Admission Requirements and Procedures

General Admission Procedures

Admission requirements change periodically in response to mandates by the University System of Georgia Board of Regents (USG), the University of North Georgia (UNG), or the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GPSC). Prospective students are encouraged to check the Graduate Admissions website for updates on the general admission process, to check for program-specific updates, and application materials. Please note that review committees may occasionally request materials in addition to those listed. You will be contacted if additional materials are necessary to complete a thorough review of your application.

Applicants must pay a non-refundable application fee, submit a Graduate Admissions application, and other application materials required by the program.

Applicants to the entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy apply through Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS). Applicants to the Master of Science with a major in Athletic Training (MSAT) apply through Athletic Training Centralized Application System (ATCAS). These CAS applications allow physical therapy and athletic training applicants to use a single, web-based application and one set of materials to apply to multiple programs. It is the applicant’s responsibility to follow all CAS and program instructions.  

To be considered for graduate admission to University of North Georgia, applicants must hold at least a bachelor’s degree (or be a bachelor’s degree candidate) from an institution accredited by Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACCJC), Higher Learning Commission (HLC), Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), or WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). This requirement does not apply to University of North Georgia undergraduates in linked bachelors-masters degree programs. However, all applicants must meet other program admission requirements.

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. Final admissions decisions for these students will be contingent upon the confirmation of their bachelor’s degree. Applicants applying to programs in which a graduate degree is required and are currently in the last semester of graduate work when applying will be evaluated based on their completed academic work and their current course enrollment. Final admissions decisions for these students will be contingent upon the confirmation of their master’s degree.

Notification from Graduate Admissions in collaboration with the graduate program verifies official acceptance or denial to the university. Students who are admitted but do not enroll for the term in which they were accepted will have their applications canceled. Students who wish to enroll in a future term can contact Graduate Admissions and request that their applications be updated.  Students who do not request an updated application within three semesters of acceptance must reapply to Graduate Admissions for 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 Admissions for readmission to the program.

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

Documents and materials submitted to fulfill application requirements at UNG become the property of the university and will not be returned.

International Students

UNG defines International students as those who are not United States citizens by birth or through naturalization, have not been granted resident alien status, and will require a F1 or J1 visa in order to study at UNG. UNG welcomes students from other countries. The presence of international students fosters cultural exchange which is beneficial to the student body and the community at large.

International students may apply online. Prospective students are advised to consult with Graduate Admissions, 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 tuition unless such tuition is waived.

The admissions criteria applied in evaluating international applicants are the same as those for U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents. Unless otherwise stated, international transcripts must have a course-by-course credential evaluation by an independent evaluation service that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services, Inc. (NACES) or Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. (AICE).

International applicants whose native language is not English must prove English proficiency. English proficiency can be proven as follows:

• TOEFL internet-based - 79
• IELTS - 6.5
• An official evaluation by a National Association of Credential Evaluation Services, Inc. (NACES) or Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. (AICE) member indicating proof of a degree at the secondary or collegiate level either outside or inside the U.S. where English is the official language of academic instruction. If the NACES evaluation does not indicate English as the official language of academic instruction, request an official letter from the institution to be sent directly to UNG with this information, or direct this office to where it is stated on the institution’s website.
• Proof of completion of the equivalent of English 1101 and/or 1102 with a grade of C or better in one or both courses, at an institution accredited by Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACCJC), Higher Learning Commission (HLC), Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), or WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC).
• Other approved exams and recommended standards as stated by the USG English Proficiency Requirements.

All English proficiency test scores must be sent directly from the testing agency. Personal copies and photocopies are NOT accepted.

TOEFL and IELTS scores are valid for two calendar years from the test date.

UNG accepts MyBest™ scores for the TOEFL iBT® test, in addition to TOEFL iBT scores from a single test date.

The Center for Global Engagement offers international student orientation before the start of each semester to ensure compliance with Department of Homeland Security requirements and assist with the cultural and social transition to the UNG campus community.

Students in F-1 status may not engage in part-time academic programs and are allowed only one online class per term to count towards full-time enrollment.

Online Foreign National Graduate Students

UNG defines online foreign national graduate students as those who are not currently citizens, permanent residents, or refugees in the U.S. and are enrolled in a fully online UNG graduate program. Online foreign national graduate students are not offered visas and they are not required to have U.S. residency to enroll in a fully online graduate program. All applicants residing within the U.S. must satisfy the lawful presence requirement and no applicant who is a citizen of an OFAC-sanctioned nation is eligible for enrollment as an online foreign national graduate student.

Not all graduate level online programs offer enrollment to online foreign national graduate students. Applicants should view the program-specific admission requirements before applying. Prospective students are advised to consult with Graduate Admissions, grads@ung.edu, for the most current requirements.

The admissions criteria applied in evaluating online foreign national graduate applicants are the same as those for U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents. Unless otherwise stated, international transcripts must have a course-by-course credential evaluation by an independent evaluation service that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services, Inc. (NACES) or Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. (AICE).

Online foreign national graduate applicants whose native language is not English are required to provide proof of English language proficiency by submitting one of the following test scores. Some programs require scores above the general requirements listed below.

• TOEFL internet-based - 79
• IELTS - 6.5
• An official evaluation by a National Association of Credential Evaluation Services, Inc. (NACES) or Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. (AICE) member indicating proof of a degree at the secondary or collegiate level either outside or inside the U.S. where English is the official language of academic instruction. If the NACES or AICE evaluation does not indicate English as the official language of academic instruction, request an official letter from the institution to be sent directly to UNG with this information, or direct this office to where it is stated on the institution’s website.
• Proof of completion of the equivalent of English 1101 and/or 1102 with a grade of C or better in one or both courses, at an institution accredited by Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACCJC), Higher Learning Commission (HLC), Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), or WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC).
• Other approved exams and recommended standards as stated by the USG English Proficiency Requirements.

All English proficiency test scores must be sent directly from the testing agency. Personal copies and photocopies are NOT accepted.

TOEFL and IELTS scores are valid for two calendar years from the test date.

UNG accepts MyBest™ scores for the TOEFL iBT® test, in addition to TOEFL iBT scores from a single test date.

Entrance Test Requirements

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 five years old will be considered.
• Student copies of test scores are not considered official. However, pdf score reports from the online test provider will be accepted for conditional admittance. Final, official test scores will be required for admittance and matriculation.
• The 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 University Testing Center. Visit the Testing Center website www.ung.edu/testing/ for tests administered, test dates, costs, and registration. 

Several, but not all, UNG graduate programs allow an exemption for the entrance test requirement if evidence of a graduate degree is submitted. Several, 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. Please check the program’s general admission requirements section of this catalog, or contact the Graduate Admissions, 706-864-1543, or email grads@ung.edu for additional information.

Transcripts

Unofficial copies of transcripts may be accepted for initial, conditional acceptance to any graduate program to ensure a timely admissions decision. However, official transcripts are required to be submitted prior to enrollment and matriculation. To ensure sufficient time for processing, official copies of final transcripts reflecting degrees awarded should be submitted as soon as possible before the start of the intended semester of enrollment. If this is not possible, Graduate Admissions will place a hold on the student’s record and the student will not be allowed to proceed in the program beyond the first semester until an official transcript with the degree conferred is received by Graduate Admissions.

Physical Therapy applicants must submit transcripts per PTCAS application instructions. 

Athletic Training applicants must submit transcripts per ATCAS application instructions. 

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

University of North Georgia
Admissions Imaging Center
PO Box 1358
Gainesville, GA 30503-1358

Graduate Admissions accepts electronic transcripts if submitted from the issuing institution to grads@ung.edu.

Official transcripts submitted by students are accepted only when issued to the student in a sealed envelope and submitted to Graduate Admissions unopened. 

Final Transcripts

To ensure sufficient time for processing, official final transcripts reflecting degrees awarded should be submitted as soon as possible before the start of the intended semester of enrollment. If this is not possible, Graduate Admissions will place a hold on the student’s record and the student will not be allowed to proceed in the program until a final transcript with the degree conferred is received by Graduate Admissions.

International Transcripts

Unless otherwise stated, international transcripts must have a course-by-course credential evaluation by an independent evaluation service that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services, Inc. (NACES). Evaluations must include certification that the applicant’s course work and degrees earned are equivalent to course work and degrees earned from an institution accredited by Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACCJC), Higher Learning Commission (HLC), Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), or WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) and include a cumulative grade point average. Evaluations must be submitted directly from the evaluating agency to Graduate Admissions.

A complete listing of NACES members is online at www.naces.org, and a complete listing of AICE members is online at https://aice-eval.org/endorsed-members/.

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.

Tuition Classification (to pay tuition and fees)

1. A student is responsible for registering under the proper tuition classification. The responsibility for the determination of a student’s residency, to pay tuition and fees, rests with Graduate Admissions and is based upon information provided on the application for admission.
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 intent to remain to acquire a legal residency to qualify for in-state tuition.
3. Applicants who have been denied in-state status to pay 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 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 that 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 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 payment of tuition and fees. To be considered “a resident” for 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 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.

Tuition Waiver for Persons 62 Years of Age or Older

According to the provisions of the Georgia Constitution, the University System of Georgia establishes the following rules concerning 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.
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.

Verification of Lawful Presence in the United States

Per 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.
• U.S. Certificate of Naturalization. Cannot be copied and must be presented to Graduate Admissions.
• 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, and not labeled “Limited Term.”
• Current ID issued by the State of Georgia after January 1, 2008, and not labeled “Limited Term.”
• Current military ID (service member only, not dependent). Military ID cannot be copied and must be presented to Graduate Admissions.
• 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).

Student Email Policy

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 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.