Admission Requirements and Procedures

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Admission requirements change periodically in response to mandates by the University System of Georgia Board of Regents (USG) or the University of North Georgia. Prospective students are encouraged to check the Graduate Studies website for updates on the general admission process and to check the program for program specific updates.

Application materials for all non-doctoral programs may be obtained from Graduate Studies or from the University of North Georgia (UNG) website, www.ung.edu/Graduate.

Non-doctoral applicants must pay a one-time, non-refundable application fee, submit a Graduate Studies application, and other application materials required by the program.  

Applicants to the Doctor of Physical Therapy apply through Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS) which allows physical therapy applicants to use a single, web-based application and one set of materials to apply to multiple physical therapy programs. It is the applicant’s responsibility to follow all PTCAS and program instructions. 

In order to be considered for graduate admission to University of North Georgia, applicants must hold at least a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university and must meet other program admission requirements.

Graduate admission is program specific. In general, applicants should contact the program before applying for graduate admission. 

Applicants who are currently in the last semester of undergraduate work when applying will be evaluated based on their completed academic work and their current course enrollment. Formal admissions decisions for these students cannot be made until the degree is conferred. 

Notifiction from the graduate program verifies official acceptance or denial to the university. Students who are admitted but do not enroll within three semesters of acceptance must reapply to Graduate Studiesfor readmission to the program. Students who were previously enrolled but have not been in attendance within the last three semesters must also reapply to Graduate Studies for readmission to the program.

In addition, currently enrolled students wishing to change graduate programs must reapply by submitting an application to Graduate Studies for the new program and meet all admission requirements for the new program. 

Documents and materials submitted to fulfill the application requirements for entry to non-doctoral degree programs and for non-degree and transient admission at UNG become the property of the university and will not be returned. Materials are kept for one year for incomplete application files and for three years for complete files.

UNG welcomes students from other countries. The presence of international students fosters cultural exchange which is beneficial to the student body and to the community at large.

International students may apply online. Prospective students are advised to consult with Graduate Studies, grads@ung.edu, for the most recent requirements regarding financial statements, I-20 and visa forms, resident status, health insurance requirements, and employment restrictions. 

International students must pay non-resident fees unless such fees are waived.  Fee waivers are awarded upon admisison based on availability.

Applicants whose native language is not English must submit TOEFL or IELTS scores. Minimum acceptable scores on the TOEFL are 550 on the paper version; 213 on the computer version; 79 on the Internet version; or 6.5 on the IELTS. This requirement is waived for international students who have received a degree from a regionally accredited institution in the United States or from institutions in countries where English is the primary language.

International students are required to report to the International Student and Scholar Advisor within two weeks of their arrival and have their passports, I-20, and arrival-departure records photocopied and placed in the admission files. This procedure is required by the USICE and facilitates the replacement of lost documents.

Because of restrictions enacted by Homeland Security, international candidates who must be issued an F-1 visa by UNG to enter the United States to attend school may not apply for completely online programs.

Graduate admission may require that the applicant submit qualifying scores on an appropriate entrance exam. These exams are the Graduate Record Exam General Test (GRE), the Miller Analogies Test (MAT), and the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT).

• Only those scores that are less than six years old will be considered.
• Student copies of test scores are not considered official.
• Entrance exam and qualifying score depend on the program the prospective candidate wishes to enter. Several teacher education degree programs require Georgia Assessments for the Certification of Educators (GACE) tests. GACE tests required and exemptions depend on the education program.

Several entrance tests required for admission to graduate programs are administered by the UNG Testing Office. Visit the Testing Office website www.ung.edu/testing/ for tests administered, test dates, costs, and registration. 

Some, but not all, UNG graduate programs allow an exemption for the entrance test requirement if evidence of a graduate degree is submitted. Also, some, but not all, UNG graduate programs allow an exemption for the entrance test requirement if the applicant’s overall cumulative undergraduate and beyond grade point average meets a determined grade point average requirement established by the graduate program calculated in accordance with UNG’s Graduate Studies procedures (see section below). Please check the program’s general admission requirements section of this catalog, or contact the Graduate Studies, 706-864-1543, or email grads@ung.edu.

For all non-doctoral programs, the number of completed grade point average credits is the total of completed units taken at the collegiate level for which students received a letter grade A-F or WF (plus and minus points are not used). If a student repeated a course, both attempts are used for the purpose of calculating the graduate admission grade point average.  

For physical therapy applicants, the number of completed grade point average credits is the total of completed units taken at the collegiate level and all credits taken beyond the bachelor’s degree for which students received a letter grade A-F. Plus and minus points are used. If a student repeated a course, both attempts are used for the purpose of calculating the graduate admission grade point average. This grade point average calculation was approved by PTCAS, the application submission process through which all physical therapy applicants to the University of North Georgia must apply.

Applicants must include an official transcript from each institution of higher education previously attended as part of the application process. Transfer credit(s) appearing on a transcript cannot be accepted in lieu of an original transcript from the institution where the course work was taken. A candidate for post-graduate studies need only submit an official transcript from the institution where the master’s degree was earned.

Physical Therapy applicants must submit transcripts in accordance with PTCAS application instructions. 

Official transcripts should be mailed directly to University of North Georgia and addressed to:

Graduate Studies
University of North Georgia
Chestatee Building, Room 348
110 South Chestatee Street
Dahlonega, GA 30597-1001 

Graduate Studies accepts transcripts submitted electronically to grads@ung.edu from institutions previously attended.

Final Transcripts

In order to ensure sufficient time for processing, official copies of final transcripts reflecting degrees awarded should be submitted prior to the application or at least eight working days prior to the start of the intended term of enrollment. Formal admission decisions cannot be made until a final transcript with the degree conferred is received by Graduate Studies. 

International Transcripts

International transcripts must have a foreign course-by-course credential evaluation by an independent evaluation service that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services, Inc. (NACES). The evaluation must be sent directly from the agency to Graduate Studies and must state a cumulative overall grade point average and certify a degree was awarded from a regionally accredited institution to be considered for admission.

A complete listing of NACES members is online at www.naces.org. The Georgia Professional Standards Commission (PSC) does not recognize evaluations from World Education Services (WES). For more details on agencies accepted by the PSC, review the PSC website at www.gapsc.com.

The UNG Certificate of Immunization is a Board of Regents’ policy and institutional policy.

Completely online program applicants are not required to submit the UNG Certificate of Immunization.  If, however, a student chooses to take a class on any designated campus site, the student is required to submit immunization documentation according to the Board of Regents’ and UNG’s policies.

Several health professional-related graduate programs at UNG require separate immunization forms with additional immunization requirements beyond what is required by the university.  Please check the program’s General Admission Requirements section of this catalog or contact Graduate Studies, 706-864-1543, or email grads@ung.edu.

1. A student is responsible for registering under the proper tuition classification. The responsibility for the determination of a student’s residency, for the purpose of paying tuition and fees, rests with Graduate Studies and is based upon information provided on the application for admission or on the UNG supplemental application form for Physical Therapy applicants applying through PTCAS.
    
2. A person’s legal residence is her/his permanent dwelling place. It is the place where she/he is generally understood to reside with the intent of remaining there indefinitely and returning there when absent. There must be a concurrence of actual residence and of intent to remain to acquire a legal residency in order to qualify for in-state tuition.
    
3. Applicants who have been denied in-state status for the purpose of paying tuition and fees may appeal this decision by completing an application for in-state tuition. Students must complete the application for in-state tuition and submit all required documentation to be considered for in-state tuition. Students who do not submit all requested documentation will not be considered for in-state tuition classification.
    
4. Under the constitution and laws of Georgia, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia was created to govern, control, and manage a system of public institutions providing quality higher education for the benefit of Georgia citizens. The state, in turn, receives substantial benefit from individuals who are attending or who have attended these institutions through their significant contributions to the civic, political, economic, and social advancement of the citizens of the State of Georgia. Because the overwhelming proportion of financial support for the operation of the public institutions of higher education in Georgia comes from the citizens through the payment of taxes, the determination of whether a student is classified as a resident or a non-resident of the state for the purpose of payment of tuition and fees becomes a significant matter. The tuition paid by in-state students covers only about one-fourth of the total cost of their education in the University System. Therefore, Georgia taxpayers are contributing three-fourths of the necessary funds to provide quality education for the citizens of the state.
    
5. The practice followed by state colleges and universities of assessing out-of-state students a higher tuition rate is a rational attempt by states to achieve a partial cost equalization between those who have and those who have not recently contributed to the state’s economy, even though there is no precise way to determine the degree to which higher tuition charges equalize the cost of educating in-state and out-of-state students.
    
6. The durational residency requirement (usually 12 months) imposed by most states is considered by the courts to be a reasonable period during which the new resident can make tangible or intangible contributions to the state before being allowed the benefit of attending state colleges and universities upon the payment of in-state tuition and fees. Courts which have been faced with the challenges to residency classification procedures have consistently recognized the right of public institutions of higher education to charge higher rates to out-of-state students and to adopt reasonable criteria for determining the establishment of in-state status. See Martinez v. Bynum, 51 U.S.L.W. 5424 (Sup.Ct.May 2, 1983, Starnes v. Malkerson, 401 U.S. 985 (1971); Sturgis v. Washington, 368 Supp. 38 (W.D. Wa. 1973) aff’d mem. 414 U.S. 1057 (1973), and Michelson v. Cox, 476 F. Supp. 1315 (S.D. Iowa, 1979).
    
7. For the purpose of these regulations, the question to be answered is not primarily whether a student is a “resident” or “non-resident” of Georgia, but rather, whether the student meets the criteria to pay University System tuition and fees on an “in-state” basis. The term “resident” is confusing because it is susceptible to several meanings as it relates to voter registrations, drivers’ licenses, automobile registrations, deeds, contracts, wills, income taxes, and other matters. A student may be a resident of Georgia for some purposes, but not entitled to in-state status for the purpose of payment of tuition and fees. To be considered “a resident” for the purpose of payment of tuition and fees, one must have been a bona fide legal resident of Georgia for at least 12 months preceding the date of registration.
    
8. The Board of Regents has adopted certain policies governing the classification of students as residents and non-residents for the purpose of payment of tuition and fees in keeping with its responsibilities to the citizens of Georgia for an appropriate assessment of fees and to ensure that out-of-state students pay a fair and reasonable share of the cost of their education. The taxpayers of Georgia are thereby assured that they are not assuming the financial burden of educating persons whose presence in the state is not intended to be permanent.

Pursuant to the provisions of the Georgia Constitution, the University System of Georgia establishes the following rules with respect to enrollment of persons 62 years of age or older in units of the University System. To be eligible for enrollment under this provision, such persons:

1. Must be residents of Georgia, 62 years of age or older at the time of registration, and must present a birth certificate or other comparable documentation of age to enable the institution to determine eligibility.
2. May enroll as a regular or auditing student in courses offered for resident credit on a “space-available” basis without payment of fees, except for supplies, laboratory or shop fees.
3. Shall meet all USG and institution undergraduate or graduate admission requirements. However, institutions may exercise discretion in exceptional cases where circumstances indicate that certain requirements such as high school graduation and minimum test scores are inappropriate. In those instances involving discretionary admission institutions will provide diagnostic methods to determine whether or not participation in Learning Support will be required prior to enrollment in regular credit courses. Reasonable prerequisites may be required in certain courses.
4. Shall have all usual student and institutional records maintained. However, institutions will not report such students for budgetary purposes.
5. Must meet all USG, institution, and legislated degree requirements if they are degree-seeking students.
6. May not enroll in dental, medical, veterinary, or law schools under the provisions of this policy.

In accordance with Board of Regents’ Policy 4.3.4, all applicants who are accepted for admission or readmission to University of North Georgia and who seek to be classified as in-state for tuition paying purposes, are required to provide validation of residency and lawful presence in both the State of Georgia and the United States.

United States citizens and permanent residents who seek to be classified as in-state for tuition paying purposes must provide one of the following documents:

• Certified U.S. birth certificate showing the applicant was born in the United States or a U.S. territory (photocopy is not acceptable).
• U.S. Certificate of Naturalization. Cannot be copied and must be presented to Graduate Studies.
• U.S. Certificate of Citizenship.
• U.S. Department of State Certificate of Birth Abroad or Certification of Report of Birth Abroad.
• Current U.S. passport.
• Current Georgia driver’s license issued after January 1, 2008, that is valid for more than two years from the date of issue and not labeled “Limited Term.”
• Current ID issued by the State of Georgia after January 1, 2008, that is valid for more than two years from the date of issue and not labled “Limited Term.”
• Current military ID (service member only, not dependent). Military ID cannot be copied and must be presented to Graduate Studies.
• Current, valid permanent resident alien card (green card).

For instructions for ordering a certified U.S. birth certificate, visit www.vitalchek.com.

University of North Georgia is required to verify the lawful presence of incoming students who have not provided one of the above documents and seek to be classified for in-state tuition with one of the following methods:

1. Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program for students who do not have a current F or J visa.
2. SEVIS for students who have a current F or J visa.

Applicants who are not U.S. citizens and not permanent residents and seek to be classified for in-state tuition must provide the following:

1. Current copy of visa, Form I-94 (arrival/departure record).
2. Current Employment Authorization card (if applicable).

A student who wishes to earn a second master’s degree at UNG must complete all specific course requirements related to the second degree. The program coordinator and the head of the department may recommend to the dean that the number of credits required for the second degree be reduced by up to 30 percent to reflect course content common to both degrees. The student has two options:

1. Student may complete all of the aforementioned requirements and apply for the two degrees to be conferred simultaneously.
2. Student may complete the first degree, apply for its conferral, and then complete the second degree by earning a number of credits in residence after the date of the first degree’s conferral that is no less than 70 percent of the number of credits normally required for the second degree.

Upon admission to the University of North Georgia, students are provided with an email account, which is the official channel of communication between the university and its students. It is the responsibility of the student to periodically monitor his/her student email account and be aware of the information sent by the university. Students are expected to check their email on a frequent and consistent basis in order to stay current with university-related communications. Students have the responsibility to recognize that certain communications may be time critical.

Failure in the proper management of email accounts is not an acceptable excuse for missing official university communications via email and will not excuse students from complying with university policies, procedures and deadlines and will not be considered grounds for appeal for relief from those policies, procedures and deadlines. As a steward of this process, the Division of Information Technology is responsible for directing the use of all student official email.