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1998-99 UAF Catalog

Graduate


Applying for Admission

When to Apply

You should apply six to nine months before the beginning of the semester in which you plan to enroll. At the latest, your application should be received by August 1 for the fall semester and December 1 for the spring semester. Applications received after the deadlines will be processed as time permits.

For graduate study and assistantships, many departments require submission of credentials as early as February 1 for the fall semester. Applications for programs in anthropology, biology, engineering, geology, geophysics and wildlife biology should be sent early, as the number of graduate students accepted in these fields is limited. The School of Education's deadlines are April 1 for summer/fall and October 1 for spring admission. The number of graduate students accepted is limited. Contact the departments for more information. If you're an international applicant, please see the following section for specific instructions.

You may reserve on-campus housing when your application for admission has been accepted. If you're interested in single student housing, you should send your application materials at least six months before you plan to enroll. For information on married student housing, contact the UAF Housing Office.

How to Apply

In general, you may be admitted to graduate status if you have a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution with at least a 3.0 ("B") average in your major and if the major is deemed suitable for continuation of studies in the field of choice. Equivalent accomplishments at a foreign university may be substituted. For the purposes of admission to graduate study, all grades, including those generated from retaking a course, are included in the calculation of the grade point average. Information on specific degree programs can be obtained from academic departments or the Graduate School.

To apply for admission to a UAF graduate degree program, please submit the following to the Office of Admissions:

  1. Graduate Application for Admission --
    A $35 non-refundable processing fee must accompany your application.
  2. Transcripts --
    If you've attended other colleges and/or universities, you must request official transcripts from each college or university you attended. The transcripts should be sent to the Office of Admissions by the schools. TRANSCRIPTS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED IF YOU SUBMIT THEM.
  3. Resume/Vitae --
    Include work and research experience, published articles, patents held, honors received, membership in professional and civic organizations and foreign travel.
  4. Statement of Academic Goals --
    Write a statement indicating why you wish to study in a particular program, your qualifications and educational experience. (For applicants to Education programs, a four-to-five-page self-evaluation essay is required.)
  5. Letters of Recommendation --
    At least three letters of recommendation from persons able to vouch for your work, character and ability to undertake graduate study and research must be sent.
  6. Results of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) --
    Results of the GRE are required from all applicants except those applying for the MBA program -- see below. If you are applying to the graduate program in management (business administration), you are required to submit scores from the GMAT. Refer to the admission requirements of the specific degree program for which you are applying to determine what other tests might be required.

Ph.D. Program Applicants

To apply for admission into a Ph.D. program, you must submit a description of your proposed graduate program and professional goals.

Interdisciplinary Program Applicants

To apply as an interdisciplinary degree student, you must submit a proposed graduate study plan and a research outline and obtain a commitment from a UAF faculty member to serve as advisory committee chair. Contact the Graduate School for specific interdisciplinary application procedures.

International Students

If you're an international student or a recent immigrant to the United States, additional admission requirements apply to you:

English Language Proficiency Policy

In addition to meeting regular admission requirements, you must be able to read, write and speak English well enough to successfully complete your program.

TOEFL Test Requirements

  1. If you're from a country where English is not the native language, you must present a score of 550 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). You can't use any other proof of English competency (such as English credits from other schools).
  2. If you're a permanent resident on an immigrant visa, a TOEFL score is required if all your formal education is from a country where English is not the primary language or when the documents presented for admission don't clearly indicate your proficiency in English.

Other Requirements

  1. Your application should reach the Office of Admissions by March 1 for the fall semester or Sept. 1 for the spring semester. Your application must be completed and accepted by August 1 for the fall semester and Nov. 1 for the spring semester in order to allow time for your I-20 form to be issued. You can't reserve on-campus housing until your application for admission has been accepted. If you're interested in single student housing, you should file your application materials at least eight months before you plan to enroll.
  2. When preparing the I-20 form that is necessary to obtain an F-1 (student) visa, the university must certify to the Immigration and Naturalization Service that you have been accepted for full-time enrollment and that you have funds to meet estimated expenses for one academic year. If you're in the U.S. on an F-1 visa, you must maintain a full-time course load; you may not enroll as a part-time student (less than 9 credits per semester).
  3. You must sign a statement and provide documentation that funds are available to pay all expenses while you attend UAF, as well as the amount needed for round-trip transportation between your home and Alaska. The minimum cost for attending UAF for one school year is $14,000. This amount covers university fees, room and board on campus and a reasonable amount of personal expenses. It does not include transportation to and from Alaska, summer living or cold weather clothing costs. Since the application for the F-1 visa requires affirmation that you don't intend to live in the United States permanently, you aren't eligible for resident tuition fees.

Students with Master's Degrees

Second Master's Degree Programs

At the discretion of your advisory committee, admitting department and dean, you may transfer up to 20 percent of the minimum number of credits required for a UAF master's degree from a previously earned master's degree. Transferred credit may not be research, project or thesis credit. The transferred credit must be for completed graduate-level courses and not portions of a course. For a 30-credit master's degree, therefore, up to 6 graduate credits may be transferred; for a 45-credit master's degree, up to 9 graduate credits maybe transferred. The following procedures are required for students who wish to pursue a second master's degree:

  1. A new application is required, including the application processing fee, updated transcripts and three new letters of reference.
  2. Acceptable GRE scores submitted previously may be applied to a second master's degree.
  3. You must fulfill all general university requirements for the second master's degree, including taking a comprehensive exam (if required), completing a minimum of 30 semester credits (including thesis, research and transfer credits) and passing a defense of a thesis or project.
  4. All of the work used to fulfill degree requirements for a second master's degree must be complete within seven years.

Transfer of Credit

A maximum of 9 semester credits from another institution may be transferred to UAF and applied toward a graduate degree, if approved by your advisory committee and the dean of the college/school in which you are enrolled. These credits may be at the upper-division, undergraduate level or at the graduate level, but you must have taken them after completing your baccalaureate degree. All transfer courses must have been taken within the appropriate time limit for the degree. University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) and University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) credits are considered transfer credits when used in UAF graduate programs.