Applying for Admission:
Bachelor's Degree Programs

When to Apply

Freshman and transfer applications for admission to a bachelor's degree program are due no later than June 15 for fall semester, Nov. 1 for spring semester and May 1 for summer semester.

Applications are processed in the order they are received. Applications received after the published deadlines may not be processed by the beginning of the semester.

High school seniors are encouraged to apply for admission as early as the first semester of their senior year and should provide an official high school transcript including a list of courses 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 be admitted to UAF, a student must:

  1. Submit an application for admission
    Apply online at www.uaf.edu/admissions/. Applications must be received before the published deadlines, along with a $50 nonrefundable application fee. The fee should be paid by check, credit card or money order to the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Please do not send cash. Paper applications can be submitted to the Office of Admissions and the Registrar.
    Applications are processed in the order they are received. Applications received after the published deadlines may not be processed by the beginning of the semester.
  2. Submit official transcripts
    To be considered official, transcripts must arrive in sealed envelopes from each institution attended.
    High school transcripts -- Applicants with no college course work or fewer than 30 transferable semester credit hours of college credit must submit official high school transcripts.
    College transcripts -- Applicants who have college-level course work must send official college or university transcripts to UAF.
    International -- See Applying for Admission: International Students for additional information.
  3. Submit official test results
    Freshman and transfer applicants with fewer than 30 semester credit hours must submit the results of either the ACT Plus Writing (preferred) or the SAT examination.
    Contact Testing Services at 907-474-5277 or your high school guidance office for information concerning the ACT Plus Writing or SAT. Please note, the ACCUPLACER, ASSET, COMPASS, ALEKS or other placement tests do not satisfy this requirement.

International Students
See Applying for Admission: International Students for additional information.

Admission Requirements

For admission to baccalaureate-level programs, applicants must fulfill either:

Option 1:

  1. have a high school diploma, and
  2. pass the 16-credit high school core curriculum (see Table 1) with a GPA of at least 2.5, and
  3. have a cumulative GPA of 3.0. No minimum ACT or SAT score is required, OR

Option 2:

  1. have a high school diploma, and
  2. pass the 16-credit high school core curriculum (see Table 1) with a GPA of at least 2.5, and
  3. have a cumulative GPA of 2.5, and
  4. submit results of the ACT Plus Writing (preferred) with a score of 18 or SAT with a score of 1290.

Admission to a specific bachelor's degree program is based on a combination of your high school GPA and completion of specific high school courses. See Table 1 above for entrance requirements to specific colleges and schools within the university.

Test results from the ACT Plus Writing (preferred) or SAT must be received before a student can be fully admitted. This requirement will be waived for students who have successfully completed, with a grade of C or better, the equivalent of 3 credits of 100-level math and 100-level English composition from a regionally accredited institution of higher education within the last two years.

TABLE 1 High School Entrance Requirements for all Bachelor's Degree Programs
English Math Social Sciences Natural/Physical Sciences Foreign
Language*

High School Core Curriculum -- Required for all freshmen; 2.50 GPA in core; 16 credits total, which must include:
4 cr 3-4 cr in college preparatory mathematics (selected from Algebra I, II, geometry, trigonometry, elementary functions, precalculus or calculus) 3-4 cr 3-4 cr (includes 1-cr lab science course in biology, chemistry or physics) 2 cr
College of Engineering and Mines • College of Natural Science and Mathematics •
School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences • School of Natural Resources and Extension
4 cr Algebra-2 cr; Geometry-1 cr; Trigonometry-½ cr;
At least an additional ½ cr of advanced math is recommended for computer science, mathematics, physics, statistics and engineering.
3-4 cr Physics or Chemistry-1 cr; Natural Sciences-1 cr; Elective-1 cr.
Both physics and chemistry are strongly recommended for engineering.
Same as high school core
College of Liberal Arts • School of Management • College of Rural and Community Development • General Studies (undecided or exploratory)
4 cr Same as high school core;
School of Management students should be well-prepared in mathematics with at least Algebra II, but precalculus or higher is preferred.
3-4 cr Same as high school core Same as high school core

* Recommended but not required.


Pre-Major

Students who have not met the minimum requirements for admission to a baccalaureate degree program will be admitted to pre-major status within the department of their choice.

Students will be changed to major status when they are in good standing and have completed 14 credits at the 100 level or above with a C (2.0) average or higher; 9 of the 14 credits must satisfy baccalaureate core requirements.

General Studies

Students accepted to bachelor's programs that do not select a major will be admitted as general studies students. Students receiving GI assistance or veterans' benefits may be required to change to a declared major to keep their benefits award. Students must have declared a major to participate in the Western Undergraduate Exchange program.

Transfer Students

A transfer student is defined as someone coming into the university with at least 30 transferable semester credits. Transfer students are eligible for admission to a bachelor's program if they have a 2.0 GPA in their previous course work and left their previous institution(s) in good standing. If applying to a technical or scientific program, students may need to present a higher grade average and proof that they have completed appropriate background courses before they will be admitted. Students transferring into a bachelor's degree program with fewer than 30 semester hours of transferable credit must also meet the freshman admission requirements. Admission status for students who have attended an unaccredited postsecondary institution will be determined on an individual basis. See Transferring Credits for more information.

Probational Acceptance

Applicants with previous college course work may be admitted with probationary status if their cumulative or most recent term grade point average is less than C (2.0).

High School Students

High school students may take classes at UAF. The Alaska Higher Education Admission Decision program requires formal admittance to UAF. The other two enrollment options, Secondary Student Enrollment and TECH PREP, have specific registration requirements but do not require admission to UAF.

AHEAD Program

The Alaska Higher Education Admission Decision program allows qualified high school students to be formally admitted to UAF as general studies students. AHEAD students are assigned an academic advisor and follow the registration timeline for degree students. To qualify, students must have completed three-fourths of their high school core curriculum and have a cumulative 3.0 GPA or higher. Students who wish to apply to the AHEAD program may get a program application from the Office of Admissions and the Registrar.

Home-Schooled Students

Home-schooled students who have gone through a state-recognized program and have a valid high school diploma may be admitted to a bachelor's program according to UAF admission standards. See Admission Requirements for more information.

For home-schooled students who have not gone through a state-recognized program, admission to a bachelor's degree is through an individual review by the director of admissions (or a designee). Applicants are required to submit scores from either the SAT or ACT Plus Writing prior to an admission review. Additional supporting documentation, such as letters of recommendation, may be requested for review by the director of admissions. In some cases, files will be shared with department chairs or faculty for further review.

Students who have not met the minimum requirements for admission to a bachelor's degree program may be admitted to pre-major status within the department of their choice. Students will be changed to major status when their admissions file is complete, they are in good standing, and they have completed 14 credits at the 100 level or above with a C (2.0) average or higher, 9 credits of which must satisfy baccalaureate core requirements.

After Acceptance

Conditional and Final Acceptance

Qualified applicants will receive a letter of acceptance once all required items are received and evaluated. Qualified applicants who are in their last year of high school or are attending another college will receive conditional acceptance. Acceptance becomes final when the Office of Admissions and the Registrar receives official transcripts showing 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 and the Registrar has reviewed all necessary credentials.

Request to Postpone

An offer of admission to UAF is valid for the semester for which the applicant applied. Requests to postpone admission until a later semester may be made in writing to the Office of Admissions and the Registrar. Admission may be postponed for up to one calendar year. Students are required to notify the Office of Admissions and the Registrar if they are attending another school outside the University of Alaska statewide system.

Applying for a Second Bachelor's Degree

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

Undergraduate degree students who choose not to enroll for a semester or more may be eligible to re-enroll in their original degree program without reapplying for admission. Students remain eligible to register for classes if:

  • they have not been academically disqualified,
  • they have not attended a non-UA institution since they were last enrolled at UAF,
  • their lapse in enrollment is less than two years, and
  • they are continuing with the same degree program.

Students should be aware that poor academic performance at other campuses in the UA system may affect academic standing upon their return to UAF. Students who meet all of the above requirements should consult with their academic advisor and register for classes. Students who do not meet all of these requirements should submit an undergraduate application for admission along with the $50 application fee and transcripts of any non-UA course work taken. Students who are unsure about their status should contact the Office of Admissions and the Registrar.

  • Fresh Start for Returning Students
    Fresh Start can offer a new beginning for students who performed poorly at UAF when they last attended, and who have taken at least a two year break from classes. Those who withdrew from school or were dismissed for academic reasons may apply for readmission and request that their entire prior academic record be disregarded. Students who qualify for Fresh Start begin their college study anew with no credits attempted or earned, and no quality points reflected in future GPA calculations. Fresh Start can be used only once.
    All prior course work will remain part of the student's overall academic record and appear on transcripts, but none of the previously earned credits 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.
  • Readmission of Service Members
    The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 requires that students who left school to serve in the uniformed services be readmitted into the same program with the same standing they had when they left. UAF allows for special readmission of these students. More information is available at www.uaf.edu/admissions/other/military/.

Where to Get More Information

Office of Admissions and the Registrar
University of Alaska Fairbanks
First floor, Signers' Hall
P.O. Box 757480
Fairbanks, AK 99775-7480
Email: uaf-admissions@alaska.edu
Online: www.uaf.edu/admissions/
Telephone: 907-474-7500
Toll free: 800-478-1823
Fax: 907-474-7097