Frequently Asked Questions
Graduate Admissions Frequently Asked Questions
Review our frequently asked questions by prospective students, applicants and admitted students.
Prospective Students
You can browse program offerings in our Program Finder. Once you find the program you are interested in, we recommend contacting the department to discuss deadlines for application, availability of the program, funding opportunities and more! If you need assistance locating the contact information for your department, please send us an email at gradschool@louisville.edu.
The University of Louisville has three campuses: The Belknap Campus (UofL’s main campus), the Health Sciences Campus (HSC) located in downtown Louisville, and the Shelby Campus located East of Louisville near Hurstbourne Parkway.
The general application fee is $65 USD. Some of our programs have lower application fees, but we recommend that you review your intended program application on our application direction page prior to beginning your application to learn more.
Currently, the Graduate School is limited to the types of application fee waivers it can provide each year. For more information about qualifying for a fee waiver, please review our application directions.
Some programs require a GRE or GMAT score as a part of the application process. Please confirm with your program if it requires a specific minimum GRE or GMAT score. Please note that the GRE and GMAT scores are only valid for 5 years.
Graduate students whose primary language in not English must provide proof of English proficiency. Score reports are valid for two years and scores will be considered expired if the test was taken more than two years prior to the application deadline.
For official cost of attendance information, including due dates and UofL’s tuition reduction schedule, visit the Bursar's Office.
Many of the assistantships are awarded by departments. These require students to provide services typically in the form of teaching or research assistance. Contact your program director to determine if assistantships are available and if you are eligible to apply. Students eligible for University Fellowships or Diversity Scholarships awarded by the Graduate School must be nominated by their program.
Yes, you can apply by submitting your application, other credentials and your most recent transcript, which should include your courses and grades up to the time of application. If you are admitted, you will be required to submit a final transcript that shows you were awarded your bachelor’s degree before you are allowed to enroll in graduate study.
All applicants for whom English is not the native language must also submit proof of English proficiency.
Yes, you can apply to multiple programs in the same term with one set of transcripts and one set of test scores. A separate application (and application fee) for admission is required and you may have to submit separate supplemental materials, such as a personal statement.
All graduate school programs leading to licensure or certification meet the State of Kentucky’s requirements for licensure. Visit the Office of Academic Planning and Accountability (OAPA) for more information and guidance regarding licensure outside of Kentucky.
Applicants
Applicants requesting a change to their application must submit an Application Update Form. For more information, visit your Admissions Status Portal or email gradschool@louisville.edu.
Admissions decisions are released to students in their Admissions Status Portal about 4-6 weeks after all materials are received. You will receive an email from our service account gradschool@louisville.edu once the update is available in your portal. Upon logging in to your portal, you should see a red envelope—this envelope contains your admissions decision. After viewing the decision, complete the Admit Decision Reply Form in your checklist to accept or deny your admission.
Applicants who do not desire to seek an advanced degree but wish to take graduate-level coursework should apply as non-degree seeking. Not all programs will admit students at this status, so it is important to confirm availability with your prospective department prior to completing an application. Applicants who desire to complete an advanced degree should apply as degree-seekers.
You can view your application status in your Admissions Status Portal. If you have not received any information regarding your status, please contact us at gradschool@louisville.edu for an update on where your application is in the review process. If your application is still in the departmental review stage, we will assist you in connecting with your department to receive a clearer timeline for your status update.
To log in to your Application Status Portal, you need to have previously submitted an application to one of our graduate programs. Upon submission, if you have not received an email including a link to your Application Status Portal, please use the following link to log in to your portal page. Note: You must use the same credentials you established for your application completion to log in to the Admissions Status Portal.
If you cannot remember your password for your portal account, please send an email to gradschool@louisville.edu and we will be able to assist you in resetting the account so that you can regain access to your portal.
As a current UofL student, you are not required to submit an official transcript. Upon the submission of your application and payment of your application fee, our processing team will ensure that your current UofL transcripts are pulled from your record and assigned to your application. This process can take up to 1 business week. If your portal checklist has not been updated to reflect that the transcripts have been received after this time, please email us at gradschool@louisville.edu.
Transcripts will only be considered official if they are sent directly to our office from the issuing institution. Many institutions use third-party transcripts systems, like National Clearinghouse or Parchment, which will allow for an electronic transmission of the transcripts. These requests will need to be processed through your previous institution’s registrar’s office.
Transcripts can also be sent to our office via email to gradadm@louisville.edu or to our address:
University of Louisville
Graduate Admissions
2211 South Brook Street Houchens Building Suite 105
Louisville, KY 40292
If you have transcripts from outside the United States, we require that the transcripts be evaluated through an approved international credential evaluator.
Payment of an application fee cannot be refunded for any reason. For more information regarding the application fees and waiver opportunities, visit our application fee waiver page.
Yes, however it is recommended that you consult with your program to understand the reason for denial and how you might be a more competitive applicant in the future. We will retain your credentials for two years and a new application and application fee are required to reapply.
Decisions regarding your residency status are made upon the point of admission by the Graduate Admissions Office. To determine if you qualify as a Kentucky resident, please review the residency guidelines.
The University of Louisville participates in an Indiana Tuition Reciprocity Program for residents of Clark, Crawford, Floyd, Harrison, Scott and Washington counties who have been admitted directly into an approved program. These students should automatically receive in-state (resident) tuition. Students pursuing degrees from the Professional Schools (Law, Medical, & Dental) are not eligible.
Admitted Students
Students should contact their academic department directly for guidance on registering for classes. For information on when you can register, please visit the Registrar's Office. You will also find more information there regarding the last day to enroll or withdraw You can register for classes via ULink.
Complete the deferral request form in your Admissions Status Portal. Please note, your admissions can only be deferred for up to one academic year, and the deferral is subject to departmental approval. After this period, if you have not started with the program, you will be asked to reapply.
As an admitted student, please consult your current department and intended department before completing a request to change your program of study. Once both departments are aware of the change, you will need to submit a request through the Graduate School.
- If you are intending on switching programs outside of your current academic department, you will need to complete a new application and application fee payment.
- If you intend to switch programs within your academic department, you must submit an Application Change Request Form. Changes to your program cannot be guaranteed and are subject to review by the Graduate School. If your request is denied, you will be notified via email.
Many departments have deadlines to accept your admissions offer or financial support offer. Contact your department admissions coordinator or your Director of Graduate Studies to ensure you accept your offers before the deadline.
Once you have received your admissions letter from the Graduate School, please contact the Office of International Student and Scholar Services (isss@louisville.edu) to get assistance with the I-20/DS-2019 process.
If you have any questions relating to on-campus housing options, please contact the Housing and Resident Experience Office at housing@louisville.edu.
Official transcripts/official academic credential evaluations can be sent directly from your previous institution to our email gradadm@louisville.edu or to our address:
University of Louisville
Graduate Admissions
2211 South Brook Street Houchens Building Suite 105
Louisville, KY 40292
Your official test scores can be reported to our institution by using the institution code 1838 when placing an order for official scores through the testing service’s site.
