General Information

Admission

Every person who desires to enroll in or audit any graduate credit course must be first admitted or approved by the Graduate School.

Online applications for admission to the Graduate School should be submitted electronically at least six weeks (domestic) and six months (international) before the start of the term for which admission is sought in order to allow adequate time for complete processing. Some programs have earlier deadlines. Applicants should contact the departments for more detailed application information. Information on graduate programs, including application deadlines, is available on the Graduate School website.

First-time applications to the Graduate School must be accompanied by an application fee. The fee for domestic students is $45. The fee for international students is $70. A fee of $45 must accompany all domestic and international reapplications. Applications fees are not refundable under any circumstance.

An official transcript from each college or university attended must also be received by the Graduate School before the application will be processed. This applies to the complete academic record, both undergraduate and graduate. Transcripts should be sent from the institutions attended directly to the Graduate School. The applicant is responsible for seeing that the above conditions are met by the deadlines for filing applications.

All records, including academic records from other institutions, become part of the official file and cannot be returned for any purpose.

An offer of admission may only be made to an applicant who meets all admission requirements. It must be recognized that staff, facilities, and other resources are limited, so the number of students accepted will vary among departments and from term to term. An accepted applicant may begin graduate work in the fall, spring or summer semester. The offer of admission is void, however, if the applicant does not register for and attend courses within one year from the semester for which admission was granted. An individual whose offer of admission has lapsed must submit a new application along with the reapplication fee to be reconsidered.

The student is admitted only for the purpose or objective stated on the application for admission. A new request for admission must be filed when the original objective has been attained or when the student wishes to change objectives. The admitted status terminates when the time limits have been exceeded or other conditions for continued admitted status have not been met.

No student will be admitted without approval and acceptance by an academic department within the University, but admission to a department does not necessarily imply candidacy for any graduate degree program in that department. Admission for graduate study in any program can only be granted by the Dean of the Graduate School and the staff of that office.

Admission Classifications

All students are identified by the Graduate School as being in one of the following categories. Any change must be arranged through the Graduate School.

Full Admission may be given to any applicant who desires to pursue a graduate degree and has a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with an overall grade-point average of 2.75 or better or 3.00 for the last two years (64 semester credits or equivalent); or holds an advanced degree from an accredited college or university in or appropriate to the intended field; or holds a baccalaureate or master’s degree from a foreign college or university with first-class standing or its equivalent, plus satisfactory evidence of competence in English.

Provisional Admission may be granted to a person who has not met all of the requirements for full admission (2.74-2.5 overall GPA or 2.75 over the last two years). This admission status permits a student to take up to 15 semester credits of graduate coursework. Graduate courses taken under this admission status may be applied to a graduate degree program, but only when all requirements for full admission have been met.

Deferred Admission may be granted if the applicant’s record does not meet provisional admission standards. After completion of a postbaccalaureate program of study, with an appropriate GPA, as prescribed by the department (usually two to five courses), the student may be reconsidered for provisional admission to the Graduate School. No graduate-level coursework can be taken by a student under the deferred admission status.

Conditional Admission may be granted to a person who has not yet provided evidence of the meeting the required proficiency in English. This proficiency can be demonstrated by the submission of official TOEFL or IELTS scores. A minimum score of 79 is required on the internet-based TOEFL. A minimum score of 6.5 is required on the IELTS test. Students may not enroll in graduate courses until the English proficiency requirement has been satisfied. Note: Some academic departments may require higher TOEFL or IELTS scores.

Non-Degree Admission may be granted to a person who wishes to take particular courses but who is not working toward a graduate degree. This admission status permits a student to take unlimited credits of graduate coursework. Graduate courses taken under this admission status may be applied later to a graduate degree program, but only when all requirements for full admission have been met.

Transient status may be given to a person who is a regularly enrolled graduate student in good standing in a degree program at another accredited university and has written permission to enroll at The University of Akron. Such permission is valid only for the courses and semester specified, with a maximum of ten semester credits allowable, and is subject to the approval of the instructor, department chair and Graduate School. A transient student is subject to the same rules and regulations as a regularly enrolled student of the University.

Workshop status is for a person permitted to take workshops for graduate credit without being admitted to Graduate School. Such permission is granted by the workshop director upon receipt of a signed statement of possession of a baccalaureate degree by the applicant, and terminates upon completion of this workshop. A student admitted to workshop status must apply through regular channels for any other category. A maximum of six workshop credits may be applied to degree work at a later date if the applicant is given full admission to the Graduate School.

Undergraduate status is for an undergraduate student at the University who may be granted permission to take one or more graduate-level courses if all the following conditions are met:

senior standing;
overall grade-point average of 2.75 or better through preceding term (if a student does not have a 3.00 or better in the major field, special justification will be required from the department);
written approval is given by the instructor of the course and the student’s adviser.

These courses may later be applied to a degree program if not used to satisfy baccalaureate degree requirements. The maximum number of graduate credits that may be taken by an undergraduate and applied later toward a graduate degree is 12.

Postdoctoral status is divided into three categories:

a Fellow is a person holding an earned doctorate who is engaged in advanced research. A fellow shall be considered a guest of the University and provided space and use of facilities within limits of practical need of the undergraduate and graduate programs. Tuition and fees shall be collected if allowed under sponsoring contract for any courses the fellow may choose to take;
a Special is a person holding an earned doctorate who desires an additional graduate degree. A special may be admitted to any program upon submission of application forms, application fee (if new student) and an official transcript from the institution awarding the doctorate. This student will be treated as a regular student subject to registration fees and program degree requirements;
a Guest is a person holding an earned doctorate who desires to attend courses and seminars relevant to individual work or interest without registering or receiving grades. A written application should be submitted to the dean of the Graduate School for each course to be taken, and approval of the instructor, department chair and college dean shall be obtained. A guest is welcome to register for any course or seminar provided space is available. Normally, space and facilities for research cannot be provided for a postdoctoral guest but special requests will be considered. Requests should be submitted, in writing, to the Dean of the Graduate School who will review such requests with the appropriate college dean and department chair.

Admission Validity

An offer of admission is void if an applicant does not register for and attend courses within one year from the semester for which admission was granted. An individual whose offer of admission has lapsed must submit a new application along with the reapplication fee to be reconsidered.

Course Load

A full load of coursework at the graduate level is normally 9-15 semester credits including audit. For doctoral students who are in their final semester of study and have completed all degree requirements except the dissertation; international students participating in curricular practical training (CPT) and/or academic training (AT) opportunities of 30 or more hours per week with approval from the International Center; or doctoral students in accreditation-mandated internships of 30 or more hours per week with approval from the academic program, one or more graduate hours constitute full-time enrollment.

Cross-Registration

Under specific circumstances a graduate student may take one or more graduate courses at Cleveland State University, Kent State University, The University of Akron, Northeast Ohio Medical University, or Youngstown State University without registering as a transient student. The course for which a student wishes to register should contribute to the student’s program of study and be unavailable when needed to complete the student’s program at the home institution. The student must be in good standing (GPA>3.0) and within the time limits for degree completion. The graduate program unit at the student’s home institution will establish a graduate special topics or independent study course identification capable of being “tagged” by the home university with a title that will correspond to the course title at the host university and with the initials of that university; i.e. CSU, KSU, NEOMED or YSU. Registration for such a course is controlled by the home department and will be permitted only upon receipt of an approved Cross Registration form. Cross Registration forms can be obtained on the Graduate School website.

Entrance Qualifying Examinations

The use of examinations to determine admissibility to enter a graduate program or eligibility to continue in one is the prerogative of the departments offering graduate programs. The department has the right to select the examination and minimum acceptable level of performance. Information and procedure may be obtained from the chair of the appropriate department.

Graduate Assistantships

The Graduate School awards a number of graduate assistantships to qualified students. Graduate School funded assistantships are awarded for up to two years of master's study, up to five years of doctoral degree study, and up to five years of master's/doctoral degree study. No student will receive an assistantship for more than five years. A graduate assistant renders service to the university through teaching, research and other duties. For information and/or applications, the student should contact the chair of the department. Tuition scholarships are also available on a limited basis in some departments.

A number of fellowships sponsored by industry and government agencies are available in some departments. For information, the student should contact the chair of the department.

Additional information and policies pertaining to graduate assistantships is available in the Graduate Assistant Handbook which can be obtained on the Graduate School website.

Nonaccredited American School Graduates

A student holding a baccalaureate degree from a non-accredited American college or university, is required to complete at least ten semester credits of postbaccalaureate work at a 3.00 level before being considered for admission to the Graduate School. The accreditation status of the school at the time of the student’s graduation shall apply. A student should consult with the department chair in the major field to develop a postbaccalaureate program.

Registration

The responsibility for being properly registered lies with the student, who should consult with the assigned adviser in preparing a program of courses and/or research. A schedule of courses, hours, class location, and registration procedures is obtainable online through the Office of the Registrar.

Sixty Plus Program

The University of Akron Sixty-Plus Program has been designed to allow persons over 60 years of age to attend University courses on a non-credit (audit) basis without having to pay tuition, general service fees, or other fees not charged to all students taking the same classes under conditions described below:

To qualify for the Sixty-Plus Program, the prospective student must be 60 years of age or older and have resided in the State of Ohio for at least one year.
Sixty-Plus students are permitted to enroll in a class on a space available basis. Sixty-Plus students will be allowed in classes only after degree-seeking students have registered.
Sixty-Plus students are listed as audit students. Audit students do not generate state subsidy, therefore, audit students should not be considered in making courses reach minimum size.
Students 60 years or older who choose to take classes for credit must pay full tuition and fees.
A Sixty-Plus student must either satisfy prerequisite class requirements or obtain the instructor’s permission.
Sixty-Plus students’ admittance into a course is subject to instructor’s approval.
A Sixty-Plus student may register for no more than three courses (11 or fewer credits) per semester.
Sixty-Plus students are responsible for payment of approved fees, which are assessed to all students taking the same course. Tuition, general service fees, and any other fee not assessed to all students taking the same class will be waived. Sixty-Plus students are responsible for any other expenses such as parking permits or books.
The Sixty-Plus program is intended to comply with section 3345.27 of the Revised Code.

Persons over the age of 60 may attend University of Akron courses and receive credit for courses taken under the conditions outlined above if the person’s family income is less than 200% of the federal poverty guideline, as revised annually by the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services in accordance with Section 673 of the Community Services Block Grant Act, 95 stat. 511 (1981) 42 U.S.C.A. 9902, as amended for a family size equal to the size of the family of the person whose income is being determined. However, a person receiving credit for attending courses under this division will be charged a tuition or matriculation fee in an amount no greater than the amount of any part-time student instructional grant awarded to that person by the state university or college in its discretion. The following shall also apply:

Eligible Sixty-Plus participants may enroll for no more than three courses (11 or fewer credits) unless request to enroll in a greater number is approved by the Senior Vice President and Provost and Chief Operating Officer.
Participants in this program may be prohibited from enrolling in certain courses for which special course or training prerequisites apply, in which physical demands upon students are inappropriate for imposition upon persons 60 years of age or older, or in which the number of participating regular students is insufficient to cover the University’s course-related expenses.
Sixty-Plus students are subject to the same disciplinary and/or governance rules affecting all students.
This policy is subject to and provided by Ohio law and The University of Akron Board of Trustees regulations, either of which may be amended from time-to-time.

Transfer Students

A graduate student matriculated in the Graduate School of another college or university who wishes to transfer to The University of Akron to continue graduate education must be in good standing at the other school.