Graduate Admissions

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How to apply to the University of Minnesota graduate program

You can apply to the University of Minnesota Graduate School and select the specific graduate program(s) you want to attend. If you are interested in applying to multiple programs, please follow these steps:

Apply for admission to the University of Minnesota Graduate School.
Select at least one department within a college/school that offers a program that matches your interests. You may also select multiple departments if they offer programs that match your interests (e.g., psychology and sociology). If no departments within your college or school match your interests, please get in touch with us directly, and we will work with you on identifying another option for admission into one of our graduate programs.

Deadlines for applications

The deadline to apply for admission is December 1.

The deadline for financial aid applications is February 15.

The GRE can be taken any time before the deadline, but it must be sent directly from ETS (the test administrator) 3 months before your intended date of entry into school. If you’re applying in the spring semester, this means you’ll need to take it between January 1 and March 15 of that year; if you’re using in the fall semester, your last day will be September 30 or October 1 if an October start date is available at your campus location (check with your prospective program).
The TOEFL should be taken at least two weeks before applying so that scores are available when we review them along with other credentials; we recommend taking this exam as soon as possible after using it!

Application fees

The application fee is non-refundable and non-transferable between programs. It is also non-creditable, meaning you cannot use it to reduce future tuition costs or apply it to any other purpose. If you choose to withdraw from the University or change your major, your application fee will not be refunded.

You must pay this fee at submission; however, if you’ve already spent an application fee for another campus (e.g., the Twin Cities Campus), that amount will be deducted from your total cost when paying via credit card or check.

Application status and instructions for changes

The University of Minnesota graduate admissions office will be available to answer your questions by email or phone during regular business hours (8 a.m.-5 p.m., Central Time). You can also contact the Office of Graduate Admissions at gradadmissions@umn.edu with questions about your application or status.

Application status is available online: Applicants who have submitted an application for admission and include an email address on their application will receive an email notification when their quality has been updated; otherwise, applicants should check their applications regularly for updates in case of problems with their submission. If you have not received any communication from us after four weeks following the deadline date for submitting applications, please get in touch with us immediately so we can help resolve any issues that may be preventing our staff from getting in touch with you.
Changes to the application can be made online: If there are any changes needed after submitting your application (such as address updates), log into your account using the username and password provided by our office when submitting your materials will need Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer before attempting to save these documents using Adobe PDF format; please visit adobe’s website if you do not already have this software installed.

Official transcripts, credentials and instructions for submission

All applicants must submit official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate schools attended. These transcripts must be sent directly from the institution to the University of Minnesota Graduate Admissions Office. If you have attended more than one school, please send your official transcript(s) for each school separately in a sealed envelope by the institution or agency sending them (i.e., not through your family or friends). You may also request that your institutions send their letters directly to us; however, we will only consider letters received after admission decisions have been made if there is an exceptional circumstance noted on our application form or you contact us before February 1 with particular cases.

Admissions guide (Graduate School)

The University of Minnesota Graduate School offers a variety of graduate degrees and certificate programs, including the Master’s Degree, Doctorate Degree and Certificate in Graduate Studies. The following information is provided to assist prospective students with applying for admission into these programs:

The official transcripts from all colleges or universities attended must be sent directly from each institution attended by an applicant before enrollment at the University of Minnesota (this includes transfer credits). Applicants may request an electronic copy of their official transcript through Parchment or National Student Clearinghouse. Students should contact their institution(s) directly if they have any questions regarding this process or need additional assistance obtaining copies of their academic records.

Re-admissions process

If you want to apply for a second-degree, transfer or non-degree-seeking student status, please refer to the appropriate section below.

How do I apply for readmission?

To be considered for readmission to a graduate program at the University of Minnesota, you must apply through our online portal by the deadline date of March 1 each year. Applications received after this date will be considered on a case-by-case basis only if space remains available and is approved by your academic department/school. You must also have completed at least one semester away from campus before being eligible for readmission into any graduate program at UMN.

The University of Minnesota graduate programs are of great value and provide an excellent education

The University of Minnesota graduate programs are of great value and provide an excellent education. The University’s graduate programs are ranked among the best in the nation, with many departments earning top 10 rankings. The University also has a highly qualified faculty and state-of-the-art facilities to support your studies.

The University of Minnesota offers over 200 master’s degrees and doctoral programs across multiple disciplines, so you’ll find something that interests you!