Graduate Student Admissions

Graduate education at UHV is designed to build upon the foundations provided in the baccalaureate program. Programs at the graduate-level provide students with opportunities to develop advanced knowledge and skills in their chosen fields. Through their graduate programs, students are expected to demonstrate and increasingly develop independent and critical thinking and to progressively increase their ability to integrate theory, practice, and research in scholarly and professional pursuits.

Admissions Requirements

A student wishing to pursue graduate-level coursework at UHV must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution. A baccalaureate degree earned within the United States must come from an institution accredited by CHEA.

Foreign institutions which may not be formally accredited by United States accrediting agencies must be recognized by the Ministry of Education in the country where the institution is located as maintaining high academic standards and authorized to grant degrees by the Ministry of Education or appropriate government agency in the country where the institution is located. For applicants with international credentials, they must have earned a baccalaureate degree comparable to a 4-year baccalaureate degree in the United States.

Credit earned before an institution receiving accreditation/recognition is not accepted for admission or transfer.

A student transferring from another graduate school must have at least a 3.0 (A=4.0) grade point average on all graduate work attempted.

Admission to the university does not guarantee a student’s admission to a graduate program. The appropriate graduate school will determine the applicant’s admissibility into the graduate program.

Master of Arts-Psychology program is restricted to fall semester admissions only. The M.A. Psychology programs have a separate application deadline from any other UHV deadline. This deadline can be found on each program’s website, or by consulting the director of the respective program. The M.A. programs do not allow students to have Temporary Graduate Student status. It is the responsibility of the applicant to furnish all necessary documentation for fall admission to the Admissions Office by the deadline for that program.  Students wishing to transfer between Graduate Psychology programs must apply for admission to the new program and will be considered with other applicants entering the fall semester. They are not guaranteed acceptance into the new program.  Graduate Psychology students who have not enrolled in classes for one year must apply to the program to regain admission status.  They may or may not be accepted for admission.

Admission to a Graduate Certification Program

For applicants, with GPA’s below 2.5, seeking certifications in a class other than classroom teacher the following scores must be achieved:

GRE® scores in the following ranges:

GRE® Verbal Reasoning - 143 or greater

GRE® Quantitative Reasoning - 140 or greater

GRE® Analytical Writing - 3.0 or greater

The applicant MUST also meet the UHV admissions index.

*Revised (12/27/16) General Test Score Bands for GRE® to be used for Admission to an Educator Preparation Program under the 10% Exception Rule in 19 TAC §227.10(a)(3)(D)

Transient (Visiting) Graduate Students (one full term only)

UHV will accept transient students who have met the following requirements:

• Apply Texas Application (non-degree seeking) and the $25.00 non-refundable/non-transferrable application fee will be required.
• Completion of at least one baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution.
• Letter of proof of enrollment in good standing in a graduate program at their home college or university or official or unofficial transcript showing completion of at least a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution.

*Limit of one (1) full term only.

Transient students are typically enrolled at another institution and may want to take a course(s) and then transfer them back to their “home” institution. Transient students are considered non-degree seeking and are limited to one semester with transient status. A student who chooses to continue enrollment at UHV must submit a new graduate admission application and official transcripts from all schools previously attended before being allowed to register for any subsequent terms. Transient graduate students may not enroll/attempt more than nine (9) hours, which is the maximum number of hours allowed for a Temporary Graduate Student.

Readmission of Former Graduate Students

Former UHV graduate students are required to submit:

• Graduate Application on GoApplyTexas
• $25 application fee
• Official transcripts from all institutions attended since last enrollment at UHV (if applicable)

Former students are considered anyone:

• who has not enrolled at UHV for 13 uninterrupted months (3 consecutive terms) from their initial semester
• with an application which has been discontinued for non-enrollment
• who has earned a bachelor’s or graduate degree

GMAT Waiver Information

Please see the School of Business Administration section of the catalog for information regarding the GMAT waiver policy.

Graduate Admissions Index

Students are considered for admission to graduate programs based on the admission index, as indicated below. The academic schools may have additional criteria for certain degree programs and may consider admitting students whose indices are below the minimum but within the range specified.

The admission index results from a combination of the following:

• Grade point average (GPA) over at least the last 60 hours.  (Graduate and Undergraduate courses previously taken.)
• Verbal and Quantitative scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or equivalent scores on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or Miller Analogies Test (MAT).

Admission index formula for GRE tests taken prior to August 1, 2011, or GMAT or MAT tests (Only for Current UHV students or former UHV students who had their official GRE/GMAT/MAT scores sent prior to 5-year expiration.):

Grade point average (GPA) x 200 + (GRE Verbal and Quantitative combined scores, or equivalent scores on the GMAT or MAT test)

     Example: 2.5 GPA x 200 + (400 Verbal + 400 Quantitative) = 1,300 index

Admission index formula for GRE tests taken on or after August 1, 2011 and are within 5 years:

Grade point average (GPA) x 200 + (15 x (GRE Verbal and Quantitative combined score - 260)

     Example: 2.5 GPA x 200 + (15 x (145 Verbal + 145 Quantitative - 260) = 950 index

In addition to submitting official transcripts (see the previous section on transcripts for admission requirements) and test scores, applicants are required to submit supporting documents, as specified by the relevant degree program.

See the appropriate school section of this catalog for supporting documents required. Possible documents may include:

• A letter of application and/or resume
• A recommendation from a practicing professional in the field of study or a related field
• A personal essay

Applicants also may have to complete prescribed courses before admission to the degree program. Please see the particular degree program in this catalog for an explanation of the specific admission requirements for that program.

Letters of application and official transcripts can be sent to the Office of Admissions at the university. All other supporting documents should be sent to their academic school. The academic school will determine whether the application is complete and meets the minimal admissions index. The school reviews the index and supporting qualitative documents and approves or disapproves admission. See the relevant school section in this catalog for specific program requirements.

An applicant who has earned a baccalaureate degree after electing to enroll under the Academic Fresh Start program will have only the courses and grades earned after that enrollment date used towards computing their grade point average.

No more than 12 credit hours of graduate-level courses completed before admission will count toward fulfillment of graduate program requirements.

Non-Degree Seeking Graduate:

To be classified as a non-degree-seeking graduate student at UHV, the student must:

1. Be officially admitted by a school as a non-degree-seeking (NDO) student to take a limited number of graduate classes (4) to further their education.
2. Possess a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution (or the equivalent). Students must provide proof of these credentials by submitting official transcript(s) from all prior institutions attended.

Post-Baccalaureate Status

The post-baccalaureate status is designed for applicants who have earned one or more degrees at an accredited institution and seek another undergraduate degree, wish to enter a non-degree undergraduate program, or wish to further their education by taking undergraduate courses in varying fields of study.

Students who would like more information on post-baccalaureate status should consult the Undergraduate Student Admission Catalog and complete the undergraduate application which is found at GoApplyTexas.

(Note: All grades in courses applicable to the degree, count when a student gains admission to a graduate program.)

International students must also meet the requirements for international admission as outlined in this catalog and the International Student Brochure.

Test Scores

The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) General Test, or Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is required of all applicants applying for graduate admission. Applicants to the M.Ed. Counselor Education program may substitute the Miller Analogies Test (MAT) and applicants to Business Administration must take the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). For students taking the GRE, only verbal and quantitative sections of the General Test are used for determining graduate eligibility.

Applicants holding a master’s degree or higher from an accredited institution are not required to submit test scores.

Test scores must be sent directly from the testing agency to the Office of Admissions and Student Recruitment. Scores no longer being reported will not be accepted and the student must retake the exam. Information concerning the GRE, GMAT and MAT tests may be obtained from the Office of Admissions and Student Recruitment or from the testing companies.

Graduate Record Examinations, Educational Testing Service

            Address:          P.O. Box 6000

                                    Princeton, NJ 08541-6000

            Phone:             (609) 771-7670

            Web:                GRE Contact Information (For Test Takers) (ets.org)

Graduate Management Admission Test

            Address:          P.O. Box 6103

                                    Princeton, NJ 08541-6103

            Phone:             (609) 771-7330

            Web:                Contact Us | Corporate Information | The Princeton Review

Miller Analogies Test

            Address:          The Psychological Corporation

                                    555 Academic Court

                                    San Antonio, TX 78204-2956

            Phone:             (800) 622-3231

            Web:                Contact Us (pearsonassessments.com)

The institutional code number for UHV is 6917 for the GRE.

The GMAT program codes for University of Houston-Victoria are:

• 30K-2W-88 Strategic MBA (Including Bridge)
• 30K-2W-02 MBA Global (Including Bridge)
• 30K-2W-37 MS, Economic Development & Entrepreneurship

Application Options

For students planning to pursue a graduate degree earning program, a degree-seeking graduate application will need to be completed on GoApplyTexas.

For students planning to pursue a graduate-level certification program, coming in as a transient graduate student, or wishing to take courses for personal enrichment, a Non-Degree Seeking Graduate application will need to be completed on GoApplyTexas.

What to Submit

1. Completed application for graduate admission on GoApplyTexas. A $25.00 non-refundable/non-transferrable application fee will be required.
2. An official transcript from EACH college attended, sent directly from each institution to University of Houston-Victoria, Office of Admissions.
3. Appropriate exam scores must be sent directly from the testing service to UHV. See “Test Scores” below for more information.
4. International Students (A person who is not a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident of the United States; a holder or prospective holder of an F-1 student visa or other visa type; a person holding a temporary status while in the United States) - See “International Programs” section for application process, deadlines, and required documents.

The only transcript requirement for applicants holding a master’s degree or higher from an accredited U.S. institution is an official transcript from the institution which awarded the degree, sent directly from that institution to UH-Victoria Office of Admissions.

Applicants to the M.A Psychology program must submit all test scores and necessary documentation for Fall admission to the Admissions office by February 15 for priority consideration or June 15 for consideration of remaining seats.  Students wishing to transfer between Graduate Psychology programs must apply for admission to the new program and will be considered with other applicants entering in the Fall semester.  They are not guaranteed acceptance into the new program.  Graduate Psychology students who have not enrolled in classes for a one-year period must reapply to their program to gain admission status.  They may or may not be accepted for admission.

Keep on Roarin’: Auto-Admit Graduate Program

The Keep on Roarin’ Auto-Admit Graduate Program is designed to offer an opportunity for our top-performing undergraduate students who have graduated from UHV. The Keep on Roarin’ (KOR) program offers automatic admission into a selection of master’s programs at UHV. The key advantages of KOR are:

• No application fees
• No letter of intent
• No letter(s) of recommendation
• No GRE/GMAT scores.

Eligibility requirement:

To be considered undergraduate students must have graduated with a 3.0 GPA or above. Please note that some participating master’s degree programs may have additional criteria for eligibility.

If you have questions about the KOR program, please contact Angelina Janzen, Admissions Coordinator at 361-570-4433 for more information.

Get started today!

• Complete your UHV undergraduate degree (meeting KOR eligibility)
• Select a participating degree program
• Submit graduate application via GoApplyTexas ($25 application fee waived)
• Meet with your Graduate Advisor to enroll in courses
• Scholarships: limited availability, click to apply UHV Alumni Scholarship

Available Programs:

List is subject to change and more programs may be added.

Administration and Supervision MEd

Adult and Higher Education - Higher Education MEd

Biomedical Sciences MS

Computer Information Systems MS

Computer Science MS

Creative Writing MFA

Criminal Justice MA

Curriculum and Instruction MEd

Educational Technology MEd

Interdisciplinary Studies MA

Global MBA

Master of Accountancy, MACY

Publishing MS

Special Education MEd

Sport Management MS

Strategic MBA