Applying to the University of Kansas
Lifelong pursuits start here. Find a KU graduate program to match your mission, then familiarize yourself with individual needs and next steps.
KU’s graduate admissions process
Minimum admission requirements
Applicants must meet the following minimum requirements for admission to any graduate program at KU:
- Proof of a bachelor's degree (and any post-bachelor’s coursework or degrees) from a regionally accredited institution, or a foreign university with substantially equivalent bachelor's degree requirements
- Proof of English proficiency for non-native English speakers
Program-specific admission requirements
Each graduate program at KU determines what additional materials or criteria are required for admission. These may include, but are not limited to:
- A resume or curriculum vitae
- Writing samples
- A personal statement
- Exam test scores
- Minimum GPA
Application requirements
All applications must include:
- A fee, which will vary depending on your status. The fees are as follows:
- Domestic degree-seeking: $65
- International degree-seeking: $85
- Certificate-seeking: $30
- Non-degree-seeking: $30
- A scanned copy of proof of residency, if you are a permanent resident of the U.S.
If you are a current or former KU student, you don’t need to provide official transcripts.
Current and former KU students are not required to request and purchase official KU transcripts, or to provide official KU transcripts or copies of KU transcripts to apply for admission to KU graduate programs. If KU students earned a degree from another institution, they will need to upload copies of those transcripts with their application.
If you have never attended KU, your application must include official transcripts from each college attended.
For processing purposes, you may attach scanned versions of official transcripts to your application. If you are admitted to a program and accept the admission offer, you will be required to submit an official, final transcript that shows your degree has been conferred. For more guidance on transcripts from non-U.S. institutions, see our International applicants page. Transcripts must be submitted to Graduate Admissions in one of the following ways:
- 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, you may have transcripts sent to graduateadm@ku.edu.
Official test scores
Any applicable GRE or TOEFL test scores should be sent by ETS to KU's institution code 6871.
References and recommendations
Programs may require you to provide references and letters of recommendation as part of your application. If so, you’ll be prompted to provide names and contact information for each reference. 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.
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: $30
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: $30
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.
Explore graduate programs
English proficiency requirements
