Baccalaureate Degree Programs

When to Apply

Freshman and transfer applications for admission to a bachelor’s degree program are due on August 1 for fall semester and December 1 for spring semester.

High school students should apply during the first semester of their senior year and provide a listing of course work in progress. Transfer students should apply at least three to four months before the beginning of the semester in which they plan to enroll.

How to Apply

To apply to a baccalaureate degree program, request an application from the Office of Admissions. Apply online via the UAF website at www.uaf.edu/admissions or at http://uaonline.alaska.edu. For more information contact 1-800-478-1823. Before your application is complete, the Office of Admissions must receive

• Application for Admission
  Your application must be received, along with a $40 non-refundable application fee, before the published application deadlines.
• Transcripts
  High school transcripts — Applicants with fewer than 30 semester credit hours of college credits must submit official high school transcripts.
  College transcripts — Applicants who have attended other postsecondary institutions must arrange for those institutions to send official college or university transcripts to UAF. Transcripts must come in sealed envelopes from each institution attended.
• Test Results
  Freshman and transfer applicants with fewer than 30 semester credit hours must submit the results of either the ACT (preferred) or the SAT examination. These test scores are used to help place the student in English, mathematics and other freshman courses.
  Contact the UAF testing office at (907) 474-5277 or your high school for information concerning the ACT, SAT, ASSET, or COMPASS tests.
• International Students
  See Special Instructions for International Students for additional information.

Admission Requirements

For admission to baccalaureate level programs, you must:

1. have a high school diploma*, AND
2. have an overall high school grade point average (GPA) of a C grade (2.0) or higher, AND
3. meet high school core curriculum requirements listed below, AND
4. have a core curriculum GPA of 2.5, AND
5. submit results of the ACT (preferred) or SAT taken within the last two years.

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 the table below for entrance requirements to specific colleges and schools within the university. You must complete, with a minimum grade point average of 2.5, a high school core curriculum of at least 16 academic units in English, college preparatory mathematics, social sciences, natural sciences and foreign languages. The units must include 4 credits in English, 3 credits in college preparatory mathematics (selected from Algebra I, II, geometry, trigonometry, elementary functions, precalculus or calculus), 3 credits in social sciences and 3 in natural or physical sciences (including at least one laboratory course in biology, chemistry or physics). Two years of study in a non-English language are strongly recommended.

Test results from the ACT (preferred) or SAT must be received before you can be admitted, and test results must be less than two years old. This requirement will be waived if you have successfully completed, with a grade of "C” or better within the last two years, the equivalent of three credits each of 100-level Math and English composition from a regionally accredited institution of higher education.

*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.

Pre-Major

If you do not meet the minimum requirements for admission to a baccalaureate degree program, you may be admitted to pre-major status within the department of your choice.

You may later apply for a baccalaureate degree program and will be admitted if you are in good standing and have completed 14 credits at the 100-level or above with a C grade average (2.0) or higher, of which 9 credits must satisfy general baccalaureate degree requirements.

Transfer Students

A transfer student is defined as someone coming into the university with at least 30 semester credits from a regionally accredited institution. You are eligible for admission to a baccalaureate program if you have a 2.0 GPA in your previous course work and left your previous institutions in good standing. If you’re applying to a technical or scientific program, you may need to present a higher grade average and proof that you’ve completed appropriate background courses before you’ll be admitted to the program. If you’re transferring into a baccalaureate degree program with fewer than 30 semester hours of transferable credit, you must also meet the freshman admission requirements listed in A through E above. Admission status for students who have attended an unaccredited postsecondary institution will be determined on an individual basis.

Non-degree Students

Anyone who wishes to attend classes at UAF as a non-degree student must be a high school graduate or at least 18 years old. Non-degree students are subject to placement examination requirements for freshman courses, and they must maintain a 2.0 GPA to remain in good standing. Any non-degree student who wishes to be considered a degree candidate must meet regular admission requirements and submit transcripts. Non-degree students are not eligible for financial aid or priority registration.

Many people who enroll as non-degree students hold a bachelor’s degree but have not applied to a graduate program. This category may include students who plan to take "interest courses,” those who wish to prepare for admission to a graduate program, and those who expect to stay at UAF only briefly. It’s important for potential graduate students to understand that credits earned as a non-degree student might not be accepted for use toward a graduate degree program. Please see the transfer credit section of How to Earn a Graduate Degree.

Secondary School Students

UAF offers three opportunities for secondary students to enroll in university classes: secondary student enrollment, the AHEAD program, and TECH PREP. For information on these programs please contact your high school guidance counselor, your local rural campus, or the UAF Office of Admissions via telephone (907) 474-7500 or (800) 478-1823, or online at www.uaf.edu/admissions/.

• Secondary Student Enrollment
  Secondary students who meet course prerequisites may enroll in UAF courses with permission of the instructor. Those who wish to use university courses to meet high school graduation requirements must gain approval from the appropriate school district officials and school counselors prior to registration.
  Registering for courses at UAF establishes a permanent academic record that will reflect student performance in all attempted courses. Grades and credits earned as a high school student at UAF become part of some future calculations of GPA.
  Note: Enrollment in UAF courses as a secondary student does not constitute formal admission to the university for the purposes of earning a certificate or degree.
• AHEAD Program
  The Alaska Higher Education Admission Decision (AHEAD) program allows qualified high school students to be formally admitted to UAF. AHEAD students are assigned an academic advisor and are given priority registration. The AHEAD program is for high school students who have completed three-fourths of their high school core curriculum and have a 2.5 GPA or higher. You may pick up an AHEAD program application and a UAF undergraduate application for admission from your high school counseling office, or from the UAF Office of Admissions.

After Acceptance

Conditional and Final Acceptance

Once the Office of Admissions receives and evaluates application materials, UAF will mail a letter of acceptance to qualified applicants. 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 receives official transcripts showing that 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 has accepted all necessary credentials.

Request to Postpone

Your offer of admission to UAF is valid for the semester for which you applied. If you wish to postpone your admission until a later semester, however, you may request permission from the Office of Admissions. Your enrollment may be postponed for up to one calendar year as long as you do not attend 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

If you’re an undergraduate degree student and you choose not to enroll for a semester or more, you may be eligible to re-enroll in your degree program without reapplying for admission. You remain eligible to register for classes in your degree program if:

• You have not been academically disqualified,
• You have not attended a non-UA institution since you were last enrolled at UAF,
• Your lapse in enrollment is less than two years, and
• You’re continuing with the same degree program as before.

If you meet all the above requirements, you need only consult with your advisor and register for classes. If you do not meet all these requirements, you will need to submit a regular undergraduate application for admission along with the $40 processing fee and transcripts of any non-UA course work.

Fresh Start for Returning Students

Fresh Start can offer a new beginning for students who performed poorly at UAF. Those who withdrew from school or were dismissed for academic reasons may apply for readmission by disregarding their entire prior academic record. Those who apply on this basis begin their college study anew with no credits attempted or earned, and no quality points reflected in future grade point average calculations. Fresh Start may be used only once.

Fresh Start application forms are available at the Office of Admissions or the registrar’s office. Admission on this basis requires that at least two years have elapsed since the end of the last semester the applicant attended UAF full-time.

Prior academic records remain part of the student’s overall academic record and appear on transcripts, but none of the credits earned previously 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.

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Last modified April 8, 2011 by University Relations Web Developer.