Applying for Admission: 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 must be received by June 1 for the fall semester and Oct. 15 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 or apply online via the UAF website at www.uaf.edu/admissions/. Before your application is complete, the Office of Admissions must receive:
- Graduate Application for Admission
A $60 non-refundable fee must accompany your application. The fee should be paid by check, credit card 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. - Transcripts for International Applicants
International applicants must submit certified English translations of transcripts of all college-level course work. - 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 are required for all students whose undergraduate GPA is below a B (3.0) average. - Resume/Vitae
Include work and research experience, publications, patents, honors, professional and civic memberships, and foreign travel. - Statement of Academic Goals
Write a statement indicating why you want 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
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 when applying to the program in art. - Interdisciplinary Applicants
Submit a Graduate Study Plan (available for download at www.uaf.edu/gradsch/) and a short 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 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. Equivalent accomplishments at a foreign university may be substituted. 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.
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 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 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 are required to notify the Office of Admissions if you are attending another institution in the meantime. 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.
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
Graduate School
University of Alaska Fairbanks
202 Eielson Building
PO Box 757560
Fairbanks, AK 99775-7560
E-mail: fygrads@uaf.edu
Online: www.uaf.edu/gradsch/
Telephone: 907-474-7464