University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Policy Name: Graduate School Admission
Policy Number: LR 509.3
Effective Date: July 1, 2022
Most Recent Revised Date: March 17, 2026
Policy
Admission Requirements
Students must satisfy Graduate School minimum requirements and those of the program to which they seek admission. Students should consult the Graduate Catalog for program-specific admission requirements. Applicants who do not meet all minimum admission criteria may, in rare instances, be admitted conditionally.
Degree requirements
Admission to the UA Little Rock Graduate School requires a baccalaureate degree from a regionally-accredited, domestic institution or an international institution recognized by the International Association of Universities.
GPA requirements
| If the applicant’s highest degree is a bachelor’s degree… | …a GPA of 2.7/4.0 is required on the last 60 hours of undergraduate work. |
| If the applicant has a graduate certificate, master’s degree, or doctoral degree… | …a cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required on their graduate-level degree(s). |
Test score requirements
Some degree programs require that the scores from standardized tests, such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), Miller Analogies Test (MAT), or Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), be submitted as part of the application portfolio. Generally, scores more than five years old are not accepted. Test scores alone do not determine admission to a program, but are one piece of data used in the consideration process.
Additional application materials
Letters of recommendation, statements of purpose, writing samples, and personal interviews may also be used by some programs to assess a student’s preparedness and probability of success.
Requirements for international applicants
International students must meet additional requirements: see Policy 509.9 Graduate School International Student Admission.
The Application Process
All prospective students are required to apply online to the UA Little Rock Graduate School. A non-refundable application fee is required for all applicants, except for McNair Scholars and applicants who apply through the Indus Foundation.
After submitting an application, graduate applicants must request official transcripts from any college or university where they earned their graduate and/or undergraduate degrees.
If a bachelor’s degree transcript(s) contains fewer than 60 graded course credits, additional official transcripts from other institutions the applicant attended will be required so that at a minimum, the applicant’s most recent 60 hours can be evaluated.
Individual graduate programs may require additional transcripts.
Official transcripts must be sent to
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Attention: Graduate School
2801 South University Avenue
Little Rock, Arkansas 72204-1099
Students must refer to their graduate program of interest to find out if additional items are needed to complete the application file. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all admission documents are received in the Graduate School in a timely manner.
All credentials submitted by or on behalf of an applicant become the property of UA Little Rock and will be retained for one year. Materials from applicants who do not submit all requested material will be shredded and discarded. Once an application has been submitted, applicants should notify the Graduate School of any change in plans regarding enrollment at UA Little Rock.
Deliberate Misinformation of Application Materials
Section 5-37-105 of the Arkansas Code makes it a misdemeanor, punishable by fine and/or imprisonment, to present a transcript, diploma, or grade report from a post-secondary educational institution in a fraudulent manner. Withholding information or submitting deliberately falsified information will make applicants ineligible for admission and subject to dismissal from the Graduate School once admission is obtained. See Policy 509.7 Falsifying the Graduate School Admissions Application.
Application Deadlines
Deadlines for admission applications vary from program to program and are subject to change. Applications and all supporting materials should be submitted as early as possible.
For program deadlines, contact the program coordinator or the Graduate School.
Deferment
Occasionally, students who have been admitted into a graduate program are unable to enroll in classes in the term for which they are admitted. In such occasions, students may officially request a deferment for up to one year from the Graduate Admissions Coordinator in the program of interest. Approval of students’ requests is not guaranteed, but considered on a case by case basis. Upon completion of the agreed-upon deferred period, it is expected that the student will begin enrolling in graduate coursework in their respective programs. For advising purposes, the catalog year under which a student falls will reflect the academic year that the student first enrolls in courses if that is different than the academic year the student is admitted. If a student fails to file a deferment or fails to register for classes after the completion of a deferment, he or she must reapply for admission.
Undergraduate Senior Admission
UA Little Rock seniors near completion of their baccalaureate degrees may apply for admission to the Graduate School, which provides limited enrollment privileges. If accepted, they will be awarded the appropriate status upon confirmation of their baccalaureate degrees. It is the student’s responsibility to inform the Graduate School of degree completion. Students may not be eligible for financial aid while being considered for admission to the Graduate School.
Admission Status
An applicant may be granted admission to the Graduate School in one of the following categories:
Regular
Regular admission to a UA Little Rock graduate program requires that the applicant be in good standing with all previous institutions and meet at least one of the following requirements:
- A baccalaureate degree with a GPA of 2.7/4.0 in the last 60 hours from a regionally-accredited, domestic institution or an international institution recognized by the International Association of Universities with substantially the same undergraduate program as found at UALR.
- A graduate certificate, master’s degree, or doctoral degree with a cumulative GPA of 3.0/4.0 from a regionally accredited, domestic institution or an international institution recognized by the International Associate of Universities.
In addition to the minimum requirements stipulated above, students must satisfy the requirements of the program to which they are applying in order to be granted regular status. Students should consult the Graduate Catalog for program specific admission requirements.
Students must submit all Graduate School and program admission materials to be considered for regular admission.
Conditional
There are two paths by which students may be conditionally admitted:
- Applicants who have supplied all admission materials and have met the Graduate School minimum requirements, but did not meet all program admission requirements, may be admitted as conditional students at the discretion of the program.
- Applicants who do not meet the Graduate School minimum GPA requirements may, in rare instances, be admitted conditionally if they meet alternative program requirements approved by the Graduate Council. The number of students that may be admitted without meeting the Graduate School’s minimum GPA requirements is limited to 10% of the official 3-year average program enrollment. Programs may petition the Graduate School for an exception to this limit. Test scores, grades in the undergraduate major, or other pertinent data approved for the program must indicate the student will perform satisfactorily in graduate studies.
Conditionally admitted students may be converted to regular admission status after completing 9 hours if they maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Conditionally admitted students will be dismissed after the first 9 hours if their GPA is not at least 3.0 or satisfactory progress is not made towards meeting the admission requirements.
Non-degree seeking
Students not seeking a degree at UA Little Rock who meet the Graduate School minimum requirements may be admitted as non-degree seeking students. Not all programs allow non-degree seeking graduate students to enroll in their courses. Applicants interested in this category should contact the Graduate School.
Provisional enrollment status
Students not yet admitted to the Graduate School may be granted provisional enrollment privileges (with minimum requirements of an unofficial transcript showing conferral of a baccalaureate or graduate degree) until an admission status is granted. Failure to present adequate and official admission materials within four weeks of enrollment may result in administrative withdrawal from all courses and loss of tuition and fees, and failure to gain admission will prevent enrollment in future graduate courses. The phrase “Admitted to Graduate School” will not appear on the transcript of provisionally enrolled students.
Revised Dates: 3/2026; 11/2021
Source: Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes (11/2021)
Status: Active
Originator: Faculty Senate
Custodian: Faculty Senate