Graduate student information
Admission requirements
Deadlines
The majority of applications are reviewed in January for admission for the following fall semester. Completed applications must be received by December 15 to be considered during this priority review period. A few applicants with exceptional credentials or exceptional situations may be considered for admission outside this review period or for semesters other than fall, but these are rare and are subject to adviser availability.
M.A. and Ph.D.
Faculty with expertise in the emphasis areas identified by the applicants will review the M.A. and Ph.D. applications. Based on the comments and recommendations of the faculty, the director of graduate studies makes recommendations to the Graduate School, which has final authority in the admissions process.
Meeting minimum admission requirements does not guarantee admission. In making admission decisions, faculty reviewers and the director of graduate studies consider level of achievement in previous college work, performance on standardized graduate exams, experience, congruence of the program with an applicant's stated goals, advising and teaching load of faculty in the identified emphasis area, and academic records of other applicants for the same emphasis.
M.A./Ph.D. admission requirements
See www.grad.umn.edu/admissions/ for more information.
- M.A. and Ph.D. applicants must have completed a baccalaureate degree, and it is preferred that Ph.D. applicants have completed a master's degree before entering the University of Minnesota.
- M.A. and Ph.D. applicants must submit all official undergraduate and graduate transcripts to the Graduate School. It is preferred that M.A. applicants have achieved at least a 3.0 overall Grade Point Average (GPA) in their undergraduate work, and it is preferred that applicants to the Ph.D. program have achieved at least a 3.5 overall GPA in their master's work.
- M.A. and Ph.D. applicants must submit scores to the School of Kinesiology from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). It is preferred that both M.A. and Ph.D. applicants score at least 500 on both the quantitative and verbal sections. The exam score that you submit must be a score that you received within the last five years relative to your graduate application date. Please select Major Field Code #3909 (Physical Education) on the GRE for making application to our graduate programs in kinesiology (KIN) or recreation, park, and leisure studies (REC). This allows your test scores to be sent directly to our program. Also, include a photocopy of your personal score report that you receive from the testing center as a part of your application package. Information on the GRE can be found on the Graduate School Web site.
- M.A. and Ph.D. applicants must complete the Graduate School application for admission form and submit it online to the Graduate School.
- M.A. and Ph.D. applicants must also complete the School of Kinesiology application[.doc].
- M.A. and Ph.D. applicants must arrange to have three letters of reference regarding their academic and professional skills and accomplishments submitted to the School of Kinesiology.
- International M.A. and Ph.D. applicants whose native language is not English must submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) to the Graduate School. They are expected to achieve a score of at least 79 on the Internet-based test, with a minimum score of 21 on the writing section and 19 on the reading section. International students who will have completed 16 semester (24 quarter) credits in residence as a full-time student at a recognized institution of higher education in the United States before entering the University of Minnesota are exempted from this requirement.
- International M.A. and Ph.D. applicants also need to complete and submit to the Graduate School the International Student Financial Certification Statement which is part of the Graduate School application process.
- M.A. and Ph.D. applicants are required to submit to the School of Kinesiology an example of their scholarly writing, such as a published article, the first chapter of a master's thesis, or a paper from a college or university course.
University Counseling and Consulting Services' Testing Center Computer-Based Testing (CBT) Center administers the GRE General and Writing Tests and the TOEFL.