The Graduate School application is intended for students seeking admission or readmission to the Graduate School and a degree program.
Applicants should:
- hold a baccalaureate degree and be applying for entry into a new program, or
- be seeking readmission to a program for which they have been previously admitted or enrolled, or
- be seeking admission as a non-degree graduate student or seeking readmission as a non-degree graduate student
Graduate School Admission Requirements
For admission to the Graduate School the applicant must:
- hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university in this country or its equivalent in a foreign institution based on a four-year program;
- have a strong overall academic record with a B average or better in the basic courses prerequisite to the area of proposed graduate study; and
- present satisfactory scores on the specified examination(s).
* You may apply for admissions before your baccalaureate degree is awarded, however you are required to submit to the Graduate School an official transcript showing that you have received your baccalaureate degree.
* Individual Programs may have additional admission criteria than those listed above. Please check here for more information.
International students
Students from foreign countries where English is not the primary language must present the results of the TOEFL examination (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System), as a part of their application for admission. A minimum score of 217 (computerized test), 550 (paper test), 79 on the Internet-based test (TOEFL iBT), or a minimum score of 6.5 on the IELTS is required for admission to all programs.
Admission types :
- Doctoral: For application to doctoral program (PhD, Ed.D).
- Master’s: For application to traditional Master’s degree program (either on-campus or distance education).
- Certificate: For application to post-baccalaureate and post-master’s certificate program.
- Non-degree: For students seeking licensure or interested in taking graduate courses but not interested in obtaining a graduate degree or certificate at this time. Typical applicants may include visiting students, students seeking licensure, individuals taking courses for personal/professional enrichment, or individuals taking prerequisite course work for later application to a degree program.
* Students who initially enroll as non-degree and wish to be enrolled as degree seeking must reapply to the Graduate School through the online application as a degree seeking student. Completing courses as a non-degree student offers no assurance that a student will be accepted into a graduate program at some future date. If accepted into a program at a future date no more than ten (10) non-degree credits may be counted toward a degree or certificate program, and then, only by consent of the program coordinator and Graduate School.
Information Required for the Application
You will be prompted to enter information about yourself, the program you wish to enter, and your credentials. It is helpful to gather some of this information in advance.
- The specific program and concentration (if there is a choice) by name, the location of the program (on or off campus), and whether you intend to enroll full or part time.
- An email account that you can be sure you have access to during the application review process. Questions about your application will be sent to the email address that you provide on the application, it may be necessary to check your spam mail to make sure theses emails are not being filtered.
- A mailing address, which can be different from your permanent address if needed. Official notification of acceptance will be sent to your permanent address or current mailing address.
- The names and dates of attendance for all colleges and universities you have ever attended, even if the credit transferred to another institution, and the date(s) on which you were awarded any degrees.
- The names and email addresses of your recommenders.
You will be required to answer questions about any misconduct from the past or currently under review, including criminal offenses or academic disciplinary actions. You will be prompted to give short explanations.
Deadlines for Application
The completed application packet for most programs must be received by the Graduate School by program-defined deadlines to insure that the application is given full consideration. Some programs only admit students once per year and not all programs have the same deadline for applications. Click here for program deadlines.
Collect Required Documents
Start early collecting your application documents: transcripts, letters of recommendation, test scores, etc. . Pay close attention to instructions on appropriate documents. To determine the required documents for your program, please click here.
* Applications will not be considered complete without all necessary documents.
* All documents should be sent to the Graduate School.
International Students
All International Students requesting visa sponsorship must complete the "International Student Information Sheet" and upload it with the application. This form requires international applicants to include a financial statement showing financial support for studies at UNCW. This form can be found in the downloadable forms section of the application.
Official Transcripts
Official transcripts from all schools that you have attended, even if it was only for a single course or college credit awarded while you were in high school. 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.
Transcripts should be sent to:
University of North Carolina Wilmington - Graduate School
601 South College Road
Wilmington, North Carolina 28403-5955
Electronic transcripts should be sent to the following email address:
* All transcripts must remain in the sealed envelope from the college or university from which it was sent; any open transcripts will be considered unofficial and can not be used.
*UNCW transcripts do not need to be sent.
International Students
Foreign transcripts must be evaluated and reviewed by an accredited foreign credential evaluation service. Credit evaluations determine the institution accreditation, number of credits earned and how courses transfer into the U.S. educational system. Evaluation reports must be received directly from the approved evaluation service. UNCW accepts 'Course by Course' evaluations from the following accredited foreign credential evaluation services:
Recommendations (for programs that require them)
When searching for recommenders, approach people who can provide a strong, personal letter that focuses on your academic and intellectual abilities. Comments on your positive character traits and professional experience, while helpful, are not as relevant as comments on your ability to succeed academically.
Graduate School strongly recommends that applicants utilize the "Recommendations" section. Please enter the the first and last name of your recommenders and include the recommenders emails into the application. The application will send the recommenders an email requesting them to fill out a form and to upload a letter. By using the application, recommendations will come in electronically and you will be able to check the status of the recommendations.
* Notification emails to recommenders from the application system will indicate "University of North Carolina Wilmington" as the sender but will come from support@applyyourself.com. If they use a spam-blocking tool, please ask them to add this email address to their list of known/safe addresses.
Test Scores
All students applying for degree programs need to have official test scores (e.g., GRE, MAT, GMAT, etc., depending upon the program) submitted to the Graduate School at UNCW. If you know your test scores, please enter them on the application form. They will be considered unofficial until we receive official notification from the testing service. The UNCW code is 5907 (GRE), and 1372 (MAT). For non-degree/visiting students, students seeking readmission, or students seeking licensure at UNCW, no test score is required.
UNCW Testing Services does offer the GRE and MAT on campus for applicants that are local to campus. For testing center locations near you, please check the GRE, MAT and GMAT web sites.
* When scheduling to take a test, please remember that it will take time for UNCW to receive the score from the test institution. At the very minimum, plan to take the test a few weeks before the application deadline.
Applicants Whose Native Language Is Not English
If English is not your native language and you do not have a degree or diploma from an institution which uses English as the language of instruction, you are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Your score on this test must be forwarded to the Graduate School by the testing service. A minimum TOEFL score of 217 (computerized test), 550 (paper test), or a minimum score of 79 on the Internet-based test (TOEFL iBT) is required for admission to all programs. A score of 6.5 is required for the IELTS. Individual programs may have higher minimum requirements, please check individual program admissions pages for more information.
UNCW Testing Services does offer the TOEFL on campus for applicants that are local to campus. For testing center locations near you, please check the TOEFL and IELTS web sites.
Carefully write your "Statement of Interest"
Most programs (other than those in the College of Business) will require you to write a “Statement of Interest” or similar essay describing your academic interests and how you would intend to pursue them in the graduate program at UNCW. This is a very important part of your application, and is given considerable weight by most graduate programs. Be sure to state your academic interests as clearly as possible and include reasons why UNCW is the best place for you to do it.
* Some programs have specific instructions for writing the statement of interest. Please click on the program link in the "Supplemental Requirement Chart", to access the program admissions page, for more information.
Contact the Program to which You will be Applying
Visit the web site of the program of interest to you. If you still have questions about the program, the graduate coordinator of the program can give you details regarding the program, its requirements, and can help you determine whether this program meets your needs. The best means of communication with the graduate coordinator is by email. Each graduate program decides on the admissibility of its students.
In Research-oriented Programs, Try to Identify Potential Faculty Advisors
In some programs, it is useful for prospective graduate students to identify a potential research supervisor before applying. The best potential supervisor is one who is doing research in an area close to your interests. Programs will often have a list of faculty members and their research interests on their web site. The best means of communication with potential faculty advisors is by email.
General Admission Questions
Please contact the graduate school if you have questions about or need assistance with the admissions process. (910) 962-7303 or gradstudies@uncw.edu.
Filling Out the Application
Allow yourself about 30 minutes to complete the online application, you do not have to finish the application in one sitting. In order to submit an application to the Graduate School you must first create an account. Please remember your PIN and password, as these will allow you to continue your application at a later date, as well as work on multiple applications at the same time, and check the status or your recommendations.
Application Fee (Visa or MasterCard)
A non-refundable application fee of $60 is required for each application submitted. The online application accepts Visa or MasterCard and is the only means of payment. UNCW Faculty and Staff applying for graduate admission at UNCW should click here for more information.
Continue to the Application Deadlines and Materials
Continue to the Application Instruction and Apply
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