GRADUATE ADMISSIONS
Admission to a specific degree program is a selective process and is governed by college and departmental requirements which may exceed the University-wide standards. In addition to the numerical requirements of grade point average and test scores, other factors which predict probable success may be considered. These factors include: the quality of the student’s undergraduate preparation, determined by the nature of the undergraduate institution attended and performance in specific courses; student motivation and attitude, determined from letters of recommendation written by undergraduate instructors and/or a personal interview; and miscellaneous factors which might be relevant such as personality, creativity, temperament, and innate talent (music, art, etc.). Preference for admission to any semester will be given to those students whose credentials indicate the greatest promise of academic success in their chosen course of study.

Documents submitted by applicants are evaluated and processed by the Office of Admissions and forwarded to the appropriate academic departments for review. The academic departments make the decision to admit or deny admission and forward the decisions to the Office of Admissions.

International students also should refer to the section on International Student Admissions.

Required Documents
Applicants for graduate admission must provide the Office of Admissions with the following documents:

APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION
The application for admission and a nonrefundable $30 fee payable to the University of West Florida should be submitted six to nine months prior to the semester for which admission is desired. It is the policy of the University not to defer or waive the application fee. The $30.00 application fee must be in U.S. currency, drawn on a U.S. bank. This fee may also be paid via MasterCard or Visa by calling toll free 1-888-529-1763 or locally at 474-3026.

COLLEGE TRANSCRIPTS
It is the responsibility of the applicants to have submitted to the Office of Admissions two official transcripts from each college and university attended. Graduates of UWF already have these on file if they have not attended other institutions since graduation. Transcripts are considered official when they are sent from a college or university directly to the Office of Admissions and bear an official seal and signature. Transcripts bearing the statement “Issued to Student,” faxed transcripts, or transcripts submitted by the applicants are not considered official.

Original documents or signed, officially certified photocopies of original documents may be submitted by the student only when institutions outside the U.S. will not send academic records to other institutions. The verifying signature preferably should be that of an officer of the institution attended. All academic records that are not in English must be accompanied by certified English translations.

TEST SCORES
Official test results from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) are required for all applicants except for those students requesting admission to the College of Business. Official test results from the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) are required for applicants to the College of Business. It is recommended that the GRE or GMAT be taken no later than April for the fall semester, October for the spring semester, or December for the summer semester. The GRE or GMAT scores are considered official only when they are sent directly to the Office of Admissions from the Educational Testing Service. Examinee copies are not considered official. Applicants to the Ed.D. program should take the GRE one year prior to desired admission.

The GRE and GMAT are offered several times a year at numerous testing centers in the U.S. and abroad. Advance application is required. Application forms, as well as detailed information on the availability and character of the examinations, may be obtained from the UWF Testing Office or by writing: Educational Testing Service, Graduate Record Examinations, Box 6000, Princeton, New Jersey 08541-6000, www.gre.org; or Educational Testing Service, Graduate Management Admissions Test Program, Box 6103, Princeton, New Jersey 08541-6103, www.gmat.org.

MISCELLANEOUS REQUIREMENTS
Some departments require additional information such as auditions, portfolios, goal statements, letters of recommendation, departmental applications, personal interviews, and diagnostic testing. Applicants should contact the department directly regarding any special requirements. These items should be sent directly to the department.

Deadlines for Applications and Supporting Documents
The final deadlines for applications and supporting documents for graduate applicants with U.S. citizenship or permanent resident status are:
Fall Semester                              June 1
Spring Semester                          October 1
Summer Semester                       March 1

Because some departments have earlier deadlines, applicants should contact specific academic departments for departmental deadlines. It is in an applicant’s best interest to apply early. Files completed after the published deadlines may not be processed in time for the student to be considered for enrollment in the desired semester.

Admission Policies
Admission to graduate study involves acceptance by the department or college in which the applicant expects to study. Final admission to the University is subject to approval by the department or college. While there are minimum University admission requirements, the departments may set admission standards significantly higher than these minima. Applicants must meet any departmental requirements and the following criteria to be considered:

1. Have earned a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university. Applicants must hold, or be candidates for baccalaureate degrees from regionally accredited institutions. Approval of applications from undergraduate seniors is conditional upon the awarding of the baccalaureate degree prior to commencement of graduate studies. Students who have graduated from recognized, although nonaccredited, institutions may apply for study as graduate students. See the subsection on Conditional Admission;

2. Be in good standing at the institution of higher learning last attended. Students who, for academic or disciplinary reasons, are not eligible to register in the college or university last attended will not be admitted for graduate study;

3. Meet at least one of the following three criteria:
    

   1. Have earned a minimum 3.0 GPA on the last 60 semester hours of course work attempted in earning the bachelor’s degree;
       
   2. Submit GRE scores (College of Business applicants must submit GMAT scores in lieu of GRE). A minimum score of 1000 on the combined verbal and quantitative portions of the general aptitude test of the GRE (minimum GMAT score is 450) is required if the undergraduate GPA is below the minimum 3.0; or
       
   3. Have earned a graduate degree from an accredited institution; and
       

4. Be approved by the department or college of their intended major.
   Although applicants may be admitted to graduate programs on the basis of their GPA, GRE scores are required. GMAT scores are required for business majors.