It is the applicant's responsibility to consult the appropriate department, school or program for application deadlines and specific program requirements. The university reserves the right to change programs of study, academic requirements, tuition and fees, schedule of courses, the announced academic calendar and deadlines without prior notice.

Application Requirements for All Graduate Programs

• Application for graduate admission
• Application fee
• Official transcript(s) from all previous colleges and universities attended
• Letters of recommendation (at least 2)
• Standardized Test Scores (check program requirements)

Some programs require additional materials, such as a personal statement or a writing sample. Please consult specific program requirements in the appropriate section of the graduate catalog.

Application for Admission

Apply online at graduate.louisville.edu/apply

A paper application is also available from the School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies at graduate.louisville.edu/apply (to request an application be mailed, call 1-502-852-3101).

Paper applications and each of the credentials listed below should be sent to Office of Graduate Admissions, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292 at least six weeks prior to the beginning of the semester or summer session in which the student wishes to enroll; otherwise the application may not be reviewed in time for registration. Six weeks is a general deadline; some programs may have different deadlines and may require additional credentials. Applicants should consult the pertinent program section of this catalog or check directly with the program office.

The application and supporting documents become the property of the University of Louisville and will not be returned to the applicant or forwarded to another university.

If you do not enroll, your academic credentials will be retained in the Office of Graduate Admissions for two years.

Application Fee

A $60.00 (US currency) non-refundable application processing fee is required. When applying online, the fee may be paid with a credit card or electronic check to College Net (details are provided online at the time of application).

If a paper application is submitted, payment must be made via check, money order or credit card. Checks should be made payable to the University of Louisville. Be sure to include applicant's full name and birth date on the check.

Exceptions: Applicants who were accepted and enrolled previously in a graduate program at the University of Louisville, and who have not attended another college or university since enrollment at University of Louisville, do not have to pay the fee again. Students on any type of public assistance may be exempt from the application fee and may request an application fee waiver with appropriate documentation. See http://www.louisville.edu/admissions/apply/application-fee-waiver.html

Applications will not be processed until the application fee is received (if one is required).

Transcripts

Official transcripts showing all degrees awarded and all undergraduate and graduate work completed at every college/university previously attended must be furnished by the degree-seeking applicant. The minimum requirement for admission is the baccalaureate degree or its equivalent from an accredited institution.

All transcripts that are not in English must be translated verbatim into English and must be notarized. International applicants may be required to have transcripts evaluated by a credential evaluation service such as World Education Services ( www.wes.org) or Educational Credential Evaluators ( www.ece.org).

Unofficial or faxed copies of transcripts will not be accepted.

Test Scores

It is the applicant's responsibility to consult the appropriate department, school or program regarding specific testing requirements for admission . The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is required for admission to most programs and for consideration for most fellowship and scholarship awards. The Subject Test Section may be required by some graduate programs. The applicant should consult the specific graduate program requirements in this catalog. Test registration and information about the exam can be found at www.gre.org. The applicant must instruct the Educational Testing Service to forward the results to the Office of Graduate Admissions, 105 Houchens Bldg. University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, 40292. The University of Louisville institution code for score reporting is 1838.

Applicants to the Entrepreneurship PhD program must take the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT).  The Kent School of Social Work master's applicants are not required to submit GRE or GMAT scores; however, applicants to Kent School with a cumulative GPA of less that 2.75 on a 4.0 scale must submit a Miller Analogies Test (MAT) score.

Letters of Recommendation

A minimum of two letters of recommendation are required; however some graduate programs require more. Letters should be written by someone who can speak to the applicant's academic and/or professional capabilities. Letters of recommendation may be sent via College Net (online application service) to gradadm@louisville.edu or by regular mail.

International Students

All international students shall comply with regulations of the U.S. Department of Immigrations and Customs, its Student and Exchange Visitor Program and all related policies of the University of Louisville International Center.

All international students must be registered with the University of Louisville International Center and must present evidence of financial resources that are adequate to support their educational and living expenses in the United States for the duration of their studies. Documentation showing that a University Fellowship or Graduate Assistantship has been awarded is normally considered evidence of adequate financial resources.

International students for whom English is not their primary language must show English language proficiency by 1) demonstration of level of proficiency, specified by the program, on the TOEFL examination (www.toefl.org), or 2) demonstration of an accredited degree awarded by an acceptable institution which uses English as the primary language of instruction, or 3) by successful completion of the exit examination for the advanced level of the Intensive English as a Second Language (IESL) Program at the University of Louisville. Acceptance to the IESL Program does not constitute acceptance to a graduate program. For information and application forms, write to: IESL, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky 40292, U.S.A.(http://louisville.edu/english/iesl).

Applicants who have not scored 210 or more on the computer-based TOEFL Examination may choose to apply to the Intensive English as a Second Language Program. Successful completion of the Advanced Level of this program will be considered adequate proof of the English proficiency required for course work in the chosen graduate program.

To serve as a Graduate Teaching Assistant, students whose native language is not English must present an acceptable score on the Test of Spoken English (TSE) or an IESL-administered teaching competency demonstration. Applications and information about the times and places for the TSE may be obtained from www.ets.org, TSE, Princeton, NJ, 08540. Information about the teaching competency demonstration may be obtained at http://louisville.edu/english/iesl/GTA.

International student services and programs are organized and administered by the International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) staff, located in the International Center. The Office serves as an administrative, advising, and programming unit for all international students at the University of Louisville. The staff is trained to assist international students solve problems, handle matters with immigration, and answer general questions about life in Louisville or in the United States.

Please refer to the International Center web page at: http://louisville.edu/provost/intcent/.

If you are an international student completing your degree entirely online from outside the United States, you may enroll in as many online courses as you would like for academic credit toward your degree. However, if you are a non-immigrant F or J visa holder, no more than the equivalent of one class, or three credits per semester, may be counted toward full time enrollment if taken in an online course or other form of distance education course that does not require your physical attendance for classes, examination or other purposes integral to completion of the class.

If you are an F-1 visa holder and your course of study is a language program, no online or distance education classes may be considered to count toward classroom hours or credit.

If you are in your last semester of study and only one course is needed to complete the program, it cannot be an online or other form of distance education course.

Admissions

Upon receipt of the application for graduate studies, application fee and credentials, the graduate program will evaluation the application package and specify the admission status and any conditions of admission. The official admission letter will come from the dean of the enrollment unit or the dean’s designee.

Degree status – good standing: In order for a student to be recommended for admission without conditions to degree status in good standing, all admission credentials must have been received and evaluated. The applicant must have earned a minimum grade-point average as specified by the enrollment unit. Each applicant should consult the specific graduate program descriptions in this catalog to determine any additional admissions criteria or any more restrictive requirements for admission to this status.

Degree status - provisional: This status is intended for students whose application materials are incomplete (usually missing required credentials or letters), but who have submitted the application form and application fee. Students in provisional status must also meet the general academic requirements of their program. Students may not enroll for a second consecutive term in provisional status. Not all graduate programs allow admission on a provisional basis. A student admitted on a provisional basis has one semester to furnish any missing credentials at the time of admission.

Degree status - special conditions: This status is intended for students whose applications are complete, but whose academic background is below the minimum for their program. Students admitted in this status will be expected to meet certain criteria within a specific time-frame outlined by the admitting graduate program.

Degree status - provisional/special conditions: An applicant who has both an incomplete application and academic criteria below the minimum may be admitted in this status, pending program approval. Students in this status will be expected to meet certain criteria within a specific time-frame outlined by the admitting graduate program, as well as one semester to furnish any missing credentials at the time of admission.

Additional Considerations for Admission to Degree Status

A student admitted with an undergraduate grade point standing of less than the minimum of the enrollment unit may be subject to program limitations on the number of hours in which he/she may enroll for each semester. Students who do not meet any other departmental requirements outlined in the admission letter may be subject to academic dismissal from their program.

No applicant with a grade-point average of less than 2.50 will be admitted by a program to graduate study. Under unusual circumstances, programs that wish to admit students who do not meet this standard must submit a variance request to the Vice Provost for Graduate Affairs.

Non-degree status

Applicants who do not desire to seek an advanced degree but wish to take graduate course work may be permitted to enroll in non-degree status. Please note that not all programs will admit students to non-degree status. Application credentials must include the application form, application fee and an official transcript showing the award of a baccalaureate degree. No more than six hours of course work taken in a non-degree status may be applied to a graduate degree program with departmental approval.

Students may accumulate a maximum of fifteen hours while in non-degree status. Exceptions to this policy are the RANK I program in the College of Education and Human Development, the Nurse Practitioner program in the School of Nursing, and certificate programs.

Visiting Students

A graduate student from another university or college may enroll for graduate course work as a visiting student at the University of Louisville with the approval of the graduate program director or department chair. The visiting student is responsible for having the home institution provide a letter certifying that the student is in good standing. A graduate application is required and transcripts may also be required by some departments.

University of Louisville graduate students who attend another college or university as visiting students must have the permission of their department chair, program director or major advisor. The guidelines for the Transfer of Credit stated in the graduate catalog apply to all credits earned as a visiting student. Visiting student status may be granted only to a student who is in good standing.