Apply to KU Graduate Programs
Start your application today. Begin in minutes, save your progress, and return anytime. Review requirements, prepare your materials, and take the next step toward your KU graduate degree.
Take the next step toward your KU graduate degree.
A KU graduate degree prepares you to move forward with confidence. Whether you are advancing in your career, deepening your industry expertise, or pursuing research at the highest level, you will learn alongside faculty who are actively shaping their fields.
Advance Your Career or Deepen Your Expertise
Develop the knowledge and practical skills to grow in your current role, transition into new opportunities, or lead in your field.
Engage in Meaningful Research and Discovery
At an AAU member and Carnegie R1 university, you will work with faculty whose research drives innovation and contributes to global conversations in their disciplines.
Choose a Program Aligned to Your Goals
Explore master's, doctoral, and graduate certificate programs across disciplines, with on-campus and online options that support how you learn.
Learn From Faculty Who Connect Theory and Practice
Courses are shaped by current research, industry insight, and applied experience, giving you a deeper understanding of your field.
Move Forward With Support at Every Step
From application through graduation, KU provides advising, resources, and academic support to help you succeed.
How to Apply
Explore KU's graduate programs
Identify the program that aligns with your goals. Review program details, formats, and deadlines before you begin.
Review requirements
Confirm your program’s specific requirements, including transcripts, test scores, and supporting documents.
Research costs, financial aid and funding
Understand tuition, fees, and available funding options, including financial aid, assistantships, and employer support.
Create your account and apply online
Start your application by creating an account in our secure application system. Save your progress and return anytime.
Submit your application and check your status
Submit your application, upload materials, pay the application fee (waivers are available for eligible applicants, including McNair Scholars, veterans, and participants in designated programs), and track your status through your application portal.
Receive your admission decision
After your application is reviewed, you’ll be notified of your admission decision. If admitted, you'll receive next steps, such as how to accept your offer and prepare for graduate study at KU.
What are the minimum admission requirements for KU graduate programs?
All applicants must provide proof of a bachelor's degree, English proficiency, and submit the appropriate application fee. However, specific admission requirements vary by program. Below is a breakdown of the universal university requirements versus potential program-specific requirements.
Application requirements
Transcripts
At application for admission you may attach scanned official transcripts to your application. Some departments may require official transcripts at the time of application. Check your program’s admissions requirements.
After enrollment you must submit official, final transcripts for any degrees earned before your second semester of graduate enrollment at KU or you will not be permitted to enroll for your second semester.
Transcripts from US institutions must include degree conferral and may be sent:
- Via mail: Transcripts must be sent directly from your institution, in a sealed envelope, to
Graduate Admissions
University of Kansas
1502 Iowa St.
Lawrence, KS 66045
- Electronically: If your institution offers a secure electronic transcript delivery service (such as Parchment or National Student Clearinghouse), you may have transcripts sent to graduateadm@ku.edu.
Transcripts from international institutions must include:
- Completion of coursework required for degree
- Degree earned and the date degree was conferred. If this is not on the transcript, you must submit a degree certificate or diploma.
- Official stamp or seal from the school
- CSSD (formerly CHESICC) verification report (in English) for degrees earned in China
Transcripts may be sent:
- Via mail: Transcripts must be sent directly from your institution, in a sealed envelope, to
Graduate Admissions
University of Kansas
1502 Iowa St.
Lawrence, KS 66045
- Via email: Your institution may email your transcript to graduateadm@ku.edu. The transcript must come directly to Graduate Admissions from an institutional email address, such as the registrar’s email address, to be considered official.
Residency
A series of questions on your application will determine if you are a domestic or international applicant.
If your application answers indicate you are a US resident, then it will determine if you residency is in-state or out-of-state as defined by the University Registrar.
US permanent residents or those with permanent residency pending will need to provide a scanned copy of proof of residency such as a permanent residency card or the I-797.
You will be considered an international applicant if:
• You are not a citizen or permanent resident of the United States and live outside the U.S.
• You are an international student at another U.S. institution, and you are currently in F-1 status (including OPT) or J-1 status (including Academic Training)
• You are currently on an H1B visa
• You are currently on a dependent visa — e.g., F-2, J-2, or H-4
Visit International Support Services for more information on visas as that office is responsible for managing the visa process.
If you are admitted to an in-person or hybrid graduate program, you will be required to submit proof of finances. Proof of finances are not required to be considered for admission.
Additional Application Requirements
Your application fee will vary depending on your status.
- Domestic degree-seeking: $65
- International degree-seeking: $100
- Certificate-seeking: $40
- Non-degree-seeking: $40
Applicants may be eligible for an application fee waiver. To be considered for a fee waiver, most applicants must submit a fee waiver request. This process is specific to programs listed on this page, which contains links to program information. Note, only certain programs offer sponsorship for application fees. To determine if a program reviews applications for fee waivers, contact the program directly.
Additionally:
- For MBA or other master's Business programs, reach out to the Business School for details on requesting an application fee waiver. Both Master's in Accounting and Business Ph.D. applicants should use the fee waiver request form above.
- Applicants who provide documentation in the graduate application of the following will not be charged an application fee and will not receive a prompt for payment: participation in a federally funded TRIO program; attendance at Haskell Indian Nations University; and current domestic undergraduate students who are receiving the US Federal Pell Grant.
- Certain programs sponsor the application fee for all applicants, and applicants to those programs won't receive a prompt for payment.
- If interested in a KU Medical Center program, contact the respective graduate or certificate program for information on requesting an application fee waiver.
Before submitting a fee waiver request, you must first start a graduate admission application and select the program you're applying to - fee waiver requests without a program will be denied. Although not required, you are encouraged to complete your admission application before submitting your fee waiver request. Your application fee is non-refundable, so do not pay the application fee when you submit your admission application if you plan to submit a fee waiver request. Fee waiver requests should be submitted well before the program application deadline to allow time for review.
After submitting a fee waiver request, applicants will be notified when a decision has been made on the fee waiver request. If a fee waiver is approved, it will be added to the application, and you will not be asked to submit an application fee. If your fee waiver is denied, you will need to pay your application fee before your application is reviewed for admission.
Programs may require you to provide references or letters of recommendation as part of your application. If so, the application will prompt you to provide names and contact information for each reference. It is VERY important that you double check that your references’ names and emails are correct. A failure to correctly fill out the recommendation section may cause significant issues and delay the review of your application.
Recommendation requests may be submitted through the application before the application is fully submitted., or at the time of submission. Your references will receive instructions on how to complete their recommendation. Recommendations received on your behalf prior to application submission will link to your application when it is submitted.
If you are not prompted to provide references on your application, that could mean your program doesn’t accept online recommendation submissions or doesn’t require them. Refer to your program of interest to confirm reference and letter of recommendation requirements.
Some programs require tests such as the GRE or the GMAT. Refer to your program of interest to confirm test requirements. GRE test scores should be sent by ETS to KU's institution code of 6871.
Some applicants need to provide scores related to the University’s proof of English proficiency requirement. Details can be found at gradapply.ku.edu/english-requirements.
Non-native English speakers are required to meet certain levels of English proficiency to gain admission to KU graduate programs. Common ways to demonstrate proficiency include previous degrees and test scores. Learn more at gradapply.ku.edu/english-requirements
Students with specific statuses
International graduate applicants will be asked to provide additional information and materials for processing immigration documents. Learn more about what you’ll need to apply to a graduate program.
Application fee: $40
If a student does not intend to work for an advanced degree or certificate, they are considered a non-degree-seeking student. Non-degree-seeking students may apply within a specific department, a program, a professional school, or the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. If a non-degree-seeking student later applies and is accepted as a degree-seeking student, the total credits transferred may not exceed nine hours.
Requirements
To gain admission to a graduate program, non-degree-seeking applicants must
- Meet the English proficiency requirements for admission
- Provide evidence of a completed bachelor's degree, conferred by a regionally-accredited university or a foreign university with substantially equivalent degree requirements. A bachelor's degree may not be accepted if it was not evaluated in units that identify the academic content (e.g., if the work was graded on a P/F or S/U basis).
Application Fee: $40
The University of Kansas offers a variety of certificate programs for both current graduate students and non-KU students; however, some certificate programs require enrollment in a degree-seeking program. Current KU degree-seeking students should contact their department about the application process. Non-KU students will need to apply for admission.
The Permit to Re-enroll is only intended for individuals who have enrolled in their graduate program in the past year. The permit to re-enroll form is not available to a student who:
- was dismissed from a program at KU
- was voluntarily discontinued (formally withdrew) from a graduate program
- completed the graduate degree program
- most recently enrolled as a non-degree-seeking graduate student
Students will not be considered for readmission if they are currently on a leave of absence, if they have not been enrolled in the past year, or have earned a degree from the graduate degree program (See the Permit to Re-Enroll policy page for more information.)
Before completing the form, students should verify with their graduate program that they are eligible to re-enroll.
Dismissed students and those who withdrew from their program must submit a full application.