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.
Why KU
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.
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. When prompted, choose KU Graduate for Lawrence, Edwards Campus and KU Online programs, or KU Medical Center for programs offered through KU Medical Center. 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), 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.
Graduate admissions
What are the minimum admission requirements for KU graduate programs?
Every applicant must provide proof of a bachelor's degree, meet the English proficiency requirement, and submit the appropriate application fee. Beyond those university-wide minimums, each graduate program sets its own additional criteria. Below is the breakdown of what KU requires of everyone against what an individual program may ask of you.
University-wide minimum requirements
Bachelor's degree
Proof of a degree, and any post-bachelor's coursework, from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or an equivalent foreign university.
English proficiency
Proof of English proficiency for applicants who are not native or native-like English speakers.
Application fee
Your fee depends on the type of application you submit.
- Domestic degree-seeking $65
- International degree-seeking $100
- Certificate-seeking $40
- Non-degree-seeking $40
Waivers are available. Applicants are not charged an application fee if they document in the graduate application that they are current domestic undergraduates receiving a Federal Pell Grant, participated in a federally funded TRIO program or the KU PREP program, attend Haskell Indian Nations University, or participated in the national PROPEL network and are applying to a KU doctoral STEM program. Other applicants may submit a fee waiver request.
Potential program-specific requirements
Each graduate program determines what additional criteria it requires. These might include:
- Resume or curriculum vitae (CV)
- Writing samples
- Personal statement
- Exam scores, such as the GRE or GMAT
- Minimum GPA thresholds
- Letters of recommendation
Requirements and deadlines are set by each program, not by the university. Confirm both with your program before you apply.
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
Current KU graduate students can apply to a KU graduate certificate without an application fee in most cases. Application fee requirements may vary by graduate certificate program.
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.
You will not be charged a KU graduate application fee if you provide documentation in your graduate application showing that you meet one of the following criteria:
- You are a current domestic undergraduate student receiving a U.S. Federal Pell Grant.
- You participated in a federally funded TRIO program.
- You attend Haskell Indian Nations University.
- You participated in the KU PREP program.
- You participated in the national PROPEL network and are applying to a KU doctoral STEM program.
Applicants who qualify for one of these KU graduate application fee exemptions and provide the required documentation will not receive an application fee payment prompt.
- 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 on the English Requirements page.
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 by visiting the English Requirements page.
The University of Kansas approaches Artificial Intelligence (AI) as an opportunity to responsibly advance teaching and learning, discovery, and service in ways that reflect care for individuals and communities.
Statement on Generative AI
Large Language Models (LLM) are a form of generative artificial intelligence (GAI) that are powerful tools, capable of assisting with research, ideation, and even refining written communication. However, it is imperative that applicants prepare essays and other application materials (e.g., resume) that are in the applicant’s own voice, free from plagiarism, and authentic to the writer’s experiences and thought processes. When preparing your application materials, if you choose to use AI, you should use this tool as you would in collaboration or support from human resources such as peers, mentors, or writing centers. AI can be useful for feedback and refinement when those more traditional resources are not available. Just as you would not copy the work of a human collaborator or source, it is not acceptable to copy Generative AI content into your application.
Any essay prompts in the graduate application provide an opportunity to share your unique perspective, experiences, ideas, and aspirations. We encourage you to take the time for meaningful self-reflection and careful writing. Show us your intellect, individuality, skills, and creativity in your own words.
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.