Policies and Procedures — 2012-2013

The Graduate Admissions Office and the Graduate Program review your application for admission to the Graduate School. Once the graduate program determines your eligibility for its graduate program they will forward their decision to the Graduate Admissions Office which in turn will issue the official decision.

International Applicants Applying from Within the US:

International Applicants Applying from Outside the US:

1. Graduate Application
2. Application Fee
3. Transcripts (including translations and evaluations for international transcripts)
4. Test Scores
5. Conduct Clearance Policy (Legal Disclosure Statement)
6. Residency Policy

**Applicants may not have to submit a GMAT if you have taken the GRE. Please contact your program of interest directly for additional information.

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language): http://www.toefl.org
Applicants whose native language is not English or who have not earned a degree in the United States must also submit TOEFL scores earned within two (2) years of the desired term of entry. A minimum total score of 79 on the internet-based test, 213 on the computer-based test, or 550 on the paper-based test are required. Applications submitted with TOEFL scores that do not meet the minimum requirements will be denied with no exceptions. The TOEFL requirement may be waived if the applicant meets one of the following conditions:

• The applicant’s native language is English, or
• Has scored the equivalent of 500 or higher on the GRE Verbal Test, or
• Has earned a college bachelor’s or graduate degree at a regionally accredited U.S. institution of higher learning, or
• Has earned a college bachelor’s or graduate degree from an institution whose language of instruction is English (must be noted on the transcript), or
• Has scored 6.5 on International English Language Testing System (IELTS) http://www.ielts.org/

PLEASE NOTE: International students whose native language is not English and who want to be considered for a teaching assistantship must show proficiency in spoken English even if their TOEFL has been waived for admission to a graduate program. They will need to score at least a 26 on the spoken portion of the Internet-based TOEFL (iBT) or a 50 on the SPEAK test administered through INTO-USF.

☐  5. Conduct Clearance Policy (Legal Disclosure Statement):

All graduate applicants are required to answer the Conduct Clearance questions of the graduate application. The applicant will not be notified of the admission decision until answers to the two questions have been received and cleared by the Vice President of Student Affairs or his/her designee (Associate Dean of Students), if warranted.

☐  6. Residency Policy:

EDITOR’s Note: New State Laws are in effect that impact Residency. Read more at http://www.grad.usf.edu/graduate-admissions-residency.asp. Applicants desiring classification as Florida residents for tuition paying purposes must sign and complete the Florida Residents section of the Florida Residency Classification page of the Graduate Application. Incomplete or unsigned forms will be classified as non-Florida residents. The Office of Graduate Admissions will classify applicants as Florida residents if they have provided documentation that verifies they began living in Florida at least twelve months prior to the first day of classes of their admitted term of entry. Additional documentation other than what is required may be requested in some cases. All documentation is subject to verification. The student is responsible for checking their residency classification when admitted to the University of South Florida. The residency classification is noted on the official acceptance letter. If the student feels that their initial classification is in error, they have until the last day of the term to contact the appropriate admissions office and request a re-evaluation. After the student has completed their first semester of study they may seek to have their residency reconsidered. They may submit a Request for Reclassification Form with the Office of the Registrar. This must be filed by the 5th day of classes for the term being requested. For more information in Residency refer to:

A student who meets any one of the following criteria shall be classified as an independent student for the determination of residency for tuition purposes:

1. The student is 24 years of age or older by the first day of classes of the term for which residency status is sought at a Florida institution;
2. The student is married;
3. The student has children who receive more than half of their support from the student;
4. The student has other dependents who live with and receive more than half of their support from the student;
5. The student is a veteran of the United States Armed Forces or is currently serving on active duty in the United States Armed Forces for purposes other than training;
6. Both of the student’s parents are deceased or the student is or was (until age 18) a ward/dependent of the court;
7. The student is working on a master’s or doctoral degree during the term for which residency status is sought at a Florida institution; or
8. The student is classified as an independent by the financial aid office at the institution.

Evidence that the student meets one of these criteria will be requested by the higher education institution.

FIRST TIER DOCUMENTATION (at least one of the two documents submitted must be from this list)

1. Florida Driver’s License (driver’s licenses from others states must be relinquished) or a State of Florida ID card (if there is no evidence of ties to another state)
2. Florida Voter’s Registration card
3. Florida Vehicle Registration (proof of previous registration can be obtained from the local tag office)
4. Declaration of Domicile in Florida (12 months from the date the document was sworn and subscribed as noted by the Clerk of the Circuit Court)
5. Proof of purchase of a permanent home in Florida that is occupied as a primary residence of the claimant
6. Proof of permanent full-time employment in Florida (one or more jobs for at least 30 hours per week for a 12-month period – letter from employer on official letterhead required)
7. Benefit histories from Florida agencies or public assistance programs

SECOND TIER DOCUMENTATION (may be used in conjunction with one document from First Tier)

1. Florida professional or occupational license
2. Florida incorporation
3. Proof of membership in Florida-based charitable or professional organizations
4. Utility bills and proof of 12 consecutive months of payments
5. Lease agreement and proof of 12 consecutive months of payments
6. State or court documents evidencing legal ties to Florida

Application Documents Access/Forward/Return Policy

No application, test scores, transcripts, letters of recommendations, or other documents submitted with the application packet will be returned to the applicant or forwarded to another institution/third party. The Office of Graduate Admissions applicant file is not to be released to the applicant or other third parties. Requests, subpoenas, or court orders are to be forwarded to the Office of the General Counsel after review by the Assistant Director of Graduate Admissions. Applicants once admitted and enrolled during the term of admission may request access to their student file at the Office of the Registrar. Letters of Recommendation that the applicant has waived the right to view (indicated on Request for Recommendation Form) are not to be given, copied or viewed by the applicant or third parties. Requests for degree/enrollment verification information are referred to the Office of the Registrar.

Additional Requirements of Programs (If applicable)

Many programs require additional application materials such as resumes, writing samples, or letters of recommendation. These items may be sent as part of the overall graduate application packet or directly to the appropriate department/program. These materials will be forwarded to the appropriate program if sent with the application packet but DO NOT become part of the applicant’s permanent file; therefore, the Office of Graduate Admissions does not track them.

Final Admission Criteria

Applicants accepted for admissions whose official documents (transcripts and/or test scores) have been received by the Office of Graduate Admissions are admitted as “Final.” The admission file is complete.

Provisional Admission Criteria

Applicants accepted for admission whose official documents (transcripts and/or test scores) have not been received by the Office of Graduate Admissions are admitted provisionally pending receipt of these missing items. The required transcripts and/or test scores must be received before a second semester registration is permitted. During the first semester, the Office of Graduate Admissions will place a registration hold on the student's file. When the missing documents are provided to the Office of Graduate Admissions the registration hold will be removed.

Exception Admission Criteria

The University may admit up to 10% of new enrollees as exceptions to the Board of Trustees minimum requirements. To be considered for an exception, a student should present evidence that their academic preparation was such that it might account for less than the minimal University and/or program requirements, and evidence of potential for academic success such as excellent letters of recommendation from trusted academicians, performance in graduate courses taken as a post-bachelor’s student, professional experience in his/her discipline for a period of time, etc. Each request for a 10% exception must include a statement describing the special circumstances of the applicant. It is the discretion of the program and college to accept exception application requests.

Conditional Admission Criteria