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Non-Degree Admissions

Qualified applicants may be admitted to the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science for the purpose of taking one or more graduate-level courses without seeking a degree.

University admissions criteria for non-degree graduate students are:

  • A Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution with an overall grade point average of at least 3.0. Applicants with undergraduate GPAs below 3.0 may be admitted with the approval of the department in which they wish to take courses

— or —

  • Evidence that the applicant is presently a student in good standing in an appropriate graduate program at an accredited institution

— or —

  • Evidence that the applicant has received an appropriate graduate or other advanced degree from an accredited institution.

International students are required to demonstrate English language skills equal to those required of degree-seeking students in the College. All international applicants whose native language is not English must take the Internet-based TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). This TOEFL requirement may be waived if the applicant has completed a degree program at a U.S. university.

  • Reading — 20
  • Listening — 15
  • Speaking — 20
  • Writing — 20
  • COMPOSITE — 79
For unconditional admission, applicants MUST:
  • exceed ALL minimum section scores
  • exceed the COMPOSITE minimum score.

Applicants with TOEFL iBT scores that do not meet the above minimum requirements can still be considered for admission with conditional English enhancement training required. In such cases applicants should consult with the department or program of interest for more details.

Admission Decisions

Admission decisions for non-degree students are made by the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Research in the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science, or other responsible official designated by him/her for this purpose. Apart from providing the necessary transcripts and other documents indicating that they meet all academic requirements, non-degree applicants must complete a Non-degree Graduate Student Application Form. Students who have been admitted to a Lehigh graduate degree program at a previous time must also present a petition form to change their status from degree to non-degree. The signature of the designated P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science official on the application and registration forms confers admission to the non-degree graduate student status. Informal transcripts will be accepted for initial admission, but formal transcripts must be on record before the student can receive any transcript or grade report from the University or enroll for additional courses.

Credit Limitations

Non-degree students may take no more than twelve credits of graduate study at Lehigh. Any transcript or other record from the University will clearly indicate the student status as non-degree. Non-degree students are not permitted to audit courses.

Changing from Non-Degree to Degree Status

Non-degree students may seek admission to a degree program at any time. Students should consult the department they wish to join for instructions on how to begin the process. Non-degree students who seek admission to a degree program must meet all regular admissions criteria, complete all regular procedures, and present all documents normally required of degree-seeking applicants to that program. Courses taken by a non-degree student who later enters a degree program will count towards the completion of the program to the extent that they fall within the normal requirements of the program and to the extent that the student's performance in the course(s) is acceptable for degree program purposes. Any course which is counted towards the completion of a degree must be completed within the established time limits for that degree, whether taken initially as a degree or non-degree course.

General Instructions

Complete and return the application to the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science Office of Graduate Studies. The application must be accompanied by a transcript of the last college or university that you attended or an official letter stating that you are a student in good standing in an acceptable graduate program. The transcript may be unofficial, but an official transcript will be required before the completion of your first course at Lehigh so that grades may be released. If English is not your first language you must submit your Internet-based TOEFL score. A check in the amount of $20 made out to Lehigh University must be attached to this application. If you decide to apply for regular or associate degree status in the future, this fee will be credited to the regular admissions application fee.

You may bring the application, transcript (or official letter of good standing), and registration form to the College Office of Graduate Studies, 310 Packard Lab, between 8:15 AM and 4:45 PM up until one week before the start of classes each semester. Note that this means the first day of classes for all classes offered in the College and not the particular one in which you would like to register. For summer session courses, the deadline will be the first day on which the class is offered.

Once you are registered, you must pay all applicable tuition and fees in the Bursar's Office, Alumni Memorial Building, Ground Floor (758-3160) by the following day.

All vehicles must be registered and appropriate fees paid to park on campus. Forms for vehicle registration are available from Parking Services, 1st floor of Johnson Hall (758-3893).

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Non-Degree Admissions