Graduate Admissions Policies & Procedures

Note: The policies and procedures on this page are referenced from the School of Graduate Studies Catalog Section 1. The catalog is the official text. While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of this page, the catalog is the authoritative source of information.

It is expected that all graduate admissions applications submitted by the program’s deadline will be reviewed by the department.

Admissions FAQ

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On This Page

Application Requirements 

• The following items must be received by the School of Graduate Studies before an applicant’s graduate admission application (this application process is the same for graduate certificates) will be considered complete:

A Bachelor's Degree

• A bachelor’s degree (or, for some doctoral programs, a master’s degree), that is or will be completed before the student matriculates in the degree program, from an accredited U.S. college or university or a similarly recognized international university is required for admission to a graduate program. 
• Three-year bachelor’s degrees from accredited or similarly recognized institutions are accepted with the approval of the academic department or degree program and the School of Graduate Studies Admissions Officer. 
• NOTE FOR INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS: The School of Graduate Studies does not accept Higher National Diplomas (HNDs).

A 3.0 or Higher Grade Point Average   

• The School of Graduate Studies will calculate GPAs based on the applicant’s cumulative undergraduate GPA.
• 30 graduate credits will be taken from an earned graduate degree or degree in progress.
  • Note: We do not use post-baccalaureate credits to calculate a GPA. 

Application Fee 

• A completed online application accompanied by the nonrefundable application fee (required for both international and domestic applicants).  
• The School of Graduate Studies requires a $55 ($25 for graduate certificates) nonrefundable application fee that must be paid electronically via debit/credit card at the time of the application submission. 
  • Note: Not all graduate certificates are financial aid eligible. Prospective students may contact the USU Student Financial Support Office to inquire whether their intended graduate certificate is financial aid eligible.
  • Any other payment method will not be accepted. 
• Refunds are not given for incomplete applications or for non-admittance to a graduate program.
  • Note: Paying the application fee does not guarantee admission to a graduate program. 
• If an applicant is having difficulties making the online payment with their debit or credit card, they can contact USU’s IT Department.   
• Application fees will be waived for McNair Scholars and active USU Honors students. 

 Application Fee Waivers 

• The School of Graduate Studies does not give out application fee waivers to applicants.
• Some departments offer financial hardship fee waivers for those who may require assistance.   
• Applicants should contact the department to which they are applying for more information.  

Supplemental Application Materials

• After an applicant has paid the application fee and submitted the initial application, they can log back into the application portal and open their submitted application. 
  • There will be a new tab for them to upload all required supplemental items.   
• If an applicant has questions about the supplemental items required for their application, they should contact the program they are applying to for more information.  

Three Letters of Recommendation   

• Each letter should address the applicant’s potential for success in the proposed graduate degree program.  
• If the applicant has been enrolled in school during the last five years, at least two of the letters must come from individuals who are familiar with and can make an authoritative assessment of the applicant’s recent academic performance.  
• In order for the applicant to submit a request for letters of recommendation to be sent the applicant must provide their prospective recommenders’ names and email addresses.  
  • This step is completed once a prospective student has filled out the online application and paid the application fee. 
• The School of Graduate Studies cannot fill out or edit a letter of recommendation request form.   
• Students can edit the letter of recommendation requests at any time before it is submitted. 
• The School of Graduate Studies must receive letters of recommendation from the recommender directly and cannot accept copies submitted by the applicant.

Transcripts

Official Transcripts

• For admission, the School of Graduate Studies requires official transcripts from each previously attended college and/or university (except Utah State University).
  • If the applicant was awarded a degree from one institution and the transcript from that institution includes courses taken at a second college or university, and if the transcript includes the course title(s), credits, grade(s), and dates, then applicants do not have to submit a separate transcript from the second college or university. 
    • This includes official college transcripts for any concurrent enrollment credit earned if it is not already on the applicant’s undergraduate transcript.
• Transcripts are considered official when they are: 
  
  • Sent directly to the USU School of Graduate Studies by mail (see mailing address below) from the applicant’s previous institution(s). 
  • Sent directly to the USU School of Graduate Studies by email from the applicant’s previous institution(s) to graduateadmissions@usu.edu

Unofficial Transcripts

• Some departments accept unofficial transcripts for the application review process that can be uploaded by the student to their application. 
• Transcripts are considered unofficial when they are:
  
  • A Student copy.
  • Sent from a non-school email (e.g., gmail, yahoo, etc.). 
  • The Transcripts are not in English (have not gone through certified translation). 
• Applicants will need to contact the Graduate Program Coordinator for the program to which they are applying to inquire if they allow unofficial transcripts for the application review process.  

Submitting Official Transcripts

• If an applicant is accepted into a program and matriculates at USU, official copies sent directly from each issuing institution to the School of Graduate Studies will be required within the first semester of attendance.  
  • Any student that does not provide official transcripts within the allotted timeframe will have a hold put on their student account by the end of their first semester, preventing future course registration.
  • This hold will be removed when the School of Graduate Studies receives the student’s official transcript with the degree verification.
• Applicants should have their previous institutions submit their official transcripts at least 1 month prior to the application deadline.  

• USU alumni do not need to provide USU transcripts; the School of Graduate Studies will pull them for the applicant.   
• Once an official transcript is received, it can take the graduate school 10-14 workdays to process the transcript on the application.  
• Transcripts sent electronically must still be processed and therefore do not automatically appear on the applicant’s application.  
• Any exceptions to the official transcript policy will be based on a departmental review of the applicant’s circumstances and materials.  
• To ensure timely processing, applicants should specify “Utah State University School of Graduate Studies” when sending their transcripts. 

Methods to Submit Official Transcripts

Official transcripts from the applicant’s previous institution(s) can be sent to Utah State University School of Graduate Studies through mail or electronic clearing house or dropped off in person by the applicant or student in a sealed, unopened envelope from the previous institution(s) (see below).

Official transcripts can be mailed to:

Utah State University
School of Graduate Studies
0900 Old Main Hill
Logan, UT 84322-0900

If by electronic clearinghouse, transcripts can be emailed to:

graduateadmissions@usu.edu 

Brought in person by the applicant or student:

The official transcripts in a sealed, unopened envelope from the previous institution(s) may also be dropped off by the applicant or student in person, to the School of Graduate Studies Office in the Old Main Building, room 164.

For questions regarding official transcripts, please contact the Utah State University Graduate Admissions Office at graduateadmissions@usu.edu. 

English Language Proficiency (International Applicants)

• International applicants are required to submit proof of proficiency in the English language.
• Applicants who have completed two years of college in one of the countries listed below, and the primary language of instruction is in English, are considered proficient in the English language and will not be required to provide additional evidence of English language proficiency.

For applicants that did not attend a minimum of two years in one of the countries listed on the website, the English proficiency requirement can be fulfilled in a few ways.

• Applicants that attended schools in countries outside of the list that have English as the official Language of Instruction may request an official letter from their previous institution’s registrar’s office and have it sent directly to the School of Graduate Studies.   
  • This requirement can also be fulfilled if English is clearly listed as the Language of Instruction on an official transcript.
• Applicants can take one of the approved English Proficiency exams listed below. Applicants should request the testing agency send official exam scores directly to Utah State University.
• TOEFL internet-based (iBT) exam score of 79 or paper-based exam score of 550.  
  
  • The institution school code for Utah State University is 4857.*
• IELTS score of 6.5 overall band score with a minimum of 5.0 on each subscale.*
• The Michigan English Test (MET) score of 55. 
• Cambridge English Exam results of B2 First, C1 Advanced, or C2 Proficiency score of 176. 

*All language scores must be official and sent to Utah State University from the testing center where the student took the exam. The Office of Global Engagement and the School of Graduate Studies Admissions Team will be able to access it from there. Scores
 more than 2 years old are not accepted. 

NOTE: Some degree programs may have additional application requirements. Applicants should refer to their intended program for questions about any required tests, minimum required scores, statement of purpose, any accepted test score alternatives (such as a portfolio), and any other required application materials.

Application Deadlines

Graduate admissions application deadlines are department or program specific.

• Applicants should be aware of all deadlines and plan accordingly. 

Application Procedures  

• Applications are submitted online at the application portal. 
• Applicants may refer to the Steps to Apply page on the School of Graduate Studies website.  

Applicants experiencing technical issues with their applications may contact USU IT Services for assistance. 

Application Processing

• The School of Graduate Studies tracks applications from submission to completion.  
• Applications are not processed and referred to departments or programs until they are complete and all required items (e.g. transcripts, test scores, letters of recommendation) are received. 
• Once all supplemental items have been submitted, the School of Graduate Studies refers applications to the appropriate departments for review.  
  • Once an applicant’s application has been referred, the applicant should follow up with the program for any questions about the review process. 
• The time it takes to process and refer an application for department review is primarily dependent on the speed with which the School of Graduate Studies receives letters of recommendation, transcripts, and test scores. 
• This process may take six to eight weeks. 
• Once an application is reviewed by the department or program, the School of Graduate Studies is notified with the final recommendation.  
• Recommendations to accept or deny admission are then reviewed and approved by the School of Graduate Studies. 
• Applicants who have a question about why they were denied can reach out to the Graduate Program Coordinator (GPC) for more information.  
• Accepted applicants must accept or reject their offer of admission in the application portal. 
  • The deadline for Fall applicants is April 15th, for the following year. 
  • Spring/Summer applicants have 60 days from the date of their acceptance by the department. 
  • Note: Deadlines to accept or reject the offer of admission may vary depending on the program. Applicants will need to contact the Graduate Program Coordinator for questions.  

Application Edits

• Edits to a graduate admissions application can only be made before an application is sent to the department for review.  
• To make changes, applicants can send an email to graduateadmissions@usu.edu. 
• Once the application has been sent to the department, the School of Graduate Studies is no longer able to make changes to the application. 

Closing Inactive Applications  

• Applications that have had no activity for 90 days (approximately three months) after the application due date are considered inactive and will be closed.  
• Once an application is closed, it cannot be reopened or considered for future application seasons.  
• If for any reason an application will not be complete within the three-month period, applicants should contact graduate admissions to ask for a deferment of their application.  
• It is the applicant’s responsibility to defer their application in order to keep it open for another term.  

Using Old Application Materials   

• The School of Graduate Studies requires all applicants to submit new application materials for each application submitted.   
• This includes transcripts, letters of recommendation, and test scores.  
  • Note: Only official transcripts will be transferred if they are within two years of being submitted to the School of Graduate Studies.

Summer Semester Admission  

• The summer semester consists of two 1-week pre-sessions for workshops and short special programs, an 8-week semester of regular coursework, and a post-session of 1 week for workshops and seminars.   
• Nonresident students pay only resident tuition for summer semester credits.  
• All summer semester students are eligible to register the following fall semester.   
• For information regarding deadlines and course availability, applicants should contact the department to which they plan to apply.     

Deferment   

Deferments are available for students who 1) need to delay their admission to the university or for 2) those who need to extend their application period. 

• Students who have accepted their offer of admission and have been admitted to the university have the option to defer their start date.
• Applicants have 90 days to defer their application for admission.  
• Once the 90-day deadline has past, the application will no longer be deferrable, and the application will be closed out.  
• General acceptance into a program may be deferred for up to 1 year.  
  • Any amount of time beyond that is subject to approval by the Department, and the Vice Provost for the School of Graduate Studies.   
  • Note For International Students: Please be aware that deferment for more than one year may require you to obtain a new I-20. For questions about a deferment as an international student, please contact the Office of Global Engagement.   
• To obtain a start-date deferral, students must contact their graduate program coordinator.    
• Students have until the end of the semester of their entry term to defer their start date.   
• If they do not take classes or request a deferral before this date, they will have to reapply in the next application cycle for a USU graduate program.  
• Unfinished applications are closed 90 days after the end of the desired entry term.  
• Once an application has been closed, applicants are required to reapply.  

Leaves of absence are also available for students who have already completed classes at USU but need to take a break from their graduate program.  

Note: The policies and procedures on this page are referenced from the School of Graduate Studies Catalog Section 1. The catalog is the official text. While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of this page, the catalog is the authoritative source of information.