Admission to Graduate School

Print this Page

Application for Admission

The University of North Texas at Dallas (UNT Dallas) is a selective university and does not guarantee admission of all applicants. It is recommended that students apply well in advance of the stated application deadlines. Many departments have earlier deadlines that vary by program.  (See the departmental web sites for these program-specific dates.)

Applications for graduate study are made through the UNT Dallas Graduate School’s Office of Graduate Admissions, regardless of degree program.  Applications must be submitted online at www.applytexas.org. Most master’s degree programs require supplemental application materials. Contact the academic unit for additional information.

All applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from a regionally accredited institution whether or not admission to a specific degree program is sought.  In addition to meeting general requirements, applicants for admission to any specific degree program also must meet the following requirements.

1. The applicant for graduate study ordinarily must have completed no fewer than 24 semester hours of undergraduate work in the intended major field, 12 of which must be advanced. In certain fields this requirement has been modified. (Refer to program requirements.)
2. An applicant desiring to pursue graduate work in any field and whose undergraduate record does not show completion of the courses prerequisite to this major will be required to make up such deficiencies in a manner prescribed by the student’s major department.

The admission requirements of the Graduate School and the academic department must both be met before the student is admitted to a degree program, and both the Graduate School and the academic department may specify admission conditions.  Applicants for admission are furnished written notification of their admission status by the Graduate School. Statements by other university officers concerning the applicant’s admissibility are not valid until confirmed in writing by the Graduate School.

Contact the UNT Dallas Graduate School’s Office of Graduate Admissions for more information at 972-780-3642, 877-UNT-DALS, or by email at GradSchool@untdallas.edu. 

The mailing address for the University of North Texas at Dallas is 7300 University Hills Boulevard, Dallas TX 75241-4605.

Graduate Degree-Seeking Student Admission

All applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from a regionally accredited institution whether or not admission to a specific degree program is sought.  The applicant must have at least a 3.00 GPA on the last 60 undergraduate semester hours of work (or the whole semester closest to the last 60 hours) prior to receiving the bachelor’s degree or a 2.80 GPA on all undergraduate work prior to the bachelor’s degree to be considered for unconditional admission for master’s study. Applicants who have already completed a master’s degree must have at least a 3.40 master’s degree GPA or meet the undergraduate GPA standards listed above to be admitted unconditionally for a second master’s degree.

Applicants with a GPA below 3.0 on the last 60 undergraduate semester hours (or the whole semester closest to the last 60 hours) prior to receiving the bachelor’s degree, or an overall undergraduate GPA below 2.8, or below 3.4 on a completed master’s degree, may apply to the Graduate School and be considered by individual review by the department for provisional admission.

Requirements for admission to specific degree programs may differ from the minimum requirements for graduate admission. Specific requirements for admission to a degree program may be found in the program’s information in this catalog or on the program’s web site. Admission to graduate studies does not imply admission to a degree program at UNT Dallas.

The GPA is calculated by dividing the total number of grade points earned by the total number of semester hours attempted (A equals four grade points, B equals three, C equals two, D equals one, F equals zero).

Non-Degree-Seeking Student Admission

The university recognizes that some students may wish to be admitted to graduate studies at UNT Dallas for the purpose of taking courses not necessarily leading to an advanced degree (i.e., prerequisites for admission to a degree program, certificate, or certification).

All applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from a regionally accredited institution whether or not admission to a specific degree program is sought.  The applicant must have at least a 3.00 GPA on the last 60 undergraduate semester hours of work (or the whole semester closest to the last 60 hours) prior to receiving the bachelor’s degree or a 2.80 GPA on all undergraduate work used to complete the bachelor’s degree to receive unconditional admission to the university. Applicants who have already completed a master’s degree must have at least a 3.40 GPA on the master’s or meet the undergraduate GPA standards listed above to be admitted unconditionally.

Applicants with a GPA below 3.00 on the last 60 semester hours (or the whole semester closest to the last 60 hours) and with an overall undergraduate GPA below 2.80, or below 3.40 on a completed master’s degree, are reviewed for provisional admission to graduate study.                                                                                                                                                                                                              
Non-degree and certification-only students who meet the minimum GPA requirements for admission to graduate studies are not required to submit standardized admission test scores.

The GPA is calculated by dividing the total number of grade points earned by the total number of semester hours attempted (A equals four grade points, B equals three, C equals two, D equals one, F equals zero).

Admission to UNT Dallas as a non-degree-seeking student will be granted subject to the following provisions.

1. The applicant must meet all of the general admission requirements described above.
2. The student in this status is required to receive graduate credit in all graduate (5000-level) courses taken, and must maintain an average of B on all such courses attempted. Non-degree students are entitled to enroll in any graduate-level class that is not restricted.
3. A student admitted to non-degree, certificate, or certification-only status has no assurance that work completed under this status will be applicable toward degree requirements should the student subsequently be admitted to a degree program at UNT Dallas. A maximum of 12 semester hours earned prior to admission to a degree program may be counted toward degree requirements. Successful completion of graduate courses by non-degree or certification-only students does not obligate the university to grant admission to a degree program at a later date. When all general and specific requirements for admission to a degree program have been met, a student may request that a change of major application be forwarded to the degree program area for evaluation.
4. A student who wishes to change from non-degree, certificate, or certification-only status to degree-seeking status should review the admission requirements for students who change majors in this catalog.
5. Enrollment for graduate credit must be approved in advance of registration by the respective Program Coordinator and is limited to 12 hours.

International Graduate Student Admission

UNT Dallas is currently not certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP); therefore, we are not authorized under federal law to enroll non-immigrant international students.  As such, the university does not accept applications from students seeking admissions who do not hold U.S. citizenship, U.S. permanent residency, or qualify for a waiver under the guidelines of Texas HB 1403 or SB 1528. 

U.S. citizens and permanent residents who have earned academic credentials from foreign colleges and universities are required to submit official transcripts and diplomas/degree certificates in the original language and English translations.  If the documents are not provided in English, an official translation of all transcripts/individual semester mark sheets is required; UNT Dallas will not accept a public notary certification.  If official English translations are not supplied by the applicant’s institution(s), the applicant must provide a translation done by an American Translators Association-certified translator.  A list of ATA-certified translators is available online at www.atanet.org/onlinedirectories.

In addition, applicants must obtain an international transcript evaluation. This evaluation should include an explanation that the institution is recognized by the ministry of education in the home country and the credits awarded are considered comparable to those of a U.S. bachelor’s degree.

The evaluation must include course-by-course grades, a grade point average (GPA) calculation on the U.S. scale, and indicate the diploma or degree conferred and its U.S. equivalency. The evaluation must be original, and forwarded to UNT Dallas directly from the credential evaluation company. You may choose any agency that is accredited by the Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. (http://aice-eval.org/endorsed-members/) or by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (http://www.naces.org/members.html).

Conditional Admission of Students with Low Grade Point Average

For students who wish to pursue a graduate-level degree at UNT Dallas but who do not meet the grade point average (GPA) entrance requirements, the following regulations apply.

1. The student can complete 3000- or 4000-level courses for undergraduate credit beyond the bachelor’s degree to demonstrate the ability to undertake graduate-level work. The total hours required and specific courses are chosen in consultation with the graduate academic program coordinator of the intended major department and approved by the Office of Graduate Admissions. A grade of A or B is required in each course. Courses taken at another institution will only be included in exceptional cases with the approval of the intended major department and the Director of Graduate Admissions. Courses taken to qualify for admission cannot be used to fulfill graduate degree requirements.
2. Completion of a prescribed leveling program does not imply admission to a degree program or eligibility for certificate or certification programs at UNT Dallas. It is the responsibility of the student to determine, in consultation with the program, if the leveling program will help the student reach the goal of program admission. To maximize the benefit to the student, this determination should be made prior to enrolling.
3. The student must satisfy the standardized admission test requirement specified by the intended major department prior to being admitted to a graduate degree program and beginning graduate-level work.

Admission of Continuing Students

Continuing students are those who have been officially enrolled at UNT Dallas 12 consecutive months prior to the term/semester of planned enrollment and/or have not received a degree during the same period. Students who receive a degree and reapply to the university are considered new graduate students.

Continuing students do not need to reapply to UNT Dallas to enroll in graduate studies if they meet all of the following conditions:

• Have not received a degree from UNT Dallas since last enrollment
• Will re-enroll in the same major as when last enrolled, and
• Do not have any current holds on their record (i.e., admission test or academic).

Students meeting all of these conditions are eligible for registration. Instructions are available in the schedule of classes at registrar.untdallas.edu. 

Students who are unsure about whether they meet all of the above conditions for re-enrollment should contact the UNT Dallas Graduate School prior to the registration period for further information.

Admission Requirements for Students Who Change Major

For students who wish to change from one major to another major at UNT Dallas, a change of major form must be filed in UNT Dallas Office of Graduate Admissions. The request will only be considered if the student is in good standing and has fulfilled the standardized admission test requirement for the program. Students not in good standing or without standardized admission test results may only request a change of major with support of the new major department. The applicant will go through the same admission process as any new student applying for admission to a UNT Dallas graduate program. The student’s file will be sent for consideration to the graduate academic program coordinator in the proposed major.

Readmission of Graduate Students

Students who have previously been admitted to graduate studies at UNT Dallas but who have not enrolled at UNT Dallas for three or more consecutive academic semesters, including summer, will be discontinued from the Graduate School.  Those who are discontinued are not enrolled and are not considered active students.  Students who fall into this category and who wish to return must follow these re-enrollment procedures:

• File an admission application at www.ApplyTexas.org,
• Pay the application fee (if applicable), and
• Submit transcripts from all colleges attended (if any) since leaving UNT Dallas, showing eligibility to re-enroll at each institution.

Former students who have not enrolled elsewhere since leaving UNT Dallas and who are in good academic standing are required to submit an admission application and application fee.  Programs are not required to readmit students who left the university on probation or suspension and reapply.

Students who apply for readmission should expect to meet the published admission and degree requirements in place at the time of application submission.  Exceptions to this standard policy will require approval by the program’s coordinator and the Dean of the Graduate School. 

Readmitted students will have their official catalog year automatically updated to the catalog year in effect at the time of re-enrollment. Readmitted students also have the option of changing their catalog year to the catalog year in effect at the time of graduation.

Readmission Following Academic Suspension

A student suspended from the Graduate School for poor academic performance must wait 3 consecutive academic terms (including summers) before being considered for readmission. A new complete application will be required for readmission.  If the student is accepted for readmission in the same graduate program, credits earned while previously enrolled will be included for the purpose of determining academic standing and meeting graduation requirements.  Low grades previously earned may need to be repeated in order to meet program and/or Graduate School good academic standing requirements.   If the student is accepted into a different program, grades and credits earned in the previous degree program from which student was dismissed will not be included for the purpose of determining academic standing and graduation in the new program; however, the student’s transcript will show all courses and grades including those earned in the previous program.

Request for Readmission after Dismissal from a Graduate Program: 

A request for readmission after dismissal from an academic program must be submitted to the Dean of the School and will be evaluated by the program faculty and/or committee, taking into account the student’s potential for improved performance in the program.  The faculty and/or committee will make a readmission recommendation to the Dean of the school who will accept or deny the recommendation.  A dismissal that is upheld by the Dean of the School may be appealed to the Dean of the Graduate School who will request a recommendation from the Appeals Subcommittee of the Graduate Council.  Decisions on program dismissals made by the Dean of the Graduate School are not appealable.  

Request for Readmission after Dismissal from the Graduate School:  Graduate Restart

A graduate student who is in academic dismissal or academic probation status and has not attended classes for a period of at least 5 consecutive years may request a one-time readmission to “restart” a program from the beginning. Prior grades and credits earned will not apply toward the program of a student in Restart status.

A student must contact the Office of Graduate Admissions to request readmission after dismissal from the Graduate School. A request for readmission after dismissal from the Graduate School will be forwarded to the Dean of the Graduate School and will be evaluated by the Appeals Subcommittee of the Graduate Council, taking into account the student’s performance in graduate school and the potential for improved performance in the academic program. The Appeals Subcommittee of the Graduate Council will make a readmission recommendation to the Dean of the Graduate School who will accept or deny the recommendation.  A dismissal upheld by the Dean of the Graduate School is not appealable.

The academic standard for a student who is readmitted under Graduate Restart is limited to the policy on probation only.  Failure to obtain a cumulative GPA by the end of two terms of probation will result in the student being permanently dismissed by the Graduate School from any further graduate study. 

Upon readmission, the student must meet all requirements under the catalog in effect at the time of readmission.  Approval of readmission may be accompanied by additional requirements.  A student may be readmitted to a graduate program or the Graduate School only once following an academic dismissal.

Admission for Students Seeking a Second Bachelor’s Degree

Students who hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution and who wish to pursue further study at the undergraduate level or to obtain a second bachelor’s degree must apply for admission to the university through UNT Dallas Office of Graduate Admissions. 

• Residency credit after earning first degree: If the first degree was earned from UNT Dallas, a minimum of 30 semester hours beyond the first degree must be taken at UNT Dallas. If the first degree was from another accredited institution, 36 semester hours beyond the first degree (including the current UNT Dallas core curriculum requirements of history and political science) must be taken at UNT Dallas. The University policy requires that a minimum of 30 credits be completed in residency at UNT Dallas. 
• Requirements for degree: If the second degree sought is a different type (i.e., BA versus BS), then the student must also complete all requirements for that degree (BBA, BS, BA) including all prerequisites, co-requisites, and major requirements.
• Requirements for the major: Students must successfully complete at least 24 semester hours for the second degree major, which includes at least 12 credit hours of advanced work (3000/4000 level) in the major that must be earned at UNT Dallas. Courses from the previous bachelor’s degree may be used to satisfy requirements of the second degree. Coursework completed within the previous degree may be accepted as satisfying major requirements for the second degree; however, the total semester hours required must be at least 30 semester hours in addition to the hours required of the first degree. Note: Former UNT Dallas students who have completed 6 or more residence units will be held to only 24 upper division units in the major and in residence. Extension and credit by examination units do not meet the residence requirement.  
• Earn a minimum overall grade point average (GPA) of 2.000. 

Credentials, Application Deadlines, and Fees

To be considered for admission, the applicant should submit the following academic credentials to the UNT Dallas Office of Graduate Admissions:

• Complete official transcripts from all colleges or universities attended,
• Official scores from the testing service on the required entrance test, if applicable.

Students seeking admission to certain graduate degree programs are required to meet a standardized admission test score requirement. Some programs may require specialized sections of a standardized exam (e.g., the GRE writing test). Some programs require other materials (e.g., a writing sample, an interview, etc.).  For the applicable standardized admission test and any additional admission requirements, contact the academic program.

The applicant may also be required to take entrance examinations, either oral, written or both, before admission to the degree program is granted.

Required Standardized Admissions Test

Students seeking admission to certain graduate degree programs are required to meet a standardized admission test score requirement. Only official score reports from the testing service are acceptable. For specific advanced test requirements in certain fields, consult subsequent sections of this catalog that describe individual programs.

For master’s degree seeking students, a standardized admission test score must be submitted or the alternative criteria satisfied no later than the first term/semester of enrollment in a graduate degree program. Some departments require the submission of scores prior to admission and beginning course work. Check the appropriate program information in this catalog for further information.

Until the admission test requirement is met or the alternative criteria satisfied, the graduate student may be granted provisional admission only. If the test requirement is not met by the end of the first term/semester of enrollment, provisional admission will be canceled and the student will be limited to taking undergraduate courses for undergraduate credit only for one term/semester after their provisional term/semester. The student will not be allowed to register for any courses in subsequent terms/semesters until the admission test requirement is satisfied. The student can be reinstated to graduate study and to full admission status to the graduate degree program when the test requirement for admission to the degree program has been met.

The following procedures govern provisionally admitted students who have not taken the appropriate standardized test.

• Students provisionally admitted to a degree program in the fall, spring, or summer term/semester without the standardized test scores must submit acceptable test scores prior to the completion of their first term/semester of enrollment. Registration for subsequent terms/semesters will not be permitted if standardized test scores are not received from the appropriate testing service prior to early registration or the alternative criteria are not satisfied. 
• In no case may students who have not met the standardized admission test requirement or alternative criteria (a) be admitted to candidacy for any degree, (b) file application to receive such degree, (c) be permitted to enroll in such courses as thesis, dissertation, problem in lieu of thesis, internship, practicum, etc., (d) change their major to another degree program, or (e) submit an application for a concurrent program. Students may experience a loss of financial eligibility if they fail to satisfy their provisional admission and elect to register for undergraduate course work for a semester.

Graduate Application Processing Deadlines

Students who submit applications after these dates, if accepted, will have to register during the late registration period and pay a late registration fee. Admission deadlines are subject to change.

Admission Application Fee

U.S. citizens and permanent resident aliens applying to graduate studies at University of North Texas at Dallas must pay a $50 non-refundable admission application fee. The fee must be paid in U.S. dollars.

Admission applications will not be processed until the application fee is received.  Admission decisions will be made after all academic credentials are received and evaluated.

Academic Fresh Start (Graduate Students)

For students who were admitted to a Texas public university under the Academic Fresh Start law, earned a baccalaureate degree, and desire to apply for admission to a postgraduate or professional program, the Office of Graduate Admissions will consider only the grade point average of the applicant that was completed after enrollment under this law, along with the other standard admissions criteria detailed in this catalog.