Graduate Admissions at UD

1. Choose your graduate program
2. Start your online application
3. Gather the following documents:
   • Transcripts
   • Test scores
   • Letters of recommendation
   • Write your graduate application essay
   • Check if supplemental documents are needed
   • Check if writing samples are needed
   • Resume
4. Upload required documents to your application
5. Submit your application

'Domestic applicant' is defined, for admissions purposes, as a U.S. citizen (including foreign-born naturalized U.S. citizens), Permanent Resident, as well as those in Resident Alien status to include Asylee or Refugee status.

1. Choose your graduate program
2. Start your online application
3. Gather the following documents:
   • Transcripts
   • Test scores
   • Letters of recommendation
   • Write your graduate Application essay
   • Check if supplemental documents are needed
   • Check if writing samples are needed
   • Resume
   • TOEFL or IELTS Score
4. Upload documents to your application
5. Complete the OISS Pre-Arrival Task List
   • Request an I-20 or DS-2019
   • Finalize conditions for graduate admission
   • Set up your UD accounts
   • Prepare your finances
   • Complete your family medical history form
   • Confirm your medical insurance
   • Get immunized
   • Obtain a visa
   • Communicate with your academic advisor or department
   • Pack your bags
   • Make your travel plans to the U.S.
   • Learn about Delaware and the U.S.
6. If you decide NOT to attend

'International applicant' is defined, for admissions purposes, as any applicant who is neither a U.S. citizen, a U.S. permanent resident or a resident alien (Asylee, Refugee, TPS, etc.) of the United States.

• Bridge to the Doctorate Program (BTD)
• Borel Global Fellows
• Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP)
• Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement Program
• National GEM Consortium applicants *
• National Name Exchange
• NIH-INBRE Internship Program
• NSF-EPSCoR Internship Program
• NSF-Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)
• American Talent Initiative (ATI)
• UD’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources Summer Institute
• UD’s NUCLEUS Program
• UD’s RISE
• UD’s Student Support Services Program (SSSP)
• UD's Summer Opportunities for Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavors (SOURCE) Program
• Delaware Biotechnology Institute Gradwav Program
• Age 60 and over. (Please attach proof of age)
• U.S. Veterans and Active Duty Military or members of the National Guard or Reserves
• AmeriCorps
• Peace Corps

* To be considered for a GEM fee waiver, the applicant must meet GEM’s eligibility criteria described at https://www.gemfellowship.org/gem-fellowship-program.

Note that GEM eligibility requires US citizenship or permanent residency at the time of application. Applicants who would like to be considered for a GEM fee waiver should contact Senior Assistant Dean LaRuth McAfee (mcafee@udel.edu) for approval.

If you qualify for one of the fee waiver categories listed above, check the appropriate box for the program on the application. After submitting the graduate application, you will then need to upload documentation from your program leadership confirming your participation and affiliation with the program on your application status page

Note that the Graduate College only provides application fee waivers for the categories listed above.  If you do not see an option that is appropriate for you, you may instead want to contact your graduate program(s) of interest to find out if they are willing to cover your fee.

Regular status is offered to applicants who meet all established entrance requirements, who have a record of high scholarship in their fields of specialization and who have the ability, interest and maturity necessary for successful study at the graduate level in a degree program.

Applicants who file an application during the final year of undergraduate or current graduate work and are unable to submit complete official transcripts showing the conferral of the degree will be admitted pending conferral of the degree if records are otherwise satisfactory and complete. Failure to provide official test scores and documents showing degree conferral by the first day of classes may result in revocation of admission to the graduate program.

Provisional status is offered to applicants who are seeking admission to a degree program but lack specific prerequisites outlined in the Universtiy of Delaware degree requirements. All provisional requirements must be met within the deadline given before regular status can be granted. Failure to meet the provisions by this deadline is grounds for dismissal from the program. Students admitted with provisional status to a degree program are generally not eligible for assistantships nor fellowships.

Applicants who wish to earn graduate credit but do not intend to earn a graduate degree at the University of Delaware may be admitted with non-degree graduate status. Admission with non-degree status implies no commitment by the University or the graduate program about later admission as a regular student. Such applicants must submit official college transcripts. International applicants must submit official proof of English proficiency such as TOEFL or IELTS scores.

Non-degree students are not required to follow course sequences, but they are held to the same academic standards as are other graduate students. This status is valid for a stated limited time. The student must complete an admission application to be considered for regular status. Earned graduate credit may or may not be accepted if the student’s classification is changed to regular status. In general, graduate credit must fit into an approved program of study and all credits must have been completed within the appropriate time limit.

Non-degree students taking classes under cooperative agreements must submit a letter from their home institution, typically from their graduate dean or registrar, certifying that they are graduate students in good standing at another institution. Such letters will be accepted in lieu of the transcripts that are required of other non-degree applicants.