Graduate Admission Requirements

Graduate Program

The University of Texas at Tyler recognizes five categories of graduate admission at the master's level: Full Graduate Admission; Conditional Admission; Provisional Admission; Special Admission; and Non-Degree Seeking.

Full Graduate Admission

1. Hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution and, at least four weeks prior to the semester of initial enrollment, submit an official transcript from all colleges or universities attended.
2. Submit an application for admission to a degree program (e.g., biology) prior to the graduate admissions deadline for the enrolling semester found on the graduate school calendar. Application may be obtained at uttyler.edu/graduate.
3. Contact the program graduate advisor to review specific entrance requirements of the selected degree program. The decision to admit a student is made at this program level (e.g., biology).
4. Contact a potential mentor within the biology faculty, being a mentor based program admission is contingent on confirmed mentorship. 
5. Satisfy the entrance examination, grade-point average and any other specific requirements for the selected degree program.
6. Additional consideration for admission will be based upon the applicant's demonstrated commitment to his or her chosen field of study, involvement and level of responsibility in nonacademic matters including extracurricular activities, employment, community service, and socioeconomic background.

Because some programs accept only a limited number of students, or do not have the faculty or facilities to accommodate a student's particular area of study, some applicants who exceed minimum requirements for admission may not be accepted.

Conditional Admission

This status is granted to applicants who have not satisfied, at the time of enrollment, the minimum GPA or test score requirements, or who have other deficiencies in their preparation. The status of conditional admission is established at the program level. An applicant who has been admitted conditionally will complete a degree plan with the graduate advisor that specifies the conditions to be met. The conditions may not include more than 9 hours of graduate work but additional undergraduate hours may be required. Upon completion of the requirement(s), the student's academic record will be reviewed for consideration to be granted full graduate status.

Provisional Admission

This status is granted to those whose application files lack required items such as transcripts, official report of test scores, or verification of licensure. An applicant who has been admitted provisionally must contact the program graduate advisor to review specific entrance requirements of the selected degree program before being allowed to enroll. Provisional admission allows the applicant to enroll for only one semester with a maximum of nine (9) graduate hours. Provisional admission will not be continued beyond one semester.

Special Admission

A student seeking teaching certification, a graduate certificate, or other graduate non-degree program (such as licensure) may be admitted as a special student. The student must submit a Graduate Application and meet all admission requirements set by the particular program. Individual programs determine the number of hours to be taken and other requirements. Students may enroll only in graduate courses required for the specific non-degree program. Registration is approved by the program advisor and College Graduate Coordinator. Graduate hours completed prior to admission as a special student may not be accepted by a particular program. If a student subsequently decides to pursue a degree, the selected degree program will determine which courses taken while classified as a special student will apply to the degree. Special admission is not available through the Department of Biology.

Non-Degree Seeking

A student who desires to take graduate courses for personal enrichment, for job advancement, or for transfer to another institution, may do so by completing a graduate application. Non-degree seeking students are limited to enrolling in a total of nine graduate hours unless approval is given by the advisor.

A maximum of nine graduate hours of UT Tyler credit earned as a non-degree seeking student may subsequently be applied toward a master's degree if approved by the degree granting program. Individual programs may limit the number of hours applicable to the program.