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Graduate College Admissions Standards
Degree- and Certificate-Seeking Application Deadlines
Graduate Degree- and Certificate-Seeking Admissions Requirements
Submission of Admission Materials
Departmental Degree- and Certificate-Seeking Admissions Requirements
Graduate College Admissions Standards
The Graduate College maintains minimum standards for graduate admission. All graduate degree- and certificate-seeking applicants must meet these eligibility requirements to be considered for admission. Through the standard university and Graduate College curricular process, department faculty determine program admissions requirements beyond the Graduate College minimum requirements. Graduate program admission requirements are located on each program’s respective entry in this Graduate Catalog. Please note that applicants must submit all required admissions materials via the Graduate College online application system, the Grad Rebel Gateway.
Applicants to graduate programs must meet the following minimum standards for Graduate College admission:
- Hold a four-year baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution in the United States or an approved international equivalent. Regional accrediting associations are listed below and recognized by the Council of Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
- Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) Western Association of Schools and Colleges
- Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
- New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
- Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
- WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC)
- Have a minimum overall undergraduate grade point average of 2.75 (4.00=A), or a minimum 3.00 GPA (4.00=A) for the last two years (60 semester credits) of study.
- International applicants must provide sufficient proof of English proficiency.
Degree- and Certificate-Seeking Application Deadlines
Application deadlines vary by graduate program. Applications are closed at 11:59 p.m. PST on the deadlines posted on the Graduate College website and in the Grad Rebel Gateway application portal. All applications and supporting documents must be submitted by the posted deadlines in order to be considered for admission.
Graduate Degree- and Certificate-Seeking Admissions Requirements
Applicants must submit the following, by the posted application deadline for their intended program:
- Application for Admission: A graduate degree- or certificate-seeking application through the Grad Rebel Gateway application portal;
- Application Fee: A nonrefundable application processing fee (domestic: $60, international: $95) - payable to the UNLV Board of Regents by check, money order, or online by credit card.
- Applications and materials will not be processed until the application fee is received.
- Applicants to multiple UNLV graduate programs must pay the admission application evaluation fee for each application filed.
- Denied applicants, who later seek admission to the same or other UNLV degree program, are required to pay a new application processing fee.
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Transcripts: One transcript from every post-secondary institution the applicant has attended (regardless of whether a degree or credential was earned), showing all coursework, extension and correspondence work, any degrees earned, and the dates that those degrees were awarded. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted as part of the application process. However, if an applicant is admitted, official transcripts will be required by the date specified on the Certificate of Admission. Transfer credits posted on another institution’s transcript will not be accepted in lieu of the transcript itself. Only transcripts sent directly from the institution are considered official. Failure to disclose all coursework and/or degrees awarded will result in rescission of admission.
- UNLV provides in-house credential evaluations of academic coursework. However, UNLV will accept a course-by-course evaluation from any NACES member agency in replacement of or in lieu of our in-house evaluation.
- Transcripts must be provided in a PDF format and must include the institutional/grading key page.
- Credentials not in English must be accompanied by a word-for-word English translation certified as true by a university official, an official representative of a United States embassy or consulate, the United States Information Service, the United States Education Foundation, or an approved professional translating service. Translations must bear the signature of the translator and be accompanied by original language documents.
- The applicant will also be required to provide the grading scale of the foreign institution they attended. In the event the student cannot provide a grading scale, they must contact internationalgrad@unlv.edu.
- Credentials from China: Students who have completed a degree in China must provide copies of the original language transcripts and a copy of their Degree Certificate and Graduation Certificate. Documents verified by the Center for Student Services and Development (CSSD) or the China Academic Degree and Graduate information Center (CDGDC) are also accepted.
Credentials from India: Consolidated marks sheets are acceptable if yearly mark sheets are not available. Mark sheets must also be issued by the degree-granting institution. Mark sheets from affiliated colleges are not acceptable or considered official. Students who have completed a degree in India must also provide a copy of their Provisional Certificate.
- Proof of English Proficiency: International applicants must submit proof of English proficiency.
- Applicants are exempt from this requirement if they are from countries where English is the native language. Applicants who have received a post-secondary degree from an institution where English is the primary language of instruction may also be exempt. These applicants must provide proof of the language of instruction in order to be exempt. This proof can be noted on the transcript itself, provided in a letter by an institution official like the registrar, or posted on the official website of the institution attesting to the fact that English is the primary language of instruction. The final determination is made by the Graduate College.
- Applicants may submit either official or unofficial copies of English proficiency scores for initial application evaluation. Applicants may send official scores to the Graduate College through the testing agency, upload unofficial score reports into their application Grad Rebel Gateway, or email unofficial score reports to internationalgrad@unlv.edu. Students admitted with unofficial scores will be conditionally admitted and must submit official exam scores by the deadline specified on the Certificate of Admission.
- Minimum acceptable scores that evidence sufficient English proficiency for each test are as follows. Test scores may be no more than two (2) years old at the time of application. Please note graduate programs may require a higher minimum score for admission.
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Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
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Paper-based: Total minimum score 74
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Computer-based: Total minimum score 213
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Internet-based: Total minimum score 80
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Pearson Test of English (PTE)
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International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
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Duolingo English Test (DET)
- English Language Centers (ELS)
- Common European Framework for Reference (CEFR)
- English Speaking Countries Exempt from Testing:
- Antigua, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Barbuda, Belize, British Guyana, British Virgin Islands, Canada (except for Quebec), Dominica, Irish Republic, Jamaica, New Zealand, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom, U.S. Virgin Islands
With the support of the academic department, the Graduate College may accept the following scores for applicants with a cumulative GPA of 3.75 or higher (4.0 scale). In addition to the GPA requirement, the academic department must provide evidence of academic excellence as rationale for such an exception. Any requests for exceptions must be submitted to the Graduate College with support from the academic department/unit chair and graduate coordinator. Scores lower than the following will NOT be considered for exception:
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
- Paper‐based minimum score: 68
- Computer‐based minimum score: 210
- Internet‐based: 77
- Pearson Test of English (PTE)
Any requests for exceptions must be submitted to the Graduate College with support from the academic department/unit chair and graduate coordinator, and a statement explaining evidence of the applicant’s academic excellence. Scores lower than those listed above will not be approved. Any students admitted on this type of PEP exception will be required to visit the UNLV English Language Center (ELC) for an assessment upon arriving on campus and take any courses prescribed by the ELC to remedy any English language deficiencies. Failure to complete prescribed courses within the time frame stipulated by the ELC will result in separation from the university.
English Proficiency for Graduate Assistants
All new international students who are first-time graduate assistants at UNLV without sufficient proof of English proficiency (PEP) will be required to take the DET. This includes all GAs who will be advising or teaching students as an instructor, teaching assistant, tutor, or lab supervisors; research assistants; and graduate assistants with other professional duties. The DET must be taken before the start of the semester the GA intends to work at UNLV. Specifically, the last day to take the DET will be the Friday before classes start. International GAs who cannot provide sufficient PEP or pass the DET cannot serve in a teaching capacity during their first semester as a GA. GAs who are assigned to work with undergraduates and do not meet the requirements of PEP/DET will be reassigned to non-teaching duties for their first semester and until they can earn a sufficient score on the PEP or Duolingo test. Please see the Graduate Assistant Handbook for more information about English Proficiency requirements for international GAs.
Submission of Admission Materials
Send Graduate College admission materials to:
Office of Admissions
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Mail Stop: 1021
4505 S. Maryland Parkway
Las Vegas, NV 89154
Official electronic transcripts should be sent to gradadmissions@unlv.edu.
Departmental Degree- and Certificate-Seeking Admissions Requirements
Factors that may also be considered by the graduate program to which you are applying include test scores (like the Graduate Record Examination [GRE] or Graduate Management Admission Test [GMAT]), the type of coursework completed during undergraduate studies, letters of recommendation, writing samples or portfolios, and any other supporting documents your department/program may ask you to submit to complete your online application. Many graduate programs require some or all of the following documentation to be uploaded into students’ Grad Rebel Gateway application:
- Letters of recommendation: Letters of recommendation sent by former instructors, employers, or other professionals who can evaluate the applicant’s potential to complete graduate study are often required. Applicants must list the names and information of recommendation providers in the Grad Rebel Gateway. Applicants are asked whether they wish to waive their right to view the letter of recommendation. Waiving their right to view the letter means that once the recommendation provider submits the letter of recommendation, the applicant has no right to view it, and requests by the applicant to view the letter will not be granted.
- Standardized test scores: In addition, some departments require satisfactory composite scores on the GRE, GMAT, or other standardized tests. Some examinations are given only four or five times a year and require that registration be completed a minimum of six weeks prior to the test date. Students may take the required tests online or at other colleges or universities if taking them at UNLV is inconvenient for the applicant.
- A resume or curriculum vitae.
- Writing sample, statement of interest or application letter, portfolio, etc.: Programs often require additional materials (e.g., resume, portfolio, statement of purpose, writing samples, and the like) to help provide a holistic understanding of each applicant’s abilities, experiences, skills, and likelihood for success in the program. These are uploaded directly into the application checklist in the Grad Rebel Gateway.
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