Graduate Admissions FAQs

If you are unable to select the start term for your desired program, this may mean either the program does not offer admission for the term you intend to apply for or the program’s application deadline has passed and they are not accepting additional applications.

The next working day after your application has been submitted, the information will be assessed by the Graduate Admissions Office and your application checklist will be updated. We will note possible additional schooling information, waivers for documents or receipt of documents prior to the application. After this initial screening is complete, you can log into your application Status Portal where you can finish uploading additional materials.

Attempt to search for keywords instead of the institution’s complete name (for example: look for ‘Idaho’ instead of ‘University of Idaho’). If you are still unable to locate your college/university, enter the name of your school as listed on your academic documents.

Application fields do not display correctly in Safari browser or mobile devices. For a better user experience, please use Chrome browser to avoid compatibility issues with our application system.

Available upload tabs for supporting documents such as your resume or your statement of purpose will eventually appear in your Application Status Portal after you submit your application. Please allow 10-15 minutes for the portal to update.

The graduate application fee is $50 for all applicants. 

Important note:

An application fee is valid for a specific degree, major, semester and is non-refundable.

The following may qualify for an application fee waiver:  

1. U.S. military veterans or current service members — contact the Military and Veteran Services to request the application fee waiver discount code
2. University of Idaho alumni or current degree seeking students applying to programs eligible for Expedited Graduate Admission
3. All-Nations LSAMP — Bridge to Doctorate Program — contact the Graduate Admissions Office
4. Chemistry Department application fee waiver — submit the Chemistry Pre-Screening and Application Fee Waiver Form to chemoff@uidaho.edu
5. IIE/Fulbright — contact the Graduate Admissions Office
6. SACNAS, AISES and Cal Forum conference participants, contact Graduate Admissions with proof of attendance
7. TRiO — if you are a TRiO participant, please fill out and email to Graduate Admissions (graduateadmssions@uidaho.edu) the Certification of McNair Program Participation and Request for Admission Application Fee Waiver.

To request an application fee waiver, submit your online application and contact the Graduate Admissions Office. You will be asked to provide at least one of the following documentation to support your request:   

• A letter or memo from the financial aid office of your current school (or the one from which you graduated within the last year), confirming that you received need-based financial aid   
• Documentation from a state unemployment agency verifying that you are currently unemployed
• Letter from a social service agency stating that you are receiving public assistance
• Approved FAFSA for current of future enrollment

* Approval is not guaranteed.

Note: Unfortunately, international students do not qualify for an economic hardship application fee waiver.  

Unofficial transcripts from all attended higher education institutions may be used to review your application and offer tentative admission. To be accepted for admission review, clear (front/back) copies of transcripts issued through your institution’s Registrar will need to be uploaded in the online application.

The following will not be accepted as unofficial transcripts for admission review:

• transcripts generated via your student account/portal
• degree audits
• transcripts issued as unofficial through the Registrar’s office that do not contain the issue date, the name of the college/university, complete list of course work (including credits and grades earned) and degree awarded (when applicable)

Notes:

Transcripts that are not provided according to the indications above will result in processing delays.

Official transcripts sent directly to Graduate Admissions through your institution’s Registrar will be required after admission.

To be considered Official

U.S. Institutions:

Academic transcripts from each college or university attended must be received by Graduate Admissions directly from the awarding institution in the officially sealed envelope bearing the institution’s official seal, stamp and/or appropriate signature.

• Graduate Admissions accepts electronic transcripts if provided by your institution.

Current or former U of I students:

If you have or are currently attending U of I, you do not need to order U of I transcript. Graduate Admissions will secure them for you.

Unofficial transcripts/results and degree certificates or diplomas from all attended higher education institutions may be used to review your application and offer tentative admission.

To be accepted for admission review, clear (front/back) copies of transcripts and degree certificates or diplomas issued through your institution’s Registrar, Controller of Examinations or other equivalent office will need to be uploaded in the online application. Copies issued in original language and certified translation are required. Official transcripts sent directly to Graduate Admissions through your institution’s Registrar will be required after admission.

The following will not be accepted as unofficial transcripts for admission review:

• transcripts generated via your student account/portal
• degree audits and study plans
• transcripts, mark sheets, statement of results that are not issued through the university Registrar, Controller of Examinations or other equivalent office

Notes:

Documents that are not provided according to the indications above will result in processing delays.

Official academic credentials sent directly to Graduate Admissions by the awarding institution(s) will be required after admission.

To be considered Official

International Institutions:

Academic credentials of all post-secondary course work must be received according to the country specific directions on the Graduate Admissions website.

University of Idaho requires a complete academic record.

At the Graduate Level, this is academic records from all post-secondary (post-high school) education, regardless of the number of credits taken.

This includes, but is not limited to the following:

• credits from a school where you didn’t earn a degree
• credits taken after you earned a degree
• a study abroad program
• college credits earned while in high school

Official transcripts are sent to Graduate Admissions directly from the awarding institution.

Direct mailing address is:

Graduate Admissions
University of Idaho
875 Perimeter Drive MS 3019
Moscow, ID 83844-3019

Also, U of I accepts electronic transcripts via eScrip-safe, National Student Clearinghouse and Parchment Exchange.

To send enter email address graduateadmissions@uidaho.edu; U of I Graduate Admissions.

No.

If you have or are currently attending U of I, you do not need to order U of I transcripts. Graduate Admissions will secure them for you.

Applicants may upload scanned copies of official academic records and translations (also known as original documents) via the online application. Only high quality scans (front and back with grading keys/scales) from the awarding institution are acceptable. These scans may be used to determine your acceptance into the program, however the official documents will ultimately be required.

To be considered Official:

International Institutions

Academic credentials of all post-secondary course work must be received according to the country specific directions on the Graduate Admissions website.

U.S. Institutions

Academic transcripts from each college or university attended must be received by Graduate Admissions directly from the awarding institution in the officially sealed envelope bearing the institution’s official seal, stamp and/or appropriate signature.

• Graduate Admissions accepts electronic transcripts from the National Student Clearinghouse and Credentials eScrip-Safe. Check with your institution to see if they participate.

Current or former U of I students

If you have or are currently attending U of I, you do not need to order U of I transcript. Graduate Admissions will secure them for you.

A Credential Evaluation is a process by which a professional evaluator verifies the authenticity and equivalence of international transcripts. The evaluation equates the education and develops a grade point average according to U.S. standards.

Reasons for outside review include, but are not limited to, verification of document authenticity, potential transfer credits and the wish to expedite the processing of an application file.

If you would like to expedite your application, you may send your credentials to an approved evaluation agency. You will need to request a course-by-course evaluation be sent directly to University of Idaho Graduate Admissions Office.

Note: U of I recommends, and reserves the right to require, a credential evaluation.

For a list of Graduate Programs offering admission with pending English Proficiency, visit our English Proficiency page.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) regulations require that every student verify the availability of funds to pay for educational and living expenses before an I-20 form to obtain a student visa to enter the U.S. can be issued. Therefore, the Graduate Admissions Office cannot issue an I-20 to an admitted student, regardless of the source of funding, until we receive a complete Certificate of Financial Responsibility and supporting documents.

Although these are not required for an admission decision, we recommend that these documents be uploaded as soon as possible so we can provide a rapid response once the admission decision has been made. For more information, follow the Student Visa and SEVIS Information link through your selected Graduate Program.

Depends.

Applicants with education from an international institution where the medium of instruction was English do not receive a language proficiency waiver unless English is an official/native language in that country. Please check the waiver list to see if you qualify.

The American Language and Culture Program (ALCP) at University of Idaho is the only intensive English program accepted for admission. Similar programs from other U.S. institutions do not satisfy the requirement.

The U of I ETS Institution Code is: 4843

If you need a department code, use:

• TOEFL: 99
• GRE: 5199

If you have taken the IELTS, with an overall score of 6.5 or higher, order your scores to be sent directly to the University of Idaho by the testing institution. If requested, upload a copy of your TRF Score Report to your Application Status Portal.

If you have taken the Duolingo English Test, with an overall score of 115 or higher, order your scores to be sent directly to the University of Idaho, Graduate Admissions.

If you have taken the PTE Academic test, with an overall score of 58 or higher, order your scores to be sent directly to the University of Idaho by the testing institution. If requested, upload a copy of your TRF Score Report to your Application Status Portal.

If your name appears differently on your test than your online application, this can cause delays and failure in scores being matched to your application.

If this is a recent name change, email graduateadmissions@uidaho.edu with the alternate name(s) and copies of official documentation showing the name change. If this is not a recent name change you will need to contact the testing center to have your name corrected and the score reports resent.

To meet a deadline, the application and all requirements (with the exception of Immigration requirements) must be complete.

Applications completed after the application deadline will be accepted only if additional students can be accommodated.

The best kind of letter is from someone who has been involved with you professionally. This person should know you and your work well and have a high opinion of you and your ability to succeed academically. Good choices include:

• A professor, advisor, or faculty member who supervises your research or academic work and with whom you have frequent interactions with

• A dean or a department head from an academic department you are involved with

• A supervisor, manager, or mentor who is familiar with your work within your field of interest

• A colleague, business partner, or coordinator within your professional career who is able to speak to your merits

Note: Letters of recommendation written by family members are not accepted unless the information provided refers strictly to a professional setting, such as a family business or volunteer organization. 

We suggest you gather the emails and contact information for your recommenders as soon as you decide who will complete this process for you. Notify them of the program you are applying to and let them know when you intend to submit your application so that they will be prepared to respond quickly. You should also warn them that sometimes these emails can end up on spam filters and they’ll need to watch that folder.

If this happens before you submit your online application:

1. go to the “Recommendations” tab
2. select “Edit” and "Send reminder" to the appropriate recommender

If this happens after you submit your application:

1. log into your Status Portal
2. access the “recommendations page” link at the bottom of the page
3. select “Edit” and "Send Reminder" to the appropriate recommender

Through email.

• On the online application, you input your recommender’s email.
• As soon as you save that page of the application, the notice will go out to their email that you have requested their recommendation.
• They are then notified that you have requested their recommendation via the email you provided for them.
  • (Tip: We strongly encourage you to notify your desired recommenders in advance of this notification so that they can anticipate your request and follow up quickly.)
• Upon submission of their recommendation, it will automatically be linked to your online application.

Yes.

To replace a recommender after you have submitted your application:

1. log into your application Status Portal
2. access the “recommendations page” link at the bottom of the page
3. select the “Edit” button, then “Exclude” the recommender you wish to remove
4. add the new recommender information and send the recommendation invitation

Notes:

Remember that three letters of recommendation are required to complete applications for admission review.

We routinely contact recommenders to inquire about the authenticity of the letter provided. Recommendations that are found not to be genuine will result in the application or admission (and any departmental funding) being withdrawn.

Try the following:

• Remind the recommender that the email is coming from you and not the university.
• If it is a technical issue, you may resend the notice to them to ensure it didn’t end up in their spam filter.
• If using a free email service, such as yahoo or gmail and not an institutional email, have them check all sub-folders

If it is not a technical issue and you have some extenuating circumstance, such as:

• serving in the Armed Forces overseas
• are on political asylum

contact the Office of Graduate Admissions for specific instructions. We strongly discourage this option for anyone who does not have a truly extenuating circumstance preventing the recommender’s online submission because it may delay your application review.

Upload tabs for supporting documents will become available after your application has been submitted. You’ll receive a link to your online Application Status Portal where you can finish uploading application requirements. Please allow 10-15 minutes for upload tabs to become available. 

Applicants will be notified via Email.

Once your application decision is ready, you will receive an email notifying you to log back into your online portal where you may view your application decision letter.

Our office is not able to provide this information over the phone. You will receive an email notification when your decision is ready in your online portal. 

Congratulations!

We recommend your first step is to visit the College of Graduate Studies Newly Admitted Students page.

Yes, the admission may be deferred for one year. 

Current cost estimates including tuition, room and board, books and miscellaneous expenses are available on the Financial Aid's cost homepage. For information per credit cost, visit Student Accounts tuition and fees page.

Refer to the Office of the Registrar for Residency Information.

The Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) is a collaboration between universities from 16 neighboring states and territories, all member *WICHE, that reciprocally facilitates lower tuition rates comparable to in-state tuition. Please view more information on the University of Idaho WRGP page.

When applying to selected graduate programs at the University of Idaho, students from WICHE states may qualify for Idaho in-state tuition.

*WICHE: Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education

A separate application is not required to be considered for the WRGP award. The Graduate Admissions office will make the eligibility determination based on the information provided in your graduate application. If you qualify, your tuition and fees will be adjusted to the in-state rate. The WRGP award and terms will be posted to your Vandal student account under the Financial Aid package after admission.

To receive full consideration for merit-based scholarships, your admission materials (application for admission, application fee, transcripts, etc.) must be on file with the Graduate Admissions Office by the financial aid priority deadline.

Graduate students who are admitted or enrolled in a graduate or law program are eligible to apply for federal loans. They must be enrolled in at least half-time in order to borrow through William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan or the PLUS Loan programs. Must be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-U.S. citizen. Please view information on the Financial Aid website.

Admission decisions are made at the departmental level with final admission granted by the College of Graduate Studies.

The departmental review can take anywhere from two weeks to several months, depending on the time of year and the schedules of the committee members.

Applicants will receive the official notification from the Graduate Admissions Office.

Applications for admission submitted to the University of Idaho, Graduate Admissions Office are processed in the following manner:

Step 1. Receipt of application

• As soon as an application is received at the Graduate Admissions Office, the staff examines it to determine whether it is complete, includes all required documents and the full payment.

Step 2. Verification of documents

• Obtaining the appropriate documents is critical to the Graduate Admission evaluation process. If the Graduate Admissions Office determines that all the required documents are present, the evaluation will proceed. If any document and/or information is missing, the Graduate Admissions Office immediately issues a "Document Request" asking for the missing documents and/or information. The file is placed in incomplete status until all required documents and/or information are received.

If the Graduate Admissions Office decides to verify the documents with the institution(s) that issued them, copies of the documents will be sent to the institution(s) with a request for verification. The Graduate Admissions Office notifies applicants when their documents are sent for verification. All such files are placed in incomplete status until the Graduate Admissions Office receives a written response from the institution itself. There are no exceptions to this rule.

Step 3. Credential evaluation and GPA calculation and/or conversion

• Once all required documents have been received, the Graduate Admissions Office prepares the application file for the departmental review and admission recommendation. This includes, but is not limited to, the evaluation of academic credential and GPA calculation and/or conversion. 

• Every applicant will receive an email notification indicating when their application packet is sent for the departmental review.

Step 4. Departmental review and admission recommendation

• Admissions decisions are made at the departmental level with final admission granted by the College of Graduate Studies.

• The departmental review can take anywhere from two weeks to several months, depending on time of year and the schedules of the committee members. Once the department has reached a decision, the College of Graduate Studies is notified and reviews the application file (if necessary).

Step 5. Official notification of decision

• Applicants receive the official notification from the Graduate Admissions Office.

You can find resources for testing here:

• TOEFL: Education Testing Services (ETS)
• GRE: Education Testing Services (ETS)
• IELTS: IELTS Testing Centers
• Duolingo: Duolingo English Test
• PTE Academic: PTE English Language Tests

Credits can be transferred to U of I, with the consent of the student's committee and the dean of Graduate Studies, only if the institution from which the course credits are being transferred has a graduate program in the course discipline or, should there be no graduate program in the course discipline, an exception may be granted by the dean of Graduate Studies. Transfer credits are subject to all other graduate college rules and regulations. Contact College of Graduate Studies for further information or visit our Steps to Your Degree webpage.

Fill out our graduate campus visit form and the campus visit coordinator will contact you to set up your visit.

View the current catalog.

Access the class schedule for the semester you are planning to enroll as it becomes available, approximately the first of March for the fall semester or the first of October for the spring semester.

The University of Idaho College of Graduate Studies recommends all graduate students be advised before registering for classes each semester. You should contact your department directly to find out who will serve as your major professor/advisor.

A major professor is a faculty member who will advise a student throughout their graduate program. 

Students at the University of Idaho use web registration. Refer to the semester class schedule for instructions, dates and procedures.

Your letter of admission will include the student ID number also called Vandal Number.

Student ID cards or VandalCards are available through the VandalCard Office after you have been admitted and registered for classes.

The staff of the College of Graduate Studies presents orientation workshops for new graduate students at the beginning of each fall semester. Many departments also hold orientation activities. Students who are admitted for the spring or summer semester are encouraged to contact the College of Graduate Studies for assistance.

The University of Idaho has a decentralized admission review process. Each individual academic department makes the decision recommendation after a thorough evaluation of the application and supporting materials.

Reasons for the denial may include but are not limited to: no major professor or adviser available, insufficient background in area of study, limited program availability, not competitive respective to other candidates, research interests not clearly stated, etc.

For more information we recommend contacting the academic department directly. Please find their contact information on your program of interest tab.