Admission to Graduate Study

Students who have earned a bachelor’s, master's, or doctoral degree from a regionally or nationally accredited college or university recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) are eligible to apply for admission to graduate study at UIS. Students who have earned a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree from a foreign institution recognized by the Ministry of Education in the home country or an equivalent government authority may also apply for admission. In order to be considered for full admission to graduate studies at UIS, an applicant must have earned at least one of the following:

  • A baccalaureate degree with a cumulative undergraduate grade point average of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale
  • A graduate degree with a cumulative graduate grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale

Applicants must also have met all entrance requirements specific to the chosen UIS program; some programs require higher cumulative grade point averages and/or specific prerequisites. Refer to the individual programs for information on specific requirements. International students seeking admission should also visit the Admission for International Students Seeking Master's Degrees page of this catalog.

Applicants holding a baccalaureate degree from a non-accredited institution, but who have successfully completed a minimum of 12 credit hours of graduate study with B or better grades (grades of B- or lower are not allowed) at an accredited institution may, at the discretion of an academic department, be considered for conditional admission to graduate study at UIS. At the discretion of the academic department, conditional admission may also be granted to students with lower cumulative GPAs. At the time conditional admission is granted, the academic department will specify the criteria that must be met subsequently for full admission. Conditionally admitted students must complete a certain number of semester hours at UIS (exclusive of prerequisites) with a grade point average of no less than 3.00. The program will specify which courses must be completed.

All college/university transcripts, including verification of degree(s) earned and transcripts of all graduate work taken beyond the bachelor’s degree, must be submitted to the UIS Office of Admission.

To receive maximum consideration for graduate admission, applicants should apply at least three months prior to the desired term start. Please note: Some academic programs have earlier deadlines.

Application forms can be submitted online.

To request a paper application, you may write to: 
UIS Office of Admission
University of Illinois Springfield
One University Plaza, MS UHB 1080
Springfield, IL 62703-5407