Self-Managed Applications

The Robinson College of Business requires self-managed applications to its master's programs. This means that the applicant collects all credentials other than test scores and submits them at one time to the Office of Academic Assistance and Master's Admissions (OAA). A notice acknowledging receipt of the completed application packet is sent to the applicant by the OAA. Self-managed applications are required for initial applications, requests for reconsideration by previously denied applicants, and requests by previously accepted applicants to change semester of entry.

This procedure eliminates any question about whether the applicant's transcripts or other documents have been received. It also requires careful planning by the applicant, well in advance of the deadline for the desired semester of entry. The closing dates for receipt of the completed application packet and all test scores for each of the academic semesters are listed in the "Application Deadline Dates-Master's Degree and Certificate Programs and Nondegree Status" section in this chapter.

The application instructions provide complete information on preparing the self-managed application packet. Applicants must use current application forms. Applicants must not submit incomplete packets; this will result in a substantial delay in processing the application. The entire application and all attachments must be legible. The following sections discuss the documents required.

All inquiries and requests for application materials should be made to the following:

Master's Programs Office of Academic Assistance and Master's Admissions J. Mack Robinson College of Business Georgia State University University Plaza Atlanta, Georgia 30303-3083 Phone: 404-651-1913 Fax: 404-651-0219 Website: /academic/oaa/index.html

Application Options
There are three ways to apply. These options can be accessed by clicking on "How to Apply" at the college's Web site: robinson.gsu.edu.

• Applications can be submitted electronically. This is the preferred method.
• The application packet can be downloaded as pdf files and printed.
• The application packed can be printed as a Word file.

Master's Application and Narrative Questions
The Application for Admission-Master's Programs must be submitted by all applicants. It must be typed or printed legibly. In addition to asking for basic biographical and educational data, the master's application also contains narrative questions. Answers to these questions must be typed. Evaluative interviews are not part of the application process for most programs, so it is important that applicants complete their application in a thorough and thoughtful way. This is the opportunity for applicants to present themselves to the Master's Admissions Committee. It provides a way to highlight qualities relevant to success in a graduate business program that may not be evident in test scores and past academic performance.

Data Sheet
The Data Sheet is used to establish the applicant's record on the university's computer record system. It is important that this information be coded completely and correctly.

University Information
The University Information form must be submitted by all applicants. The form must be typed or printed legibly.

One part is information about previous education. This provides a list of the colleges and universities previously attended for the permanent file maintained by the Office of the Registrar.

Another part is international admissions data. This category includes applicants from abroad, applicants in this country who are not U.S. citizens, and any applicant whose native language is not English. It will let the university know which applicants will need a student visa, which ones will need to submit scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), and which ones will need to take the Georgia State Test of English Proficiency (GSTEP) upon arrival on campus (See the "International Students" heading in this chapter.)

Residency Information
Residence data will be used by the university's resident auditor to determine if an applicant is a Georgia resident for fee-payment purposes.  It must be completed by all applicants.  (See the "Regents' Requirements for Georgia Resident Status" heading in the Financial Information chapter earlier in this catalog).

Application Fee
An application fee of $25 must be submitted by applicants who have never applied to a graduate program in the Robinson College of Business and paid an application fee in the past. Checks or money orders should be made payable to Georgia State University in U.S. currency; do not send cash. The application fee is nonrefundable and does not apply toward registration fees

Transcripts
Two official copies of the transcript of all previous college work are required from each institution previously attended. Each set of transcripts must be in an envelope from the institution closed with the institution's official seal and must be submitted unopened by the applicant with the rest of the application packet. If an institution's policies do not permit it to send official transcripts to applicants for use with self-managed applications, the transcripts may be sent directly to the OAA using the address given previously under the heading "Self-Managed Applications." In this instance, applicants should indicate on the application that the transcripts will be sent separately by the appropriate deadline.

Transcripts are required from each institution regardless of the length of time the applicant attended the institution or the applicant's status while at the institution or whether the grades are listed on another institution's transcript. EXCEPTION: Applicants who have attended Georgia State University must list their dates of attendance on their applications, but they do not have to request their Georgia State transcript. The OAA will obtain a record of the Georgia State coursework.

One copy of each of the transcripts will be given by the OAA to the registrar of the university for the student's permanent file. A person who has attended Georgia State University as a degree-seeking student may submit only one copy of the transcripts from each institution attended prior to entering Georgia State University; two copies are required from all institutions attended after having last attended Georgia State University.

An applicant who may have been granted provisional admission pending completion of the undergraduate degree must file two official copies of a supplementary transcript showing the awarding of the degree as soon as it is available but at the latest by the end of the first semester of enrollment.