Applying for Admission: Bachelor's Degree Programs
Freshman and transfer applications for admission to a bachelor's degree program are due no later than June 15 for fall semester, Nov. 1 for spring semester or May 1 for summer semester.
Students applying to baccalaureate programs after the published deadlines will be considered for admission into pre-major, bachelor's intended status. Applications are processed in the order they are received. Applications received after the published deadlines may not be processed by the beginning of the semester.
High school seniors are encouraged to apply for admission as early as the first semester of their senior year and should provide an official high school transcript including a list of courses in progress. Transfer students should apply at least three to four months before the beginning of the semester in which they plan to enroll.
Apply online at www.uaf.edu/admissions/. Application forms may also be printed from the above website or requested from the Office of Admissions and the Registrar. Before an application can be reviewed, the Office of Admissions and the Registrar must receive:
- Application for Admission
Applications must be received before the published deadlines, along with a $50 nonrefundable processing fee. 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.
Students applying to baccalaureate programs after the published deadlines will be considered for admission into premajor, bachelor's intended status. Applications are processed in the order they are received. Applications received after the published deadlines may not be processed by the beginning of the semester. - Transcripts
High school transcripts -- Applicants with no college course work or fewer than 30 transferable semester credit hours of college credit must also submit official high school transcripts.
College transcripts -- Applicants who have college-level coursework must send official college or university transcripts to UAF. To be considered official, transcripts must arrive in sealed envelopes from each institution attended.
International -- International applicants must present an evaluation of all required academic transcripts compiled by an independent academic credential evaluation provider. UAF requires that all applicants use one of the providers listed at www.uaf.edu/admissions/international/undergrad/ for this service. Please make note of the following:- Transcripts/credentials from Canadian institutions are exempt from this requirement; they may be sent directly to UAF from the issuing institution (this excludes institutions in the Province of Quebec).
- One official copy of the transcript(s) should be sent from the applicant's international university to UAF. A second copy should be sent to the credentialing agency directly.
- Request the comprehensive course-by-course credential report.
- Undergraduate students seeking to transfer credits to UAF must send course descriptions or course catalogs (in English) directly to the UAF Office of Admissions and the Registrar.
- Test Results
Freshman and transfer applicants with fewer than 30 semester credit hours must submit the results of either the ACT Plus Writing (preferred) or the SAT examination. Test results for English and composition must be less than two years old; for math, less than one year 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 guidance office for information concerning the ACT Plus Writing or SAT. Please note, the ACCUPLACER, ASSET, COMPASS or other placement tests do not satisfy this requirement. - International Students
See Applying for Admission: International Students for additional information.
For admission to baccalaureate level programs, applicants must fulfill either:
Option 1:
- have a high school diploma*, and
- pass the 16-credit high school core curriculum (see Table 1) with a GPA of at least 2.5, and
- have a cumulative GPA of 3.0. No minimum ACT or SAT score is required, OR
Option 2:
- have a high school diploma*, and
- pass the 16-credit high school core curriculum (see Table 1) with a GPA of at least 2.5, and
- have a cumulative GPA of 2.5, and
submit results of the ACT Plus Writing (preferred) with a score of 18 or SAT with a score of 1290.
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 below for entrance requirements to specific colleges and schools within the university.
Test results from the ACT Plus Writing (preferred) or SAT must be received before a student can be fully admitted. Test results for English and composition must be less than two years old; for math, less than one year old. This requirement will be waived for students who have successfully completed, with a grade of C or better, the equivalent of 3 credits of 100-level math and 100-level English composition from a regionally accredited institution of higher education within the last two years.
* 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.
Students who have not met the minimum requirements for admission to a baccalaureate degree program will be admitted to pre-major status within the department of their choice.
Students will be changed to major status when they are in good standing and have completed 14 credits at the 100-level or above with a C (2.0) average or higher, 9 credits of which must satisfy baccalaureate core requirements.
Please note that in order to qualify for federal financial aid, you must have either a high school diploma or a GED.
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 vice provost. General studies students with 75 or more earned credits are required to declare a major prior to registration. Students receiving GI assistance or veterans' benefits may be required to change to a declared major to keep their benefits award. Students must have declared a major in order to participate in the Western Undergraduate Exchange program.
A transfer student is defined as someone coming into the university with at least 30 transferable semester credits. Transfer students are eligible for admission to a baccalaureate program if they have a 2.0 GPA in their previous course work and left their previous institution(s) in good standing. If applying to a technical or scientific program, students may need to present a higher grade average and proof that they have completed appropriate background courses before they will be admitted. Students transferring into a baccalaureate degree program with fewer than 30 semester hours of transferable credit must also meet the freshman admission requirements 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 registration 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 program allows qualified high school students to be formally admitted to UAF as general studies students. AHEAD students are assigned an academic advisor and follow the registration timeline for degree-seeking students. To qualify, students must have completed three-fourths of their high school core curriculum and have a cumulative 3.0 GPA or higher. Students who wish to apply to the AHEAD program may pick up a program application and a UAF undergraduate application for admission from their high school counseling office, or from the UAF Office of Admissions and the Registrar. Please note that in order to qualify for federal financial aid, you must have either a high school diploma or a GED.
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.
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). Applicants are required to submit scores from either the SAT or ACT Plus Writing 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, files will be shared with department chairs or faculty for further review.
Students who have not met the minimum requirements for admission to a baccalaureate degree program will be admitted to pre-major status within the department of their choice.
Students will be changed to major status when their admissions file is complete, they are in good standing, and they have completed 14 credits at the 100-level or above with a C (2.0) average or higher, 9 credits of which must satisfy baccalaureate core requirements.
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
Qualified applicants will receive a letter of acceptance once all items are received and evaluated. 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 and the Registrar 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 and the Registrar has accepted all necessary credentials.
An offer of admission to UAF is valid for the semester for which the applicant applied. Requests to postpone admission until a later semester may be made in writing to the Office of Admissions and the Registrar. Admission may be postponed for up to one calendar year. Students are required to notify the Office of Admissions and the Registrar if they 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
Undergraduate degree-seeking students who choose not to enroll for a semester or more may be eligible to re-enroll in their original degree program without reapplying for admission. Students remain eligible to register for classes if:
- they have not been academically disqualified,
- they have not attended a non-UA institution since they were last enrolled at UAF,
- their lapse in enrollment is less than five years, and
- they are continuing with the same degree program as before.
Students should be aware that poor academic performance at other campuses in the UA system may affect academic standing upon their return to UAF. Students who meet all of the above requirements should consult with their academic advisor and register for classes. Students who do not meet all of these requirements should submit an undergraduate application for admission along with the $50 processing fee and transcripts of any non-UA course work taken. Students who are unsure about their status should contact the Office of Admissions and the Registrar.
- 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. Students who qualify for Fresh Start begin their college study anew with no credits attempted or earned, and no quality points reflected in future GPA calculations. Fresh Start can be used only once.
At least two years must have elapsed since the beginning of the last semester the applicant attended UAF. The applicant may be asked to present evidence that the conditions which resulted in poor academic performance have changed enough so there is a reasonable expectation that the student can perform satisfactorily if permitted to resume college study.
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. - Readmission of Servicemembers
The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 requires that students who left school to serve in the uniformed services be readmitted into the same program with the same standing they had when they left. UAF allows for special readmission of these students. More information is available at www.uaf.edu/admissions/other/military/.
Office of Admissions and the Registrar
University of Alaska Fairbanks
First Floor, Signers' Hall
P.O. Box 757480
Fairbanks, AK 99775-7480
Email: uaf-admissions@alaska.edu
Online: www.uaf.edu/admissions/
Telephone: 907-474-7500
Toll-free: 800-478-1823
Fax: 907-474-7097