Admission to the Graduate School
Applicants for admission to the Graduate School must hold a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from an accredited American college or university or from a foreign institution of acceptable standing by the time of graduate matriculation. If at that time an admitted applicant does not hold a bachelor’s degree, the Graduate School admission is void. The applicant should have earned at least a B average in his or her undergraduate major courses and should meet the level of academic achievement that implies a developed ability for advanced study and independent scholarship.
An applicant may seek admission to either degree-seeking status or non-degree status in either a master’s or doctoral program.
Admission to a graduate degree program is not equivalent to admission to candidacy for the degree (see “Admission to Candidacy” under master’s and Ph.D. degree requirements.) It should also be noted that admission to the master’s program does not automatically mean admission to the doctoral program upon completion of the master’s program. A separate decision is required for continuation in the doctoral program.
Application Requirements
Admission to Multiple Degree Programs
Admission to Joint Degree Programs
Non-Degree Applicants
Acceptance
Council of Graduate Schools Policy on Accepted Offers of Admission
Application Requirements
An applicant for admission must complete all of the following:
- Complete and electronically submit the online application
- Submit a statement of intent through the online application system
- Submit a curriculum vitae or résumé through the online application system
- Arrange for three letters of recommendation to be submitted through the online recommendation system associated with the online application
- Submit the application fee by credit card, check, or money order using the payment system associated with the online application system
- Request official transcripts from each post-secondary institution and have them mailed to the Office of Graduate Admissions (please note that transcripts may not be attached to the online application)
- Arrange for the submission of official Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test scores
- Arrange for the submission of official GRE Subject Test scores if required by the department
- Arrange for submission of official Test of English as a Foreign Langauge (TOEFL) scores if the applicant’s native language is not English
The online application may be accessed through the Graduate School’s website. To expedite the processing of applications, the online application should be completed and submitted before any supporting materials not attached to the online application are sent to the Graduate School.
Students seeking admission to more than one department, but who plan to enroll in only one, must submit separate applications for each department. Only one application fee is necessary.
The application fee must accompany the application. This fee is nonrefundable. For applications submitted by December 1 for admission to the following fall semester, the application fee is $35. The fee is $50 for all applications submitted after December 1 for admission to the following fall semester. Fees may be paid by check, money order, or credit card (see online application).
Application deadlines range from January 1 to February 1 for admission to the fall semester. Applicants may visit the Graduate School’s website to determine the deadline for individual programs. Unless otherwise specified, the application deadline for spring admission is November 1, though some departments have earlier deadlines. Applicants may visit the Graduate School’s website to determine the deadline for individual programs. It should be noted that only a few departments offer spring admission. Therefore, applicants who wish to begin in the spring are advised to consult the department prior to submitting an application.
Beyond these Graduate School admission requirements for all graduate departments and programs, particular programs may require personal interviews and/or submission of special materials such as writing samples or portfolios. Applicants should consult the individual department or program to learn about additional requirements and submission procedures.
The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is offered at sites in the United States and abroad. The annual schedules and other information about the GRE can be obtained online at http://www.gre.org or from Educational Testing Service (ETS), Graduate Record Examination, Box 6000, Princeton NJ 08541-6000, USA. If you need to call about the GRE, telephone the Educational Testing Service at (609) 771-7670.
The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is offered several times each year at sites in the United States and abroad. Foreign students, except those noted above, must submit TOEFL scores as part of their application to demonstrate a sufficient command of English to meet the requirements of their field. If not available locally, the annual schedules and other information about the TOEFL can be obtained online at http://www.toefl.org or from Educational Testing Service (ETS), TOEFL, Box 6151, Princeton NJ 08541-6151, USA. If you need to call about the TOEFL, telephone the Educational Testing Service at (609) 771-7100.
Admission to Multiple Degree Programs
An applicant who seeks admission to more than one master’s degree program in the Graduate School in order to earn two degrees, or an applicant who seeks admission to a degree program in the Graduate School concurrently with a degree program in another school in the University (i.e., Law School or Mendoza College of Business) must submit a separate and complete application for each program. The applicant must also be accepted by each of the cooperating departments. The Graduate School will consider only applicants whose past academic performance indicates the potential for success in each of the programs. In consultation with the appropriate advisers from each unit, the applicant will select a plan of study acceptable to all units. The Graduate School must approve the written plan of study before the student may begin the program. No more than nine credit hours of classes from any one master’s degree may be counted toward any other master’s degree.
Admission to Joint Degree Programs
It is possible for a student to pursue a program of study combining two programs and leading to a joint degree. An applicant who seeks to earn a joint degree, either master’s or Ph.D., must submit a separate and complete application to each program and be accepted by both. The relevant departments must agree upon a plan of study defining what will constitute the joint degree program, and the approved written plan must be on file with the Graduate School before the student may begin the program.
Non-Degree Applicants
An applicant for admission to a non-degree program must complete all of the following:
- Complete and electronically submit the online application
- Submit a statement of intent through the online application system detailing the applicant’s graduate plans and expectations
- Submit a curriculum vitae or résumé through the online application system
- Request official transcripts from each post-secondary institution and have them mailed to the Office of Graduate Admissions (please note that transcripts may not be attached to the online application)
- Submit the application fee by credit card, check, or money order using the payment system associated with the online application system
A non-degree applicant may seek admission as a departmental non-degree student or as an unclassified, visiting, or auditing student in the Graduate School.
A departmental non-degree student is one who has been admitted to a department but who is not seeking an advanced degree from the University. An applicant with degree intent who lacks one or more admission requirements may be admitted temporarily to this non-degree status at the discretion of the department and with the approval of the associate dean for graduate admissions. The student may register for one to 12 credit hours in any graduate courses for which he or she meets the course prerequisites. However, no student initially admitted to non-degree status will be admitted to degree status until all admission requirements have been satisfied. No more than 12 credit hours earned by a student while in a non-degree status may be counted toward a degree program. Admission as a departmental non-degree student does not guarantee later admission as a degree-seeking student.
An unclassified student is one who is admitted to the Graduate School in a non-degree status, but who is not a member of a particular department. Such a student may, with the approval of the Graduate School, take courses in any graduate department, subject to approval by the department. This category is usually open to non-degree students who wish to take courses in more than one department, or students who have completed their degree programs but wish to continue in the University in graduate student status. No more than 12 credit hours earned by a student while in a non-degree status may be counted toward a degree program. Admission as an unclassified non-degree student does not guarantee later admission as a degree-seeking student.
A visiting student is normally a degree student in another university who enrolls for credit in selected courses at Notre Dame. Unless otherwise arranged by the home university and Notre Dame, the visiting student is considered a non-degree student at Notre Dame and follows the same application and enrollment procedures as a non-degree student.
An auditor is a non-degree student who meets the course prerequisites but receives no academic credit. With the permission of the instructor and the department chair, a degree student also may audit courses. Audited courses may be recorded on a student’s permanent record only if the student requests the instructor to record it at the beginning of the semester and if he or she attends the course throughout the entire semester. A recorded audit is graded V. Incomplete audits are not recorded. The audit grade of V cannot be changed to a credit grade.
In the academic year, full-time graduate students may audit courses without charge. Part-time graduate students who audit courses will be charged the normal audit fee of one-half the current credit hour fee.
In the summer session, there is no free audited course. Any course taken or audited in the summer session will be charged at the full price.
Acceptance
Official acceptance to the Graduate School in the academic year is granted only by the associate dean. Applicants will be informed officially of the results of their application by a letter from the associate dean for graduate admissions. Applicants who intend to accept offers of admission are required to confirm their acceptance by returning the appropriately completed form that is supplied with an offer of admission.
Council of Graduate Schools Policy on Accepted Offers of Admission
In accordance with a resolution passed by the Council of Graduate Schools in the United States, the following policy is in effect:
By accepting an offer of financial aid (such as a graduate scholarship, fellowship, traineeship, or assistantship) for the next academic year, the enrolled or prospective graduate student completes an agreement that both the student and graduate school expect to honor. When a student accepts an offer before April 15 and subsequently desires to withdraw, the student may submit a written resignation for the appointment at any time through April 15. However, an acceptance given or left in force after April 15 commits the student not to accept another offer without first obtaining a written release from the institution to which a commitment has been made. Similarly, an offer made by an institution after April 15 is conditional on presentation by the student of a written release from any previously accepted offer. It is further agreed by the institutions and organizations subscribing to this resolution that a copy of the resolution should accompany every scholarship, fellowship, traineeship, and assistantship offer.
