Graduate admissions requirements

Your application can be considered for admission if you:

• Earned an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher for your last 60 semester credits or 90 quarter credits

OR

• Earned a master’s or other post-graduate degree with a minimum 3.0 GPA

OR

• Obtain a letter of support from a faculty member in the department
• Submit a detailed statement or essay describing your professional experience and potential to succeed academically
• You already have professional experience in related field

For new graduate certificate applicants:

• Complete the online application ($30 fee).
• Submit unofficial transcripts showing a bachelor’s degree in a related field with a minimum 3.0 GPA.
• Students who do not meet the undergraduate or graduate 3.0 GPA may be required to provide a statement of purpose and/or one letter of recommendation. This requirement does not apply to students who have already earned a master's degree.
• Graduate certificate students are not eligible for financial aid.

For new international graduate certificate applicants:

• International applicants must meet University of Idaho’s English proficiency language requirement.
• International students may pursue graduate certificate programs either as standalone degrees or as part of a concurrent curriculum with another graduate program. Students enrolled in a certificate program as a standalone option are not eligible for F-1 or J-1 visa status.

For current University of Idaho graduate students:

• Submit a change of curriculum form to add the certificate to your current course of study.
• Obtain department approval and return the form to the Office of the Registrar.

For current U of I undergraduate students:

• Must have senior standing and a 3.0 GPA to take graduate-level courses.
• To reserve credits for the graduate transcript, please submit a Credit Reservation Form to the College of Graduate Studies. This form must be signed by your academic advisor.
• After earning a bachelor’s degree, apply as a graduate certificate-seeking student to complete the program. 

Non-degree students cannot be admitted to the College of Graduate Studies but may take graduate courses with instructor and dean approval. If a non-degree student earns a C, D or F in a 500-level course, they lose the privilege of taking more graduate-level courses.

Non-degree seeking students are not eligible for Title IV financial aid.

Domestic, non-degree seeking graduate applicants must have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution with a minimum 3.0 GPA. Degrees from non-regionally accredited institutions require department and College of Graduate Studies review.

International, non-degree seeking graduate applicants should use the Degree Equivalency Guide to check academic credential requirements by country. University of Idaho may require a professional credential evaluation for verification, transfer credits or to expedite application processing.

Learn about U of I’s in-house transcript evaluations for graduate applications. 

Students admitted to a graduate program may defer the admission to a future term within one year of their originally admitted semester. For example, a student admitted for the fall term (with a start date in August) may request to defer enrollment to the following spring (January), summer (May), or the next fall term.

Students who wish to defer their admission can submit a deferral application.

• Find undergraduate deferral process information.

Information about the graduate deferral process:

• The deferral request form must be submitted by the application deadline of the semester in which you intended to enroll.
• A non-refundable deferral application fee of $30 is required. An application fee waiver may be granted to U of I alumni who apply for programs eligible for expedited admission.
• Additional application materials, such as official transcripts or an updated resume, may be required if a student has enrolled at a university not included in the original application.
• Although most students can defer their admission to a future term, admission is not always guaranteed. Situations where the academic program may not approve a deferral may include but not be limited to the following: the funding originally offered is no longer available; the program has reached capacity; or the faculty member assigned as graduate advisor does not have space in their project, grant or lab.
• An approved deferral does not guarantee that the funding offered for the original admission will be carried over to the new term.
• For students who claim Idaho residency during the application process, the Admissions Office will reassess their residency status when reviewing the new application. We recommend you carefully read through all the eligible pathways to make the appropriate selection.
• Students who did not complete their application or were denied admission are not eligible for deferred admission.

Fill out the Graduate Deferred Admission Form