Admissions Application Materials

Application Form

GSAS Online Application

• Register for an Oline Application Account
• Return to your Online Application Account

Statement of Purpose

The statement of purpose is your opportunity to explain:

• why you have chosen to go to graduate school
• your preparation for this field of study
• study and research interests
• future career plans, and
• other aspects of your background which may aid the admissions committee in evaluating your aptitude and motivation for graduate study.

GRE Scores

Official scores of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) should be sent electronically to the admissions office via the Educational Testing Service.

You are responsible for arranging to have Educational Testing Service send us these scores. The University of Virginia's ETS code number is 5820. You may attach a copy of your unofficial test scores to your electronic application for evaluation purposes while we wait to receive your official test scores.

Official Transcripts

Transcripts of your entire college/university record, including records of any advanced work done at another institution, must be uploaded directly to your online application prior to submission. If you are offered admissions by the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, you will be asked to send official transcripts of each college/university record to the GSAS Admissions Office. Official transcripts (academic records and certificates/diplomas of graduation) are those issued by the registrars of each institution in sealed envelopes of all previous undergraduate and graduate study. If you have additional questions about transcripts, please visit our FAQs.

For transcripts which are not in English, the official transcript is required with a certified/official English translation.

Please DO NOT mail your official transcripts to us unless you have received an offer of admission and have decided to attend the University of Virginia.

NOTE: Unofficial transcripts are not marked as received on the online application checklist. Our online application system currently looks for official documents to mark the required documentation received. Please review the .pdf version of your submitted application through the online application system to verify the receipt of uploaded materials. What you see there is what we see when reviewing your application. We do not require official transcripts until you are offered admission.

Letters of Recommendation

Recommendation letters should be submitted electronically through the online application system. The Graduate School requires two letters of recommendation, but many departments/programs require additional letters. Please consult instructions within the online application for specifics about the department/program recommendation letter requirements. The application can be submitted before the electronic letters have been submitted by the recommender.

Letters of recommendation should be sought from professors who:

• have taught your classes in your major subject field
• are sufficiently familiar with your work to make a comprehensive evaluation of your abilities.

If you have already begun graduate study, at least one of these letters should be from a current professor who is familiar with your performance in graduate school.

$60 Nonrefundable Application Fee

International Student Requirements

International admissions applicants are subject to language proficiency, visa and financial requirements in addition to regular admissions requirements. Please visit the International Studies Office for more information on these requirements.

• When sending official transcripts from schools located in non-English-speaking countries, have each institution submit both the original language record plus an English direct translation.
• TOEFL scores must be sent directly to this university by the Educational Testing Service. You must make the necessary arrangements with Educational Testing Service. The institution code for the University of Virginia is 5820 . The required TOEFL score is 600 (paper-based test), 250 (computer-based test), 90 (internet-based test) or an IELT score of 7.0. TOEFL scores are valid for two years from the test date. The TOEFL score is not required of applicants who have received a degree from an institution where English is the primary language of instruction.
• All graduate students whose first or native language is not English are required to take the Virginia English Language Proficiency Exam upon arrival at the University. The test is scheduled at the beginning of each semester through the U.Va. Center for American English Language and Culture www.virginia.edu/provost/caelc/services.html. All prospective graduate teaching assistants whose first language is one other than English are required to take the SPEAK Test. A score of at least 55 is required for permission to begin teaching without completion of appropriate oral language training.

Additional Information

In each application cycle, applicants may only apply to ONE department or program within the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Applications to multiple programs or departments within one application cycle will NOT be considered, and application fees will NOT be refunded.

Contact Us:

Please DO NOT mail your official transcripts to us unless you have received an offer of admission and have decided to attend the University of Virginia.

Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
P.O. Box 400775
Charlottesville,VA 22904-4775

Physical Address:
101 Randall Hall
Charlottesville, VA 22904-4775

Questions:
Contact the admissions team
(434) 924-6740

Molly Angevine 
Admissions Specialist

Briana Webber 
Admissions Specialist