to take courses in multiple departments should contact the Office of Continuing Studies in the Academic Resource Office on Main Campus. The office provides advising services and registration assistance to non-matriculated students.