Apply to Graduate School
While each program has their own admissions requirements, you must begin your application by following these steps.
Step 1. Complete Application
Follow this process regardless of the graduate program you are enrolling in.
Admissions Application
Use your UND admissions application to:
- Start, save and submit your online application. Applicants are charged a $35 (U.S. funds) non-refundable fee.
- Check your application status.
- View your application checklist.
- See admission decisions.
- Confirm your enrollment.
You will receive emails throughout the process on the status of your application. It's your responsibility to ensure all submitted materials are received and attached to the application. Please monitor your admissions application account and email used to apply.
We recommend using Google Chrome on a desktop when completing the application. If you run into issues with items not displaying, clear your cache and cookies.
For assistance, email admissions@UND.edu.
Review Additional Academic Program Requirements
Consult the requirements page(s) in the Program Finder to see if your program has additional requirements beyond the general university admission standards.
Application Deadline
Each UND graduate program has unique admissions deadlines. Review the Program Finder for details. UND must receive completed application(s) and all required materials by the program application deadline. To verify all materials have been received by the deadline, log in to your admissions application.
UND requires all applicants to submit a completed application before it will be reviewed for admission. For an application to be complete, all required materials must be received as official documents. Applications completed after the program deadline may not be reviewed.
Any application materials submitted prior to the submission of the online application will be kept active for six months. After six months, if an application has not been received, the documents will be destroyed.
International Students: Refer to the international application process for deadlines.
Step 2. Provide Required Documents
Required documents are different based on the program, certificate or course to which you are applying. Some programs require additional materials such as an essay, resume, certification/licensure, standardized test scores, or experience in a specific field. Be sure to review your area of study in the Program Finder for specific admission requirements.
To apply to a graduate degree program, send documents to the Office of University Admissions, not the department to which you are applying.
Official Transcripts
- Request one official copy of all academic transcripts from all colleges and universities you have attempted credit at, including undergraduate and graduate course work, be sent directly to UND. Exceptions apply for North Dakota University System institutions.
- Official transcripts must be sent directly to UND from the college or university you attended. See details below.
- All original transcripts from transfer credits posted on a subsequent transcript must also be provided.
- Do not send high school, intermediate or secondary transcripts.
Statement of Goals
A statement of goals or personal statement (about 1-2 pages in length) is required to assess your writing ability and determine if the program suits your needs. Some programs may require you to address certain questions or topics.
As a prospective graduate student at the University of North Dakota, it is expected that you uphold the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty in all aspects of your application. While the University recognizes the value of exploring new technologies, such as generative AI tools, it is essential that your personal statement and any other materials submitted reflect your original ideas as well as your personal research interests, work, and qualifications; as such, we discourage any use of generative AI tools. Should an applicant choose to use generative AI tools, any such use must be properly cited, as we expect all applicants to adhere to the same ethical standards as our current students, as outlined in the School of Graduate Studies’ Professional Conduct policy.
Test Scores and English Proficiency
All graduate admissions tests must be sent directly by the testing center. Photocopies are not accepted. Not all graduate programs require testing for admission.
GRE Codes for UND
- PTCAS Program = 0541
- SOPHAS Program = 4502
- All Other Programs = 6878
Recommendation for Graduate School
All applications must include three academic or professional references.
- As part of the online application process, you will be asked to provide the email addresses for your references.
- Your references will receive an email requesting them to complete an online recommendation form on your behalf.
- Be sure to let your references know to watch for an email from UND to complete your recommendation.
- Reference letters may be used in lieu of the online recommendation forms.
It is preferable that the recommendations (references) come from those who can honestly evaluate your potential for graduate study.
- Close family and friends are not eligible to provide recommendations.
- Faculty, advisors, supervisors or other colleagues who can speak to your performance in the workplace or academically as it pertains to your potential to be successful in a program can provide recommendations.
To apply to a graduate certificate program, provide the Office of University Admissions with the following to complete your application.
Official Transcripts
- Request one official copy of all academic transcripts from all colleges and universities you have attempted credit at, including undergraduate and graduate course work, be sent directly to UND. Exceptions apply for North Dakota University System institutions.
- Official transcripts must be sent directly to UND from the college or university you attended. See details below.
- All original transcripts from transfer credits posted on a subsequent transcript must also be provided.
- Do not send high school, intermediate or secondary transcripts.
Seeking graduate courses without a degree? Missed the application deadline for a graduate degree program?
Applying as a non-degree student may be a good option for you. You may take up to 9 graduate-level credits as a non-degree student before applying for full admission as a degree-seeking student.
To apply as a non-degree student:
- Complete the admissions application. Select "non-degree" as the application/student type.
- Pay $35 non-refundable application fee.
- International students must provide proof of English proficiency.
If you plan to pursue a graduate degree or certificate program, please check with the academic department to see how the courses you take as a non-degree student may apply to your program of interest.
You must submit one complete application for each program and for each term to which you are applying to. For example, you may be applying to:
- A program to which you have previously applied.
- A program after being a non-degree student.
- More than one program for a given semester.
Application Fees
An application will not be considered without payment of $35 USD. You will need to pay this fee for each application you submit. The application fee is non-refundable.
Written Statements
You must submit separate written statements for each application. We recommend you prepare unique materials for each program. Pay special attention to the Application Requirements by program to ensure you have prepared all required documents.
Test Scores
If you are applying to more than one program at the same time, your official test scores may be used for multiple applications.
The School of Graduate Studies will use official test scores from previous applications as long as they are still valid and they are still on file according to our record retention policy.
Transcripts
If you're applying to more than one program at the same time, your official transcripts may be used for multiple applications.
The School of Graduate Studies will use official transcripts from previous applications as long as your academic record at the institution has not changed and we still have the transcripts on file according to our record retention policy.
Recommendations
You will need to submit three recommendation for each degree-seeking application you submit. Be sure to let your references know precisely which program to which you are applying. Recommendations will not be shared across multiple applications.
Notice of Acceptance to Grad School
Your offer of admissions will be sent to your Admissions account and the email you provided in your application. You will receive next step instructions, beginning with accepting your offer of admission. After that, you must complete a checklist of items to get started at UND.
Where to Send Official Transcripts
You are not able to attach or upload transcripts to your application because transcripts must be official, unaltered versions. Request your previous college or university send UND your official transcripts in one of the following ways:
- Electronically through a secured electronic transcript exchange program, of which UND is a member.
- Sealed envelopes by mail to:
UND Office of Admissions
3501 University Ave Stop 8357
Grand Forks, ND 58202
Transcripts from Outside the U.S. or Canada
- One official transcripts (in English) for all undergraduate and graduate work attempted
- Official copy of your diploma or degree certificate if you have already received your degree
- Three letters of reference
- Statement of purpose
- Required English test scores
- TOEFL scores older than two years are not valid and will not be accepted
- All test scores must be sent directly by ETS
Official transcripts must be submitted to a foreign credentials evaluation service such as World Education Services.
Applicants from Chinese institutions may request and submit official transcripts directly through CHESICC. Request are processed by CHESICC and will be sent electronically to the Office of Admissions. Do not submit a paper copy of your transcript if you have requested transcripts through CHESICC.
Graduate School Transcript Submission FAQ's
For our purposes, "official" means sent directly from the issuing office to our receiving office. This definition comes from the policies of the North Dakota University System and cannot be petitioned. We judge transcripts to be official if they arrive to us:
- In an envelope sealed by the issuing institution,
- Via a secured electronic transcript exchange program, of which we are already a member, or
- In an envelope sealed by a U.S. State Department sponsored organization (e.g. USEF), and are attested by that organization.
Basically, we judge a transcript to be official by the way it was received. We must be vigilant about fraudulent credentials.
Also, keep in mind that the United States government considers educational records to be federally protected and private. We cannot obtain your records unless you arrange for them to be sent them to us.
We want to know as complete a picture as possible of each applicant's academic career, and also:
- Obtaining an official transcript lets us know that you are not financially indebted to some other institution.
- Sometimes transfer credits lose grade information, or course titles change.
- Transcripts can and do change over time (grades are revised, degrees are added/revoked).
- Transcripts contain more information than grades (i.e. degrees or certificates, accreditation, suspensions and dismissals, etc.).
The only exception is if credits from another institution were transferred to UND and show on an official UND transcript.
Complete Academic Record
We require a complete set of official transcripts for domestic applicants, which represents every college credit that you have attempted. An official transcript must be sent to UND from the institution which originally issued the credit. We call this a complete academic record. We require this of each and every applicant to a certificate or degree program.
There have been some circumstances when obtaining an official transcript is not possible. Please read these items to see if a situation applies to you:
- If your institution will not release your transcript because of a financial, disciplinary, or academic hold, you will need to work with your institution to resolve the issue.
- If your domestic institution cannot locate your transcript, we will need to have a letter verifying that fact. This letter should come to us from the Registrar of your institution, or another person of sufficient authority. The letter should indicate the reason why the transcript is unobtainable. These letters will be considered on a case-by-case basis. If this applies to you, please email our Admissions team at gradschooladmissions@UND.edu, before you send any documents to us.
- If your institution awarded you transfer work based upon military service, we might
request a letter from the Registrar of your institution, or another person of sufficient
authority. This letter should explain that credit was issued based upon service and
not coursework. These letters will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
- Credit for military service is not the same thing as credit earned from a college while in the military, e.g. Community College of the Air Force.
- If your institution is/was located in a country affected by war or extreme natural disaster, we understand that your transcripts may be impossible to locate. If your institution is located in Iran, we understand that your transcript's envelope may be opened before it arrives to us. If either situation here applies to you, please email our Admissions team at gradschooladmissions@UND.edu, before you send any documents to us. These issues will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
You can still apply if your degree will be earned before you plan to start taking courses in your new graduate program. Sometimes students are on track to graduate (e.g. in May) but the want to apply to a program with an earlier deadline (e.g. in March). Students can still apply to a program, but they need to request official transcripts twice:
- Once at the time of application, which would show official transcripts through that point.
- Once after the degree has been earned and shows on an official transcript.
Transcripts Due for Domestic Students
For domestic students, we would need to receive an official transcript with your degree posted by the end of your first semester.
Transcripts Due for International Students
Some international students may need to send us an official copy of their diploma or degree certificates. We would add this requirement to your official admission letter. We would not be able to fully admit you until we received your transcript, diploma, or degree certificate.
An applicant may not petition our policies. However, a member of the graduate faculty may petition on your behalf. This does not mean that the faculty will petition, and it does not mean that such a petition would be approved.
If you believe that you have a situation which warrants exceptional consideration, you may contact a faculty member of the program to which you are applying to ask if they would petition on your behalf.
The appearance of transfer credit on a transcript does not meet our requirement of a complete academic career. Therefore, if you have transferred credit, we must have a transcript from the institution which originally issued the credit.
Some students do not know that they have transferred credit, especially if they took college classes while in high school. If possible, you may want to speak to your institution to see if any credit has been transferred into your record.
Some students do not know that a study abroad experience also meant that credits were transferred. In some cases, a study abroad experience means that your college credits were originally issued by the foreign institution and not your home campus. If possible, you may want to speak to your institution to see if any credit has been transferred into your record.
Students who earned degrees from the following institutions in 2010 or later need to list them in the application, but do not need to request transcripts:
- Bismarck State College
- Dakota College at Bottineau
- Dickinson State University
- Lake Region State College
- Mayville State University
- Minot State University
- North Dakota State College of Science
- North Dakota State University
- University of North Dakota
- Valley City State University
- Williston State College
To verify whether or not you need to request certain transcripts, you can contact our admissions office.
If you have previously attended UND, our admissions staff will attempt to obtain a copy of your transcript. You do not need to request an official UND transcript be sent to our office. Some of our older transcripts are not accessible by the School of Graduate Studies. If we are not able to retrieve your transcript for any reason, our admissions staff will contact you and you will need to request an official copy.
We keep application materials for anyone who becomes a student indefinitely, and we keep application materials for anyone who was denied admission for three years. When you apply again, we will search our archives to find transcripts you had previously submitted, and we will use those transcripts again. Please note, we will still need transcripts for any academic work you have done since that last application.
We consider all submitted applications to be incomplete until we have received all items (including official transcripts) required by the department to which you are applying. Please consult the application instructions above to see which items are required by your department.
Your application will move to "Final Processing" when we have all required items. During this time, we determine your minimum eligibility for the program to which you applied, and we verify that we have a complete academic record. If we notice that we need another official transcript, your application will again become incomplete and you will be notified.
Also, please note that your application is only valid for the program and term indicated on your application. If your application has not yet received a decision on the fourth week of the semester to which you applied, your application will be administratively denied. Before you receive an official decision, you may submit an Application Change Request Form to change the admit term on the application. We will honor a request to change an admit term only once.
If, during "Final Processing," we find that we have your complete academic record, we will send your application to the department for their review. You will be notified when this occurs. When your application is "Sent to Department," you will know that we have a complete academic record.