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Academic Requirements

Undergraduate Admission

Applicants having had the equivalent of 12 years of schooling may be eligible for admission to the University if their secondary school record indicates above average performance. Students are expected to have included the studies of their native language, English, mathematics, natural and/or physical science, social science and the humanities in their secondary school curriculum. Applicants from countries where there are only eleven standard years included in the primary-secondary system may be considered for admission if they have achieved a strong academic record and can submit the final official leaving-school certificate. Generally, those who have received Certificates of Education or Leaving School Certificates (i.e. GCE, SPM, MCE, WASC), must have a minimum of five GCE equivalent passes in subjects, substantially equivalent to those studied in the U.S., including English. Along with official copies of academic work, students are encouraged to submit a letter from their headmaster of principal indicating the applicant's rank in class and the total number enrolled. We recommend that freshmen applicants sit for the SAT.

The University of Arkansas now requires the SAT or ACT for academic advisement and placement into courses.  If you have taken the SAT or ACT, please have the official score report sent to the University of Arkansas as soon as possible.  Our institution code for the SAT is 6866 and 0144 for the ACT. If you have not taken the SAT or ACT, you will be required to take the COMPASS test http://www.act.org/compass/ upon arrival.  This computer-based exam will be administered by UA Testing Services, and it will take approximately two hours.  There is a cost of USD $30 for this examination.  The results of the test will not affect your admission status to the University.  The test scores are needed for academic advisement and course placement purposes only.

Any student who has attempted college or university work will be considered a transfer student. Overseas applicants must submit at the time of application official academic mark sheets and course descriptions from any post-secondary institutions attended. If, on the basis of all course work attempted, an applicant is found to be admissible, advanced standing will be considered. Transfer credit is awarded on a course-by-course basis following a review of the appropriate course syllabus by the academic dean. Frequently, a final evaluation of transfer credit may not be completed until after the student's arrival on campus.

Transfer students currently studying in the U.S. must arrange to have official transcripts sent from each college or university attended. For admission to the University, the overall grade point average of all previous undergraduate work must be at least 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale) and the applicant must be showing satisfactory progress toward the completion of his or her degree program. The University reserves the right to deny admission to any student who is not eligible to return to his or her previous institution. Should a qualified student be attending a U.S. institution when the application is processed, conditional admission will be granted until the student's final transcript has been presented maintaining a minimum 2.5 grade point average.

Graduate Admission

An applicant who is a graduate of a regionally accredited institution in the U.S., or of a similar foreign university whose requirements for the bachelor's degree are substantially equivalent to those at the University of Arkansas, may be considered for admission to the Graduate School if he/she meets the following requirements: has had the equivalent of at least 16 years schooling; has pursued a curriculum comparable to one at the University of Arkansas; has earned at least a 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) grade point average on the last 60 hours of bachelor's degree course work (approximately last two years of a four-year degree program) ; has provided official evidence of all academic course work and confirmation of an appropriate bachelor's or master's degree; and has presented a minimum TOEFL score of 550 (paper- based)/79 (internet-based) or a 6.5 on the IELTS . Admission to the University of Arkansas Graduate School is contingent upon admission to a graduate degree program. Specific academic departments may require higher academic standards than those set by the Graduate Council. To learn more about our Graduate School, go to their web site.

Diplomas, the Higher National Diploma (H.N.D.), certificates, memberships or associate memberships in professional organizations, and some bachelor's and technical degrees are not considered equivalent to a U.S. bachelor's degree for the purpose of gaining admission to the Graduate School. Note to applicants from Bangladesh, Burma, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka: a 2-3 year bachelor's degree does not qualify an applicant for admission to the Graduate School. Generally, only a 4-5 year bachelor's degree or a 2 year master's degree beyond the 2-3 year bachelor's program will qualify such students for studies.

All applicants seeking admission into the graduate program must take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language, University of Arkansas institutional code = 6866) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System). Some departments require their applicants take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE, University of Arkansas institutional code = 6866), which all applicants are encouraged to take. Both examinations are administered in the U.S. and abroad by the Educational Testing Service (ETS), Princeton, NJ 08541. The IELTS is jointly managed my University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations (Cambridge ESOL), British Council and IDP Education Australia: IELTS Australia (Please contact ielts@ucles.org.uk for further information). The Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) is required for all applicants for graduate study in business and is also administered by ETS. You are advised to consult your individual departments for their specific examination requirements.

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