Steps to Apply

Fill Out Initial Application

Before applying, please visit your intended department’s website for all application seasons, deadlines, and start term dates. 

If your program’s application season is open, create an account through the application portal below. Carefully select the term you are applying to. Fill out all other required information.

Apply Here

Pay the Application Fee

Pay the $55 non-refundable application fee online with a credit or debit card only.

Unfortunately, the School of Graduate Studies does not give out application fee waivers. Please contact the department to which you are applying to inquire whether they have waivers available.

Submit the Initial Application

Once you have filled out the initial application and paid the application fee, you can then submit the initial application and move on to providing supplemental items.

Upload Supplemental Items

After you’ve paid the application fee and submitted the initial application, you will need to log back into the USU Recruit Application Portal (NOTE: You may need to log out of your application portal, and then log back in), to upload the supplemental items required for your specific prospective degree. The supplemental items section of the application can take 24 to 48 hours to appear after submitting the initial application.

Unless otherwise specified, please submit all supplemental items 10-14 business days before the application deadline to ensure enough time for processing. 

Not all supplemental items listed below are required for every degree. Check with your intended program on which of the following supplemental items are required for your application:

1. Statement of Purpose

Please see your intended department for statement of purpose details. Some programs may automatically populate a prompt within the application.

2. Transcripts

Send your official transcripts to Utah State University through mail or electronic clearing house.

If by mail, have your previous institution send your transcript directly to the School of Graduate Studies, or forward your transcript in the original, unopened envelope provided by the institution. 

Transcripts can be mailed to:
School of Graduate Studies
Utah State University
0900 Old Main Hill
Logan, UT 84322-0900

If by electronic clearinghouse, transcripts can be emailed to graduateadmissions@usu.edu.

USU alumni do not need to provide USU transcripts; the School of Graduate Studies will pull them for you.

Any exceptions to the official transcript policy will be based on a departmental review of your circumstances and materials. You will need to contact the Graduate Program Coordinator for your intended department to request a waiver for the official transcripts. 

Transcripts can take 10-14 business days for processing from the time that we receive them.

3. Letters of Recommendation

Fill out the letter of recommendation request form as prompted in the application. The referee will then receive an email with instructions, and you don’t need to take any further action. Recommendations must come directly from the referee, not the applicant, to be considered valid. 

4. Test Scores 

Send any required admission test scores to Utah State University.

• GRE: Send scores using the institution code 4857.
• MAT: Send scores using the institution code 2273.

We recommend submitting your test scores at least a month before your program application deadline. To prevent delays with your USU application, make sure the personal information on your test scores (i.e., email address, physical address, first name, and last name) match what’s listed on your USU application. Expired test scores will not be accepted.

5. International Student Materials (Domestic applicants can continue to the next step)

If you’re an international applicant, you will need to provide the following supplemental items: 

1. Copy of passport (only if you are admitted)
2. Proof of English Language Proficiency. To learn how to meet this requirement, please visit the Admissions Policies.
3. A Certified English Translation of Transcripts
   • If your previous institution does not provide English translations of transcripts, please use an official foreign credential evaluating company for this step. 
   • USU’s Graduate Admissions highly recommends SpanTran, a NACES company that has created a custom application to ensure you obtain the right kind of evaluation at a discounted rate.
   • Access SpanTran
   • International applicants can direct any questions not related to the information above to the Office of Global Engagement.

Complete Your Application

Once all supplemental items have been added, the School of Graduate Studies will process your final application and send it to the department for review. This step does not require any action from the applicant.

Accept Your Offer

Once departmental decisions have been made, you will receive an email from the School of Graduate Studies with your admission decision. If admitted, be sure to officially accept the offer by the deadline provided.

Begin Post-Admission Steps

To help you better transition into graduate school at USU, we’ve compiled a post-admission steps guide. Please take a moment to review this information and complete all immediate actions.

Review Post-Admission Steps