Admissions

Admission to the Graduate School

Anyone who wishes to earn graduate-level credit, whether as a degree-seeking or non-degree-seeking student, must make formal application to, and be officially admitted by the Graduate School.

The Graduate School offers two classifications of admission:

Degree-Seeking

This enrollment will allow degree credit to be earned if the degree program also accepts the student.

Non-Degree Seeking

This enrollment will not lead to a degree, but may earn a graduate certificate.

Application. Applicants must submit an online application. You may pay the nonrefundable application fee by credit card at the time of application, or you may opt to pay later. You will be able to upload the required supporting items in your Application Portal  upon submission of the online application.    

Official academic records (transcripts) may be mailed to:

GRADUATE AND INTERNATIONAL ADMISSIONS OFFICE
340 N. Campus Drive, 213 Gearhart Hall
1 University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR 72701
Telephone: 479-575-6246

OR

Official electronic transcripts may be submitted directly from your school’s records office to gradapp@uark.edu.

Our institution code for electronic submission of GRE test scores from Educational Testing Service (ETS) is 6866. Other graduate-level standardized tests (such as MAT and GMAT) may be submitted in lieu of the GRE, if accepted by the degree program.

Transcripts. It is the responsibility of those applicants who desire full graduate standing to request from each college or university which the student has previously attended an official copy of the student’s academic record including all courses, grades, and credits attempted and indication of degree(s) earned. Official transcripts should be sent directly to the University of Arkansas Graduate School following procedures set by the Office of Graduate Admissions. If the applicant submits unofficial transcripts electronically during the application process, they will be required to submit the official transcript(s) before admission is fully granted.

NOTE: The fact that courses completed at one institution may be included on a transcript from another institution will not suffice; official transcripts must be received from each institution previously attended if utilizing for transfer credit. Applicants with a conferred post-baccalaureate degree must, at a minimum, submit an official copy of the transcript conferring the baccalaureate degree containing at least the last 60 hours of coursework. Applicants with an earned post-baccalaureate graduate degree (excluding professional degrees) from a regionally accredited institution may submit an official copy of the transcript conferring the baccalaureate degree and the transcript confirming the post-baccalaureate degree, only to allow processing of the application by the Graduate School.  However, a degree program may require transcripts from every institution attended in pursuit of the baccalaureate degree even though the Graduate School Admissions Office does not. Please check with the degree program for specific requirements.

All transcripts become the property of the University of Arkansas Graduate School and will not be released to the applicant or to any other person, institution, or agency.

Standardized Test Scores: There is no requirement of a standardized examination score for admission to the Graduate School. Individual degree and non-degree programs may require applicants to submit standardized examination scores as part of their application for admission. However, programs who require standardized examination scores must consider them as one factor in a holistic review of applicants. Programs may not use cutoff or minimum scores as the sole screening tool as part of their admission process.

Deadlines. The University should receive all application materials, including all official transcripts, at least one month prior to the date of registration. Many departments/programs have earlier application deadlines. Absolute deadlines for admission consideration are: Fall semester, Aug. 1; Spring semester, Dec. 1; Summer sessions, April 15. International applicants must have all materials submitted by April 1 for fall semester admission, by Oct. 1 for the spring semester, and by March 1 for the summer session, but it is recommended that all materials required for application be received by the admissions office at least nine months before the applicant wishes to begin their studies.

Applications received after the deadline, including non-degree and readmits, will be deferred to the next available semester. The recommended deadline for fall semester graduate assistantship consideration is Feb. 1, although departments/programs may have earlier deadlines. 

Previously Enrolled or Currently Enrolled at Fayetteville. For those previously enrolled or currently enrolled at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, the Graduate School obtains transcripts from the Registrar’s Office. For a graduate of the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville (baccalaureate degree), the only transcripts required are those from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, and those from each institution attended after completing the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, degree. Anyone who was previously enrolled but who is not currently enrolled in the University of Arkansas Graduate School is required to submit official transcripts from institutions attended after the University of Arkansas Graduate School enrollment. (See Admission Classification: Readmission.) All requirements for the master’s and specialist degrees must be completed within six years; all requirements for the doctoral degree must be completed within seven years. Absence from the University does not change these time limits.

Admission is for a Specific Semester Only. Applicants who wish to change their date of entry after submitting an application must notify the Graduate School Admissions Office; applicants who have already been admitted should also notify the program in which they plan to major. Application materials for applicants who apply for admission but who do not subsequently enroll will be retained by the Graduate School Admissions Office for one calendar year from the date of the applicant’s original proposed semester of entry. However, applicants must file a new Application for Admission (no fee) to notify the Graduate School of their request for reconsideration. Applicants who are admitted but do not enroll for one year or more after admission must submit an application for admission, application fee, and have an official copy of the student’s academic record sent from each college or university attended and follow procedures for initial admission.

Admission to Graduate Standing. Official notice of the decision concerning admission will be sent from the Graduate School. Admission will not be granted until all requirements are met, and graduate credit will not be granted retroactively except as specified in the Retroactive Graduate Credit Policy. Further, admission to graduate standing does not automatically constitute admission to a specific program of study leading to a graduate degree. Therefore, in addition to satisfying the general requirements of the Graduate School, applicants must comply with the program requirements and have the approval of the program in which they desire to pursue graduate study. It should be emphasized that students may not earn graduate credit in any course unless they have been admitted to the Graduate School.

Adviser. At the time of admission to a degree program of the Graduate School, the student is assigned to a major adviser. The appointment of the adviser is made in the student’s major program and is determined primarily by the student’s particular areas of interest in the field. Detailed information regarding the student’s program of study may be secured from the appropriate department chairperson or program director.