Online Application Guide

Bryan School Graduate Recruitment Team
Available to help Bryan School applicants at any point in the admissions process.

Bryan School Graduate Program Admissions Manager
Coordinates the admissions process once your application is submitted including onboarding and orientation.

Graduate Program Directors
Lead the admissions committee and review process. Applicants should contact the Program Director for questions relating to curriculum requirements and prerequisites, feedback on admissions decisions, academic advising, and other program-specific questions.

UNC Greensboro Graduate School Admissions Office ([email protected])
Verifies application documents, processes document waivers, and oversees the application review and decision process.

International Student & Scholar Services ([email protected])
Supports international applicants throughout the visa process and issues I-20 forms.

Start early! Applicants should plan in advance and allow plenty of time for the admissions process. Bryan School graduate programs are on rolling admissions by term so applications submitted earlier than the deadline will receive an earlier admissions notification, earlier access to schedule courses, and more time to set up funding and financial aid.

1. Application Preparation and Submission
   Allow ample time to review the graduate program’s admissions requirements, complete the online application, click submit, and pay the application fee.
2. Supplementary Materials
   Once submitted, application materials will be reviewed and verified by the Graduate Admissions Office. They will also process any applicable test waivers and contact applicants if any additional information or materials are needed. Depending on the time of year, it can take 1-3 business days for materials to be processed. Applications will not enter the admissions review process until all required materials are received and processed.
3. Admissions Review
   In most cases, applicants can expect to receive an admissions decision within 2-4 weeks of entering the admissions review process.
4. Decision Notification
   Once a decision has been made, applicants will receive an email notification to log in to their application portal to view the decision. Applicants should review their decision letter carefully for instructions on next steps including how to confirm their plans to enroll. Applicants should also visit the Incoming Graduate Student webpage.

NOTE: Scholarship and graduate assistantship decisions are made separately from admissions decisions and there is no estimated timeline for award notifications. Applicants seeking funding should submit their complete graduate program application as early as possible to allow the most time for funding consideration.

To begin or continue working on your graduate program application, visit gradapply.uncg.edu/apply.

The application for each calendar year will not open until the previous calendar year application has closed. Applicants may update their planned enrollment term, however application questions and requirements may change from year to year. Applicants should wait to begin until the application for their planned enrollment year opens.

Spring, Summer, and Fall 2024 Application – Opens in early August 2023
Spring, Summer, and Fall 2025 Application – Opens in early August 2024

To receive application announcements and reminders, contact the Bryan School Graduate Recruitment Team ([email protected]) to let them know your planned enrollment term.

As a state-funded institution, UNC Greensboro’s tuition rate is determined by an applicant’s residency.

For North Carolina residents:

North Carolina residents must visit ncresidency.org to obtain a Residency Certification Number (RCN) and enter it within the online application. Decisions regarding residency are made by the Residency Determination Service (RDS), and questions should be directed to their office.

For international applicants and non-North Carolina residents:

In most cases, non-NC residents and international students with F-1 visas should select No to the North Carolina residency question.

Many international students ask “How can I be considered a North Carolina resident?” The answer is complicated. If an international student is a permanent resident alien (has a green card), then he/she may be considered for in-state tuition under the same considerations as any other student. If a student is present in the United States under some visa programs (e.g., F-1 student visa, B-1 visitors visa), they will never be considered a North Carolina resident. Some visa programs, however, permit a possibility of obtaining North Carolina residency. For questions, visit ncresidency.org.

In the Academic History section, applicants should provide information for all post-secondary education.

For schools located within the United States:

• Click Add Institution and begin typing the name of the institution.
• Select the name of the institution from the drop down list. The school’s location and CEEB code will automatically populate.
• Enter the dates of attendance and degree information.
• Click Choose File to upload a PDF of the transcript.
  Unofficial transcripts are accepted for application review, however official transcripts will be required prior to enrollment. Student dashboard grade reports are not accepted.

For schools located outside of the United States:

• Click Add Institution and enter the name of the institution.
• Enter the school’s location and use the general CEEB code provided (see red help text within the online application).
• Enter the dates of attendance and degree information.
• Click Choose File to upload a PDF of the course-by-course credential evaluation.
  A PDF of the course-by-course credential evaluation is accepted for application review, however an official course-by-course credential evaluation will be required prior to enrollment. Applications will not be reviewed until a course-by-course credential evaluation is received.
  
  To obtain a course-by-course credential evaluation, complete the following steps:
  • Select a NACES-approved agency such as SpanTran or WES.
  • Order and pay for your course-by-course evaluation.
  • Send your official transcripts to the agency.
  • Wait for the evaluation to be completed.
  • When complete, your course-by-course credential evaluation will be sent to you and your requested school(s).

The purpose of the evaluation is to authenticate academic credentials and ensure that course credit and U.S. grade equivalency are completed accurately. This also eliminates the need for applicants to send official, translated transcripts from your school(s) to UNCG.

Transcripts and other documents may be submitted in the following ways:

Uploaded via application portal: gradapply.uncg.edu/apply

Emailed to [email protected]

Mailed to the Graduate Admissions Office:
The Graduate School
UNC Greensboro
720 Mossman Building
1202 Spring Garden Street
Greensboro, NC 27412

Entrance Exam Scores

Although not all graduate programs require an entrance exam, the Test Score section will appear for all applicants. Applicants may choose to submit a test score even if an entrance exam is not required by their program. Bryan School graduate programs accept GRE or GMAT entrance exam scores, and UNC Greensboro’s Testing Code is 5913. For applicants with a GPA lower than 3.3 on a 4.0 scale, including an entrance exam score can help demonstrate their academic ability.

Entrance Exam Requirements

English Language Proficiency (ELP) & Waivers

Non-native English speakers must provide acceptable ELP test scores. Review the Graduate School’s International Applicant Guide for a list of acceptable tests and minimum score requirements.

ELP waivers are available for applicants who meet one or more of the following criteria:

• From a country where English is recognized as the primary, official language.
• Have a degree or certificate from a U.S. regionally accredited university.
• Graduated from a non-U.S. college/university where English was the primary language of instruction.

If qualified for an ELP waiver, applicants should proceed with submitting the online application. The graduate admissions staff will follow up if additional information is needed.

References are required for most graduate programs and the process is handled entirely within the online application portal. Before entering a reference’s contact information, applicants should reach out to the references to ask if they’re willing to provide a reference for them. We also recommend sending them a resume so they will have the most up-to-date information and a list of the applicant’s accomplishments.

NOTE: Printed, mailed, or hand-delivered recommendations are not accepted.

Reference Selection

The reference provided should have knowledge of the applicant’s academic and/or professional experience. They should not be personal friends, relatives, faith leaders, etc.

Example references include:

Reference Process

• Applicant enters reference name and contact information into online application.
  • When possible, professional email addresses should be used for references.
• Application system sends an email notification with instructions to the reference.
  After submission, applicants can add/remove, update, or send reminders to references from within the application portal.
• Reference provides either a letter (for most programs) or responds to survey questions about the applicant (MBA program).
• Applicant receives an email notification when the reference is complete.

NOTE: Applications will not be reviewed until all references are received.

Suggested Topics for Reference Letters

• How well they know the applicant and the nature of their relationship
• Reasons they would recommend the applicant for a Bryan School graduate program
• How will the applicant’s education will benefit their organization (if applicable)

The Bryan School of Business and Economics does not conduct interviews for graduate program admission; therefore the personal statement provides the admissions committee with the opportunity to learn more about the applicant, their motivations for applying to the program, and their academic and professional journey.

Recommended Topics

Applicants should explain why they are choosing the graduate program and how it will benefit their future career.

Prior to writing a personal statement, research the rankings, mission statement, and values of the graduate program and school as well as the faculty, students, and alumni. Applicants should consider what makes the program unique, why the school is a good fit for them, and what they will gain from the graduate program.

Suggested topics include:

• Obstacles the applicant has overcome or problems they’ve solved
• Lessons they’ve learned through their education and work experience
• Example of when they took initiative to improve a process or outcome
• What inspires and drives the applicant each day
• Fill in gaps in their resume and explain other parts of the application

Most programs do not provide a standard format for the personal statement, however the Graduate Recruitment Team recommends submitting a statement that is 1-1/2 to 2 pages long (single-spaced) with 1” margins and 12 point font.

MBA Program Applicants

The MBA program asks applicants to respond to five specific questions/prompts (available within the online application). Make sure to address each of the questions/prompts by either restating the question and providing answers separately (note each prompt has a word limit) or by addressing the prompts in paragraph form, with your full statement remaining within the overall word limit (approximately 1,050 words).

Most programs request a resume as part of the online application, but there is no standard format. The Bryan School Graduate Recruitment Team recommends including academic history, professional experience, and any related coursework, organizations, awards, leadership experience, and skill sets.

MBA applicants are asked to create a single-take video (not professionally produced or edited) that is 60 seconds or less introducing themselves to their future classmates. The video provides the opportunity to bring the applicant’s story to life and provide context to their application.

When reviewing applicant videos, the admissions committee wants to better understand the applicant’s presence, passion, and interests. Applicants are recommended to include their experience and why they chose UNCG to pursue an MBA.

See the online application for specific upload and formatting instructions.

The graduate program application fee is $65 per graduate program application and $25 per visiting student application.

UNC Greensboro’s Graduate Admissions Office offers application fee waivers to the following:

• Full-time UNC Greensboro staff and faculty
• Ronald McNair (including TRIO) Scholars
• MARC U-STAR Scholars
• RISE Network participants
• STAMPS STEM student
• Mellon Mays UG Fellows

For questions relating to these waiver opportunities, contact [email protected].

The Bryan School of Business and Economics offers application fee waivers to the following:

• Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society members
• Active duty military service members
• Accelerated Master’s Program (AMP) applicants
• Applicants who have attended or watched a recording of our monthly Virtual Information Session

Application fee waivers are processed after all supporting documents are received. The Graduate Recruitment Team recommends waiting to submit your application until all supplementary documents have been submitted (including letters of recommendation, transcripts, etc). Please allow up to 1 business day for your application fee waiver to be processed.