Admissions

Instructions for Applicants

Related links:

Welcome. We are pleased that you are applying for admission to the UNC-Chapel Hill Graduate School. Admission to Graduate School academic programs is competitive and students are selected on the basis of their academic preparation, ability, and program fit. For some programs, an on-site pre-admissions interview may be required. Early contact with your program of interest can be helpful in preparing your application. International applicants have additional application material requirements.

The Graduate School relies mainly on email to communicate with all applicants. Therefore, please include a current email address on your application and be sure to promptly respond to all correspondence.

Required Application Materials

Required materials for all applicants include:

For International Applicants only:

Once we have received all required application materials, the review and evaluation of your application will begin. While the various components of your application will likely arrive at the Graduate School at different times, it is your responsibility to make sure the entire application is complete prior to the deadline.

Minimum Graduate Admission Requirements

The minimum requirements for admission to a graduate program are:

Along with these minimal requirements, admission decisions are based on a number of factors, including academic degrees and record, written statement of purpose, letters of recommendation, test scores, and relevant work experience. All admission decisions are made by each individual program or department.

Application Process

Applications for admission to the UNC-Chapel Hill Graduate School should be submitted via the online admission application. This is the fastest and most secure method of applying. All required materials listed above should be submitted according to the instructions provided. Some materials are uploaded electronically within the online application, and some are mailed directly to the program to which you are applying. Your application will not be reviewed until all materials have been received, including the application fee. By submitting an application to UNC-Chapel Hill, consent is granted to university staff to obtain any additional or missing information as needed, including campus safety information.

ELECTRONIC GRADUATE ADMISSION APPLICATION

For individuals who are unable to utilize the online application, a paper application can be obtained by contacting gradinfo@unc.edu or by downloading it from our Forms website. Please note that a paper application cannot be processed if an online application has already been initiated.

Most programs admit students for the fall semester only, however a few programs allow spring or summer session admissions. Contact your intended program for the appropriate term of entry for your application.

Each offered admission is specific for the term stated in the admission letter. If you do not register for classes or complete your first semester, you must apply again in a subsequent semester. Contact your intended program for questions about deferrals of admission offers.

Application Deadlines

Please be aware that each program has a specific application deadline. Please see the listing of deadlines.

Completed applications and application fees (non-refundable) must be received before the program’s application deadline. Applications will not be accepted for review or consideration after the posted graduate program deadline has passed. International applicants should apply early in order to allow sufficient time for financial and visa document preparation. The Graduate School recommends that international applicants submit a complete application no later than December 1.

Fellowship and Financial Aid Deadlines

Most of the financial support available to graduate students is based within individual programs. In addition, a limited amount of financial support is available from the Graduate School and is based upon nominations from individual programs. In order to allow sufficient time for your program to nominate you for Graduate School fellowships, your application should be received before January 1.

If your program continues to accept applications after January 1, you are still eligible for their program-based support. Contact your intended program for complete information about available graduate student financial support and relevant deadlines.

The University awards loans and Tuition Enhancement Grants to graduate students who qualify, based on information provided in the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form due March 1. For more information, please visit the Office of Scholarships and Student Aid.

Application Fees

A non-refundable $75 application fee is required for each program to which you apply, up to a maximum of 3 per academic year.

Applicants can pay their application fee by credit card (Visa/MasterCard) or mail a check or money order made payable to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Mail-in payments are restricted to a check (in U.S. funds) that contains the pre-printed electronic routing numbers, or an international money-order made payable to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Please include your full name, birth date and program to which you applied.

Applications that arrive without the required application fee will remain on file, unprocessed, pending receipt of the application fee. If someone is paying the application fee for you, please ask them to include your name as the intended applicant when they submit the check or money order.

There are several categories of applicants who may qualify for an application fee waiver. Please see Information on Application Fee Waiver requests.

Transcripts

Two official transcripts of all post-secondary education (including community colleges, summer sessions and extension programs) are required. Transcripts should bear the signature of the institution’s Registrar and the seal of the institution. Records must be complete (not select courses), issued in the original language and be accompanied by certified English translations when applicable. Transfer credit posted on the transcript of other institutions is not accepted in lieu of transcripts from the institution attended. An original transcript from each institution* is always required.

*Internal (unofficial) transcripts are only acceptable from UNC-Chapel Hill. Please ask the UNC-Chapel Hill University Registrar for an internal transcript at no charge.

Send one original transcript to the Graduate School (CB#4010, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-4010).

Send the other original transcript to your program(s) of interest (mailing addresses).

Applicants may submit transcripts before mid-year grades are posted, although final transcripts must then follow. If possible, submit your official transcripts (in sealed envelopes) at the same time as your application. If the institution will not release official transcripts directly to you, they may send the transcripts directly to the Graduate School.

A note on foreign degrees:

As part of the transcript submission, degree credentials are also reviewed. Assessment of a foreign degree, including those conferred from institutions participating in the Bologna Accord, is based upon the characteristics of a national system of education, the type of institution attended, its accreditation and the level of studies completed. The following guidelines indicate the level of study expected of international applicants prior to graduate enrollment:

Individuals with only 3-year degrees and others who do not meet the educational requirement for graduate admission are welcome to consider other admission options available at http://www.unc.edu/admissions/.

Letters of Recommendation

Three current letters of recommendation from persons qualified to evaluate your academic and professional qualifications are required. You should solicit recommendations from individuals who are familiar with your academic achievement and who can address your potential for success in this particular academic setting. If you have been out of school for a number of years and are unable to contact former professors, letters from other individuals who can address your achievement and potential will be accepted. We advise against using generic letters of recommendation such as those provided by campus career planning and placement offices.

Depending on your intended program’s procedures, letters will be requested as either online submissions or hardcopy via US post. Please check your specific program’s requirements and instructions for submitting letters of recommendation.

Online letters: the online application will prompt you to submit the email addresses for your three recommenders.

Hardcopy letters: the online application will provide you a link to the paper formpdf icon. If you use the paper recommendation form, please carefully complete the top portion and provide the mailing address of your intended program. Please also note the right of access statement on the recommendation form; you may or may not elect to sign this waiver. Some programs may accept original letters in lieu of the recommendation form. Please review your program’s instructions to determine whether the recommendations should be sent by the applicant along with other supporting documents (i.e., each letter in a sealed envelope with a signature over the flap) or directly from the recommender.

Standardized Test Scores

Official GRE General Test scores (or GMAT, MCAT, etc., if accepted by your intended program) are required for applicants to all programs except Studio Art, Dentistry (except Oral Biology), and Dramatic Art. Some programs also require scores from the Subject Test.

We recommend that you plan to take any required exams no later than October to allow time for scores to arrive in time for consideration for fall admission.

Standardized test scores must be official and reported directly by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). They must be current and no more than five years old. Standardized test scores that are submitted to this institution are kept on file for only one year.

When you register for any tests, you should indicate the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Graduate School (institution #5816) as a score recipient. If you did not specify the UNC-Chapel Hill Graduate School as a score recipient at the time of taking the test, you must promptly ask ETS to send your scores to us (institution #5816). No departmental code is required. While photocopies of score reports are useful for informal evaluation, the official report of your scores must arrive before final review and admission can be offered. GMAT scores should be sent to UNC (c/o KFBS) Program Code D40-HL-(select appropriate major code).

Applicants who already hold a research or professional doctorate degree may be exempted from the standardized test score requirement at a program’s request. Applicants near completion of a doctoral degree may request an exemption based on the receipt of appropriate degree verification status from the university Registrar of the institution. If the degree or official verification is not received, the standardized scores will remain a requirement.

Average scores of applicants offered admission

International applicants must also submit official TOEFL standardized test scores.

Statement of Purpose

Most graduate programs require a written statement as part of your application. Your statement should be uploaded electronically within the online application or mailed directly to the program to which you are applying, depending on the program’s specific instructions.

The form and content requirements also vary by program so before applying, please read the information and instructions specific to your intended program. Your written statement is a critical component of your application for admission, and can sometimes be the determining factor in approval of admittance or financial support. Therefore, your statement should reflect your professional goals, as well as familiarity with the program and faculty at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Campus Safety Information

Applicants for admission will be asked several questions regarding criminal pleas, charges and convictions, academic suspensions, and military discharges. Transcripts from every college or university attended must be provided. If additional information is needed, you may be asked to submit information for a criminal background check, including a nominal fee. You must describe violations of law in your home country and in any other country in which you have resided. The term “law” includes codes, legal rules and regulations, and other criminal-type statutes or violations of municipal, local, provincial, state, federal, national, commonwealth, and other governmental jurisdiction. Failure to provide complete, accurate and truthful information will be grounds to deny or withdraw your admission, or to dismiss you after enrollment. The same actions will occur if you fail to notify the Admissions Office promptly in writing of such charges that occur at any time after you submit the application.

Instructions for submitting your application

Applicants are responsible for directing the materials appropriately and according to the instructions provided below. Failure to direct materials appropriately may result in delays in the processing of your application.

The Graduate School prefers to receive applications online; those received with the application fee (paid by credit card) are processed the next business day.

Electronic submission to the Graduate School:

Paper materials mailed to the Graduate School (CB#4010, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-4010):

Paper materials sent directly to the specific program of interest (attn: Director of Graduate Admissions; mailing addresses):

Application Status

You may monitor the status of your application at: https://admissionsapp.unc.edu/grad//

You may look up your Person Identification Number at: https://s4.its.unc.edu/SISMisc/pidwmp

For International Applicants only

Together with the instructions above, international applicants should also submit two additional pieces of information with their application. The Graduate School understands it is difficult and sometimes confusing to apply to universities in another country, and we will assist you in clarifying requirements whenever possible.

TOEFL Score

All international applicants must submit acceptable, official (reported directly from ETS) TOEFL scores.

We recommend that you plan to take any required exams no later than October to allow time for scores to arrive in time for consideration for fall admission.

Standardized test scores must be official and reported directly by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). TOEFL scores are reportable for a period of two years from the date of the exam. Exam results more than two years old will not be reported by ETS, and thus cannot be considered. Standardized test scores that are submitted to this institution are kept on file for only one year.

When you register for any tests, you should indicate the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Graduate School (institution #5816) as a score recipient. If you did not specify the UNC-Chapel Hill Graduate School as a score recipient at the time of taking the test, you must promptly ask ETS to send your scores to us (institution #5816). Their address is TOEFL, CN6151, Princeton, NJ 08541-6151. While photocopies of score reports are useful for informal evaluation, the official report of your scores must arrive before final review and admission can be offered. 

There are several categories of applicants who may qualify for an exception to the TOEFL exam:

The required minimum total score on the computer-based TOEFL exam is 213 with a minimum score of 18 in each subsection. The required minimum total score on the paper-based TOEFL exam is 550 with a minimum of 50 in each section. The required minimum total score on the internet-based TOEFL exam is 79. Some programs have their own minimal score requirements which are higher than those stated above, in which case these higher standards will be required.

All newly admitted international students are required to take an English Proficiency exam prior to enrolling for classes. Individuals who fail to achieve a passing score on this exam are required to register for a non-credit English course (ENGL 601) their first semester of enrollment. Failure to take the test and/or register for the required course will prevent future registrations.

Financial Certificate

A completed Financial Certificatepdf icon and supporting materials must be submitted directly to the program to which you are applying. In order to meet U.S. Immigration requirements for entry into the United States, proof of sufficient financial resources to cover educational and living expenses for the duration of your program must be in place before visa documents can be issued.

The completed Financial Certificate should outline financial support available to you. You should attach original evidence to support the amounts indicated (bank statements, scholarship letters, etc.). Please also attach a photocopy of the identification page of your passport.

The financial certificate is also required for international students currently residing in the United States. The University does not have special travel or study scholarships for international students.

We suggest that international applicants in need of financial aid write to the Institute of International Education, 809 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017, or review the IIE website.

The University's Office of Scholarships and Student Aid can only fund students who are U.S. citizens, nationals, permanent residents with I-151 or I-551 Alien Registration Receipt Cards, permanent residents of the Northern Mariana Islands and the Trust Territory or the Pacific Islands, and other non-citizens who have Arrival-Departure Records (I-94) showing “refugee” or “adjustment applicant” or official grant of asylum in the United States. Students who meet these requirements should apply for financial assistance before March 1.

Information concerning visa, U.S. Immigration, or financial certificate matters can be obtained from our Office of International Student and Scholar Services. Please follow the mailing instructions above and do not mail admission materials directly to OISSS.