university of utah phd admissions

Department of Economics

College of social & behavioral science, main navigation, program admissions.

CLICK HERE TO BEGIN YOUR PhD APPLICATION

The requirements for admission to the PhD program are:

• The completion of a bachelor's degree from a regionally-accredited College or University
• GPA of 3.0 or better or its equivalent
• The successful completion of intermediate microeconomic and macroeconomic theory*
• Sufficient preparation in mathematics through calculus, statistics, and linear algebra
• Three academic reference letters
• A brief statement of personal academic goals

  A master's degree in economics is not a requirement for admission.  The GRE is no longer a requirement for admission. 

*If you do not meet these prerequisites, your application will be considered incomplete. Grades for the prerequisites should be posted on your transcripts at the time of application. These requirements may be completed at any accredited university, including as a non-degree seeking student at the University of Utah. These courses do not count towards your graduate degree program once admitted. 

Preparation in mathematics through calculus, statistics, and linear algebra is strongly recommended. It may be necessary for students not fully prepared for a graduate program to take remedial courses. Students who lack the proper background in micro and macroeconomic theory, statistics, and mathematics must take courses to remedy these deficiencies prior to their first year of study.

Detailed information on the University of Utah Graduate School admissions policies can be found here.

International students must demonstrate their proficiency in English by specific citizenship or examination. The University requires a minimum of 80 on the TOEFL i BT exam, 105 on Duolingo , or 6.5 on the IELTS . The TOEFL is preferred by our department. A strong speaking score (25 or higher) is particularly important for funding through a teaching assistantship. For details about the English Proficiency requirement, including approved non-examination demonstrations of proficiency, please visit this page . 

We recommend completing all TOEFL exams by December 15. To ensure that scores reach Admissions in a timely manner, please provide ETS with the following codes: University of Utah: 4853 Department of Economics: 1801

More information about University of Utah International Graduate Admissions can be found here .  

Application Deadline

Fall admission: january 15.

Applications for the PhD program are only accepted for Fall semester. The PhD program is scheduled so that the first-year core courses are offered in a sequence; therefore, it is only possible to begin the PhD program in the fall.

Applicants will hear back between early March and mid-May.

Applications for Fall 2025 will open on August 1, 2024. 

Application Procedure

Applications to our PhD program are made online through the Slate application system .

• Please upload all materials directly to Slate.
• Letters of recommendation are completed online and submitted directly through Slate. Please confirm with your recommendation providers before submitting your application that they have e-mail and Internet access and will be able to complete the process online. Letters of recommendation must be submitted by the recommendation provider by the February 1st deadline to be considered. 
• Please send official documents directly to the Office of Admissions , not the Economics Department.
• The Economics Department cannot waive the application fee . 
• Access the application at https://futureu.admissions.utah.edu/apply/ . After an application is submitted, applicants can login to their application status portal to track letters of recommendations, submit additional transcripts and other materials, withdraw their application, and view their decision. 

CLICK HERE TO BEGIN YOUR APPLICATION

Admissions Tips and Frequently Asked Questions

• Application Fee: We are unable to waive the application fee under any circumstances. New PhD students are offered $1,000 to help cover the admissions fee and moving expenses. This is disbursed as a reimbursement following the start of the program. 
• Late Submissions: Our Admissions Committee meets very soon after the January 15th deadline. Please complete your application by that date and ensure that all materials are uploaded and your letters of recommendation are submitted by that date. Late applications will not be accepted. 
• Letters of Recommendation: are completed online and submitted directly into the Slate system. Before beginning your application, please confirm with your recommendation providers that they have access to e-mail and the Internet and will be able to complete the process online. If a recommendation provider is having trouble completing their recommendation, they should reach out to Slate technical support. 
• Sending Materials: Please upload all materials directly into the Slate application system.  We cannot add emailed or mailed materials to your application. Official transcripts should be sent to the Office of Admissions as explained here .
• Transcripts: You may upload unofficial transcripts to the application system. Transcripts should include: Your name, Institution name,  Course names and grades, Credit hours, GPA, and Information about degree conferral or a degree certificate. If you are accepted you will be then be asked to have all official transcripts sent to the Office of Admissions as explained here .  
• Application Updates and Status: After an application is submitted, you can login to the application status portal at https://futureu.admissions.utah.edu/status to track letters of recommendations, submit additional transcripts and other materials, withdraw your application, and view your admissions decision.
• University of Utah Office of Admissions: The Office of Admissions and the Economics Department are separate offices. If you need to check on receipt of materials you have sent to the Office of Admissions, please contact them directly. The best email for Graduate Admissions in the Office of Admissions is [email protected] . The best email for International Admissions in the Office of Admissions is [email protected] . 
• Acceptance Rates: We receive around 160 applications each year and admit a cohort of 4-8 students. Four to six are fully funded with a teaching assistantship . The Admissions Committee conducts a holistic review that incorporates academic history (including completion of prerequisite courses and math preparation), recommendation letters, the personal statement, research interests and fit with the department's areas of research, and cohort make-up. 
• Financial Assistance:  All applicants are considered for a teaching assistantship alongside their application review. No additional information is required to apply for a teaching assistantship. The Department of Economics offers a teaching assistantship to 4-6 incoming students per year. This teaching assistantship is compensated with a stipend of $26,000 (for the 2024-2025 academic year) and participation in the University's Tuition Benefit Program , which offers full tuition and health insurance (per the policies found here and here ). More details about Financial Assistance and Tuition Costs can be found here . 
• Re-Applying: If you unsuccessfully applied to the program in a previous term and wish to apply again, you may do so.  You will need to submit all new materials. 
• Decision Notifications: Initial offers are made in early March, and additional offers (when available) are made on a rolling basis through early May. You will receive your notification by e-mail. We strive to have admissions decisions available to all applicants by May 15th. 
• Faculty Mentor/Advisor: Applicants do not need to identify a faculty mentor or advisor to support their application. Applications are reviewed by a central admissions committee within the Department of Economics. Faculty mentor/advisor relationships are developed during the program. 
• Part-Time or Full-Time: The PhD program is designed to be a full-time program of study with classes and research workshops scheduled for daytime hours. In limited circumstances, a student may be able to pursue a part-time program from their second-year onward. Prospective students wishing to pursue this option are encouraged to consult with the Graduate Student Coordinator before applying. Financial Assistance is only available to full-time students.
• GPA: This varies from year to year, but over the past 10 admission cycles, the average GPA of accepted students is 3.7 on a 4.0 scale.
• Statement of Purpose: The Statement of Purpose is an important part of your application.  Take the time to write a great one.  A page or two is a good length. Include information about your background, career goals, and research interests. Explain why you feel that our PhD program would be a good fit for you and what you would like to contribute.
• GRE: Our department no longer requires the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) for admission. You do not need to submit a GRE score.

International Students

• Proof of English Language Proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL/Duolingo): The University accepts several English Proficiency tests for international students and several non-examination ways to prove proficiency. Please read this page thoroughly here to determine if you need to take an English Proficiency exam . Take the TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo test early enough so that your scores arrive before the January 15th deadline. Only offical test scores are accepted. Test scores should be sent from the examination service directly to the Office of Admissions (not to the Economics Department) for the quickest processing. The ETS code (for TOEFL scores) is 4853. If you wish to receive financial aid from our department, a strong TOEFL speaking sub-score (around 25) or a strong IELTS speaking band score (around 7.0)  is important and we would encourage you to take the TOEFL or IELTS even if it is waived.
• International Admissions: Please see this page for more information on International Application Documents .  
• I-20:  I-20s for international students are processed and mailed by the Office of Admissions after a student has been admitted into the PhD program. Processing times will vary. Students must have their I-20 documents sent to the Office of Admissions as early as possible, but no later than June 1st. To learn more about the I-20 Certificate of Eligibility required to apply for or maintain an F-1 Student Visa, please see this Office of Admissions page . 

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Ph.D. Degree Requirements

Students must meet the requirements specified by the  University of Utah Graduate School and the John and Marcia Price College of Engineering . In addition, students must complete the following requirements to be eligible for the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Biomedical Engineering:

Ph.D. research

Ph.D. students must complete independent research and advance the state of knowledge in the field. Completion of the research requirement is demonstrated by publishing three (or more) peer-reviewed publications as first author, as approved by the research supervisory committee.

Credit hour requirements

A Biomedical Engineering Ph.D. program of study typically includes 90-120 total credit hours beyond the baccalaureate level. Course work should include at least 6 credit hours of advanced (7000) level courses. Completion of significant, peer-reviewed, original research is the primary requirement of the Ph.D. program and usually requires at least 60 credit hours of dedicated research (Bioen 7970). Students must also complete the graduate  biomedical engineering core curriculum  (17 credit hours of core courses or approved substitutes) and at least 13 credit hours of graduate level science and engineering courses for a total of 30 course credit hours beyond the baccalaureate level. The research supervisory committee may require students to take additional courses depending on the student’s performance on the qualifying exam, academic background, or other factors. The minimum allowable grade for any course counted toward the requirements for your graduate degree in Biomedical Engineering is a B-.

Starting with the graduate students who entered the PhD program in 2011/12 academic year, every PhD student has to fulfill the teaching mentorship requirement by completing 4 credit hours of BME 7880 TA Mentorship course by the end of their fourth year. The teaching mentorship assignments will be determined based on the student track specialization, his/her teaching interests and current TA needs in the Department.

The doctoral  Program of Study  in Biomedical Engineering must list all relevant courses taken beyond the baccalaureate degree, and must list all research credits (Bioen 7970) to be applied toward the Ph.D. degree. Up to 30 credit hours previously applied toward an M.S. degree in Biomedical Engineering or Biomedical Engineering can be included as part of the Ph.D. program of study but listed on the  Program of Study Form  at “0” credits applied to the Ph.D. itself. These prior courses can be used to justify waiver of all or part of the course credit hour requirements described above, subject to specific approval by the Director of Graduate Studies and Ph.D. Research Supervisory Committee.

Research supervisory committee

All Ph.D. students form a research supervisory committee consisting of at least 5 University of Utah faculty members. The committee must include at least 3 faculty members with tenure-track appointments in Biomedical Engineering. An external reviewer is optional (see below).

Qualifying exam

The Ph.D. qualifying exam in Biomedical Engineering consists of two parts: a written comprehensive exam in the student’s field of study and a research proposal describing the student’s specific Ph.D. research. The written exam should be taken no later than the fall of the third year and the research proposal no later than the end of the fourth year.

Written Comprehensive Exam

The Ph.D. written comprehensive exam is administered by the Dept. of Biomedical Engineering each year within the first two weeks of the fall semester. Students should inform the Director of Graduate Studies of their intent to take the exam and submit a proposed Preliminary Program of Study  Plan of Study  at least one semester prior to the exam date. The preliminary program of study is a list of all courses that the student plans to complete as part of the requirements for the Ph.D. The preliminary program of study must be approved by the graduate advisor and the research supervisory committee. Students can choose to take the exam in any of the  PhD program tracks . Please consult with the Director of Graduate Studies or your research supervisory committee to select the most appropriate exam. The exams are prepared and graded by a committee of biomedical engineering faculty members with expertise in the exam area. Students may contact the chairperson of their exam committee to discuss the format of the exam. The format of the exams may vary somewhat from committee to committee, but will generally consist of a set of in-depth questions from the field of specialization and will include comprehensive questions from the biomedical engineering core. The exam will take 8 hours. Books and notes will not be allowed in the exam. The Director of Graduate Studies will inform the students of their exam outcomes. Students who fail will be given a second opportunity to pass the exam. The strengths and weaknesses of students that pass the exam will be noted by their exam committee in a written report that will be placed in the student’s file. The student’s supervisory committee will review this report before the oral qualifying exam and may direct their questions accordingly.

Research Proposal

The research proposal consists of a written and oral presentation of the proposed Ph.D. research. Adherence to the  PhD timeline is expected: a failure to deliver research proposal by the end of Fall Semester of Year 3 may result in a loss of RA support and associated tuition waiver. The written portion of the research proposal should follow NIH required format. The written portion of the research proposal must be delivered to the supervisory committee at least two weeks prior to the oral presentation. An announcement and abstract of the proposal presentation must be publicly posted at least one week prior to the presentation. The oral presentation is followed by questions from the audience. The supervisory committee then meets in a closed-door session to examine the student in the absence of their graduate research advisor. To pass the exam, the student must demonstrate adequate preparation to begin effective research: the student must be well versed in the fundamentals, have cogent familiarity with the primary literature in the proposed area of research, and demonstrate an ability to design and communicate a scientific research plan. In some cases, the committee may pass the student contingent upon successfully responding to issues raised during the oral qualifying exam. Students are given two opportunities to pass. A report of the research proposal and oral exam outcome must be signed by the supervisory committee and delivered to the department  (pdf form) .

Ph.D. candidacy

A student becomes a Ph.D. candidate after passing the written comprehensive exam and successfully completing both parts of the research proposal (written & oral).

Seminar presentation

Ph.D. students must present at least one oral podium presentation or seminar  (department pdf form) .

External reviewer

The review of Biomedical Engineering PhD dissertation by an external reviewer is no longer required, but is optional. The PhD candidate and her/his supervisory committee should consider this option if deemed necessary. The external reviewer must hold an academic appointment at an institution outside the University of Utah and should submit a written evaluation of the dissertation to be read at the time of defense.

Dissertation

Preparation of the dissertation must adhere to University of Utah Graduate School requirements. The Dissertation typically includes three or more peer reviewed publications written by the candidate that have (or will) appear in supervisory committee-approved journals as well as introductory and concluding chapters. A draft copy must be delivered to the external reviewer as noted above. Copies of the dissertation must be given to the advisor, each member of the supervisory committee and to the biomedical engineering graduate academic advisor at least two weeks prior to the defense. One copy will be placed in the departmental office for public viewing.

Dissertation defense

The Ph.D. candidate must successfully defend his/her dissertation in a public forum in accordance with the rules of the Department of Biomedical Engineering, the Price College of Engineering and the Graduate School. The location, date, and time of the defense must be announced at least 10 days in advance. The oral presentation is followed by general questions from the audience. If relevant, the external review of the dissertation is presented near the end of the public session. The review should be delivered by the external reviewer. In some cases an oral reading by the thesis advisor will suffice if the external reviewer is unable to attend the defense. Following the public defense the research supervisory committee further examine the candidate in a closed session (the external reviewer can be included in the closed session by committee invitation). To successfully defend the dissertation the candidate must effectively apply the scientific method, demonstrate the significance of his/her contributions to the field, and professionally communicate the results in both written and oral form. Following the defense, the supervisory committee and the external reviewer (if any) meet in private to discuss the candidate’s work and defense. The vote to pass the candidate is taken by the committee alone; the external reviewer does not have a vote. The committee can pass the candidate, pass the candidate contingent upon the candidate’s successfully responding to issues raised at the defense, or fail the candidate. Ph.D. candidates are given two opportunities to pass the defense. Changes and improvements to the dissertation, recommended or required by the reviewer and/or the committee members, are incorporated into the document prior to obtaining final reading approval from the committee chair and the department chair for submission to the thesis editor.

Materials Science & Engineering Ph.D. Program

The Doctoral (PhD) degree offered through the Materials Science and Engineering Department is an intensive research and doctoral dissertation degree. Students may directly pursue a PhD degree without first earning a MS degree.

MSE Graduate Handbook Year 2020-2021

MSE Graduate Handbook Year 2018-2019

MSE Graduate Handbook Year 2017-2018

Academic Advising

Office: CME 304

Complete a minimum of 54 credit hours in courses level 6000 or above

• 30 hours of course work (that include 3 hours of MSE Graduate Seminar MSE 7800 / 7801 , and 15 out of the 30 hours must be MSE/MET E courses). Exceptions to this rule are at the discretion of the student’s Supervisory Committee
• A minimum of 24 hours of Thesis Research ( MSE 7970 )

All coursework must be completed at a cumulative 3.0 GPA (B grade average). All courses must be passed with a B- or better.

Students will also be required to complete the following requirements during the course of the program:

• Qualifying Examination
• Supervisory Committee
• Program of Study
• Dissertation Proposal
• Dissertation

Required Courses

All entering PhD students are required to take the following MSE core courses within their first two semesters, regardless of where they received their Mater’s degree.* These courses will count towards the 25 hours of MSE coursework hours.

• MSE 6032  – Advanced Thermodynamics (3 credits)
• MSE 6001  – Engineering Materials (3 credits)
• MSE 6034  – Kinetics (3 credits)
• MSE 6011  – Advanced Materials Techniques: Experiment, Theory, and Characterization (3 credits)

*EXCEPTION: Students who received a B.S. or M.S. degree from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Utah, and received a B or better in MSE 5034 and MSE 3001 will not be required to take MSE 6034, 6011 and 6001. These students are allowed to substitute these three required courses with any other 6000/7000 level MSE or MET E course.

Graduate Seminar

Students are required to take 6 semesters (0.5 credit hours each semester) of MSE Graduate Seminar.

• MSE 7800  – Graduate Seminar I (0.5 credits) Fall Semesters
• MSE 7801  – Graduate Seminar II (0.5 credits) Spring Semesters

Two oral presentations are required.  Graduate Seminar credit hours cannot be used to satisfy the 25 credit hours of MSE coursework.

MSE Graduate Seminar Independent Study

If students are unable to attend the Graduate Seminar in a given semester due to an academic or work related conflict, they will be required to make up the credit through an independent study. Students will still be required to register for MSE 7800/7801, as the credit hours are required for the graduate program. However, it will be the student’s responsibility to attend at least 10 seminars or lecture during the duration of the semester.

The seminars or lectures must be related to the field of Materials Science & Engineering. The seminars or lectures can be on or off campus. They could also be pre-recorded and viewed from various media platforms (example YouTube).

Students must write a one page (typed, single spaced, 12 pt. font) paper addressing the following topics: • How the topics relates to your research • One full paragraph should discuss the research style and communication skills of the speaker. • Students should give advice on how the presentation could have been better

The 10 one-page papers are due the last day of classes in the given semester. Thesis Hours

Students must complete at least 14 hours of Thesis Research ( MSE 7970 , Thesis Research: Ph.D.). The candidate must also be regularly enrolled at the University and registered for at least one course during the semester in which the final oral examination (dissertation defense) is taken.

After the residency requirement has been met (two consecutive semesters of nine hours or more), graduate students who are registered for three credit hours in any one of the following classes are considered full-time status:

• Classes within the range of 6970-6989, 7970-7989

This does not fulfill state residency requirements.

Registration Restrictions

Credit hour requirements for full time and part time status at the University of Utah:

• Graduate credit may be transferred from other regionally-accredited institutions with department and advisor approval. Credits transferred from another institution may be used for only one degree. Up to six semester hours of transfer credit may be applied toward fulfillment of graduate degree requirements if they are of high letter grade (B or higher; ‘credit only’ grades are unacceptable), are recommended by the student’s supervisory committee, and were taken within four years of semester of admission to the University of Utah for master’s students and within seven years of semester of admission to the University of Utah for doctoral students.
• Only nine semester hours of nonmatriculated credit, taken no more than three year prior to approval, can be applied toward a graduate degree.
• No candidate for a graduate degree is permitted to register for more than 16 credit hours in any single semester. A schedule of nine credit hours is considered a full load for doctoral degree candidates.
• Only 3 hours of MSE 6980 / 7980 – Faculty Consultations can be counted towards the PhD degree provided there is proper documentation. This can take the place of 3 MSE coursework hours on the Program of Study.
• Only 1 hour of MSE 6950  – Independent Study can be used towards the PhD degree.

English Proficiency

The University of Utah Admissions Department sets the requirements for English Proficiency, not the department. This requirement cannot be waived. Applications will not be processed without official test results dated within two years. For more information, please see the admissions page on English Proficiency found here .

Candidate will write a report and prepare an oral presentation for a topic of scientific area which is NOT directly related to his/her ongoing Ph.D. research. The presentation and report shall cover:

•  Current state of the art of the area,
• Key challenges related to materials design,
• Ideas for future research directions in this field (students are encouraged to propose their own ideas and discuss possible plan and feasibility of proposed research).

Students will be expected to do a deep dive into the topic and be prepared to apply/discuss the basic MSE principles (covered by the core courses) to the selected topic.

Topic selection: The topics will be suggested/assigned by the MSE graduate committee.

Deliverables:

• Report (written portion) should be concise and not exceeding 10 pages (single spaced).
• Oral presentation will be a 20minute power point presentation with additional 20-30 minutes for questions from the committee.
• Topic selection/assignment will occur earlier May (after the Spring semester).
• Reports will be due first week of June.
• Presentations will be scheduled in the second/third weeks of June depending on examination committee schedule availability.

Examination committee will consist of at least three MSE faculty, excluding student’s primary advisor.

After successfully passing the Candidacy Evaluation, PhD students must make an appointment with the MSE Academic Advisor to start building a supervisory committee.

Each supervisory committee consists of five faculty members . In compliance with The Graduate School’s policy, the majority of the committee members (3) must be tenure line faculty in the MSE department. The supervisory committee chair must be a regular tenure line faculty at the University of Utah. The dean of The Graduate School may approve requests to appoint a committee member from another university where appropriate justification and supporting documentation is provided. The supervisory committee is responsible for approving the student’s academic program, preparing and judging the qualifying examinations, approving the dissertation subject and final dissertation, and administering and judging the final oral examination (dissertation defense).

Supervisory Committee Form

• PhD Supervisory Committee form

During the third year of graduate study, PhD students are required to complete a Program of Study. This form is not a selection of courses that satisfies the minimum requirements but will be a list of all course work and research hours proposed for the PhD degree that will be approved by the Supervisory Committee. It is important that students understand that the Supervisory Committee makes the final decision for the courses that will appear on the Program of Study for the PhD. Procedure to Complete

The procedure to complete the Program of Study form is as follows:

• Students must arrange a meeting with their Supervisory Committee Chair to present the proposed course for the Program of Study form.
• At the meeting, the Supervisory Committee Chair will review and approve the student’s courses for their degree.
• In some cases, the Supervisory Committee Chair may require extra course work that exceeds the minimum requirements for a PhD degree based on the dissertation topic.
• As stated in the Graduate School’s requirements: coursework used to complete requirements for one graduate program may not be used to meet the requirement of another.
• All course work must be completed in the first two years of graduate study.

Program of Study Form

• PhD Program of Study, MSE

After advancing to candidacy, but before the end of the third year (6th semester) in the program, students must complete the written and oral portions of the Dissertation Proposal Exam. An exception can be granted by a student’s Supervisory Committee Chair for extenuating circumstances.

The Dissertation Proposal must occur before the Dissertation Defense and the two many not be completed within the same semester. The Dissertation Proposal Exam (written, oral, or both parts) may be repeated once if a “Fail” or “Conditional Pass” is received the first time. Written Proposal

Students must independently prepare a written proposal for the research they will complete for their dissertation. It must be given to their Supervisory Committee at least two weeks prior to the date of the oral exam. Students must propose their own original research which will form the basis of their publications and PhD dissertation. The proposal should detail the prior work in the field, detail any results already obtained by the student, and lay out the research objectives and plan for meeting those objectives before completing the dissertation. A copy of the Dissertation Proposal will be provided to the Academic Advisor to be retained in the student’s file.

The proposal should follow the NSF proposal format (or other federal agency if approved by the committee). For more information on the format, student should refer to the MSE Dissertation Written Proposal Template here .

For additional resources and information on NSF formatting, students should refer to the University of Utah Office of Sponsored Projects website by clicking here.

Oral Proposal

Students must arrange with their Supervisory Committee to present and defend their proposal. A common format is to prepare a talk lasting 40 minutes if uninterrupted based on the same ideas and research plan contained in the Written Proposal.

The committee will ask questions, evaluate the proposal, and give feedback and suggestions to the student on the proposed research. The committee will sign the Dissertation Proposal from, which has separate “Pass,” “Conditional Pass” and “Fail” marks. Again, the committee may require remedial actions for “Conditional Pass” or “Fail” marks.

Dissertation Proposal Form

• MSE Dissertation Written Proposal Template
• PhD Dissertation Proposal form

  Dissertation

Students must submit a dissertation embodying the results of scientific or scholarly research. The dissertation must provide evidence of originality and the ability to do independent investigation and it must contribute to knowledge. The dissertation must show a mastery of the relevant literature and be presented in an acceptable style. The style and format are determined by departmental policy and registered with the thesis and dissertation editor, who approves individual dissertations in accordance with departmental and Graduate School policy. The approved style guides can be found here .

At least three weeks before the final dissertation defense, students should submit an acceptable draft of the dissertation to the chair of the Supervisory Committee; committee members should receive copies at least two weeks before the examination date.

The doctoral dissertation is expected to be available to other scholars and to the general public. It is the responsibility of all doctoral candidates to arrange for the publication of their dissertations. The University accepts two alternatives for complying with the publication requirements:

The entire dissertation is submitted to UMI Dissertation Publishing, ProQuest Information and Learning, and copies are made available for public sale. The abstract only is published if the entire dissertation has been previously published and distributed, exclusive of vanity publishing. The doctoral candidate may elect to microfilm the entire previously published work. Regardless of the option used for meeting the publication requirement, an abstract of each dissertation is published in UMI Dissertation Publishing, ProQuest Information and Learning, Dissertation Abstracts International.

Detailed policies and procedures concerning publication requirements, use of restricted data, and other matters pertaining to the preparation and acceptance of the dissertation are contained in A Handbook for Theses and Dissertations, published by The Graduate School and available on The Graduate School website .

Please be sure to check the Thesis Office manuscript tracking system to see if your dissertation has been uploaded to  ProQuest . Defense

PhD students must orally defend the significant contents, results, and conclusions associated with their doctoral research before the entire Supervisory Committee at an open and public defense. At the conclusion of the public participation, the committee will excuse the public and conduct further questioning on the thesis and related topics. The outcome of the defense is reported on the PhD Defense Form.

The draft or final dissertation document will serve as the written basis for the presentation and should be submitted to the Supervisory Committee four weeks prior to the oral defense. The Supervisory Committee will examine in detail the contents, results, conclusions and contribution made by the student’s research and written dissertation.

“The Supervisory Committee Approval” and “Final Reading Approval” forms must be filled out by the student and the appropriate signatures obtained before final dissertation can be submitted to the Thesis Editor for final approval and release. These forms are the responsibility of the student and can be found on The Graduate School’s website .

When should you defend in order to graduate in a specific semester?

The earlier you defend in a given semester, the more likely you are to be able to graduate that same semester. Check the  Thesis Calendar  to see when the submission deadline is. You need to defend far enough ahead of that deadline that you can make any changes to the text required by your committee and ensure that the manuscript adheres to your chosen style guide and Thesis Office requirements by the deadline. Be aware that if you submit your manuscript on the deadline and there are any formatting errors you will not graduate that semester. The sooner you turn your manuscript in the more likely you are to graduate in that semester.   As a general rule of thumb, plan to defend in the first 2 months of the semester if you want to graduate that semester. Registration

Student must be registered for 3 credit hours of MSE 7970 during the semester they defend. Once student defends and the dissertation has been accepted by the Supervisory Committee, the student is not required to register for another semester. International Students should check with the International Center once they have defended to make sure that they do not go out of status while completing requested rewrites.

Defense and Dissertation Forms

Materials Science and Engineering Department form:

• PhD Dissertation Defense form – Must be completed at the time of defense.

Graduate School Forms

• Dissertation forms  – Forms that must be turned in with completed dissertation to the Thesis Office.
• Preliminary Review Dissertation form  – Form for those seeking a preliminary dissertation review by the Thesis Office.
• For information on admission to the PhD program  click here.
• For information about housing options at the University of Utah, click here.

Full Time Student Status

Part time student status.

• Appeal to the Department Chair (in writing) within 40 working days; chairs must notify student of a decision with 15 days. If the faculty member or student disagrees with decision then,
• Appeal to Academic Committee, see II Section D, Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities for details on Academic Appeal Committee hearings.
• Dismiss the student from the program immediately.
• Place the student on academic probation for 1 semester. In this case, the student’s committee will provide a list of specific milestones which the student must accomplish in order to be reinstated to good standing. If these milestone are not accomplished within 1 semester, the student will be dismissed from the program.
• Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0
• Passing all required examinations within specified times limits (e.g. for PhD students the candidacy exam, dissertation proposal, and thesis defense).
• Continuously maintain an official advisor and supervisory committee from the 3rd semester through completion of the program.
• Continually make acceptable progress toward the degree as determined by the supervisory committee + thesis advisor.
• PhD Program of Study form, MSE
• PhD Dissertation Defense form
• Milestone Master Application
• Recommendation for Change of Graduate Classification
• Dissertation Forms
• Preliminary Review Dissertation Form
• Non-Matriculated Credit Hours Form 
• Graduate Transfer Credit Authorization
• Insurance Declaration Form

Thesis Office

Preliminary formatting.

• During the semester before your graduation date, students should check their Electronic Graduate Record File in CIS. For more information on how to access the Electronic Graduate Record File  click here .
• If students have questions or issues surrounding graduation, they should make an appointment with the MSE Academic Advisor. It is important that you communicate with the Academic Advisor about your intended graduation date and progress.

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Department of Psychology

College of social & behavioral science, main navigation, ph.d. program overview .

Students apply to one of four concentrations:

• Clinical Psychology
• Cognition and Neural Science
• Developmental Psychology
• Social Psychology

These four areas provide a home base for faculty members and graduate students; however, students move easily across these areas pursuing research interests and projects. There is an explicit cross-area program in health , and cross-area interests in sexuality, developmental psychopathology, and biological bases of behavior. Please refer to the Graduate Student Handbook for more information about the program.

Clinical Ph.D. Program

Cns ph.d. program, developmental ph.d.program, social ph.d. program, collaborative research.

A unique feature of our program is the highly collaborative environment that exists among researchers within areas, across areas, and with other departments such as Computer Science, Medicine, etc. A strength of this approach to graduate training is that it allows a fresh perspective to familiar questions and produces findings that are relevant to the field as a whole, not just a select niche.

Apply to the Graduate Program

**For questions regarding the graduate program and the graduate application process, please contact Cindy White at [email protected] or by phone at 801-585-7167.

Required Materials

The GRE test is no longer a requirement for applications to the Psychology PhD program

The Psychology Department requires the following materials be submitted as part of the online application:

• Personal Statement/Statement of Purpose – Two to three pages double-spaced is generally sufficient. Your personal statement should summarize your research and career goals, prior educational and work experience, and any other appropriate information. Make sure to indicate which faculty members you hope to work with and include a discussion of the parallels between their research interests and your own, as well as the reasons for your interest in our program. If there is information related to your history, background, and experience that you believe cannot be addressed by any other section of the application, we encourage you to include that information in your personal statement.
• Curriculum Vita
• Transcripts - unofficial transcripts from each college or university attended (upload to the online application); official transcripts are required only if offered admittance to the graduate program, and at that point should be sent directly to the Graduate Admissions office.
• 3 Letters of Recommendation - may be completed online (preferred), or submitted by hard copy directly to the Psychology Department.
• Writing Sample (optional; strongly encouraged but not required) - Possible writing samples include senior theses; masters degree theses; published, in press, or submitted research papers; conference posters and presentations; etc.

CUDCP's policy for Admissions Offers and Acceptances

CUDCP's policy for Admissions Offers and Acceptances  (PDF)

Online Application

We admit students once a year, for fall semester. Our application deadline is December 1 st , 11:59 PM MST.   

PLEASE NOTE: Graduate applications are reviewed in late December/early January. This year, all interviews will be virtual, and will be conducted January 24th and 25th. There will be a campus visit day on February 23rd for applicants who receive offers of admission.  Final decisions are made and communicated to all applicants by mid-March.

Graduate Program Application

All applicants are automatically considered for financial assistance; no separate financial aid forms are necessary. Announcements of admission and support will be made on or before April 1, and applicants who choose to enroll are expected to begin their studies the following Fall Semester. See our Scholarships/Funding page for more information.

Frequently Asked Questions

For a number of frequently asked questions and their answers, check the FAQ . 

The following faculty will be reviewing graduate applications for the Fall 2024 admission cycle:

Brian Baucom Cynthia Berg Jonathan Butner Sarah Creem-Regehr Pascal Deboeck Frank Drews Matt Euler Michael Himle Monika Lohani Kara Moore Samantha Moore-Berg Brennan Payne Jeanine Stefanucci Bert Uchino Paula Williams

Department of Mathematics

College of science, main navigation, graduate programs.

Welcome to the webpage for the graduate program of the Department of Mathematics at the University of Utah. We offer a Ph.D. and Master's degrees in many different areas of mathematics. The faculty at the University of Utah are active and involved with the students and have many diverse research projects.  Our former graduate students have gone on to mathematical careers both in academia and in industry . We invite you to explore our graduate program information, our math department, university, and living in Utah .

See the links below for more information about our programs. 

DEGREE OPTIONS

Click on program title to expand. 

Ph.D. in Mathematics

Ph.d. program in mathematics.

The Ph.D. Program in the Department of Mathematics enjoys an excellent reputation in a diversified set of subjects:

Application deadline

Degree requirements/coursework.

The course requirements for the Ph.D. degree consist of at least seven sequences (each sequence contains two consecutive courses on a subject) numbered 6000 or above, or their equivalent, approved by the student’s supervisory committee. Exceptions must be approved on an individual basis by the Graduate Committee upon the recommendation by the student’s supervisory committee.

The following is a list of departmental requirements, in addition to the requirements of the Graduate School, for candidates seeking a Ph.D. degree in mathematics.

• At least 14 credit hours of the 42 credit hours should be courses numbered 7800-7970 (topics courses, seminars, and thesis research).
• Six written qualifying examinations
• An oral qualifying examination
• Two semesters of teaching
• The final oral examination

More details can be found in the   Graduate Bulletin .

WRITTEN QUALIFYING EXAMINATIONS

The written qualifying examinations are given twice a year, in January and August, just before the start of the Spring and Fall semesters. A Ph.D. candidate is required to pass six written qualifying examinations chosen from the following set of subjects:

• 6010 Linear Models
• 6040 Mathematical Probability I
• 6070 Mathematical Statistics
• 6210 Real Analysis
• 6220 Complex Analysis
• 6310 Algebra I
• 6320 Algebra II
• 6410 Ordinary Differential Equations
• 6420 Partial Differential Equations
• 6510 Differentiable Manifolds
• 6520 Algebraic Topology
• 6610 Analysis of Numerical Methods I
• 6620 Analysis of Numerical Methods II
• 6710 Applied Linear Operators and Spectral Methods
• 6720 Applied Complex Variables and Asymptotic Methods

Each exam lasts two hours and is written at a first-year graduate level. Entering students are recommended to take the 6000-level course corresponding to a particular exam and use the course materials to prepare for the exams. Students with particularly strong backgrounds can choose to take the exams without taking the courses. Copies of past exams from the last ten years can be obtained by contacting the Graduate Coordinator.

ORAL QUALIFYING EXAMINATION

This exam is conducted by the student’s supervisory committee and it can take one of the following two formats: a general exam to measure the student’s overall mathematical maturity and breadth, or a presentation of the proposed dissertation project. The exam also evaluates the student’s skill at chalkboard exposition and verbal exchange.

TEACHING REQUIREMENT

Each Ph.D. candidate is required to teach a minimum of two courses or equivalent tutorials, or supervise laboratory sessions.

FINAL ORAL EXAMINATION

This examination consists of a public thesis defense that summarizes the candidate's thesis work.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Admission to graduate status in the Ph.D. program requires that students hold a Bachelor's degree in Mathematics, or its equivalent, with a grade point average of at least 3.0 and that they show promise of success in graduate work. Qualified applicants typically possess a Bachelor's or Master's degree in mathematics. Students should be prepared to take the courses that directly lead to qualifying exams.

While GRE general and mathematics subject test scores are not required for graduate admission application, we understand that some applicants may prefer to have test scores to be included in the evaluation. In this case you may submit the test scores, especially the mathematics subject test score if you are interested in pure mathematics areas, and we will take them into consideration. On the other hand, the omission of GRE test scores will not adversely impact your application. Jingyi Zhu , Chair of the Graduate Recruitment Committee or Elena Cherkaev ,  Director of Graduate Studies.-->

English Tests

All applicants must meet the University of Utah's minimum requirements for English proficiency, click here .  Additionally, successful applicants for Teaching Assistantships must be proficient in their spoken and listening English skills. Those skills are usually reflected in the submitted TOEFL scores (or equivalent). In most cases, for those subsections of the TOEFL, we look for scores of at least about 20, and optimally, of at least about 23.

FILLING OUT THE APPLICATION

For instructions on filling in the Graduate Mathematics Application Form:

Elena Cherkaev, Director of Graduate Studies- [email protected]

Srikanth Iyengar, Director of Graduate Studies- [email protected]

Paula Tooman, Graduate Program Coordinator- [email protected]

Master of Arts (M.A.) and Master of Science (M.S.) in Mathematics

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS/COURSEWORK

The M.A. and M.S. degree requirements are identical except that the M.A. degree requires an additional language proficiency. The following is a list of departmental requirements for candidates seeking a M.S. or M.A. degree in mathematics.

Minimum Degree Hours: 30

FOR THE MASTER'S DEGREE IN PURE MATHEMATICS:

• MATH 5210 - Introduction to Real Analysis 4 Credit(s)
• MATH 5310 - Introduction to Modern Algebra I 3 Credit(s)
• MATH 5320 - Introduction to Modern Algebra II 3 Credit(s)
• One 6000-level sequence consisting of two one-semester courses
• Four additional one-semester courses at the 5000- or 6000-level

FOR THE MASTER'S DEGREE IN APPLIED MATHEMATICS:

• MATH 5210 - Introduction to Real Analysis 4 Credit(s) and
• two 6000-level courses

The written qualifying examinations are given twice a year, in January and August, just before the spring or the fall semester starts. A candidate can fulfill the graduation requirements by passing four written qualifying examinations, chosen from the following set of subjects (corresponding course numbers included in parentheses):

Each exam lasts three hours and is written at a first year graduate level. Entering students are required to take the 6000-level course corresponding to a particular exam and use the course materials to prepare for the exams. Copies of past exams are posted (as PDF files) on the Graduate Program homepage (see  Qualifying Examinations ).

ORAL COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION AND ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

An oral comprehensive exam can be chosen as an option to fulfill the Master’s degree requirements. This exam is conducted by the student’s supervisory committee. In case a candidate chooses the option of oral comprehensive exam, the student must complete nine (9) additional credits of a Masters Project, which can be one of the following:

Admission to graduate status in the Master's program requires that students hold a Bachelor's degree in Mathematics, or its equivalent, with a grade point average of at least 3.0 and that they show promise of success in graduate work. The prerequisites for the various programs vary. Master of Arts / Master of Science degrees, qualified applicants typically possess a Bachelor's or Master's degree in mathematics. Students should be prepared to take the courses that directly lead to qualifying exams.

While GRE general and mathematics subject test scores are not required for graduate admission application, we understand that some applicants may prefer to have test scores to be included in the evaluation. In this case you may submit the test scores, especially the mathematics subject test score if you are interested in pure mathematics areas, and we will take them into consideration. On the other hand, the omission of GRE test scores will not adversely impact your application. Jingyi Zhu , Chair of the Graduate Recruitment Committee or Elena Cherkaev ,  Director of Graduate Studies. -->

For instructions on filling in the Graduate Mathematics Application Form :

Master of Statistics (Mathematics)

The Master of Statistics (M-Stat) program is administered by the University Statistics Committee and applications should be made through the Graduate Admissions Office. Upon admission by the University Statistics Committee, the student is also admitted to the Mathematics Department Master's program. The degree of Master of Statistics (Mathematics) is awarded by the Mathematics Department.

Degree requirements/coursework

• MATH 5010 - Introduction to Probability 3 Credit(s)
• MATH 5080 - Statistical Inference I 3 Credit(s)
• MATH 5090 - Statistical Inference II 3 Credit(s)
• MATH 6010 - Linear Models 3 Credit(s)
• MATH 6020 - Multilinear Models 3 Credit(s)
• MATH 6070 - Mathematical Statistics 3 Credit(s)
• MATH 6960 - Special Projects 1 - 6 Credit(s)  (Masters Project)
• Electives approved by the supervisory committee, 12 credits
• Final project approved by supervisory committee
• Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics, or equivalent
• MATH 3070, 3080, or equivalent

Anna Little, Assistant Professor - [email protected]

Paula Tooman, Graduate Program Coordinator- [email protected]  

Master of Science in Mathematics Teaching

MASTER OF SCIENCE (M.S.) IN MATHEMATICS TEACHING

APPLICATIONS FOR 2019-2021 ARE NOW CLOSED

The Department of Mathematics at the University of Utah offers a general Master of Science degree as well as some specialized master’s degrees. One such degree is the  Master of Science (M.S.) in Mathematics Teaching  (also known as Mathematics Teaching M.S. ), a two-year program primarily addressed to in-service secondary teachers of mathematics.

The main goal of the Master of Science in Mathematics Teaching  program is to extend and enrich secondary teachers' understanding of mathematics and to help teachers acquire a deeper and broader mathematics background.

The program is structured to best meet the needs of Utah’s secondary teachers of mathematics. Coursework is designed to extend teachers’ mathematical knowledge for teaching at the secondary level. Courses are offered at times that fit working educators’ schedules, with a majority of courses offered over the two summer semesters of the program, and other courses offered once a week during evening hours in the fall and spring semesters.

The student is admitted to the Master of Science in Mathematics Teaching program upon admission by the Mathematics Education Committee. The degree is awarded by the Mathematics Department. 

Tuitions are significantly reduced to make the program more accessible, and we are pleased to be able to offer this program to practicing Utah teachers for $150 per credit hour.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

1. Licensed teachers with a level 4 endorsement (level 3 teachers will be considered, but may need additional course work). 

2. Completion of the Praxis 5161 Mathematics (post-2012) or Praxis 0061 (pre-2012) Math Content Knowledge Exam. A score of at least 165 (5161) or 143 (0061) is required.

3. At least two years of teaching experience as of the application deadline. Applicants must be recommended by two professional educators who can judge their performance.

4. Satisfy University requirements for Graduate School admissions.

The Mathematics Education Committee may advise candidates to take additional courses to ensure readiness for the required course work in the program.  

PLANNED SCHEDULE FOR 2019 COHORT

The Master of Science in Mathematics Teaching program requires a total of 39 credit hours: 30 are core courses, and the remaining 9 credits are to be electives with at least 6 from the discipline-specific mathematics courses at the 5000 level or above. This meets the requirements for the Master of Science degree set by the Graduate School at the University of Utah. In addition, candidates must take and pass two mid-program exams and submit and defend a final program project. The program for the current cohort is structured as follows:

FIRST ACADEMIC YEAR

Second academic year.

Aaron Bertram, Associate Chair / Professor -  [email protected]

Paula Tooman, Graduate Program Coordinator-   [email protected]  

• Master of Statistics

Ph.D. and Master Programs

M.S. Mathematics Teaching

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Graduate Admissions

Requirements for admissions to graduate programs.

The following requirements for admissions have been set by the Office of Admissions and the Graduate School. All students are expected to meet the requirements to be officially admitted into the University of Utah. Requirements with potential exceptions are indicated with an asterisk (*) and explained below.

Bachelor Degree

You may apply if you have received a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university. Four years of study is required for most international university degrees (see below for potential exceptions). The Office of Admissions is the best resource if you have questions regarding accreditation of your university.

If you are currently finishing your degree, BS or MS, please note your status in your applications statement of purpose, and upload available transcripts to date into the application system. You can be admitted based on this information and official transcripts will be verified before the start of the semester. You must have a Bachelor’s degree before starting the graduate degree program.

The Kahlert School of Computing does not require students to have a computer science bachelor’s degree. However, students need to have significant coding and computer science experience in order to be admitted and succeed in our graduate programs (MS and PhD).

A minimum of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is required for admission. If your GPA is not calculated on a 4.0 scale, please enter the number as stated on your transcript. The international admissions will calculate the equivalent GPA. *

English Proficiency (for international students only)

Please follow instructions provided by the University of Utah International Admissions Office here .

Exceptions to Formal Requirements

When an applicant does not meet the university’s formal requirements but is nevertheless deemed qualified by the departmental admissions committee, the department can petition the university for a waiver of a requirement. Certain three-year degree programs, for example, offer solid preparation for graduate work in computing. The department will request a waiver only for clearly qualified applicants.

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Department of Physics & Astronomy College of Science

University of Utah

Welcome to graduate studies in physics and astronomy at the University of Utah! Please navigate to the resources below or learn about our PhD program at the Apply link above.

Find announcements through the post feature below or by searching UMail. Department policy can be found in the graduate program handbook corresponding to the matriculation year. International students must confer with ISSS for the most accurate I-20 and OPT policies. Grads are advised to not drop classes, withdraw, switch grading options, or make other enrollment decisions without first meeting with the graduate program coordinator or Director of Graduate Studies. Course decisions and research help are available from the assigned Advisory or Supervisory Committee.

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International student visa renewal

Students who choose to travel back to their home country to renew their visa do so at their own risk. It is critical that before traveling abroad, you assess the circumstances that could hinder your ability to return to Utah, such as covid-19 quarantine requirements or regional conflict. Before traveling, you should confer with: ISSS, your PI or the TA coordinator, the payroll officer, and the department coordinator. The department is able to provide an offer letter, noting your employment details and financial support. No other departmental documentation is available.

Graduation preparation should begin at least one semester prior. Request a graduation consultation with the program coordinator, schedule an appointment with ISSS (if on a visa), check thesis deadlines. Finally, prepare for your job search by meeting with Dr. Francine Mahak at the Career & Professional Services Center.

Advising Day

Advising Day takes place fall and spring semester on Reading Day. All graduate students and their internal committee members are required to attend. Please come prepared with your transcripts, UnID, Ta or RA plans for the next semester, and questions or concerns for your committee.

Advising Day Spring 2024 will take place April 24, 2024

For more information, contact:

Pearl sandick, kelsey krause, comprehensive exam.

Find old exams here:

Fall '19 EM Fall '19 QM Fall '20 QM Fall '20 EM Fall '21 QM Fall '21 EM

Fall  '22 QM Fall '22 EM   Fall  '23 QM   Fall '23 EM

Staying Connected

Events and seminars are happening in person and remotely. You can learn more about these in the events calendar and by reading departmental emails.

Events Calendar

Department of Philosophy

College of humanities, main navigation, graduate program, notice: in recognition of the ongoing covid-19 pandemic, gre scores are not required as part of this year’s graduate admissions process. the department has waived this requirement for this year’s graduate cycle..

Why Pursue Graduate Studies at the University of Utah?

The Philosophy Faculty offers a variety of areas of specialization for graduate students at all levels. Available concentrations include:

• Practical Reason
• Political Philosophy
• Philosophy of Law
• Early Modern Philosophy
• Philosophy of Mind & Cognitive Science
• Ancient Greek Philosophy
• Chinese Philosophy
• Applied Ethics (Bioethics, Business Ethics, Environmental Ethics, & Legal Ethics)
• Philosophy of Biology
• Feminist Philosophy

The Department awards Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.),  Master of Arts (M.A.) and Master of Science (M.S.) Degrees. M.A. and M.S. degrees may be taken either as final credentials or as preparation for Doctoral studies.

Master's Program

PhD Program

Research and Internships

In addition to the standard traditional concentrations, students may engage in research and internships in such areas as Political Thought, Applied Ethics, and Ethics and Public Affairs. We maintain close ties to the  Colleges of Business  and  College of Law  and to the  School of Medicine , which make it possible for students to pursue advanced professional degrees while working on Masters' or Ph.D. degrees in the Department. We also cooperate with the  Department of Political Science  and the  Institute of Human Genetics  in interdisciplinary programs.

Faculty/Student Ratio

An excellent student-faculty ratio and a vibrant enrichment program both in and outside the department offers students the opportunity for close and informal contact with the faculty as well as for a stimulating atmosphere for graduate study. The Department currently has 19 full-time faculty members.

The department is particulary strong in the areas of philosophy of biology, applied ethics, practical reason, feminist philosophy, and aesthetics. It is also ranked #1 for gender diversity among tenure line faculty.

Faculty Members and Specializations

Chrisoula Andreou (ethics, practical reson)

Margaret Battin (applied ethics, bioethics)

Erin Beeghly (ethics, epistemology, legal philosophy, moral psychology)

Eliya Cohen (metaphysics, philosophical logic, philosophy of games)

Stephen Downes (philosophy of biology, cognitive science)

Melinda Fagan (philosophy of science, epistemology)

Leslie Francis (applied ethics, bioethics, philosophy of law)

Matthew Haber (philosophy of biology)

Joyce Havstad (philosophy of science, issues at the intersection of science, policy, and values)

Eric Hutton (Chinese philosophy, Greek philosophy, ethics)

Madison Kilbride (applied ethics, bioethics)

Elijah Millgram (ethics, practical reason, Nietzsche, Mill)

Lex Newman (early modern philosophy)

Thi Nguyen (aesthetics, epistemology, philosophy of games)

Anne Peterson (Greek philosophy, metaphysics)

Carlos Santana (philosophy of science, environmental philosophy, philosophy of language)

Jonah Schupbach (formal epistemology, philosophy of science)

Cynthia Stark (political philosophy, feminist philosophy)

Dustin Stokes (philosophy of mind and cognitive science)

James Tabery (philosophy of biology, bioethics)

Natalia Washington (cognitive science, moral psychology)

Full funding available for eligible MA, MS and PhD students (includes tuition waiver, stipend, plus a travel budget)

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Utah Admissions

Let's get started..

I am a future...

Freshman Student

You have not previously enrolled in a regionally accredited college or university, or you have only enrolled in college courses prior to high school graduation.

Transfer Student

You have earned the equivalent of a high school diploma as well as attended a regionally accredited college or university, but have not yet completed a bachelor’s degree.

Returning Student

You were previously enrolled at the University of Utah but your enrollment has been discontinued and you have not yet completed a bachelor’s degree.

International Student

You are on or requesting a visa, have held a permanent resident card for fewer than five years, or have refugee or asylum status.

Second Bachelor's Student

You have completed a bachelor’s degree from any regionally accredited college or university, including the University of Utah, and plan to earn another bachelor’s degree.

Non-Traditional Student

You have graduated from high school or earned the equivalent of a high school diploma seven or more years prior to the term of admission, and have not previously enrolled in a regionally accredited college or university.

Early Admission Student

You will simultaneously complete your senior year of high school and your freshman year of college.

High School University Student

You are taking college courses as part of your high school career.

Non-Degree Seeking Student

You wish to enroll in courses, but do not plan to complete a degree at the University of Utah. You will not be eligible for scholarships and will have access to limited sources of financial aid.

Graduate Student

You have completed the equivalent of a U.S. four-year Bachelor’s degree at either a regionally accredited U.S. institution or a foreign institution recognized by the country’s Ministry of Higher Education.

Utah Asia Campus Student

You are a student applying to study at the University of Utah Asia campus.

UOnline Student

Fully-online degree programs for select undergraduate and graduate majors. Transfer, Returning, Non-traditional, and Second bachelor’s students can apply for UOnline programs.

I'm not sure

You’re not sure what type of student you will be.

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Track Your Application

You can check the status of your undergraduate application here . To check the status of a graduate application, visit the link emailed to you upon application submission.

Need clarification?

Visit Campus

College of Social Work

Main navigation, behavioral health technician.

Behavioral Health Technicians (BHT) work under the supervision of licensed professionals, such as social workers, psychologists, or psychiatrists, to support the overall treatment and care of individuals with mental health or behavioral disorders. This 20-credit sequence of courses, open to enrolled undergraduate U students in any discipline, prepares students for state certification as a Behavioral Health Technician.

Undergraduate students interested in participating in the Behavioral Health Technician certification sequence should reach out to Prof Stephanie Bank for additional information and program details.

Behavioral Health Technicians:

• May work under the indirect supervision of licensed professionals, performing specific services within the approved scope of practice.
• May collect intake assessment information used to determine the well-being of a patient and the potential type of treatment options that might be appropriate.
• May support licensed clinical professionals in developing treatment plans and implementing interventions designed to address behavioral health issues.
• May conduct direct observation and monitoring of clients' behaviors, documenting significant observations, and reporting findings to the supervising professional.
• May facilitate therapeutic activities and recreational programs to enhance clients' social skills, emotional well-being, and overall functioning.
• May implement crisis intervention strategies in accordance with established protocols, ensuring the safety and well-being of clients during emergencies.
• May provide education and support to clients and their families on behavioral health issues, treatment options, and community resources.
• May implement behavioral management strategies including de-escalation techniques and crisis intervention as needed.

Learning outcomes include developing knowledge around:

• The role, function, and responsibilities of various mental health professions and community service agencies.
• The importance of whole health integration, strong support systems, and self-care habits for stress management and resiliency as a successful student and valued employee.
• Mental health and common mental health issues.
• Elements of positive psychology and whole health integration to enhance happiness and well-being.
• Ethical, legal, and professional responsibilities of helping professionals.
• Modes of non-verbal communication, as well as nuances of paraverbal and verbal communications and their implications.
• Effective conflict management and problem-solving strategies in a variety of interpersonal communication situations.
• The process of assessment and relevant interviewing skills in case management.
• Application of concepts of case management to the unique needs of multicultural clients and special populations.
• The legal and liability issues related to case management and report writing.
• The importance of the wraparound process and how it relates to child and family advocacy.

The College of Social Work is pleased to collaborate with other academic disciplines at the U that are interested in seeking course approval for the BHT sequence. Interdisciplinary coursework options will offer students a deeper understanding of the allied human services professionals with whom they are likely to interact. Academic programs interested in adding their courses can reach out to Prof Stephanie Bank .

Civil | Construction | Nuclear

A Message from Dr. Barber

Join us in welcoming our new department chair – dr. tong qiu.

Dear colleagues and friends of the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of Utah,

I’m pleased to share that after an extensive national search, Dr. Tong Qiu has accepted our offer to lead as our department chair, beginning July 1. Dr. Qiu is currently a professor of Civil Engineering at Penn State University where he has risen through the ranks since 2010. Professor Qiu boasts an impressive array of professional achievements, both in academia and industry. An ASCE Fellow, he possesses the precise blend of skills, personality, and vision needed to elevate our department’s atmosphere and foster excellence in both education and research. We are excited to welcome and support him as he steps into this important leadership role.

Dr. Qiu’s doctoral studies in Civil Engineering were completed at the University of California – Los Angeles. He is a very active researcher who incorporates leading technology which results in real engineering products. His research spans a broad spectrum, from theoretical explorations to hands-on experimentation, encompassing soil dynamics, fluid mechanics in porous materials, and the modeling of geological systems. Dr. Qiu also harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to address various geotechnical engineering challenges. His work receives support from a diverse range of funding sources, including federal agencies like NSF, FHWA, DOS, FRA, and SERDP, state entities such as PennDOT and the State Police, as well as private sector partners like Google, Tensar International Corporation, Alpine Equipment LLC, and Mission Critical Solutions, in addition to backing from DOT University Transportation Centers. The University of Utah is the perfect fit for his continued career growth.

It’s been my honor to serve as Department Chair for the past 11 years. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their support over that time. Just a few of my privileges have included recruiting a number of excellent faculty members and seeing the growth of our department , both in the quality of education we provide our students as well as the caliber and capability of our excellent faculty and staff. I look forward to continuing as a professor in the department striving to contribute to our collective success, including offering support to Dr. Qiu as he steers our department forward.

Please join me in extending a warm welcome to Dr. Qiu and in providing him with our unwavering support as he assumes leadership.

Warm regards,

Dr. Michael Barber

More News From Our Department

PhD Student Proposes Vision for the Future of Engineering in Utah

Mina Golazad, Construction Engineering PhD student, has been awarded second place in the ASCE Utah Younger Member Forum Scholarship program for her vision of engineering in the future state. Mina’s response to the prompt, “Be Future Ready,” garnered recognition from the ASCE Utah Younger Member Forum. This year’s prompt challenged participants to envision the challenges […]

$1M DOE Grant for Advanced Nuclear Energy Research

Dr. Peter Zhu’s team Plays Key Role in Securing $1M DOE Grant for Advanced Nuclear Energy Research We are thrilled to announce that Dr. Peter Zhu, Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and his lab have been collaborating with a team at the University of Illinois on a proposal that has just been awarded […]

Research at the U is Building Better Utah Infrastructure

Dr. Pedro Romero Honored with Friend of Industry Award at the 2024 Utah Asphalt Conference The Utah Asphalt Paving Association—the driving force behind our road infrastructure—recently hosted the 2024 Utah Asphalt Conference from February 27 to 28. Recognized as the premier asphalt-related event in the state, the conference brought together the industry’s best minds, including […]

Dr. Cathy Liu Earns Prestigious Educator Award

CvEEN Professor Earns 2023 Outstanding Educator Award The Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) is a global organization dedicated to improving transportation systems and creating smarter, more livable communities. Within this vast network, the Mountain District ITE represents the U.S.’s mountain states and recognizes outstanding educators in the field. Dr. Cathy Liu has been honored with […]

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Mourning the Loss of Dr. Bill Higuchi, 93

College of pharmacy, student tools, graduate studies, faculty resources, research departments, research centers, dr. william "bill" higuchi, former department chair, has passed on.

The College of Pharmacy mourns the recent passing of Dr. William “Bill” Higuchi on Friday, May 10th.

Higuchi was a renowned researcher and faculty member at the University of Utah for two and a half decades – devoting his life to advancements in pharmaceutics and pharmaceutical chemistry, higher education at large, and lifting those around him in the process.

At the College’s 2023 Convocation ceremony,  Higuchi was recognized for receiving an honorary doctorate from the U. He served as Department Chair of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry (now Molecular Pharmaceutics) from 1982 – 1998.

From being forced into an internment camp during World War II, to receiving high honors in both the United States and Japan, Higuchi’s story is both an inspiration and testament to the power of determination and education:

He will be dearly missed, and we thank him for his years of service and endless love towards those closest to him and the Higuchi family.

Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation: Full Press Release

William Iyeo Higuchi, who was incarcerated as an 11-year-old boy from San Jose at Heart Mountain and who became a pioneer in pharmaceutical sciences, died Friday, May 10, at his home in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was 93.

Born in San Jose, California, on March 16, 1931, Higuchi and his family were forced from their farm in San Jose and sent first to the Santa Anita Assembly Center and then to Heart Mountain, where they arrived on Sept. 13, 1942.

While a student in the camp’s high school, Higuchi first met his future wife, Setsuko Saito Higuchi. They later reconnected while students at the University of California at Berkeley, married and had four children, including Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation Chair Shirley Ann Higuchi. 

Higuchi built a storied career in pharmaceutical sciences and was a professor at the universities of Michigan and Utah, where he mentored hundreds of doctoral students from around the world. This support would lead to him being awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Ray with Neck Ribbon, from the Japanese government in 2012. 

In his later years, Higuchi was an active and generous supporter of the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation. 

“Like many Nisei of the Greatest Generation, my father never let his incarceration experience define him,” said Shirley Ann Higuchi. “When we began our work together to fulfill my mother’s dream of building ‘something’ at the Heart Mountain site, he told me that he’s ‘made it in life’ and now his job is to share his story so it never happens to anyone again.”

“Our hearts are heavy with the passing of William Higuchi, a man whose spirit will forever ripple throughout our work at Heart Mountain,” said Heart Mountain Executive Director Aura Sunada Newlin. “We extend our deepest sympathies to the Higuchi family as they grieve.”

The family requests that gifts be made in his memory to the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation, 1539 Road 19, Powell, WY 82435 or at  heartmountain.org .

The Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation, a Smithsonian Affiliate, preserves the site where some 14,000 Japanese Americans were unjustly incarcerated in Wyoming from 1942 through 1945. Their stories are told within the foundation’s museum, Heart Mountain Interpretive Center, located between Cody and Powell. For more information, call the center at (307) 754-8000 or email  [email protected] .

^ Originally published as " Heart Mountain mourns the passing of Dr. William Higuchi " by the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation .

Graduate Admissions

Applicants we process.

Our office processes applications for domestic applicants who have applied through the Cal State Apply website. Any applicants who have done coursework outside the US will be handled by the  International Admissions Office .

Welcome, Future CSUN Graduate Student,

The Office of Graduate Studies is delighted that you are considering a graduate program at CSUN. The campus is a vibrant, diverse university community of 38,316 students, of whom 3,816 are graduate students. There are over 60 graduate programs, which include three doctoral programs and more than 4,000 faculty and staff. 

Ready to Apply?

There are  two application processes .   Applicants to master’s and doctoral programs must typically apply to  both  the university and the academic department. Many departments have  higher  admissions standards than the university admissions criteria and require a  separate  departmental application. While most graduate programs continue accepting applications after the initial filing period, individual programs may have  earlier  filing deadlines than the university deadlines, or they may accept applications for fall only.

Please be sure to visit the specific academic department to which you are applying. 

Click  HERE   to access the Cal State Apply webpage, be sure to follow all instructions before hitting the submit button.  

If you are having difficulties with Cal State Apply, you can seek help via:

• The  Applicant Help Center , including  Live Chat support
• The application support line is 857-304-2087 or  [email protected]
• The  frequently asked questions page

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CSUN offers over 130 online and on-campus graduate, doctoral, and certificate programs.

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An Inside Look at Commencement 2024

• Widener Newsroom

There’s nothing like commencement on campus. 

The white tent was once again up on Widener’s historic Memorial Field to serve as the perfect backdrop for graduates and their families as they celebrated the culmination of dedication in pursuit of academic achievement. 

President Stacey Robertson spoke at each ceremony, along with the respective leaders of the schools, colleges or program being celebrated, and reflected on what it means to flourish in life. 

Robertson advised graduates to build meaningful relationships, stay curious, pursue challenges and opportunities that scare them. 

“Little wins will drive your motivation and your confidence. Most important, don’t create boundaries for yourself. Do scary stuff! And don’t forget those meaningful relationships,” Robertson said. “Those relationships create a sense of belonging – and that feeling of belonging will make you brave.”

Widener conferred degrees in five ceremonies over the course of the week. Take a closer look at the 2024 celebrations.

View the photo album

2024 By the Numbers:

1,186 graduates 🎓.

634 undergraduates, 552 graduates

A Full House 🪑

2,850 chairs in the ceremony tent

Global Representation 🌎

Graduates hailed from 14 countries, including Ghana, India, Greece, South Africa, and Turks & Caicos, and 37 states, including Arizona, Hawaii, Oregon, and Utah. 

Pride on Display 🎉

4,000(ish) blue and gold pom-poms distributed

The Festivities Continue

Crossing the Stage in Style:

        View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by Widener University (@wideneruniversity)

Grad Fit Check: