There are five basic requirements for recommendation for admission:

1. A Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university  in the United States or proof of equivalent degree and training from an acceptable foreign institution of higher education.  An applicant who holds a graduate degree or first professional degree (e.g., M.D., DDS, JD) from a regionally and programmatically accredited college or university in the United States or proof of equivalent degree and training from an acceptable foreign institution of higher education may be considered on an individual basis even though they do not hold a bachelor's degree or equivalent (as defined above)

2. official GRE scores (verbal, quantitative and written);

3. a preferred minimum grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0);

4. a minimum score on the TOEFL of 550 (paper) or 213 (computer-based) for applicants whose native language is not English, or equivalent scores from another approved test;

5. acceptance by the appropriate graduate program, which may have additional or more stringent admission criteria.

The admissions committee may be convinced that the GPA does not reflect accurately the probability of success in their program.  Through the program director, the faculty may request a waiver, with adequate justification, of the stated minimum GPA.  Final recommendation by the graduate program faculty will be based on competitive evaluation of the qualifications of the applicant plus consideration of the availability of space and resources.  Factors considered by the admissions committee are:

1. Undergraduate overall and upper division grade point average and, if applicable, graduate grade point average and the appropriateness of the curriculum as preparation for graduate study;
2. Scores on the Graduate Records Examination;
3. Research of other relevant experience;
4. Letters of reference;
5. Background for and commitment to a career of scholarly endeavor in the field of study;
6. Availability of opportunity for training in the desired field of scholarship;
7. Unique educational, career or life experiences;
8. Personal statement
9. Socioeconomic background
10. Ability to communicate in English
11. Program specific admission requirements.  Program specific admission requirements must be published in the graduate school bulletin and in all recruitment materials.

No student will be admitted or denied admission without final approval of the graduate dean.

Admission

Admission is granted to applicants after careful consideration of the application file by the admission committee(s) and the dean.  The successful applicant ordinarily will meet all graduate school and program admission requirements as well as demonstrate through references, publications and/or interviews an interest in and talent for a career in research.

The successful applicant will be informed by letter concerning his or her admission and any imposed conditions of the admission.