Admissions Bulletin
General Information
Correspondence concerning admission to the Graduate School should be addressed to:
Office of Graduate Admissions
The University of Georgia
320 E. Clayton St., Suite 400
Athens, Georgia 30602-4401
Phone 706/542-1739 | gradadm@uga.edu
Inquiries about facilities for advanced study and research, programs of study, and specific departmental requirements should be addressed to the appropriate department.
Persons holding a bachelor's degree from any institution accredited by the appropriate regional accrediting association are eligible to apply for admission to the Graduate School. Applicants should have ranked in the upper half of their undergraduate class and should have completed the equivalent of an undergraduate major in the field in which they propose to study. Graduates of international institutions must hold a degree equivalent to an American bachelor's degree; it must be awarded by an institution which is recognized by the appropriate agency of the country.
Applicants are responsible for providing all application materials required for admission. These items include but are not limited to: the general application for admission, the application-processing fee, official transcripts from each institution attended, official entrance test scores, and any supplemental material, including letters of recommendation, that are required by the department. The application-processing fee is non-refundable and will not be credited toward tuition. Materials submitted in support of an application will not be returned.
Applicants must apply on-line.
Applicants are encouraged to contact the academic department about expected semester of matriculation; some departments limit admission to fall or summer semester.
Deadlines
Applications and supporting credentials from domestic students must be received in the Office of Graduate Admissions by the following deadlines:
Term |
Deadline |
Fall |
July 1 |
Spring |
November 15 |
Summer (pre-session) |
April 1 |
Summer (all other sessions) |
May 1 |
Applicants are urged to apply as early as possible up to one year in advance of the desired matriculation date. All applicants should consult with the graduate coordinator of the specific program for which they are making application to ascertain if the program adheres to an earlier application deadline. For information concerning deadlines for international applications, refer to the section entitled International Applicants. Each completed application, with supporting materials, is forwarded to the department in which the applicant proposes to study, where it is considered by the faculty of that department. No applicant will be admitted without the recommendation of an academic unit. Departmental recommendations for admission are forwarded to the Graduate School after careful consideration of the entire admissions application. Final consideration is given by the dean of the Graduate School.
An applicant is admitted for a specific semester. Applicants may not register unless they have been notified of their acceptance to the Graduate School by the Office of Graduate Admissions. Admission is valid only when the person registers for the specified semester. Applicants may contact the Office of Graduate Admissions for information on reapplying or deferring applications to future semesters. Deferred or resubmitted applications are reconsidered for admissions decisions by the academic departments.
Admission from Baccalaureate to Doctoral Programs
Select departments will consider admission to doctoral programs of study from applicants holding only the baccalaureate degree. Inquiries concerning such admission should be directed to the appropriate academic department.
Application Fee
The application-processing fee is collected to help offset the cost of processing application materials; it is non-refundable and cannot be deferred or credited toward tuition. University of Georgia graduate students who are applying for new admission or readmission to enroll within four semesters (including summer semester) of their last semester of UGA graduate enrollment may pay the reduced application-processing fee of $25.00. Prior University of Georgia graduate students who apply for admission or readmission to enroll more than four semesters after their last semester of enrollment must submit the regular application-processing fee.
Entrance Tests
Entrance test scores appropriate for each application must be sent to the Office of Graduate Admissions directly by the responsible testing agency. All test scores except the TOEFL are subject to a five-year time limitation. Scores from the Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL), required of applicants whose native language is not English, are subject to a two-year time limit.
Scores on the verbal and quantitative sections of the General Test of the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) are required for admission as a prospective candidate for most graduate degrees. The Miller Analogies Test (MAT) may be used in lieu of scores on the GRE for admission to some Master of Education and Specialist in Education degree programs. The GMAT is required for applicants seeking admission as prospective candidates for the Master of Business Administration and the Master of Accountancy degrees. Applicants for the Master of Marketing Research and Master of Internet Technology degrees may submit either the GMAT or the GRE. The Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy programs in business administration accept the GMAT or the GRE. The Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy programs in economics require the GRE. Either the GRE or GMAT may be submitted in support of the MA in journalism and mass communication, the Master of Mass Communication (MMC), and PhD in mass communication. In all cases, applicants should consult the departments for information about specific test score requirements. Applicants who have been admitted previously to a degree program and earned credit toward that degree at the University of Georgia may submit the same test scores in support of an application for a new degree program. In this case, the scores are not subject to the five-year time limit.
The Graduate Record Examinations and the Graduate Management Admission Test are offered at numerous testing centers in the United States and abroad. Advance registration is required. Registration forms and detailed information on the availability and character of each examination may be obtained by writing to the Educational Testing Service, Princeton, New Jersey 08541-6000 or at the following web address: www.ets.org . The Miller Analogies Test is given at various colleges and universities as approved by The Psychological Corporation. For information concerning the test as given at the University of Georgia, contact the Counseling and Testing Center, Clark Howell Hall, (706) 542-3183. For information concerning other approved testing centers, contact The Psychological Corporation, 555 Academic Court, San Antonio, Texas 78204-2498.
Retention of Records
Applications and supporting documents for those who were denied admission, who were accepted but failed to matriculate, or who did not complete the application procedure are retained in the Office of Graduate Admissions for a period of one year, after which they are discarded.
Applications submitted without the application fee are not processed. Such applications are retained for one year. Transcripts, test scores, and any other information submitted without an application are retained for a period of one year.
Immunization Requirements
All new students attending University System of Georgia institutions must show proof of immunization for measles, mumps, and rubella. Immunity may be verified by proof of (a) having had the disease, (b) having had the required immunizations, or (c) having had laboratory evidence of immune titer. In compliance with this policy, all new students must complete a University Health Center Report of Medical History form which will be sent by the Office of Graduate Admissions at the time of acceptance. This form should be returned to the University Health Center at least two weeks prior to registration. Questions related to the certificate of immunization and/or the immunization policy should be directed to: The Medical Records Department, University Health Center, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602-1755; telephone (706) 542-8617.
International Applicants
Several months may be required to process an application from abroad; therefore, foreign nationals are urged to submit complete application materials as early as possible, but no more than one year in advance. The application must include the application form, two official transcripts (including proof of degree where applicable) from all colleges and universities attended, an official score report on an approved entrance test, a non-refundable application fee, and three letters of recommendation. If the original language of the academic record is not English, a certified English translation must accompany the official documents. Recommendations from teachers who are familiar with higher education programs in the United States are advantageous. International applicants, for whom English is not their native language, must submit Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores in addition to scores on an approved entrance examination. The application of a student from abroad, complete with supporting materials, must be in the Office of Graduate Admissions by the following deadlines: Fall semester, April 15; Spring semester, October 15; Summer semester (all sessions), February 15. Departments may have earlier application deadlines which take precedence over those established by the Graduate School. Applicants should consult the departments for their specific deadlines.
Application for Readmission
A student who has lost registration eligibility by failing to register for two or more semesters in an academic year (including summer semesters) and who wishes to return for the same admission classification and major must submit an application for readmission to the Office of Graduate Admissions. The appropriate application-processing fee is required for all applications. If the student has not been granted a leave of absence from enrollment, s/he may be required to pay a penalty for non-compliance with the Graduate Enrollment Policy, see Enrollment Policies.
A student who has completed a graduate degree, and is applying for a second graduate degree, must submit an application for admission to the Office of Graduate Admissions.
A student who is not currently enrolled and wishes to apply for a degree program different from that for which originally admitted must submit an application for admission to the Office of Graduate Admissions.
A currently enrolled student applying for a second graduate degree must submit an application for admission to the Office of Graduate Admissions.
Applications for admission or readmission must be submitted by the established deadlines.
Change of Degree Objective
A student wishing to change his or her degree objective may do so with the approval of the departmental graduate coordinator and the dean of the Graduate School. A form requesting a change in degree objective may be submitted to the Graduate School if a student has registration eligibility and is 1) changing from provisional admission status to the status of a prospective candidate for a degree within the same department; 2) changing from one degree objective to another degree objective within the same department; and/or 3) changing from one major to another within the same department.
A nondegree student or a transient student is not eligible to request a change of degree objective and must apply for admission to be considered for a graduate degree program. A currently enrolled student wishing to change from one degree and department/college to another degree and department/college must apply for admission to the new department/college.
Classification of Graduate Students
At the discretion of individual schools or departments and with the approval of the dean of the Graduate School, applicants may be considered for admission to one of the following classifications:
Prospective Candidate for a degree. Applicants who meet all requirements for admission to a degree program may apply as prospective candidates for a graduate degree. Applicants must submit the following to the Office of Graduate Admissions: the general application for admission, the application-processing fee, two official copies of transcripts from each institution attended, except the University of Georgia, and official entrance test scores sent directly from the testing agency. If English is not the native language of the applicant, official TOEFL scores must also be submitted. Applicants also must submit three letters of recommendation directly to the department to which they are applying, as well as any supplemental information required by the department. Applicants are responsible for contacting the departmental graduate coordinator for information regarding any special requirements and any supplemental material which may be needed.
Applicants who are missing an official document or test scores may be admitted provisionally to a degree program, if recommended by the department and approved by the graduate dean. The conditions of the provisional admission must be satisfied by the end of the first semester of enrollment.
Nondegree (ND). Applicants who do not intend to pursue a degree but who wish to take courses for professional advancement, licensure, or certification purposes, and who hold a baccalaureate degree or higher degree from a regionally accredited institution, should apply for nondegree status. Applicants must submit the following to the Office of Graduate Admissions: the general application for admission, the application-processing fee, two official copies of transcripts from the institution which awarded the highest degree, and a statement of purpose. If English is not the native language of the applicant, official TOEFL scores must also be submitted. Applicants are responsible for contacting the departmental graduate coordinator for information regarding any special requirements or supplemental material which may be needed.
Nondegree students who are later admitted as prospective degree candidates may apply up to 9 hours of course work taken in nondegree status toward a graduate degree program, subject to the approval of the major professor, the departmental graduate coordinator, and the dean of the Graduate School.
Graduate Transient (TRANS). Transient admission may be granted to students in good standing at regionally accredited graduate schools who wish to enroll for one semester at the University of Georgia. Applicants requesting this status must submit the following to the Office of Graduate Admissions: the general application for admission, the application-processing fee, and certification of graduate standing in a regionally accredited institution. Additional information may be required by departments for admission to this classification; therefore, applicants should contact the appropriate department. Students admitted in this classification who later wish to enroll as prospective candidates for a degree must make formal application to the Graduate School as described in item 1 above.
Admission and Registration of Persons 62 Years of Age or Older
According to the provisions of an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Georgia, senior citizens who are residents of Georgia now have access to institutional services available through University System units at reduced cost. The rules adopted by the Board of Regents regarding admission and registration of persons 62 years of age or older in units of the University System are listed below:
Current or prospective students must be residents of Georgia, 62 years of age or older at the time of registration, and must present a birth certificate or other comparable written documentation of age to enable the registrar to determine eligibility.
Persons who have been accepted through regular admission procedures may enroll as regular students in courses offered for resident credit on a space available basis without payment of fees, other than supply, laboratory, shop, and transportation charges.
Prospective students must meet all system and institutional admission requirements to include official transcripts of all high school and/or college credit; entrance test scores, i.e., SAT, GRE, GMAT, etc.; letters of recommendation, and/or other materials as may be required.
Students will be provided access to all services available at any particular system unit which are applicable to the creation and maintenance of student and institutional records.
All degree-seeking students must meet all system, institutional, and legislated degree requirements such as the Regents' Test, major area examinations, preliminary and final oral and/or written examinations, and acceptable theses or dissertations.
Students may not enroll in dental, medical, veterinary, or law schools under the provisions of this policy.
