Frequently Asked Admissions Questions

Applicants may apply to more than one graduate program during any application cycle.  Applicants must submit their application materials for each application including Statement of Purpose, resume, and recommendations. Test scores and transcripts need to be submitted only once because they can be applied to multiple program applications.  Payment of the application fee is required for each program application submitted.  

There are many graduate programs at UNC Charlotte that can be taken on a part-time basis.  However, some graduate programs require students to be enrolled full-time.  The best source for this answer is to check the program’s website or speak to the graduate program director for details.

If English is not your native language and you have not earned an associate's degree or higher from a United States institution. you must provide an English proficiency test.  See English Proficiency webpage for details.   

UNC Charlotte charges an application processing fee for every application submitted.  Applicants may use a credit card to pay the fee which is required before the online application can be submitted. Once you have submitted your application for admission, you will see a confirmation display.  The application processing fee is not refundable or transferable for any reason.  

You may review your application status in your applicant portal at any time.

All I-20/visa/financial certification questions should be directed to the International Student Scholars Office (ISSO).

Once you've been admitted to UNC Charlotte, you may view information about course registration on the NinerCentral self service website.  You can also find out information about what courses are offered each semester there as well: NinerCentral.

UNC Charlotte has numerous avenues for graduate students to pursue financial opportunities in funding their education.  Please start with the Graduate School's Funding web pages to learn more about these opportunities.  We also encourage you to talk with your graduate program director for funding opportunities found within their College or department.

While many graduate students live off campus in nearby apartments, condominiums and houses, the university does provide limited housing on campus for graduate students.  Our campus is also linked to Uptown Charlotte through Light-Rail train making the entire metro area easily accessible to students living off campus.  View a map of Charlotte.

While policies differ from program to program, most will accept up to six credits of coursework taken from a college or university accredited by an accepted accrediting body.  See the Graduate Catalog Glossary for a list of accrediting bodies. Please refer to the Graduate Catalog for more information, and consult with your graduate program director.

If you are an admitted or current student, your contact information can be updated using the student portal my.charlotte.edu. If you have applied for admission but have not been admitted, contact the Office of Graduate Admissions directly to update your address.

No, once you submit your application you cannot make changes to it.  The transcript can be emailed to gradapponline@uncc.edu.  A final, official transcript showing proof of the bachelor's degree is required only if you are admitted.

If your recommender has not received an email with a subject line of UNC Charlotte Graduate School Recommendation Request, please ask them to check their spam or junk folders. If the email is not there, the email domain may have filters in place blocking our email. Your recommender may contact their IT department to request the email be approved through their firewalls. Another option is to have your recommender provide an alternate email address you can enter in your application. If your recommender has further questions, please ask them to email us directly at gradcounselor@uncc.edu.

All applicants must use our online application.  This online application is a common application used for all programs, certificates and post-baccalaureate study.  However, some programs may have special application requirements such as essays or portfolios in addition to this online application. Please review your program's website or contact the graduate program director for details.

North Carolina Residency Determination Service (RDS) makes residency classification.  Visit the RDS website, and/or contact the RDS at (844) 319-3640 or by email at rdsinfo@ncresidency.org.

Note, if you are applying as a post-baccalaureate (non-degree) student, a standardized admissions test is not required. Learn more about test scores.

Applicants are required to provide transcripts from any institution where college credit was earned.  For applicants who earned college credit while in high school, a transcript is not necessary. Please upload a current unofficial transcript from each institution from where you attempted college credit. Transfer credit posted on one transcript cannot be substituted for another institution's transcript. 

Transcripts are not required from study abroad programs.  International transcripts from India, Bangladesh, and Nepal must include individual marks sheets combined into one pdf before they can be attached to your application.

You can upload your transcript(s) within your application or after you submit it.

To be considered for admission to the Graduate School at UNC Charlotte, applicants must complete a bachelor’s degree or its U.S. equivalent, from a college or university accredited by an accepted accrediting body.  See the Graduate Catalog Glossary for a list of accrediting bodies. Details about admissions requirements for the various types of admissions and programs, are available online on our Admissions Information webpage.

UNC Charlotte is a publicly supported, doctoral and research intensive institution, accredited by the Commission of Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. It is the largest institution of higher education in the Charlotte region and the second largest of 16 constituent members of the University of North Carolina System. As a public institution, our tuition can be one of the best values in higher education.  Current tuition and fees may be found on the NinerCentral self service website.

We are happy to consider you for admission to a different term.  A new application is required as admission is not deferred. 

If the program to which you are applying requires recommendations, you will enter the names and email address of your recommenders in your application.  After entering their information, you will click send.  An email is sent directly to your recommender with a link for the recommender to complete a brief, online form.  The recommender may also upload a written letter.  See Recommendations for details.

Some graduate programs have specific instructions and guidelines for what should be included in the statement of purpose.  As such, please follow the guidelines recommended by the program to which you are applying for admission. If specific guidelines are not listed on a program website, the Graduate School recommends you describe your reasons for applying to the proposed program, your preparation for this field of study, future career plans, and other aspects of your background and interests which may aid the admissions committee in evaluating your motivation for graduate study.

We recommend that you write your statement of purpose in MS Word before applying. When you apply online, you will be asked to upload your statement of purpose. Note that many people upload the statement of purpose as a pdf, which works very well.

Some programs (i.e. Social Work) have specific instructions and guidelines for what should be included in the statement of purpose, so please follow the guidelines recommended by the program to which you are applying for admission. If specific guidelines are not listed, the Graduate School recommends you describe your reasons for applying to the proposed program, your preparation for this field of study, future career plans, and other aspects of your background and interests which may aid the admissions committee in evaluating your motivation for graduate study.

The application deadline is the date by which the Office of Graduate Admissions should receive your online application and supporting documents, including test scores and recommendation forms. Thus, you are strongly encouraged to apply and submit your materials early. While most graduate programs follow the Graduate School’s standard/priority application deadlines, some programs have early deadline dates and only admit students to specific terms. Consult the Programs web page for details on the Graduate School’s priority application deadlines as well as the early deadlines for specific programs.

To reapply to a different term or program, submit a new application and an application processing fee: 

  • Test Scores:  Official scores sent to the Graduate School will automatically attach to all of your applications.  
  • Recommendations:  Within the application, if recommendations are required and you want to use previously submitted ones, you can choose to import them. Recommendations are only valid for one year.
  • Transcripts: Please upload copies of your transcripts and make sure the transcript is up-to-date.
  • Other Requirements: Follow directions for providing or uploading other requirements.

If you were denied admission to a program, you might want to review your previous application and look for areas of improvement such as your statement of purpose or test scores.

Most decisions are made in March and April (for fall), and in November (for spring).  Academic programs have different timelines and admission committees review applications in different ways; some review applications on a “rolling” or continual basis while others review files at certain times of the year. Continue to monitor the status of your application by logging back into your portal.  If you have questions about the decision, please contact the program you applied to directly through their web page.

The Graduate School and Graduate Admissions are located near the center of campus in the Reese building. Both offices are located on the fifth floor of Reese.

The Programs webpage lists all graduate programs offered, links to departmental websites, and contact information for each program.  


The Graduate School and the Graduate Admissions office in the Reese Building, Fifth Floor, is temporarily closed to allow contractors to complete some needed work in the space safely. 

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