Regular Admission
Inquiries and application materials for all Liberal Arts graduate programs should be sent to the Graduate Admissions Office. Applications are readily available online at the University of Dallas website. Applications should include two letters of recommendation, transcripts from all institutions of higher education attended, a statement of purpose and an intellectual autobiography. Possession of a bachelor’s degree is prerequisite to matriculating in any graduate program. Applicants should have an undergraduate major in the proposed field or otherwise demonstrate evidence of suitable background. Admission requirements particular to the different programs are described under "Admission Requirements" in the appropriate section.
The deadline for all applications to the Institute of Philosophic Studies program is February 15. To be considered, all elements of the application must be received by that date. Applications are for the fall semester only. There are no spring admissions for the IPS program.
Applications for the master’s programs in American Studies, Classics, English, Humanities, Leadership, Philosophy, Politics, Psychology and Theology are reviewed on a rolling basis. This means that you can submit an application to a master’s program at any time, with priority given to applications for the upcoming semester. We recommend that applications and all required materials be submitted by July 15 for the fall semester and by November 15 for the spring semester. Meeting these deadlines will ensure that your application is processed in a timely manner.
Applications for the fall semester for the MA/MFA art programs normally are reviewed one time only and all elements of the application must be received by February 15. There are no spring admissions for the Art programs.
Admission as a Non-degree Seeking Student
Non-degree seeking students are those who wish to enroll in graduate level courses but are not seeking a degree. They should be over 21 and have completed an undergraduate degree. If at any time non-degree seeking students wish to become candidates for a degree, they must submit an application and accompanying documents for regular admission into one of the programs which will be considered along with all other applications. Only nine credits earned as a non-degree seeking student may be transferred toward the degree. Art students, however, may not count courses taken as non-degree seeking students.
Conditional Admission
Students who have deficiencies in their undergraduate preparation may be admitted conditionally, but they must present substantial evidence of capacity to perform at the graduate level.
Admission as an International Student
Unless proficiency is otherwise demonstrated, international applicants whose native tongue is not English are required to take either the English Language Test or the TOEFL of the Educational Testing Service. These tests are given in the students’ home countries and are normally the only acceptable certification of language ability. Unless a test has been taken at least three months before the proposed date of enrollment, students cannot be sure of having their application processed in time. The minimum acceptable score on the paper based TOEFL is 600; the minimum on the computer based TOEFL (CBT) is 250; the minimum on the internet based TOEFL (IBT) is 100; the minimum on the IELTS is 7.0. All international applicants must also submit GRE General scores if the graduate program they are applying to requires them. GRE General Test scores cannot be more than five years previous to the date of the application. The University of Dallas code for TOEFL, IELTS, and GRE scores is 6868. International students should be aware that the university has no special funds for them. Federal loan funds are restricted to U.S. citizens.