Admission Requirements

Viridis Graduate Institute admissions criteria have been established to ensure that applicants possess the ability to be successful in a distance learning environment.

All programs are delivered through Zoom technology which provides a real-time (synchronous) classroom environment for students and faculty to engage in an interactive learning experience.

It is highly recommended that you apply and submit all required application materials as early as possible.

Technology Requirements

Credits: 54 quarter credits

Program Length: 2 years

An applicant for the master’s program must have a bachelor’s from an institution accredited by an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the United States Secretary of Education or an institutional agency recognized by the Council of Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or its successors. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and Miller Analogies Test (MAT) scores are not required for admission to the master’s degree program.

The following is required to be received by VGI to be considered for admission:

1. Online Admission Application Form. The applicant will be notified within 24-hours of receipt if eligible to proceed with admissions.
2. Please submit the Application Fee of $100 with the Online Application.
3. Download the Master of Arts Student Enrollment Agreement 
4. Official Transcripts – From previously attended colleges and universities. VGI requires the school to send the Registrar an electronic file.
5. Scanned Color Copy of a Government Issued Identification (driver’s license or  passport)
6. One Letter of Academic Recommendation – A  letter of recommendation should be written by persons competent to judge the applicant’s probable success in a degree program.  Additional recommendations may come from employers or supervisors familiar with the applicant’s work experience. The letter of academic recommendation must be submitted to [email protected] by the author.
7. Scheduled Interview – The applicant will complete a Zoom interview with Viridis Graduate Institute upon submitting the admission materials and Student Enrollment Agreement.

Please submit the Enrollment Agreement, Electronic Transcripts (preferred), and all other required documents to [email protected]

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Doctor of Arts in Ecological Psychology and Environmental Humanities

Credits: 90 quarter credits

Program Length: 3 years

An applicant for the doctoral programs must have a master’s from an institution accredited by an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the United States Secretary of Education or an institutional agency recognized by the Council of Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or its successors. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and Miller Analogies Test (MAT) scores are not required for admission to doctoral degree programs.

The following is required to be received by VGI to be considered for admission.

1. Online Admission Application Form. The applicant will be notified within 24-hours of receipt if eligible to proceed with admissions.
2. Please submit the Application Fee of $100 with the Online Application.
3. Download Doctor of Arts Student Enrollment Agreement
4. Official Transcripts – From previously attended colleges and universities. VGI requires the school to send the Registrar an electronic file.
5. Scanned Color Copy of a Government Issued Identification (driver’s license or  passport)
6. One Letter of Academic Recommendation – The letter of recommendation should be written by persons competent to judge the applicant’s probable success in a doctoral program. The letter is generally written by the applicant’s former professors who can give an in-depth evaluation of the applicant’s strengths and weaknesses concerning academic work. The letter of academic recommendation must be submitted to [email protected] by the author.
7. Scheduled Interview – The applicant will complete a Zoom interview with Viridis Graduate Institute upon submitting the admission materials and Student Enrollment Agreement.

Please submit the Enrollment Agreement, Electronic Transcripts, and all other required documents to [email protected]

Schools may send an electronic link to access your Official Transcripts to: [email protected]

The applicant will be contacted by email within three days of the interview at the email address on the application form with information about admission status.

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International Students

Applicants with non-U.S. educational credentials are welcome at Viridis Graduate Institute.

As a distance education provider, international students do not need to travel to the United States to attend our programs, therefore, we do not provide Visa Services.

Students are expected to be proficient in the oral and written use of the English language. International students are subject to the same admission requirements, fees, and responsibilities as domestic students. International students are reminded that Viridis Graduate Institute only provides course materials and instruction in English.

English Language Requirement Students are expected to be proficient in the oral and written use of the English language. International students are subject to the same admission requirements, fees, and responsibilities as domestic students. Oral and written proficiency of the English language is presumed.

English Language Proficiency Assessment Applicants whose native language is not English and who have not earned a degree from an appropriately accredited institution where English is the principal language of instruction must demonstrate college-level proficiency in English through one of the following:

• Master’s Degree: A minimum score of 60 on the paper-delivered Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL PBT); 71 on the Internet Based Test (iBT); 6.5 on the International English Language Test (IELTS); 50 on the Pearson Test of English Academic Score Report; 100 on the Duolingo English Test; 55 on the 4-skill Michigan English Test (MET); 650/LP on the Michigan Examination for the Certificate of Competency in English (ECCE); or 650/LP on the Michigan Examination for the Certificate of Proficiency in English (ECPE);

• Doctoral Degree: A minimum score of 65 on the paper-delivered Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL PBT); 80 on the Internet Based Test (iBT); 6.5 on the International English Language Test (IELTS); 58 on the Pearson Test of English Academic Score Report; 105 on the Duolingo English Test; 55 on the 4-skill Michigan English Test (MET); 650/LP on the Michigan Examination for the Certificate of Competency in English (ECCE); or 650/LP on the Michigan Examination for the Certificate of Proficiency in English (ECPE); • A minimum score on the College Board Accuplacer ESL Exam Series as follows: o ESP Language Use: Score of 85 o ESL Listening: Score of 80 o ESP Reading: Score of 85 o ESL Sentence Meaning: Score of 90 o ESP Writeplacer: Score of 4 o Comprehensive Score for all exams of 350

• A minimum grade of Pre-1 on the Eiken English Proficiency Exam; • A minimum B-2 English proficiency level identified within the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) standards and assessed through various ESOL examinations, including the University of Cambridge;

• 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 that is listed in the International Handbook of Universities where the language of instruction was English.

Foreign Credential Evaluation

Applicants with non-U.S. educational credentials must first obtain a foreign credentials evaluation from Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (ECE), or another independent evaluation service that is a member in good standing with the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) and is approved by the university. A “General with Grade Average” evaluation will be required to document a degree earned. A “Course-by-Course” evaluation will be required for international applicants seeking to transfer graduate credit. Request forms and cost information are available on the ECE website (www.ece.org).

NOTICE CONCERNING TRANSFERABILITY OF CREDITS AND CREDENTIALS EARNED AT VIRIDIS GRADUATE INSTITUTE

Viridis Graduate Institute does not accept transfer credits to either the Master of Arts or the Doctor of Arts programs. The transferability of credits you earn at Viridis Graduate Institute is at the complete discretion of the institution to which you may seek to transfer. Acceptance of the (degree, diploma, or certificate) you earn at VGI is also at the complete discretion of the institution to which you may seek to transfer. If the (credits or degree, diploma, or certificate) that you earn at Viridis Graduate Institute are not accepted at the institution to which you seek to transfer, you may be required to repeat some or all of your coursework at that institution. This may include contacting an institution to which you may seek to transfer after attending Viridis Graduate Institute to determine if your (credits or degree, diploma, or certificate) will transfer.

Viridis Graduate Institute has not entered into an articulation or transfer agreement with any other college or university. Viridis Graduate Institute does not award credit for prior experiential learning, including assessment, due to the specialization of our programs.

For questions on admissions requirements or the distance education environment, email: VGI Registrar at [email protected] or call (011) 1-805-889-0169.