Admissions Policy
Review MUST University’s admissions policy, requirements, conditional admissions, language proficiency criteria, and documentation needed for master’s and doctoral programs.
Policy Statement
MUST maintains clear, consistent, and transparent admission policies that ensure applicants meet the minimum academic qualifications for their selected program of study. All admissions decisions are made in accordance with regulatory requirements.
The University’s admissions policy and recruitment practices are conducted ethically and are designed to promote access, fairness, and compliance with regulatory standards.
ADMISSIONs REQUIREMENTS
- Submission of a completed admissions application.
- The applicant must provide documentation of graduation from a College/University in the form of an earned bachelor’s or graduate degree. Submission of transcripts or copy of a foreign evaluation showing successful completion of a US equivalent bachelor’s degree or master’s degree from an accredited college/university or equivalent recognition.
- Acceptable documentation includes a transcript or documentation which confirms that the student meets or exceeds the academic achievement equivalent to an earned bachelors or graduate degree in the United States of America, acceptable documentation may include:
Acceptable Documentation:
- Evidence of previous credits, courses, or studies via a transcript/grade report documenting graduation from an institution of higher learning.
- Certification from an appropriate government agency or recognized credentialing organization confirming degree completion.
- Copy of a foreign evaluation showing successful completion of the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree, graduate degree, or US recognized equivalent.
MUST offers programs in Spanish and Portuguese.
Students who choose to receive instruction in a language other than their native language (limited to Spanish and Portuguese), must demonstrate competency in the language of instruction (see section-Language Proficiency Requirements).
Admission decisions are based on the applicant’s fulfillment of stated requirements, a review of the applicant’s previous educational records, and a review of the applicant’s career interests. Students will have 60 calendar days to submit pending documentation following their first day of class to progress from conditional acceptance to formal acceptance (see conditional acceptance criteria). It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that MUST receives all required documentation. A university representative will examine provided document(s) to corroborate, in their best judgment, that documents are original and have no visible alterations, if copies are created, the university representative will sign the copies to identify them as copies from the original. All records received become the property of MUST.
Additional Doctorate Admission Criteria
- Applicants must have earned a master’s degree in a related field, or a master’s degree plus 4 years of verifiable related (to the degree applying to) professional experience.
- Submission of transcripts demonstrating the attainment of a master’s degree from an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, CHEA, or its international equivalent. Foreign credentials will be evaluated for equivalency. Students will have 60 calendar days to submit pending documentation following their first day of class to progress from conditional acceptance to formal acceptance (see conditional acceptance criteria).
- Submit two letters of recommendation.
- Submit a curriculum vitae (or résumé).
- Submit a 500- to 800-word essay describing your academic and professional goals and how the doctoral degree program will help you achieve them.
- Complete an interview with the program coordinator.
- This program does not accept transfer of credits from a non-MUST program.
Conditional Admissions
Conditional acceptance is granted to an applicant who applies for admission or reentry but cannot submit all required documentation prior to the program start date (e.g., waiting on official transcripts).
Conditionally admitted students have up to 60 days to submit any remaining missing materials. Failure to do so within this period will result in the cancelation of their enrollment, a status of “Canceled with Attendance” assigned, and all funds paid on behalf of the student refunded, excluding the non-refundable registration fee.
Applicants who do not meet one or more admissions requirements may be interviewed by the designated school official. The designated school official will determine if the applicant can be conditionally admitted.
Applicants may appeal admission decisions to the Admissions Manager. The student may submit additional documentation to support their appeal request. The Admissions Manager decision may be appealed in meritorious cases to the University President.
Deferment of Admissions
Upon request, the Admissions Office may defer admission to the following semester or term of the same academic year for which admission to the university was granted, in accordance with the University’s admissions policy.
Language Proficiency Requirements
Prospective students enrolling in a program delivered in a language (Spanish or Portuguese) other than their native language, and who have not earned a degree from an appropriately accredited institution where the language of instruction matches the language of the chosen program, must demonstrate college-level language proficiency for admission through one of the following methods:
For programs delivered in Spanish:
- Master’s Degree: A minimum score on the DELE (Diploma de Español como Lengua Extranjera) at level B2 or higher; or a SIELE (Servicio Internacional de Evaluación de la Lengua Española) global score corresponding to CEFR B2 or higher.
- Doctoral Degree: A minimum score on the DELE at level B2 or higher; or a SIELE global score corresponding to CEFR B2 or higher. Doctoral applicants are strongly encouraged to demonstrate proficiency at the C1 level given the reading and writing demands of doctoral coursework.
For programs delivered in Portuguese:
- Master’s Degree: A minimum certification on the CELPE-Bras (Certificado de Proficiência em Língua Portuguesa para Estrangeiros) at the Intermediário Superior level or higher; or a CAPLE (Centro de Avaliação de Português Língua Estrangeira) DIPLE diploma or higher.
- Doctoral Degree: A minimum certification on the CELPE-Bras at the Intermediário Superior level or higher; or a CAPLE DIPLE diploma or higher. Doctoral applicants are strongly encouraged to demonstrate proficiency at the CELPE-Bras Avançado level or CAPLE DAPLE diploma given the reading and writing demands of doctoral coursework.
Additional proficiency documentation accepted for either language of instruction:
- A minimum CEFR level of B2 in the language of instruction, documented through any internationally recognized assessment aligned with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
- A transcript indicating completion of at least 30 semester credit hours with an average grade of “B” or higher at an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the United States Secretary of Education and/or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), or accepted foreign equivalent listed in the International Handbook of Universities, where the language of instruction matched the language of the intended program.
Transcripts not in English, Spanish or Portuguese must be evaluated by a NACES (National Association of Credential Evaluation Services) member organization and translated into Spanish, Portuguese, or English. The evaluator must possess expertise in the educational practices of the country of origin and provide a translation of the review in Spanish, Portuguese, or English.
Record Keeping and Review
The Admissions Department and Registrar’s Office maintain all admissions applications, evaluations, and exception approvals in the Student Information System (SIS), in accordance with the University’s admissions policy and institutional record retention policies.
For more information regarding Admissions Policies and Procedures, please refer to the corresponding section in our Institutional Catalog.
