Application Deadlines

Some academic departments have their own application deadline and may have additional application requirements. We recommend submitting all materials to the Office of Graduate and International Admissions at least one month before the departmental deadline. For departments with no deadlines, and for non-degree, returning, visiting and senior citizens, all application materials (including all transcripts and any required test scores) should reach the Graduate School and International Education by the deadlines listed below. Applications received after the deadline will be automatically deferred to the next available Spring or Fall semester.

Fall semester

August 1

Spring semester

December 1

Summer sessions

April 15

Graduate School Eligibility

Graduate admission is a two-step process. Students must be admitted to both the University of Arkansas Graduate School and the graduate program of their choice. 

Choose an applicant type to learn more about eligibility.

New Degree Seeking Students - Requirements for admission to the University of Arkansas Graduate School:

  • A conferred baccalaureate degree. Students who have not completed their baccalaureate degree at the time of application must have a 3.0 cumulative GPA on the last 60.0 credit hours of attempted coursework. Upon admission, students will be required to submit official transcripts with degree confirmation for enrollment privileges. Students who have a degree at the time of application must have a 3.0 cumulative GPA on the last 60.0 credit hours of attempted coursework from a regionally accredited institution of higher education.
  • A conferred post-baccalaureate degree, master’s degree or doctoral degree (excluding professional degrees) from a regionally accredited institution.

Admission to the Graduate School is the first step. Applicants must also be admitted to an academic program:

  • Your desired degree program will make the formal admission decision based upon factors including GPA, letters of recommendation, GRE (or other graduate-level standardized test) scores.
  • Graduate degree programs may have additional requirements, such as statement of purposes, resume or CV, writing sample, and more that must be submitted before the admission decision is made.  Please see the graduate degree program or department website for further items that may be required.

Transcript Requirements

Unofficial Transcripts

Unofficial transcripts are uploaded as part of the application process.

Upload unofficial copies* academic records/transcripts/mark sheets into your application portal.  For evaluation purposes, you may submit an unofficial copy of each transcript needed.  Review of your application will begin once your fee and all required documents for evaluation have been submitted.

*If admitted, you must submit official transcripts and certificates with degree conferral.  To be official, the documents must be stamped or embossed by the issuing institution and be sent directly from the institution OR you may submit the official documents in an enveloped sealed by the institution and not opened by you.  For documents not issued in English, a translation must accompany the submitted transcripts and certificates.  Translations must be stamped or embossed by the issuing institutions to verify that it is a literal translation.

Graduate School Application Process

Choose an applicant type to learn more about the application process.

 

New Degree Seeking Students Application Process

Follow these steps to complete your admission to the University of Arkansas:

  1. APPLY
    Visit the apply now section below to complete and submit the online application for admission. 
  2. PAY APPLICATION FEE
    $60.00 non-refundable application fee**
  3. SEND YOUR TRANSCRIPTS
    For evaluation purposes, applicants may submit an unofficial copy of transcript(s) from the university where they received or will receive their first bachelor’s degree. Upon admission, students will be required to submit official transcripts with degree confirmation for enrollment privileges. Send official transcripts to:

    Graduate and International Admissions
    340 N. Campus Drive
    Gearhart Hall 213
    1 University of Arkansas
    Fayetteville, AR 72701
  4. SUBMIT TEST SCORES
    If required by program, request official GRE score be sent directly to the University of Arkansas (institution code = 6866).  Other graduate level standardized tests (such as MAT and GMAT) may be submitted in lieu of the GRE.
  5. TAKE ENGLISH PROFICIENCY EXAM
    If your native language is not English: submit verification of English proficiency

Apply Now to the Graduate School

The New Student Center manages your application process, including applying for admission, uploading related documents, applying for scholarship opportunities and registering for new student orientation.

Starting a New Application

Step 1: After clicking First-Time Users above, create an account using a personal e-mail.

Step 2: Activate your account with the PIN sent to your e-mail.

Step 3: Click Start New Application.

Step 4: Select the appropriate Application Type:

  • For all business degree programs (master's, doctorate, certificates, and micro-certicates), select Walton College of Business Graduate Application.
  • For master's, doctorate, and specialist degree programs, select Graduate School Application.
  • For graduate level certificate and micro-certificate programs, select Graduate School Application.
  • For licensure coursework, endorsements, or those taking individual graduate level courses (both Walton College of Business and Graduate School), select Non-Degree Graduate School Application.

Step 5: Click Create Application.

Check Your Application Status

Log in with the email address and password you set up before applying. Your Application Checklist will list the outstanding items for your application.

Check Your Status

Forgot your password or lose your PIN?
Visit the reset password page for returning users. Do not create an account using a separate email address.

If you need help, please call 1-866-234-3957 or email gradinfo@uark.edu.

Return to Finish a U of A Graduate School Degree Program

If you are a previous graduate-level U of A student seeking to reactivate enrollment into the same graduate degree program after being out one or more semesters, you should NOT create an account or log in. Please follow these instructions:

  • For all graduate programs, besides business, complete the Request for Reactivation form.
  • If you have previously applied to graduate for this degree program and wish to continue enrollment, you will need to complete the Reapplication to Graduate form and return it to the Registrar's Office. 
  • If you are starting a new program or adding a second program, please see 'Start a New Application' section above.

Graduate Business Programs

For Graduate Business programs, contact Admissions at 479-575-2851.

After You Apply to the Graduate School

Choose an applicant type to learn more about what to expect after you apply.

 

New Degree Seeking Students: After You Apply

Response times will vary depending upon the volume of applications and time of year. You are welcome to contact us at gradapp@uark.edu with any questions you may have.

When your file is complete, you will be notified. If you meet Graduate School admission requirements and are seeking a graduate degree, your file will be forwarded to the academic program for their admission decision. You are strongly encouraged to contact the department regarding any additional application requirements, application deadlines or information they may have for you.

Graduate School Admissions FAQs

Up to 6 hours of graduate credit for a 30-hour masters program or up to 12 hours for a 60-hour masters program may be transferred with appropriate approvals. For doctoral degrees, transfer credit is allowed to fulfill the course requirements of the doctoral degree at the discretion and request of the department/program. For the courses to be eligible to transfer, they must follow the below regulations:

Criteria for Acceptable Transfer Credit (Masters and Doctoral)

  • The course must have been regularly offered (not special problems or individual study) by a regionally accredited graduate school.
  • The course must have been a bona fide graduate level course, approved for graduate credit and taught by a member of the graduate faculty.
  • The course must appear on an official transcript as graduate credit from the institution offering the course.
  • Only graded courses are subject to transfer and the course grade must be a “B” or “A.” (The student’s grade point average does NOT include grades on transfer courses.)
  • The course must be recommended by the student’s major adviser and be applicable to the degree requirement at the University of Arkansas.
  • The course must not have been taken by correspondence or for extension credit.
  • The course must be acceptable to the department concerned and to the Graduate Dean.
  • The student must have satisfied the 24 hour residence requirement. (The student must have satisfactorily completed a total of 24 hours of graded graduate course work taken in residence.)
  • The course must have been taken within the time limit of the student’s program at the University of Arkansas.
  • For doctoral degrees, the transcript must say either that the student was admitted to a doctoral program, the coursework was completed after an earned master’s degree, or a master’s degree was not earned while the student was attending the institution.
  • Petitions for transfer of credit from foreign universities may be made to the Graduate Dean by the department/program on a case by case basis.
Note: Graduate credit cannot be transferred to satisfy any of the requirements for the M.B.A. degree unless the school at which the course was taken is accredited by A.A.C.S.B. This requirement is not specified by the Graduate School, but by the Graduate School of Business.

Master's students will need to submit an original transcript, along with a Transfer of Credit — Master's form signed by the major advisor, to the graduate school.

Graduate Certificate students will need to submit an original transcript, along with a Transfer of Credit form signed by the major advisor, to the graduate school.

Doctoral students will need to submit an original transcript, along with a Transfer of Credit — Doctoral form signed by the major advisor, to the graduate school.

We strongly encourage prospective students to visit campus. The Graduate School will plan a custom visit based on your needs. Campus Visit Request

After submitting your application for admission, you will provide the names and email addresses for your recommenders and submit an automated request for their recommendation. You may track the receipt of these LORs through your Applicant Portal. You can update your recommender list or send reminders at any time via your Applicant Portal. LORs that are in hardcopy should be sent to the department to which you are applying.

The application fee is $60 for all new domestic graduate applicants. The application fee is $75 for all new international graduate applicants. For applicants who have current graduate enrollment at the UA, the fee is $30. The application fee is a mandatory fee approved by the Board of Trustees for the 2023-24 academic period.

An application fee waiver will be granted to individuals that qualify under these circumstances:

  • Full-time employees at the U of A main campus
  • U of A summer REU program participants
  • Senior Citizens age 60+ (Arkansas residents only)

You must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education, with a grade point average of 3.0 on the last 60 credit hours of academic coursework OR a 3.0 cumulative grade average. You must also meet the minimum requirements for the program to which you are applying; requirements vary by program.

The University of Arkansas Graduate School does not require a standardized test score (GRE, GMAT or other graduate-level standardized test) for official admission to the university. However, individual programs may require a standardized test score. Contact your program directly for more information.

The Walton Graduate School of Business has a waiver process for qualifying master’s students – please visit their admissions page for further information, Apply for Admission: Graduate School of Business

Acceptable GRE scores are determined by the individual programs.

The University of Arkansas awarded over $3 million in fellowships just this year alone! Some of the numerous funding opportunities available include:

  • Graduate Assistant Positions: All graduate assistants receive a monthly stipend, and most cover the cost of tuition.
  • Benjamin Franklin Lever Tuition Fellowship: A tuition only fellowship for graduate students who contribute to the diversity needs of their program.
  • Distinguished Doctoral Fellowship and Doctoral Academy Fellowship: These are the university’s highest awards, and include a 12-month or 9-month graduate assistant position (see above), PLUS a fellowship stipend of either $22,000 per year or $12,000 per year for four years.

Additional information about these opportunities can be found on the Cost and Funding page.

You would need to apply for admission to your desired program, and then apply to receive transfer credit for your previous studies. Please see the above entry for the requirements to transfer in a course.

To establish state residency you will need to establish a domicile in the state of Arkansas and continue that residency for a period of six months. After six months you can appeal for a change of residency status with the Office of the Registrar. If you live in Texarkana or Bowie County, Texas you are already considered in-state. See Resident Reclassification for Fee Purposes for more information.

The University of Arkansas currently has on-campus housing for graduate students in the Duncan Ave. Apartments. For information visit the University Housing website. Currently there is no on-campus housing for married students. The Fayetteville area does offer several other housing options for students many of which are on the university bus routes. More information can be found on the Off-Campus Housing site.