University of Arkansas

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The Graduate School

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Office of the Dean of the Graduate School

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GRADUATE STUDENT HANDBOOK

Graduate Admissions

Graduate Admissions Contact

For domestic applicants, click for information about applying to any graduate program other than Chemistry, Creative Writing, Physics, Psychology, Public Policy, or the Graduate School of Business.

For all international applicants, click for information about applying to any graduate program other than Chemistry, Creative Writing, Physics, Psychology, Public Policy, or the Graduate School of Business.

The Domestic Applicant

Domestic applications will normally be processed through the Graduate School. However, the Graduate School of Business, the Departments of Chemistry, Physics, and Psychology, the degree program in Creative Writing, and the interdisciplinary degree program in Public Policy do the initial processing of their applicants. If you are interested in applying to one of these programs, please click on the program below.

The International Applicant

The International Admissions Office, located in 747 W. Dickson Street, Unit #8, evaluates the credentials for all international graduate applicants. Click here for the Office of Graduate and International Admissions home page.

Admission

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:

  1. DEGREE-SEEKING
    This enrollment will allow degree credit to be earned if the degree program also accepts the student.
  2. NON-DEGREE STANDING
    This enrollment will not lead to a degree.

Application. Applications for admission to the Graduate School must be accompanied by a $40 application fee ($50.00 for international applicants), which is not refundable and will not apply against the general registration fee if the applicant enrolls. Applicants are encouraged to use our on-line application procedure. Alternatively, the application form may be obtained from our Web page at <http://www.uark.edu/grad>, or the application form may be obtained from and submitted directly to:

GRADUATE SCHOOL ADMISSIONS OFFICE
180 DICX
University of Arkansas
747 W. Dickson Street, #8
Fayetteville , AR 72701
Telephone: 479-575-6246

Transcripts. It is the responsibility of those applicants who desire full graduate standing to request each college or university which the student has previously attended to send directly to the Graduate School Admissions Office two official copies of the student’s academic record including all courses, grades, and credits attempted and indication of degree(s) earned.

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.

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.

Deadlines. The University should receive all application materials, including all official transcripts, at least one month prior to the date of registration. Deadlines for priority consideration are: Fall semester, August 1; Spring semester, December 1; Summer sessions, April 15. Many departments/programs have earlier application deadlines. (See deadlines for international students, below.)

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 considered a “readmission” and is required only to submit an Application for Admission (no fee) and official transcripts from institutions attended after the University of Arkansas Graduate School enrollment. (See Admission Classification: Readmission.)

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 two calendar years 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 two years or more after admission must submit an application for admission, application fee, and have two official copies 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 (see page 19). 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 specific 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 who acts as the adviser throughout the student’s program of study. 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.

International and Resident Alien Applicants. International applicants and resident aliens must submit a minimum score of 6.5 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or 550 on the paper-based or 213 on the computer-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), taken within the preceding two years, unless their native language is English, they have received a graduate degree from an accredited U.S. graduate school, or they have demonstrated an acceptable level of language proficiency as defined in the Graduate School Handbook located on the Graduate School Web site. Individual departments may have higher requirements, and reference should be made to program descriptions. Resident aliens must submit a copy of their Resident Alien card with their application. International applicants must have all material submitted by April 1 for fall semester admission, by October 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 his/her studies. International applicants must be acceptable to a program of study as a condition to being granted admission to the Graduate School and must meet the requirements for regular admission status unless holding a degree from the University of Arkansas.

International students and resident aliens whose native language is not English must demonstrate competency in spoken English by submitting a test score of at least 7 on the IELTS (speaking) sub-test, 50 on the Test of Spoken English (TSE), or “pass” on the Spoken Language Proficiency Test (SLPT) to be eligible for a graduate assistantship that requires direct contact with students in a teaching or tutorial role.

English Language Use by Non-Native Speakers. Non-native speakers of English admitted to graduate study at the University of Arkansas are required to present an acceptable score on one of the following tests: TOEFL (TWE or Essay), IELTS (writing), GRE (analytical writing), GMAT (analytical writing) or ELPT (writing) . Depending upon exam scores, a student may be required to take one or more EASL course during their first term of study. Students may be required to take the English Language Placement Test (ELPT) prior to the beginning of classes in their first term of study. Non-native speakers in the following categories are exempt from this requirement:

  • Graduate students who earned bachelor’s or master’s degrees in U.S. institutions or in foreign institutions where the official and native language is English;
  • Graduate students with a Test of Written English (TWE) score of 5.0 or IELTS (writing) score of 7.0.
  • Graduate students with a 4.5 on the analytical writing portion of the GRE or GMAT.

Diagnostic and placement testing is designed to test students’ ability to use English effectively in an academic setting, and its purpose is to promote the success of non-native speakers in completing their chosen course of study at the University of Arkansas. Test results provide the basis for placement into English as a Second Language (EASL) support courses or course sequences. Courses are offered by the Department of Foreign Languages for those students whose language skills are diagnosed as insufficient for college work at the level to which they have been admitted (undergraduate or graduate study). Credit in EASL courses does not count toward University of Arkansas degrees. Non-native speakers diagnosed as having language competence sufficient for their level of study will not be required to enroll in EASL courses.

The ELPT is administered by Testing Services during New Student Orientation and there is a $10.00 charge. Graduate students assessed course work as a result of performance on the ELPT, TOEFL Essay, IELTS writing, GRE or GMAT analytical writing will be required to complete the EASL course(s) to support initial course work taken in their fields. Graduate departments/degree programs will have the discretion to waive either the requirement for the language evaluation or the required language courses.

The publication, “International Student Information,” is available from the Graduate and International Admissions Office, 180 DICX, University of Arkansas, 747 W. Dickson Street, #8, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701.

Classifications of Admission to Graduate Standing

Full Graduate Standing, Regular Admission. To be considered for full graduate standing, regular status, applicants must have earned a baccalaureate or a master’s degree from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, or from a regionally accredited institution in the United States with requirements for the degrees substantially equivalent to those of this University, or from a foreign institution with similar requirements for the degrees. Admission to graduate standing does not automatically constitute acceptance to a program of study leading to a graduate degree . To pursue a graduate degree, a person must also be accepted in a program of study after gaining regular admission to graduate standing. International applicants cannot be admitted to graduate standing unless they are also accepted by a degree program at the same time.

Persons who achieve regular admission but are not initially seeking a graduate degree (non-degree) and who subsequently decide to pursue a degree must apply for and be accepted in a degree program by the Graduate School. A student with regular graduate standing who has not been accepted in a program of study leading to a specific graduate degree may take no more than 12 semester hours of graduate-level courses that can be counted toward the requirements for a graduate degree (six for graduate certificate programs). At the time of acceptance in a degree program, the chair of the appropriate department or program director will recommend to the Graduate School which courses previously taken, if any, are to be accepted in the degree program.

Requirements for admission to graduate standing and acceptance in a program of study leading to a graduate degree are:

  1. For admission to graduate standing:
    1. a grade-point average of 2.70 or better (A=4.00) on all course work taken prior to receipt of a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education; or
    2. a grade-point average of 3.20 or better on the last 60 hours of course work taken prior to receipt of a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education; or
    3. a grade-point average between 2.50 and 2.69 on all course work taken prior to receipt of a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education and a satisfactory score on the Graduate Record Examinations general test, the Miller Analogies Test, or a similar test acceptable to the Graduate Dean; or
    4. conferral of a post-baccalaureate graduate degree (excluding professional degrees) from a regionally accredited institution.
  2. For acceptance to a graduate degree program the requirements are as follows:
    1. fulfillment of either 1.a or 1.b, and recommendation of the chair of the department or program offering instruction for the degree program; or
    2. fulfillment of 1.c, recommendation of the chair of the department or program offering instruction for the degree program and approval of the Graduate Dean. The student must also meet any other conditions that may be specified by the faculty of the department..

(NOTE: Beginning with admissions for the Fall 2006 semester, the requirement for admission to the Graduate School will be a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 (on a four-point scale) for the last 60 hours taken for the baccalaureate degree. Credentials offered by international students will be adjusted in accordance with this requirement.)

Any other consideration for admission must be by individual petition to the Graduate Dean and, where pertinent, a recommendation from the appropriate program chair. Each petition will be considered on its own merits, case by case. Program requirements should be considered the minimum for admission to a degree program but do not guarantee admission. That is, fully qualified applicants who are accepted by the Graduate School will not necessarily be accepted into the degree program of their choice. It is the responsibility of the program faculty to allocate program resources in the most effective manner. To accomplish this, the program may not be able to accept every qualified applicant.

Non-Degree Seeking. If a student meets all of the requirements for regular admission to the Graduate School but chooses not to pursue a degree, he/she may be admitted as non-degree seeking. If the student subsequently chooses to pursue a degree, only 12 of the hours taken as a non-degree-seeking student may be used to fulfill degree requirements, and those 12 hours must be approved by the advisory committee.

Non-Consecutive One Term Admission, NON-DEGREE Standing. Applicants who desire admission standing allowing them to enroll in non-consecutive single semesters must obtain from the Graduate School Admissions Office and must sign a statement of understanding. Students admitted to such non-consecutive one-term admissions must understand that any enrollment taken in this classification will not normally carry degree credit. Transcripts are not required for applicants seeking this NON-DEGREE standing.

Letter of Good Standing. A graduate student who is in good standing at another regionally accredited institution in the United States may be given admission (non-degree status) to the Graduate School for one semester upon submission of an Application for Admission and a letter of good standing from the Dean of the Graduate School at that institution. If, sometime in the future, the student should wish to pursue a degree in the University of Arkansas Graduate School, it will be necessary to follow the normal procedures for admission and to have official transcripts sent from each institution previously attended. Graduate courses transferred and used for requirements for a degree at another university cannot be used for a graduate degree at this institution.

Readmission. Readmission to the Graduate School is not automatic. Students who have been enrolled in the Graduate School within the two preceding academic years but have not enrolled in the immediately preceding semester will be readmitted if:

  1. The student has earned at least a 2.85 cumulative grade-point average on all graduate credits attempted during all previous enrollments;
  2. A new Application for Admission form (no fee) is filed prior to the desired registration date (preferably, at least one month prior to that date);
  3. The Graduate School has received two official transcripts of all course work attempted at other institutions subsequent to the previous enrollment in the University of Arkansas Graduate School;
  4. The student’s graduate status at the end of the previous enrollment was “good standing.”

Students who have been previously enrolled in the Graduate School but who have not been enrolled within the preceding two years and who meet the above conditions may be granted further registration after completion of a readmission process. Students seeking readmission for the purpose of entering or resuming a graduate degree program must be accepted by the faculty of that program of study. Such acceptance must state specifically what credit will be granted for the earlier work, any conditions which must be fulfilled to qualify this earlier work in the degree program, and an exact timetable for the completion of all degree requirements. When such recommendations exceed the normal time limits or other conditions established by the Graduate School, the approval of the Dean of the Graduate School will be required. Such recommendations must be submitted and approved prior to the granting of readmission.

Readmission to the Graduate School under any other circumstances will be considered and decided on an individual basis. Students interested in obtaining such readmission should contact the Graduate School.

Students who were not enrolled in the Spring semester, but who were enrolled for the summer session will have registration materials available for the Fall semester should they wish to continue their registration.

Dual Enrollment Policy

See Retroactive Graduate Credit: http://www.uark.edu/depts/gradinfo/dean/handbook/admission.html#retro

 

Retroactive Graduate Credit

Graduate students fully admitted into a degree program may request that up to twelve hours of courses taken in the final semester of their undergraduate degree count toward their graduate degree, if these courses were taken on the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville campus. These courses may not have been used for the undergraduate degree, must be approved by the student’s advisory committee, and must be at the 5000 level or above. Petition will be by the student’s advisory committee or major professor to the Graduate School.

If the student’s advisory committee wishes to accept courses at the 4000 level towards the graduate degree, when those courses were taken in the last semester of a student’s undergraduate degree at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, the committee may petition the Graduate School. The petition must include an explanation of why the committee considers these courses to meet graduate degree requirements and expectations for graduate-level work. The instructors for these courses must have had graduate faculty status, and these courses may not have been used for the undergraduate degree.

Courses at the 3000 level taken before the student is fully admitted to the Graduate School may not be used to fulfill graduate degree requirements.

Courses offered by institutions other than the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, may not be counted toward the graduate degree requirements in this way.

If a program wishes to place a senior-level undergraduate student on a graduate assistantship, the Graduate Dean will consider these appointments on a case-by-case basis. The program must stipulate that the student will be entering one of its graduate programs as soon as the undergraduate degree is completed, and the student must be within six hours of completing the undergraduate degree. An undergraduate student may not hold a graduate assistantship, even under these conditions, for more than one semester.

Note: If a student receives financial aid in their final semester in the baccalaureate program, no courses used to fulfill the minimum enrollment requirement for financial aid will be retroactively changed to graduate credit.

Admission to Graduate Centers

In an attempt to fulfill the recognized need for graduate education for Arkansas residents who find it impossible or inconvenient to attend classes at Fayetteville, the University of Arkansas Graduate School offers selected graduate-level courses at graduate centers throughout the state.

All courses and instructors at these centers have been individually evaluated by the University of Arkansas Graduate Council and are subject to the same standards of quality that apply to graduate faculty and graduate programs at Fayetteville.

Similarly, those desiring to enroll in these courses must follow the same admission procedures and are subject to the same admission criteria as persons admitted at Fayetteville. There are no exceptions or deviations from these policies and procedures. Admission materials, including all official transcripts, should be received in the Graduate School at least one month prior to the requested semester of entry. (See section on “Admission.”)

For more comprehensive information regarding format of instruction, schedule of classes, enrollment and registration, fees, etc., contact: Director of Continuing Education, Number 2, University Center, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701.

Those intending to enroll for classes at the Graduate Resident Center for Engineering (University of Arkansas at Little Rock, host campus) must submit application for admission to the Graduate School at least one month prior to initial registration through:

Graduate Resident Center for Engineering
3189 Bell Engineering Center
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville , AR 72701
Telephone: 1-800-423-1176 or 479-575-6015

To assure timely processing of the Application for Admission, a check or money order made to the University of Arkansas for the $40 application fee must accompany the application when submitted to the Graduate School.

Contact the above address for information pertaining to classes, enrollment, fees, etc.

Requirements for the Degree

Requirements for each of the degrees offered at the University of Arkansas are set by the individual programs as consistent with the policies of the Graduate School. The requirements of the Graduate School for each degree may be found in the Graduate School Catalog .

Students whose research will require approval by the Institutional Review Board (for research with human subjects), the Animal Care and Use Committee (for research with animals), the Biosafety Committee (for research with recombinant DNA), the Radiation Safety Committee, or the Toxic Substance Committee, will be required to receive approval from these committees before beginning their research. If such approval has not been received, the student will not be granted a degree. For more information about these committees, please see the website of the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.

Students who feel that their rights have been violated may pursue a grievance. Click here for the grievance policy.

Standardized Tests

Applicants need to consult with the specific graduate program to which they are applying about whether the program faculty require a standardized test score.The Graduate School requires a standardized test score for all applicants who do not meet the requirements for regular admission. Acceptable standardized tests include the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) score, the Miller Analogies Test (MAT), and the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). Further information may be obtained from the Department of Testing Services at the University of Arkansas.

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