Procedures for Admission and Readmission

Holders of bachelor’s degrees, from this University or from other institutions having substantially the same requirements for the bachelor’s degree, are eligible to apply for admission to a program of graduate studies. (A very limited number of applications will also be considered from exceptionally qualified applicants who do not hold the bachelor’s degree but who can demonstrate a comparable level of educational achievement. Such applicants should identify themselves when requesting application material; they will receive special instructions for applying.)

An application and fee payment can be submitted online using the Graduate School’s website: www.umass.edu/gradschool. Applicants unable to submit the online application may download a paper application from the website, or write to the Graduate Admissions Office, Goodell Building, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003.

The deadline for submitting applications for admission, complete with all supporting credentials, for the summer/fall entrance cycle, varies by program (December 1 through February 1). Refer to the Graduate Application form or the Graduate Programs and Degrees Offered listing on the website for specific deadlines. For those graduate programs which offer spring entrance, the deadline is October 1.

Admission is only for the semester requested and cannot be guaranteed for a later date, except by permission of the Dean of the Graduate School. Applicants can be admitted to the Graduate School in one of the following categories:

Degree Status

Students admitted as fully qualified to undertake a program toward a graduate degree are termed degree-status students.

Provisional Status

Students admitted on a probational basis to a program are on provisional status. Students may enroll for a maximum of 12 credits or two consecutive enrollment periods (including Summer Session), whichever comes first. This status may not be renewed beyond the credit/time limitation regulation as stated above. At the conclusion of the provisional status period students are either admitted to degree status or terminated depending upon the evaluation and recommendation by the graduate program and subject to the Graduate Dean’s approval.

Special Admissions

The special admission procedures have been designed for the rare applicant who lacks an undergraduate degree but who considers himself or herself as having the appropriate qualifications for applying to a graduate program of the University of Massachusetts Amherst. These would be very special circumstances that are unlikely to appear repeatedly in applicants to any graduate program of the university; therefore, standard criteria cannot be established and each case has to be considered on its merit. This procedure is not intended as substitution for any current university program that addresses degree equivalencies from other institutions, or that evaluates prior life experiences which could lead to an undergraduate degree.

Non-Degree Status

Students who have a bachelor’s degree and wish to take graduate courses are admitted on a limited basis. Enrollment in any course is subject to space availability and may require instructor’s approval. Applications for this status do not require the supporting documentation specified above for degree and provisional status. Upon recommendation by the graduate program director and approval by the Graduate School, up to six graduate credits may be applied toward a graduate degree if a student is later admitted to degree status.