Graduate Studies > Prospective Students

Admission to Graduate Programs

Admission to USM's graduate programs is competitive. Specific admission requirements vary by program.  However, in general, admission committees evaluate candidates based upon:

• the nature of his/her undergraduate program,
• standardized test scores,
• quality of recommendations, and
• professional and life experiences.

Admission requirements and evaluation criteria for individual programs are included with application materials.

Applications for admission and all supporting materials must be received by the Office of Graduate Admissions by the deadlines determined by the individual graduate programs. Please refer to http://www.usm.maine.edu/catalogs/graduate/index.htm for specific information regarding priority filing dates. It is the responsibility of the applicant to insure that his or her application is complete by the applicable deadline date.  Please note that official copies of standardized test scores often take four weeks or longer to arrive from the testing agency.  Please plan accordingly.  USM's school codes for submitting official reports of your standardized test scores directly to our office are:

• for sending GRE, GMAT, or Praxis scores, 003691
• for sending MAT scores to our Gorham office, 2396
• for sending MAT scores to our Portland office, 1280

Applicants are advised to call or e-mail the office well in advance of the deadline to confirm receipt of their admission materials.

For all applicants, a complete application consists of:

• two copies of the completed application form (a photocopy of the original is fine)
• the application fee of $50.00 made payable to USM
• two sets of official transcripts from all colleges or universities attended, including USM*
• standardized test scores (type of test varies by program)
• recommendations (number determined by individual program)
• essay (some programs have special essay requirements)
• certification of finances (international students only)
• TOEFL scores (international students whose first language is not English)
• other items as may be required by the individual program

Application Materials  

NEW   - APPLICATION FOR GRADUATE CERTIFICATE PROGRAM (Printable pdf form)
As of January 1, 2007, all applicants to graduate certificate programs must submit this application form to the Office of Graduate Studies.

To download certain elements of the application materials (PDF files), you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. You may download a free copy of the Adobe Reader at: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html

Instructions for Applicants and  Essay Instructions - - critically important instructions for each of the 27 graduate programs with specific essay requirements.

Application for Admission to Graduate Study

On-line applications are available via College NET at http://www.applyweb.com/apply/usmaine/index.html

Letter of Recommendation Form - - Please note that 3 Letters of Recommendation are required for each program, with the exception of Leadership Studies and the College of Nursing and Health Professions, which require only 2 Letters of Recommendation.

College of Nursing & Health Professions Program Selection form - - a form specific to the College of Nursing & Health Professions.

Tips for Applying to Graduate School 

The graduate catalog can be downloaded in its entirety or by individual section at 
http://www.usm.maine.edu/catalogs/index.html

Please visit our Prospective Student page for information on how to contact the Office of Graduate Admissions.

* Please submit a Transcript Request Form for USM transcripts.  There is no fee, but the student must formally make the request to have his or her transcripts released, even within the University.  Please note that each campus within the University of Maine System must be contacted separately.  Please visit http://www.maine.edu/ for contact information for the various campuses.