Graduate Degree Programs
You should apply to a graduate degree program six to nine months before the beginning of the semester in which you plan to enroll. At the latest, your application for graduate admission with all supporting documentation, transcripts, and test scores should be received by August 1 for the fall semester and December 1 for the spring semester. Earlier deadlines apply for international applicants.
Most departments require much earlier submission of credentials for graduate study. Applications for programs in anthropology, art, biology, education, geology, geophysics, interdisciplinary study, psychology and wildlife biology should be sent much earlier. Contact your prospective department for specific deadlines; the number of students accepted is limited.
Graduate students are strongly encouraged to apply early. Applications received near deadline will be processed as time permits or may be considered for the following semester.
To apply to a graduate degree program, request an application from the Office of Admissions. Apply online via the UAF website at www.uaf.edu/admissions or at http://alaska.edu/uaonline. Before your application is complete, the Office of Admissions must receive:
- Graduate Application for Admission
A $50 non-refundable application fee must accompany your application. The fee should be paid by check or money order in U.S. funds to the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Please do not send cash. - Transcripts
The Office of Admissions requires official transcripts of all college-level course work. Transcripts must come in sealed envelopes from each institution you’ve attended. - Test Results
Results of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) are required from applicants to most graduate programs. Some programs also require GRE subject exams. MBA program applicants are required to submit scores from the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). Refer to the admission requirements of your prospective degree program to determine which tests are required. Results of the GRE or GMAT are required for all students whose undergraduate GPA is below a B (3.0) average. - Resume/Vitae
Include work and research experience, published articles, patents held, honors received, membership in professional and civic organizations and foreign travel. - Statement of Academic Goals
Write a statement indicating why you wish to study in a particular program. Include your qualifications and educational experience. (For applicants to education programs, a four-to-five-page self-evaluation essay is required.) - Letters of Recommendation
You must send at least three letters of recommendation from people able to vouch for your work, character, and ability to undertake graduate study and research. - Master of Fine Arts Applicants
Master of Fine Arts applicants must submit writing samples when applying for admission to the creative writing program. An art portfolio (usually slides) must be submitted for consideration to the program in art. - Interdisciplinary Applicants
Submit a Graduate Study Plan (available for download at www.uaf.edu/gradsch/) and an outline of your research proposal. You must also obtain commitment from a UAF faculty member to serve as advisory committee chair. Please contact the graduate school for specific interdisciplinary procedures. - International Students
See Special Instructions for International Students for additional information. - Students with Master’s Degrees
Second Master’s Degree Programs—At the discretion of your advisory committee, admitting department and dean, you may transfer up to 20 percent of the minimum number of credits required for a UAF master’s degree from a previously earned master’s degree. Transferred credit may not be research, project or thesis credit. The transferred credit must be for completed graduate-level courses and not portions of a course. For a 30-credit master’s degree, for example, up to 6 graduate credits may be transferred; for a 45-credit master’s degree, up to 9 graduate credits may be transferred. The following requirements apply to students who wish to pursue a second master’s degree:
- You must submit a new application, including application processing fee, updated transcripts and three new reference letters.
- Acceptable GRE scores submitted previously may be applied to a second master’s degree.
- You must fulfill all general university requirements for the second master’s degree, including taking a comprehensive exam (if required), completing a minimum of 30 semester credits (including thesis, research and transfer credits), and passing a defense of thesis or project.
- All work used to fulfill degree requirements for a second master’s degree must be completed within seven years.
- Students in Western Regional Graduate Programs
Students from Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming may be eligible for resident tuition through the Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP/WICHE). The program is for students doing graduate work in justice, northern studies or rural development. For more information about this program, contact the Graduate School via telephone (907) 474-7464, e-mail fygrads@uaf.edu, or online at www.uaf.edu/gradsch/. Alternatively, contact the WICHE Student Exchange Program, P.O. Box 9752, Boulder, CO 80301-9752, (303) 541-0210, or online at www.wiche.edu/sep/WRGP/index.asp.
In general, you may be admitted to graduate status if you have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with at least a 3.0 (B) cumulative undergraduate GPA and a 3.0 (B) GPA in your major. Your undergraduate major should be suitable preparation for continuation of studies in the field of choice. Some programs require the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) or Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) and other special criteria for admission. Equivalent accomplishments at a foreign university may be substituted.
For the purposes of admission to graduate study, all grades, including those generated from retaking a course, are included in calculating GPA.
Program heads in fields of interest will determine the adequacy of the students’ preparation and whether or not departmental facilities are sufficient for their aims.
Information on specific degree programs is available from academic departments or the Graduate School, via telephone (907) 474-7464, e-mail fygrads@uaf.edu, or online at www.uaf.edu/gradsch/.
Qualified applicants can be accepted for admission while enrolled in their last semester at another college. The acceptance is conditional, however, pending receipt of the final transcript indicating satisfactory completion of work in progress and the completion of graduation requirements prior to enrollment at UAF.
Final acceptance to UAF, for the purpose of earning scholastic credit, is complete only when the Office of Admissions receives and accepts all credentials.
Your offer of admission is valid for the semester for which you applied. If you are unable to attend that semester, you must contact the Office of Admissions. You may request postponement of admission for a maximum of one calendar year. Requests should be directed to the UAF Office of Admissions and are subject to approval by the academic department in which you’ve been accepted.