Applying for Admission: Bachelor's Degree Programs
Freshman and transfer applications for admission to a bachelor's degree program are due on July 1 for fall semester and Nov. 1 for spring semester.
High school students may apply as early as the first semester of their senior year if providing a listing of course work in progress. Transfer students should apply at least three to four months before the beginning of the semester in which they plan to enroll.
To apply to a baccalaureate degree program, apply online at www.uaf.edu/admissions/. You can also apply by printing an application from the above website or requesting an application from the Office of Admissions. Before your application can be reviewed, the Office of Admissions must receive:
- Application for Admission
Your application must be received before the published deadlines, along with a $50 non-refundable fee. - Transcripts
High school transcripts - Applicants with fewer than 30 semester credit hours of college credits must submit official high school transcripts.
College transcripts - Applicants who have attended other postsecondary institutions must arrange for those institutions to send official college or university transcripts to UAF. Transcripts must come in sealed envelopes from each institution attended.
International - International applicants must present an evaluation of all required academic documents compiled by an independent academic credential evaluation provider. UAF requires that all applicants use World Education Services for this service. Applications for this evaluation may be obtained from the WES website at www.wes.org. WES requires a fee from the applicant for processing applications. Please make note of the following:- Credentials from Canadian institutions are exempt from this requirement; they may be sent directly to UAF from the issuing institution.
- You do not need to have any documents sent from your international institution to UAF. Your documents will go to WES, and UAF will receive a copy of the original documents along with the evaluation.
- You must request the Comprehensive Course-by-Course Report of your credentials.
- Undergraduate students seeking to transfer credits to UAF must send course descriptions or course catalogs (in English) directly to the UAF Office of Admissions.
- Test Results
Freshman and transfer applicants with fewer than 30 semester credit hours must submit the results of either the ACT (preferred) or the SAT examination. Test results must be less than two years old. These test scores are used to help place the student in English, mathematics and other first year courses.
Contact Testing Services at 907-474-5277 or your high school for information concerning the ACT or SAT. COMPASS, ASSET or other placement tests do not satisfy this requirement. - International Students
See Special Instructions for International Students for additional information.
For admission to baccalaureate level programs, you must:
- have a high school diploma*, AND
- pass the 16-credit high school core curriculum with a GPA of at least 2.5, AND
- submit results of the ACT (preferred) or SAT taken within the last two years, AND
- have a high school GPA of at least 3.0, OR
- have a high school GPA of at least 2.5 AND ACT composite score of at least 18 or SAT total score of at least 1290 (including writing skills section).
Admission to a specific baccalaureate degree program is based on a combination of your high school GPA and completion of specific high school courses. See Table 1 on the next page for entrance requirements to specific colleges and schools within the university.
Test results from the ACT (preferred) or SAT must be received before you can be admitted, and test results must be less than two years old. This requirement will be waived if you have successfully completed, with a grade of "C" or better within the last two years, the equivalent of 3 credits each of 100-level math and English composition from a regionally accredited institution of higher education.
* To earn a high school diploma in Alaska, you must fulfill all curriculum requirements and satisfactorily complete all three competency areas of the High School Qualifying Exam.
| High School Entrance Requirements for all Bachelor's Degree Programs | ||||
| English | Math | Social Sciences | Natural/Physical Sciences | |
| High School Core Curriculum - Required for all freshmen; 2.50 GPA in core; 16 credits total, which must include: | ||||
| 4 cr | 3 cr in college preparatory mathematics (selected from Algebra I, II, geometry, trigonometry, elementary functions, precalculus or calculus) | 3 cr | 3 cr (includes 1 cr lab science course in biology, chemistry or physics) | |
| College of Engineering and Mines • College of Natural Science and Mathematics • School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences • School of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences | ||||
| 4 cr | Algebra-2 cr; Geometry-1 cr; Trigonometry- cr; At least an additional ½ cr of advanced math is recommended for computer science, mathematics, physics, statistics, and engineering. | 3 cr | Physics or Chemistry-1 cr; Natural Sciences-1 cr; Elective-1crBoth physics and chemistry are strongly recommended for engineering. | |
| College of Liberal Arts • School of Management • College of Rural and Community Development • General Studies (undecided or exploratory) | ||||
| 4 cr | Same as high school core;School of Management students should be well prepared in mathematics with at least Algebra II, but precalculus or higher preferred. | 3 cr | Same as high school core | |
If you do not meet the minimum requirements for admission to a baccalaureate degree program, you will be admitted to pre-major status within the department of your choice.
Students whose admissions file is complete, are in good standing and have completed 14 credits at the 100-level or above with a C grade average (2.0) or higher, of which 9 credits must satisfy baccalaureate core requirements, will be changed to major status.
Students accepted to baccalaureate-level programs who do not select a major will be admitted as general studies students. This program is administered by the assistant provost for general studies. General studies students with 75 or more earned credits are required to declare a major prior to registration. Students participating in the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) program cannot be admitted into general studies.
A transfer student is defined as someone coming into the university with at least 30 transferable semester credits. You are eligible for admission to a baccalaureate program if you have a 2.0 GPA in your previous course work and left your previous institutions in good standing. If you're applying to a technical or scientific program, you may need to present a higher grade average and proof that you've completed appropriate background courses before you'll be admitted to the program. If you're transferring into a baccalaureate degree program with fewer than 30 semester hours of transferable credit, you must also meet the freshman admission requirements listed in A through E above. Admission status for students who have attended an unaccredited postsecondary institution will be determined on an individual basis. See Transferring Credits for more information.
Applicants with previous college course work may be admitted with probationary status if their cumulative or most recent term grade point average is less than C (2.0).
High school students may take classes at UAF. One program, Alaska Higher Education Admission Decision (AHEAD), requires formal admittance to UAF. The other two enrollment options, Secondary Student Enrollment and TECH PREP, have specific requirements but do not call for admission to UAF. See the registration section for description of non-admission opportunities.
- AHEAD Program
The Alaska Higher Education Admission Decision (AHEAD) program allows qualified high school students to be formally admitted to UAF. AHEAD students are assigned an academic advisor and are given priority registration. The AHEAD program is for high school students who have completed three-fourths of their high school core curriculum and have a 2.5 GPA or higher. You may pick up an AHEAD program application and a UAF undergraduate application for admission from your high school counseling office, or from the UAF Office of Admissions.
Home-schooled students who have gone through a state-recognized program and have a valid high school diploma may be admitted to a baccalaureate program according to UAF admission standards. See page 29 for more information.
For home-schooled students who have not gone through a state-recognized program, admission to a baccalaureate degree is through an individual review by the director of admissions (or a designee). You will be required to submit scores from either the SAT or ACT prior to an admission review. Additional supporting documentation, such as letters of recommendation, may be requested for review by the director of admissions. In some cases, your files will be shared with department chairs or faculty for further review.
If you do not meet the minimum requirements for admission to a baccalaureate degree program, you may be admitted to pre-major status within the department of your choice. Once you have satisfied the requirements for admission to a bachelor's degree program, you will be admitted to the program of your choice if you are in good standing and have completed 14 credits at the 100 level or above with a C (2.0) grade average or higher, of which 9 credits must satisfy core baccalaureate degree requirements. The university will notify you when you have met these requirements and have been admitted to your bachelor's program.
It is especially critical that home-schooled applicants request admission to a baccalaureate program if they anticipate receiving scholarships that require enrollment in a four-year degree program.
Conditional and Final Acceptance
Once the Office of Admissions receives and evaluates application materials, UAF will mail a letter of acceptance to qualified applicants. This letter will list any conditions under which the student is being admitted. Qualified applicants who are in their last year of high school or who are attending another college will receive conditional acceptance. Acceptance becomes final when the Office of Admissions receives official transcripts showing the student has satisfactorily completed all work in progress and that high school seniors have graduated. Acceptance to UAF is final only when the Office of Admissions has accepted all necessary credentials.
Your offer of admission to UAF is valid for the semester for which you applied. If you want to postpone your admission until a later semester, you may request permission from the Office of Admissions. Your enrollment may be postponed for up to one calendar year. You need to notify the Office of Admissions if you are attending another school outside the University of Alaska Statewide System.
Applying for a Second Bachelor's Degree
A student who has already earned a bachelor's degree at another institution and wants to complete a second bachelor's degree must apply for admission as an undergraduate transfer student. Upon official acceptance to a UAF undergraduate degree program, a student who earned a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution will be considered to have completed the equivalent of the UAF baccalaureate core.
Readmission of Former Degree-seeking Students
If you're an undergraduate degree student and you choose not to enroll for a semester or more, you may be eligible to re-enroll in your degree program without reapplying for admission.
You remain eligible to register for classes in your degree program if:
- you have not been academically disqualified,
- you have not attended a non-UA institution since you were last enrolled at UAF,
- your lapse in enrollment is less than two years, and
- you're continuing with the same degree program as before.
If you meet all the above requirements, you need only consult with your advisor and register for classes. If you do not meet all these requirements, you will need to submit a regular undergraduate application for admission along with the $50 processing fee and transcripts of any non-UA course work.
- Fresh Start for Returning Students
Fresh Start can offer a new beginning for students who performed poorly at UAF when enrolled at least two years ago. Those who withdrew from school or were dismissed for academic reasons may apply for readmission and request that their entire prior academic record be disregarded. Those who apply on this basis begin their college study anew with no credits attempted or earned, and no quality points reflected in future GPA calculations. Fresh Start may be used only once.
Fresh Start application forms are available at the Office of Admissions. Admission on this basis requires that at least two years have elapsed since the beginning of the last semester the applicant attended UAF.
All prior course work will remain part of the student's overall academic record and appear on transcripts, but none of the previously earned credits can be used in a new program. These credits will be included only in GPA computations for graduation with honors (see Graduation with Honors). A student admitted under Fresh Start may be allowed advanced standing or a waiver of requirements just as any other student, but will not be allowed credit by exam for courses lost in Fresh Start.
Office of Admissions
University of Alaska Fairbanks
215 Signers' Hall
P.O. Box 757480
Fairbanks, AK 99775-7480
E-mail: uaf-admissions@alaska.edu
Online: www.uaf.edu/admissions/
Telephone: 907-474-7500
Toll-free: 1-800-478-1823