How to Apply to Grad School at the University of Mississippi
Learn everything you need to know to put together a successful application.
Before You Get Started: Understanding the Application Process
As you prepare to apply to graduate school, please read these pages carefully. This website is the most comprehensive source of information about the Graduate School and its requirements. We strongly urge you to visit the website of the department to which you are applying as that site will offer detailed information about the specific program.
- Admission to the Graduate School is done by the dean of the Graduate School after recommendation by the faculty of the academic discipline concerned and evaluation and approval of credentials by the Graduate School.
- Once all of the required documentation has been received, all application information is electronically routed to the appropriate academic department where each applicant’s credentials are evaluated on a competitive basis.
- Admission decisions are made after a full review of all application materials.
Admission to the University of Mississippi graduate programs is highly competitive.
- Only applicants whose previous records, test scores and recommendations give clear evidence of their ability to do advanced work of the highest quality will be admitted.
- The suitability of an applicant’s training and interests is also an influential criterion in determining which applicants shall be admitted.
- Departments consider a variety of factors in making admission decisions, including the availability of resources and faculty.
Remember: The fact that an applicant’s credentials meet the minimum admission standards does not entitle an applicant to be admitted.
Preparing Your Application for Graduate School
Use the online application to apply. The online application offers tools for collecting and submitting some, but not all, of the documents and information required for application.
Different departments require different information, so please check their listings. In general, though, applicants are, or may be, responsible for submitting the following:
Official transcripts from all colleges and universities previously attended or in which you are currently enrolled must be provided. To be considered official, transcripts and certificates of degree must come through a verified electronic service or in a sealed envelope from the issuing institution. Please have your institution(s) send your sealed, official transcript(s) along with your certificate(s) of degree (convocation degree) to Graduate Admissions at the address listed at the bottom of the page OR email the items directly to gschool@olemiss.edu.
- College seniors should request to have their current transcripts submitted at the time of application followed by a final official transcript showing the award of the baccalaureate degree.
Please do not submit junior/community college transcripts for application to the Graduate School.
Students with international transcripts may utilize the World Education Service or any other NACES (National Association of Credentials Evaluation Services; https://www.naces.org/) approved organization to submit official transcripts on their behalf.
How to forward your GRE/GMAT/PRAXIS score to the UM Graduate School
Contact ETS and have them send the results to us electronically.
GRE
- University of Mississippi institutional code: 1840.
- Department code: 5199
Most programs require the GRE (verbal and quantitative), but many do not.
- Programs NOT requiring GRE/GMAT/Praxis testing
- Anthropology – MA
- Art – MFA
- Biology – MS & PhD
- Biomedical Engineering
- Chemical Engineering – MS & PhD
- Chemistry – MS, PhD, DO
- Creative Writing – MFA
- Criminal Justice – MCJ & PhD
- Electrical and Computer Engineering – MS & PhD (The submission of GRE scores for admission to all graduate degree programs offered by the ECE department is now optional. Both applications with or without GRE scores will be given full consideration for admission. However, the department still requires GRE scores for assistantships and fellowships considerations.)
- History – MA & PhD
- Higher Education/Student Personnel – MEd
- Hospitality Management – waived for online MS
- Integrated Marketing and Communications (IMC) – MS *waived for 5 years specific work experience and a 3.0 GPA
- Journalism – MA *waived for 5 years specific work experience and a 3.0 GPA.
- Mechanical Engineering – MS & PhD
- Modern Languages – MA & PhD
- Music – MM
- Choral Conducting
- Ethnomusicology
- Music Performance
- Music Theory
- Musicology
- Pharmacy – Dietary Supplements and Medicinal Cannabis – MS
- Pharmacy – Environmental Toxicology – MS & PhD
- Pharmacy – Industrial Pharmacy – MS
- Pharmacy – Medicinal Chemistry – MS & PhD
- Pharmacy – Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery – MS & PhD
- Pharmacy – Pharmacognosy – MS & PhD
- Pharmacy – Pharmacology – MS & PhD
- Pharmacy – Pharmacy Administration – MS & PhD
- Political Science – MA & PhD
- Public Health – waived for 1 year specific work experience
- Social Work – M.S.W.
- Sociology – MA
- Southern Studies MFA in Documentary Expression
- Programs requiring the GMAT
- Master of Accountancy
- Master of Accountancy & Data Analytics
- Master of Taxation
- Master of Taxation & Data Analytics
- Doctor of Philosophy – Accountancy
- Programs requiring the GRE or GMAT except in certain cases
- Campus MBA [A GMAT (or GRE) score is required if you do not qualify for a GMAT waiver. The GMAT waiver is granted for applicants with an overall GPA of 3.5 (or higher) or a GPA of 3.5 (or higher) on the most recent 60 hours of course work. The GMAT is required for all students who wish to be considered for a graduate assistantship.]
- Online MBA [A GMAT (or GRE) score is required if you do not qualify for a GMAT waiver. Applicants for the online MBA program with 5+ years of post graduate work experience may qualify for a GMAT waiver. Online students are not eligible for graduate assistantships.]
- Programs requiring the Praxis I & II
- Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)
Non-degree-seeking students are not required to submit any standardized test scores.
Some programs do not require a standardized test. The program website outlining the application process will provide additional detail in such cases.
If applicable to your program*,Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores, International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or other accepted English test score, should come directly from the Educational Testing Service (ETS) with the codes shown below. TOEFL scores must be less than 2 years old.
How to forward your TOEFL to the UM Graduate School
Contact (ETS) and have them send your TOEFL scores to us electronically.
TOEFL
- University of Mississippi institutional code: 1840.
- Department code: 99
Unofficial scores are not accepted.
Only The Graduate School can receive scores--other departments on campus are not set up to receive them. Submitting the specific codes ensures that the scores will arrive in a timely manner. If the IELTS exam has been taken, then score sheets should be sent and may be emailed directly to gschool@olemiss.edu, from which point they will be verified. Regarding Duolingo, please follow the instructions on their website as to how to have the scores submitted to us.
If required by the program, applicants must provide letters of recommendation.
- Recommenders should be persons well qualified to speak from firsthand knowledge about your potential for graduate study.
- Letters of recommendation to master’s programs may be from academic or nonacademic sources; please consult individual program listings for details.
Letters of recommendation can be submitted online with the online application.
Most programs will require you to submit a statement of purpose regarding your interests and/or intended areas of study. Some programs require you to address specific questions in your personal statement.
Please review the department requirements for details.
A non-refundable fee of $60 is charged for processing each application received by the Graduate School. This fee must be paid when the application is submitted. An application will not be processed unless the fee is paid.
If you would like to be evaluated by more than one graduate program, you must submit separate applications, and hence fees, for each one. The Graduate School is not responsible for errors made during the application process and there are no application-fee refunds.
Notification and Tracking Your Application
Applicants should expect to be notified after the application deadline for their program. Whether or not applications that are submitted after a program’s stated deadline will be reviewed is at the discretion of each program.
- Deadlines and admission seasons for departmental review vary. Our departments/programs have established specific application deadlines and will only make recommendations for admission after these dates.
- After departmental review, recommendations are routed to the Graduate School for final approval. A notice of admission (or denial) will then be processed for each applicant. For those students accepted into the Graduate School, their Category of Admission and any conditions of admission will be included in the notice of admission.
Admission offers for most programs apply for one full year, beginning with the initial semester of admission. After one year, another application form must be completed.
An application is valid for only one graduate program. If you wish to be considered for two programs, you must submit two application forms. Some departments require students to enter and complete the master’s program before entering the doctoral program; other departments allow direct entry into the doctoral track. You must check with the department to determine their practice.
Tracking your application
You may track the status of your application online by entering your application number and date of birth. Our tracking system will not tell you if you have been accepted but will show you if all documents have been received.
Where to Send Official Documentation
Graduate School Admissions
University of MS Graduate School
54 Galtney-Lott Plaza
PO Box 1848
University, MS 38677-1848
USA
Phone: +1-662-915-7474
Email: gschool@olemiss.edu