Admission Requirements and Procedures
Bachelor's degree from a college or university accredited by the appropriate regional accrediting agency. A foreign degree must be equivilant to a U.S. Bachelor's degree and must be accredited by its regional or national accreditation agency.
U.S. Degree holders must have earned a 2.7 out of a possible 4.0 GPA or a minimum of 3.0 during the senior year of undergraduate study. Foreign degree holders must have earned a minimum of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale or other equivalent to a 'B' average. If you have completed previous graduate course work, you must have a grade-point average of 3.0 on a 4-point scale or equivalent.
In addition to the minimum requirements established by the Graduate Council, most graduate programs require a higher GPA than the minimums set by the Graduate Council. Please refer to individual program websites for other additional information and additional departmental requirements.
Many programs require departmental applications and have additional departmental requirements. Please contact your department directly for the specific program requirements.
For additional information, refer to the statement on Admission Requirements and Application Procedures in the Graduate Catalog.
Test scores received in the Office of Graduate and International Admissions without a current application will be kept for 6 months.
The Dean of the Graduate School must approve all admissions.
The application for admission is the same for both international and domestic students. However, there are deadlines and other important pieces of information for international students only in the Admission Guide for International Students and in the UT Graduate Catalog. Please read them carefully, then proceed to the application procedures.
Degree Admission Requirements
Non-Degree Admission Requirements
Graduate Certificate Requirements
Transient Admission Requirements
Postdoctoral Admission Requirements
Readmission
Admission to a degree program requires that a person meet the minimum Graduate
School requirements and any additional program requirements (see Admission
Requirements). Refer to the appropriate department for specific requirements
for admission to the degree program. In addition to meeting the minimum
requirements, applicants at the doctoral level must have demonstrated a
potential for superior academic performance. To be considered are performance
in prior undergraduate and/or graduate studies, achievement on graduate
admission tests, letters of recommendation from professors familiar with
the applicant’s capabilities, and other evidence of scholarly achievement.
A student must maintain a 3.0 grade point average to continue enrollment
in a degree program. An applicant may not be admitted simultaneously to
more than one degree program. Two or more applications cannot be considered
concurrently. Joint degree programs as listed in the graduate catalog require
only 1 application.
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Applicants may apply for non-degree status if they:
• need additional time to fulfill application requirements for a
degree program.
• do not wish to pursue a degree program.
Non-degree Seeking students are not eligible to receive Financial Aid.
International applicants MUST pursue a degree program.
Minimum graduate school admisssion requirements must be met for admission to non-degree status. Some departments do not permit non-degree students to register for graduate courses.
A major academic discipline must be declared if the intent is to seek an advanced degree. If no degree is desired, a major academic discipline need not be declared. Students anticipating long-term enrollment as non-degree students are advised to apply as undergraduate students in non-degree status. Students holding a degree who are taking additional work as undergraduate non-degree student may be allowed to take 600-level courses for undergraduate credit with the approval of the instructor. Before accumulating 15 hours of coursework in graduate non-degree status, the student must apply and be admitted to a specific degree program (see Revision of Admission Classification for procedures).
A maximum of 15 graduate hours may be taken in graduate non-degree status. If admitted into a degree program, no more than 15 graduate hours may be applied toward a graduate degree, if approved by the student’s committee. Courses applied toward any graduate degree must fall within the time limit specified for the degree.
Every graduate student must meet with an academic advisor at least once each semester to discuss his/her program. For non-degree students with a declared major, the advisor must be from the appropriate academic unit. If no advisor has been assigned, the department head or designee is the advisor. For a non-degree student who has no declared major, the Dean of Graduate School, or designee, is the advisor.
A student must maintain a 3.0 grade point average to continue enrollment in non-degree status (see Academic Standards). Admission to non-degree status does not constitute admission to a degree program. If a non-degree student wishes to pursue a degree program their application will then be directed to the appropriate department.
Back to TopAdmission to a graduate certificate program requires that a person meet the minimum admission requirements and any additional program requirements (see Admission Requirements).
Refer to the appropriate department for specific requirements for admission
to the certificate program. Admission to a graduate certificate program
does not constitute admission to a degree program. To receive a graduate
certificate, students must be admitted to a certificate program or to a
degree program.
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A student who is enrolled in good standing in a graduate degree program at another institution and who wishes to take courses for transfer to that institution may be admitted after submitting a completed Graduate Application for Admission, the $35 application fee, and a Transient Student Certification form at least 10 days prior to registration. Only one semester or a maximum of 12 hours of coursework can be taken in transient status. Necessary forms may be obtained from the Office of Graduate and International Admissions. - Back to top
Persons who hold an earned doctoral degree and desire to take graduate
courses may be admitted in the postdoctoral status. A completed Graduate
Application for Admission, the application fee, and confirmation of the
doctorate are required for admission. Admission in the postdoctoral status
does not constitute admission to a degree program. A student who seeks to
enter a degree program must meet all admission requirements and be recommended
by the program.
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A student who has not registered for graduate courses at the University
of Tennessee, Knoxville, for three consecutive terms (including summer)
must apply for readmission. A readmission application should be submitted
to the Office of Graduate and International Admissions at least two weeks
prior to the desired entry date. A student who has attended another institution
since enrollment at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, must submit
one official transcript showing all courseworks and any degrees earned at
that institution. The student will be notified when action has been taken
by the department/program and the Office of Graduate and International Admissions.
A student who is permitted to enroll and is subsequently denied readmission
will receive credit for courses completed successfully. Future registration
will not be allowed until readmission is granted.
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Contact Information
Graduate and International Admissions
201 Student Services Building
Knoxville, TN 37996-0230 USA
Phone: (865) 974-3251
Fax: (865) 974-6541
Email: graduateadmissions@utk.edu