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Students may be admitted in regular status to a graduate degree-granting program at the University of Kentucky if they meet the minimum requirements of the Graduate School as well as specific program requirements. The minimum Graduate School requirements are as follows.

  • Students seeking admission to the Graduate School must have obtained a baccalaureate degree, prior to the start of the term for which s/he is admitted, from a fully accredited U.S. institution of higher learning or from a recognized foreign institution. An accredited U.S. institution is one that is accredited by the appropriate regional agency (Middle States, New England, North Central, Northwest, Southern or Western Association of Colleges and Schools). A recognized foreign institution is an institution that is recognized by that nation's Ministry of Education or similar authority as a postsecondary, academic degree-granting institution.
  • An overall grade point average of 2.75 on undergraduate work and 3.00 on all graduate work is required by the Graduate School. Individual departments may require higher grade point averages.
  • Submission of scores on the verbal, quantitative and analytical writing portions of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) unless their chosen program indicates otherwise. The Graduate School has no minimum GRE score requirement; individual programs may set specific score requirements and in some cases may require the advanced portion of the GRE.
  • International applicants whose native language is not English must submit either a TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System) score. The University of Kentucky requires a minimum TOEFL 79 (internet-based). For IELTS, a minimum mean band score of 6.5 is required. Students may also use the Duolingo English Test (only tests taken after July 15, 2019 will be accepted. The minimum score will be 115, and students recommended for admission may also be interviewed by a CESL evaluator.  TOEFL essentials may also be used and the minimum overall score is 9.
  • Domestic applicants (U.S. citizens or resident aliens) must pay a $65 application fee; international applicants must pay a $75 fee. The application fee is non-refundable.

The 2024 Annual Safety and Security Report includes the latest statistics for 2023, as well as statistics from 2022 and 2021 concerning reported crimes that occurred on campus; in certain off-campus buildings owned or controlled by UK; and on public property immediately adjacent to campus. The report also includes institutional policies concerning campus security. You can access the report at police.uky.edu/get-informed/annual-safety-security-reports. Paper copies will be provided upon request.

The 2024 Annual Fire Safety Report includes statistics for the three previous calendar years concerning reported fires in on-campus student housing facilities, such as residence halls, Greek housing, graduate housing, or at any facility designated as a place of residence for students. The report also includes a description of fire safety systems; yearly fire drills; policies on portable electrical appliances, furniture, decorations, bicycles/motorized scooters, and open flames; evacuation procedures; policies on fire safety education and training; and contact information. You can access the report at ehs.uky.edu/docs/pdf/fs_annual_fire_safety_report_2024_01.pdf. Paper copies will be provided upon request.

The Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act (EADA) requires co-educational institutions of higher education that participate in federal student aid and have intercollegiate athletic programs to prepare an annual EADA report. The Report on Athletic Program Participation Rates and Financial Support Data includes athletic participation, staffing, revenues and expenses for men's and women's teams. You can access the report at uknow.uky.edu/files/report-athletic-program-participation-rates-and-financial-support-data-fy24pdf. Paper copies will be provided upon request.

University of Kentucky Graduate School
Ezra Gillis Building
502 Administration Drive
Lexington, KY 40506-0033
859-257-4613

For contact information organized by function, please visit our "Who Does What" page.  For a comprehensive staff listing, please visit our Staff Directory.

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