UNCG Admissions > Graduate Admissions > Graduate Requirements

Graduate Requirements

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REQUIRED Application Materials

  • Applicants must submit a completed online application.
  • $65 nonrefundable application processing fee. Note: the application fee is not required for full-time UNCG employees (excludes student employees), McNair Scholars, or UNCG students currently enrolled in a graduate degree program applying for a certificate.
  • Applicants whose native language is not English must demonstrate English proficiency. All requirements can be found on the Requirements for International Students page.
  • Per UNC Policy 700.5.1[R], the UNC system requires all applicants to answer questions regarding community standards/campus safety questions. Applicants may be required to submit to a criminal background check, based on their answers to the community standards/campus safety questions.
  • Completion of a bachelor’s degree and a graduate degree (if required by the program) from a U.S. college or university accredited by a regional accrediting association or completion of a bachelor’s and a graduate degree (if required by the program) that is equivalent to a U.S. degree from an international college or university recognized and approved by the Ministry of Education or Commission responsible for higher education in the country where the degree is earned.

  • For U.S. degree(s), one transcript from all colleges and universities where a bachelor’s degree and a graduate degree (if required by the program) was earned.
  • For international degree(s), a course-by-course evaluation from a National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES®) service, showing proof of earned U.S. equivalency bachelor’s degree and/or a graduate degree (if required by the program), credit hours and GPA.
    • Exception – A credential evaluation is not required for the international undergraduate degree program if the applicant earned or is in the process of earning an advanced degree from an accredited U.S. institution.

  • For a U.S. degree, one transcript from all colleges and universities where a bachelor’s degree and a graduate degree (if required by the program) is in progress. 
  • For an international degree, a course-by-course evaluation from a National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES®) service, showing proof of in process status of U.S. equivalency of a bachelor’s and/or a graduate degree (if required by the program), credit hours and current GPA.
    • The purpose of the credential evaluation report is to authenticate your academic credentials and ensure course credit and U.S. grade equivalency are completed accurately. This also eliminates the need to obtain official, translated transcripts from your school(s) being sent to UNCG.

PROGRAM SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS

Supplemental documents, test score requirements, and other required materials can be found on the Graduate Deadlines Page or on the departmental website for the program you wish to study.

  • Most programs require three letters of recommendation from former professors, employers, or persons well acquainted with the applicant’s academic potential.
  • Official results of GRE scores or other examinations as required by the program to which one applies. Scores are valid for five years from the time originally taken. GRE Fee Reduction Program – Educational Testing Service (ETS) believes that the cost of taking a GRE test should not be a barrier to graduate study. To do its part, ETS provides the GRE Fee Reduction Program, which reduces the cost of taking a GRE test by 50%. U.S. citizens and resident aliens who can demonstrate financial need or are unemployed and receiving unemployment compensation are eligible to apply for a fee reduction waiver.
  • Any additional materials required by the program or department such as audition, interview, portfolio, resume, writing sample, personal statement, etc. 

All credentials must be in English and received by the Graduate School by the posted deadline. 

For mailing purposes, please use the following address:

UNC Greensboro
The Graduate School
Attn: Graduate Admissions
270 Mossman Building
1202 Spring Garden Street
Greensboro, NC 27412 USA
[email protected]

Credentials or supporting materials submitted for admission to the Graduate School become the property of the University and are not returned. No copies will be provided to third parties outside the University except when compelled by legal authority. Copies will, however, be provided to appropriate offices at the University in the interest of academic matters or financial awards relative to the applicant. Applications and supporting documents are retained according to the retention policies of the state of North Carolina.

THE APPLICATION PROCESS

Applications are first submitted to the Graduate School. Once the Graduate School has processed your application, it will be reviewed by a Graduate School Admissions Specialist and forwarded to the Graduate Program Director in the appropriate department or program.

Departments and programs then review the application and make recommendations for admission to the Dean of the Graduate School. Because departments and programs determine their own processes and timelines for reviewing completed applications, the Graduate School cannot provide a general time frame to expect between submission of the application and a final decision.

Once the application is submitted, you cannot alter or change the application online except for the recommendations page. Changes related to contact information, application term, program, degree, or concentration must be submitted by completing the Request to Change Information on a Submitted Application Form which is available within your application status portal.

Verification of changes will be sent to you by email. Once an admissions decision has been made, changes to the application are not allowed.

The Graduate School considers an application complete when test scores, transcripts, letters of recommendation, and the payment of the application fee are linked to the application. An Admissions Specialist will review applications with care and notify applicants when additional information is needed.

Completed applications are forwarded to the department or program for review. Processing an application can take several days even in optimal circumstances and may take slightly longer during peak periods. The Graduate School makes every effort to process applications in a timely manner. By utilizing the full functionality of the online application, you can facilitate this process. Waiting for outstanding transcripts can extend processing times.

THE ADMISSION DECISION

Admission into a UNCG graduate degree or certificate program is a process shared by the Graduate School and the graduate program. To be considered for graduate admission, applicants must meet the requirements of the Graduate School and of the graduate program.

Faculty in the graduate programs recommend students for admission to the Graduate School after they have assessed each prospective graduate student’s potential. Programs have significant discretion in determining admission standards and class size based on factors such as availability of academic mentors, financial support, laboratory space, and student distribution within interest areas.

Neither an academic record exceeding minimum requirements, nor satisfactory scores on standardized tests, nor professional expertise alone will assure an applicant’s admission in this competitive environment. Rather, the overall record must indicate the strong likelihood that a prospective student will complete graduate study successfully.

Each application to the Graduate School will result in one admission decision. Offers of admission are not official until approved by the Dean of the Graduate School. Official admission decisions are communicated to applicants by email from the Dean of the Graduate School. Prospective students can view the status of the admission application online at the application portal. Click “Manage Your Account” and then “View All Forms.” If the admitted applicant does not register for the term specified in the admission letter, the admission may be subject to cancellation.

Graduate admission to a degree or certificate program may be deferred for a maximum of one year from the initial term of admission. The student is responsible for contacting the department to determine if admission for subsequent terms is allowed.

To request a deferral of admission, admitted students must submit a completed Deferral of Admission Form, found within the online application, to the admitting department’s Graduate Program Director no later than the first day of classes of the term of initial admission. The deferral request must be for a specific term.

After considering the request, the department will forward the form to the Graduate School, who will notify the student of the decision Merit-based financial aid, i.e. teaching/research assistantships, scholarships, and fellowships will not be deferred; the student must compete again for the awards.

Students who have not enrolled and have not requested a deferral of admission will be required to reapply.

Your continued enrollment at UNC Greensboro is contingent upon your completion of the following items: 

  • One, final official transcript from all colleges and universities where a bachelor’s degree and a graduate degree (if required by the program) was earned in the U.S. This transcript must be issued by the registrar’s office showing the degree awarded, earned credit hours, GPA and no courses in process and must be received before being allowed to register for your second semester.   
  • For international degree(s), an official course-by-course evaluation from a National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES®) service, showing proof of earned U.S. equivalency bachelor’s degree and/or a graduate degree (if required by the program), credit hours and GPA.  This evaluation must include degree awarded (verified) equivalency with no courses in process and must be received before being allowed to register for your second semester.

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