University Catalog

II. Graduate Admission

A. Graduate Applicants

Prospective students are encouraged to consult with their respective academic department regarding the admission process before making a formal UW application.

Applicants must submit the UW graduate application and the nonrefundable application fee. One set of official transcripts must be sent directly to the UW Admissions Office from each previous collegiate institution.

Domestic applicants must have completed a bachelor’s degree or equivalent from a regionally accredited institution. All applicants should have at least a 3.000 cumulative GPA (scale of 4.000).

Some graduate programs may require standardized examination scores for admission.

Applicants whose department requires the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) must request official scores be sent to the Admissions Office directly from the Educational Testing Service (ETS). Our institution code with ETS is 4855.

Some departments may require scores from the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), rather than the GRE.

Letters of recommendation may also be required by some departments. Please see the academic department or program entries elsewhere in the Catalog for details about admission requirements.

Graduate applicants should contact the respective academic departments for questions concerning application status, degree program requirements, deadlines, and supplemental application materials they may require.

Admission Status Categories

Advanced-degree applicants may be admitted to the University of Wyoming in one of the following categories:

1. Admitted Graduate Student signifies the applicant has been accepted by the university and by a major department to work toward an advanced degree.

2. Conditional admission of a Graduate Student signifies the applicant did not meet the formal admission requirements but has sufficient potential that the university and the major department are convinced that the student will be successful as an advanced- degree candidate. Conditions are usually placed on such students in the form of performance criteria for the first one or two semesters. If the conditions of admission are not met within first two semesters, the student may be denied admission to the university graduate program and the degree program. At minimum, conditionally admitted graduate students must maintain a 3.000 GPA through their first semester. Failure to do so will result in revocation of admission. More restrictive conditions may be defined by the department.

The student and an adviser in the major department should monitor progress toward meeting the established conditions. The department is responsible for notifying the Office of the Registrar when all conditions have been met.

Students should be certain they understand their admission status.

Students admitted with graduate standing may elect to take any undergraduate or graduate courses for which they are prepared, subject to restrictions as outlined in the University Catalog. However, tuition will be assessed at the graduate level for all courses taken with graduate status. Admission to graduate study does not automatically make a student a candidate for an advanced degree.

Note: Students working toward a second bachelor’s degree are not considered graduate students and are subject to all undergraduate regulations.

B. International Graduate Applicants

All graduate international students must also submit the following in additional to application materials required by the Academic Department.

1. Provide proof of satisfactory English ability if student’s native language is not English.  This can be done by providing official score reports from TOEFL or IELTS.  The minimum acceptable TOEFL score is 540 (76 iBT).  The minimum acceptable IELTS score is 6.5. Please note that some departments require higher TOEFL/IELTS scores than what is required by the Admissions Office.
2. As with the GRE/GMAT scores, many departments may require a higher level of English proficiency than what is required by the Admissions Office.
3. Provide evidence of adequate financial resources to pay the total cost of their education.  The Confidential Financial Statement for undergraduate international applicants can be found online at www.uwyo.edu/admissions/international/requirements-graduate.html.  Students who are awarded a full graduate assistantship may not need to provide this documentation.

C. Graduate Non-Degree Student

1. Must complete and submit a Non-Degree Student application including a non-refundable $40.00 application fee.
2. Transcripts are required for proof of undergraduate degree for non-degree status, and must be submitted to the Admissions Office.
3. Non-degree students may enroll in a maximum of 8 credit hours per semester (maximum of two courses). Only 12 credit hours taken in this status may be used towards a UW degree.  This 12-credit hour rule may be decreased if prior courses were reserved for graduate credit as either an undergraduate or as non-degree student.
4. Admission with non-degree status is not available to international students or students on suspension.
5. Students admitted with non-degree status are assessed tuition and fees at the same tuition rate as degree-seeking students.
6. Students admitted with non-degree status do not qualify to receive financial aid.
7. Non-degree graduate students who decide to pursue a degree must apply to and be accepted by their respective graduate program and the Admissions Office.