Students seeking a Graduate Certificate will go through the graduate application process as if they were seeking an MPS degree, meeting all admissions requirements as set forth in the degree program. Once admitted, students are considered MPS degree seeking students and will be working towards completing the pre-defined coursework (15 hours) as listed in this catalog. Upon completion of the 15 hours defined in the program, the student will receive a Graduate Certificate in the appropriate field of study. After completion of the 15 hour Graduate Certificate, the student may continue to fulfill the requirements of the MPS degree. Students are required to meet all graduate student requirements that include maintaining their GPA at the 3.0 level.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

For Full Standing: The minimum admission requirements are:

1. A bachelor's degree from an accredited institution

2. Satisfactory undergraduate grade point average, a minimum of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.

And, applicants must meet one of the following conditions:

  1. 3.0 grade point average in their undergraduate major course of study

  2. A score of 146 on the verbal portion of the GRE® General Test (GRE) and 144 quantitative portion.

  3. A combined score of 290 on the verbal and quantitative reasoning sections and a 3.5 on analytical writing.

  4. Five (5) or more years of professional work experience demonstrated through a portfolio.   

The portfolio is to include:

  • a resume;

  • a 500- to 600-word essay detailing the reasons for wanting to enter the MPS program and discussing how the program will help the applicant achieve personal and professional goals; and

  • two (2) sealed letters of professional reference.

Other items that an applicant may include in the portfolio include a description of professional responsibilities, professional achievements and professional awards/recognition's. The portfolio material must be submitted as a packet, not mailed separately. 

International students must meet English language proficiency requirements by providing a TOEFL score. Minimum IBT of 71 or an approved equivalent exam and equivalent scores. International applicants with an IBT below 79 must complete 6 hours of grammar/reading/communication course work. The 6 hours are in addition to the 30 hours required for the Master's degree. Satisfying minimal standards, however, does not guarantee your admission. Admission decisions are based on departmental review, using a combination of factors including an interview to evaluate dispositions for professionals in the chosen concentration. Students may be admitted with provisional status if they do not meet all of the criteria above but do meet the minimum requirements of the graduate school and are approved for provisional status by the departmental admissions committee. Provisional status will limit students to a maximum of 9 hours before the departmental admissions committee makes a recommendation for full admission. To advance from provisional to full admission a student must earn a 3.0 GPA on the 9 hours of graduate study in the concentration and be approved by the departmental admissions committee.

Note: All international students who attend TTU, who are enrolled on the Department of Homeland Securities F-1 or J-1 visa status must complete all midterm and final exams in a proctored setting on the Tennessee Tech University campus in Cookeville, TN.

MPS Fast-track Program Admissions:

The MPS Fast-track program will allow eligible undergraduates to enroll for up to six (6) hours of graduate courses prior to formal admission to the MPS program. The courses will be taken during the student's junior/senior year and can be used to satisfy both undergraduate and graduate degree requirements. Participation does not change requirements for either the undergraduate or graduate programs of study.

The MPS Fast-track program applies to all MPS concentrations. Once admitted to the MPS Fast-track program, the student will be allowed to enroll in appropriate graduate courses in the junior or senior year with the consent of the student's undergraduate advisor and the Director of the MPS program.

Courses completed at the Graduate Level are only guaranteed to apply to the completion of the MPS graduate degree program. The student must earn a minimum grade of "B" in the graduate courses in order to apply them to the MPS program of study and to continue in the Fast-track program. The MPS Fast-track program is open to all undergraduate majors whom meet the following admissions requirements:

• Fast-track applicant must be earning a baccalaureate degree at TTU and completed at least 90 hours of credit;

• Overall undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or better;

• GPA of 3.25 in undergraduate major;

• Recommendation from the student's undergraduate advisor Note: in addition to the requirements for admission to the MPS Fast-track program, all requirements for admission to the graduate program must also be met upon graduation. Meeting these minimum requirements does not guarantee admission to the graduate program.

Full Time Status Defined for Accelerated Courses

For a graduate student to be considered full-time they must be enrolled in nine credit hours for the semester (excluding Graduate Assistants who may enroll in 6 hours). The Public Safety program includes an accelerated course schedule with classes available in five and seven week formats, thus the combination of the accelerated courses over the entire semester should equal nine credit hours for a student to be considered full-tme.