Frequently Asked Questions
Prospective Students
How is a Professional Science Master's degree different from a Master of Science?
What are GVSU's admission requirements?
Do I have to take a GRE? What is the minimum GRE score that is acceptable?
Do I have to take TOEFL/IELTS? What is the minimum TOEFL/ IELTS score that is acceptable?
What are the application deadlines?
What type of financial aid is available for students at Grand Valley?
Where are the classes located?
How do I register for classes?
When will I know if I have been admitted?
How is a Professional Science Master's degree different from a Master of Science?
Professional Science Master's (PSM) is an innovative, new graduate program which involves training in both science and professional skills. There are four PSM programs offered at Grand Valley State University: Biostatistics, Data Science, Cell and Molecular Biology and Health and Bioinformatics. The PSM program offers two years of training in respective biological or computer science courses along with a professional training in workplace areas such as business, communications and regulatory affairs. The PSM is intended to train students for entry directly into a job career and not as an intermediate degree to be followed by PhD study.
What are GVSU's admission requirements?
The admission requirements for GVSU are:
- Grade point average of 3.0 (B) from all undergraduate coursework or a satisfactory score on the GRE or GMAT.
- Resume detailing work experiences and accomplishments.
- Personal statement of career goals and background experiences, including an explanation of how this program will help achieve educational and professional objectives.
- Written recommendations from at least two individuals who are in positions to attest to the applicant's potential for successful completion of the program.
- Applicants must have a base of underlying knowledge relevant to graduate study in one of the appropriate disciplines: medical informatics or bioinformatics, data science, cell and molecular biology, or biostatistics. This can be demonstrated by previous academic study or work experience. Consultation with a program faculty advisor is necessary to verify appropriateness of work experience as a substitute for academic preparation. Candidates without sufficient relevant background experience may satisfy any deficiency with appropriate graduate or undergraduate courses, as recommended by a faculty advisor in the program and approved by the Admissions Committee and the program director.
Do I have to take a GRE? What is the minimum GRE score that is acceptable?
Yes. GRE/ GMAT or its equivalent is required. Each program determines the minimum acceptable GRE/GMAT or its equivalent.
Do I have to take TOEFL/IELTS? What is the minimum TOEFL/ IELTS score that is acceptable?
Any applicant whose undergraduate degree was earned at an institution where the primary language of instruction is not English must submit Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores. The minimum TOEFL score is 550 written, 79 Internet-based or 213 computer-based and the minimum IELTS score is 6.5. Submission of an official TOEFL or IELTS score report is required of applicants whose native language is not English.
What are the application deadlines?
May 1 - Fall application deadline for all students.
May 1 - Deadline for international students to be considered for an academic scholarship for Fall semester. Students must be admitted to Grand Valley and meet the minimum scholarship criteria by this date.
June 1 - Fall housing deadline for international students wanting on campus housing.
Last week of August - Classes for the fall semester begin.
October 15 - Winter semester admissions deadline.
You can apply online by visiting Admissions.
What type of financial aid is available for students at Grand Valley?
Three types of financial aid are available to degree-seeking graduate students enrolled for at least five credit hours at Grand Valley:
- Federal College Work-Study Program: the majority of campus jobs are funded under this program.
- Student Loans: Federal Direct Student Loans of up to $9,250 per semester are available.
- Graduate Assistantships: limited graduate assistantships are available.
You can send your documents to the university admissions office at:
Admissions Office, 1 Campus Drive Allendale, MI 49401-9403
Phone (616) 331-2025 / 1-800-748-0246
[email protected]
Where are the classes located?
Most of the classes are located at the Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences (CHS) and the L.V. Eberhard Center buildings located in downtown Grand Rapids. Some classes are located on the Allendale campus.
How do I register for classes?
Once you are accepted into the program, you will receive a letter containing the information you need to log into the student records system through Grand Valley's home website and set up your schedule.
When will I know if I have been admitted?
Students will receive an email and a letter informing that you have been admitted.
Current Students
When is the last date I can enroll in a class?
When do I need to pay for my classes?
How can I make sure I take enough credits?
I have emailed twice today; why have I not received a response?
I am arriving late; what can I do?
What does it mean when a class is “closed”?
When is the last date I can enroll in a class?
The deadline for enrolling is the Friday of the first week of class (for fall 2023, this is September 1. However, waiting until this date means you may not get a seat in the courses you need that semester.) This date is also the last day to drop a class and receive a full refund. If you drop by September 22, you will only receive 75% of your tuition. For more dates, please visit the Academic Calendar.
When do I need to pay for my classes?
The payment deadline is for currently enrolled classes – you only need to pay for classes you are enrolled in (not including waitlist spots or override requests). You can pay for one or two classes without waiting to sign up for all 9 credits. This is important so your current registered classes do not get dropped.
Payment plans are available through the Office of Student Accounts. The first payment for fall 2023 classes was August 18, with the final payment due on November 10. November 10 is also the last day to drop a course with a “W” grade.
How can I make sure I take enough credits?
For international students, we know you need a minimum of 9 credits each semester to stay in status. Please only sign up for classes you need so other students can take the classes they need. We will work with you to get you in relevant classes with enough credits each semester. The Padnos International Center will also be working with you; please reach out to them at [email protected].
I have emailed twice today; why have I not received a response?
Please be patient when contacting staff and/or faculty at GVSU; there are many students we are working with and want to give each our full attention. We do our best to respond within 48 hours, if possible.
If you could copy/CC all relevant individuals in one email (be it admissions, a professor, or an advisor) instead of multiple individual emails, that will help get your question to the correct person and not have staff or faculty members working on a task that might already be complete.
I am arriving late; what can I do?
If you will be arriving after September 4, you will need to defer your start at Grand Valley to Winter 2024.
If you register for a class, but it is full (the limit of students who can register for this class have registered for it), you will be placed on a waitlist. This is important because if there is enough demand for a class, there is a possibility of a new section being added.
If a spot in the class opens up, those on the waitlist will be allowed to register in the order they were added to the waitlist. The first student will be notified and have 36 hours to register for the course, or they will be automatically dropped from the waitlist. The system will then notify the next student.
Waitlists end at 5 PM the Friday before classes begin. If seats open after, it is first-come, first-served.
For more information, visit the Registrar’s website on waitlists.
A new section of a class may be added if there are enough students on the waitlists of the other sections already offered that semester. It is important to stay on a waitlist in case this happens.
Please note if a new section is added, you will not be automatically alerted by the system; we will do our best to notify interested students when new sections of courses are added.
If you register for a class and are told it is full or that you do not have the necessary prerequisite, you can submit an override request. The professor or your graduate program director will need to review this request, which can take a few days or even a week. They will either approve or deny the request; if it is approved, you will then register for that class. If it is denied, they will give a reason or another class to take instead.
For more information, visit the Registrar’s website on overrides.
What does it mean when a class is “closed”?
A class is closed when no more students will be able to register, regardless of an override or waitlist. That class will not be open until next semester.