How to Submit Transcripts/Credential Evaluations

Official transcripts/credential evaluations are documents that are sent directly to Ball State University’s Graduate Admissions from the issuing institution/evaluator.

Transcripts/credential evaluations are considered official if they are either:

  • sent via an electronic delivery service to admissions@bsu.edu
  • received by the admissions office in a sealed envelope from the issuing institution/evaluator. Direct your institution/evaluator to send official transcripts/credential evaluations to:

Ball State University
Graduate Admissions
Lucina Hall
2000 W. University Ave.
Muncie, IN 47306

You do not need to submit Ball State transcripts. You do not need to submit transcripts from dual (early college) credit courses taken while in high school.

Transcripts

The types of transcripts required at the time of application vary by program. You will be requested to submit unofficial transcripts for either your complete academic record or your highest earned degree based on your program of interest. Applicants who have a conferred highest earned degree are encouraged to submit final, official transcripts at the time of application. Upon admission, final, official transcripts from the highest earned degree need to be submitted within the first semester of enrollment if not submitted at the time of application.

Please check your graduate program’s admission requirements for these details.

  • transcripts showing complete academic record – Submit unofficial transcripts from all colleges and universities previously attended in order for you to be considered for admission to your program of interest. If you have both foreign and U.S. earned education, you may not need to submit transcripts from all colleges and universities you attended. Please refer to the Academic History Outside the US tab regarding transcripts from non-U.S. institutions.
  • transcripts from highest earned degree – Submit an unofficial transcript from the highest earned degree in order for you to be considered for admission to your program of interest. If you have both foreign and U.S. earned education, you will need to submit a transcript from the college or university of your highest earned degree. Please refer to the Academic History Outside the US tab regarding transcripts from non-U.S. institutions.

If your academic program of interest reviews your application and recommends you for acceptance to Ball State, you will be admitted conditionally by the Dean of the Graduate School and allowed to enroll in courses for one term. You must submit an official transcript from the highest earned degree conferred within the first semester of enrollment to continue in the program.

Upon completing your Graduate School application, you acknowledge that:

  • Your application is being reviewed based upon the information you provided.
  • You may be asked to provide an official transcript if further information is needed.

Unofficial and official transcripts must include:

  • Your full name.
  • Your college or university's name.
  • The number of credit hours earned/in progress.
  • Your cumulative GPA.
  • The degree you have earned/are in the process of completing.

You do not need to submit Ball State transcripts.

If your program requires you to provide your complete academic history, you must provide a NACES member credential evaluation of your transcript(s) with your complete foreign education history. If your program requires you to provide your highest degree earned only, you must provide a NACES member credential evaluation of your foreign education transcript(s) if the degree was earned outside the U.S. If highest degree earned was from the U.S., you do not have to submit documentation of your foreign education.

Important note: If you have earned a graduate degree from an accredited U.S. institution and provide official transcripts showing a conferred degree, a NACES member credential evaluation of international undergraduate degrees will NOT be required (but may be requested by the graduate program).

NACES Member Credential Evaluation
Members of NACES are independent, non-governmental organizations that provide credential evaluation services to individuals who have completed part or all of their education outside of the United States. If you have not earned a U.S. degree, your transcript and degree must be evaluated by a NACES member organization.

If you’ve already received an evaluation from a NACES member organization, you may upload a copy of your evaluation to your applicant status portal.

Your NACES Member Evaluation report must contain the following:

  1. U.S. equivalency of study/degree
  2. U.S. equivalent overall credits & GPA earned
  3. Accreditation status of institution(s)
  4. Course-by-course evaluation (each course listed along with credits and grade earned for the course)

Please note that if you have any credential evaluation done by a NACES member, your scanned official copy should be sent directly to Ball State University (school code 1051; email address admissions@bsu.edu) by the credential evaluation service.

Transcript/Credential Evaluation FAQ

You may provide unofficial transcripts/credential evaluations when you apply.

If your academic program of interest reviews your application and recommends you for acceptance to Ball State, you will then need to submit final, official transcript(s)/credential evaluation(s)  within the first semester of enrollment.

  • official transcripts/credential evaluations - Official transcripts are verified documents issued by a higher education institution that confirm your academic progress, degrees, and attendance by the granting institution. These documents are sent directly by the issuing institution/evaluator to Ball State electronically or by mail. Official transcripts must bear that institution's seal, the date, and an appropriate signature.
  • unofficial transcripts - Unofficial transcripts show your college credits and degrees earned but are not official because they are provided by you. Often times, you may download these documents from the student portal of the institution(s) you have attended. The documents can be utilized by your program of interest to make a recommendation for admission. However, the admission process will not be completed until you submit final, official transcripts from any institution(s) where you earned a degree or any institution(s) where you are currently enrolled.
  • unofficial credential evaluations - Unofficial credential evaluations show the U.S. equivalency of study/degree, U.S. equivalent overall credits & GPA earned, accreditation status of institution(s), and course-by-course evaluation (each course listed along with credits and grade earned for the course) but are not official because they are provided by you. Often times, this is the copy of the official credential evaluation that you receive from the issuing evaluator. You may provide these documents so they can be utilized by your program of interest to make a recommendation for admission. However, the admission process will not be completed until you submit an official credential evaluation from a NACES member evaluator.
We offer both options to allow you maximum flexibility. Deciding which option is the best will depend on your particular circumstances and if you are completing the 2022-23 or 2023-24 application. If you are applying to multiple graduate schools and wish to save money on transcript/credential evaluation submission during your application process, then it is advisable to submit unofficial transcripts at the time of application.
You do not need to submit your Ball State transcript. Your official transcript will be provided by the Office of the Registrar to your program of interest with your application. Your official, final transcript showing that you have graduated with your degree will be provided by the Office of the Registrar to complete the admissions process.

If you are enrolled at another institution at the time of your offer of admission, you will be required to submit a final, official transcript/credential evaluation indicating the highest earned degree title and the date awarded upon completion. A registration hold will be placed on your record at the end of your first semester of enrollment if your final, official transcript/credential evaluation has not been submitted.

This transcript will come from the institution that awarded your most recent highest degree. For example, if you earned a bachelor's and a master's degree, then the transcript showing your highest earned degree would come from the institution that conferred/awarded your master's degree.

A credential evaluation for highest earned degree will include the U.S. equivalency of study/degree, U.S. equivalent overall credits & GPA earned, accreditation status of institution(s), and course-by-course evaluation (each course listed along with credits and grade earned for the course) for the most recent highest earned degree.

Final, official transcripts/credential evaluations must be received by Ball State University within the first semester of enrollment.
Failure to submit your final, official transcript/credential evaluation by the deadline will result in a hold being placed on your future registration and your admissions being rescinded. Your admission decision will also be rescinded if your official transcript/credential evaluation indicates your final academic standing does not meet the Ball State Graduate School admission requirements. For example, if your official transcript indicates that your required degree was not completed before the start of the semester your graduate program began or if your bachelor's degree GPA fell below 2.75, then your admission will be rescinded.