Next Steps

Graduate Applicant Next Steps

Student studying in a booth on campus.

Thank you for applying to the University of South Florida as a graduate student! While you wait for your admission decision, review the steps below to make sure your application is complete and up-to-date.

✅ Complete Your Application

After you apply to USF, you'll need to submit a few supplemental materials for your application to be considered complete:

  • Application Fee: All USF applicants are required to pay a nonrefundable, $30 application fee or request a fee waiver in cases of financial hardship.
  • Program-Specific Materials: Each USF graduate program requires their own supplemental materials. Check your program's website to confirm, but these materials may include:
    • Statement of Purpose or Personal Statement
    • Resumé or Curriculum Vitae (CV)
    • Unofficial College Transcripts
    • Letter(s) of Recommendation
    • Test Scores (e.g., GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, etc.)
    • Portfolio or Writing Sample

For updates on the status of your graduate application, reach out to your Graduate Program Coordinator or graduate@usf.edu.

✅ Submit Forms

Sometimes we need a little more information to make a decision about your application. If you’ve been asked to complete an additional form, please download it, fill out all requested information and submit it to the Office of Admissions along with any requested documentation.

Include your full name, date of birth and university ID number (once assigned) on every form you submit. Unless otherwise specified, you may either fax completed forms to 813-974-9689 or mail them to:

University of South Florida
Office of Admissions
4202 E. Fowler Avenue, SVC 1036
Tampa, FL 33620       

Here are some common documents you may need to complete for admission:

Appeals & Requests

Appeal for Reconsideration

Denied applicants who meet the minimum standards may make a request for reconsideration in writing. Send this request to the graduate director of the major to which you applied. Email your Appeal for Reconsideration directly to the graduate program and present additional evidence of your potential academic success at USF. This must be done within 30 days of the date of denial.

 

Applicants denied admission to a major are eligible to apply as a non-degree seeking student. Course selection restrictions may apply. Applicants must submit a non-degree seeking student application and fee to the Office of the Registrar online.

Contact My Program 

Deferment of Admission Request

Although you have already been admitted, deferring your admission to another term will not guarantee future admission. You must obtain permission from the program to defer. Email your request directly to the graduate program to which you applied. The request must be processed within 12 months of your initial admission date and before the program’s application deadline for the upcoming term.

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Update of Admission Request

If an admission decision has not been offered and an applicant wants to be considered for a future semester, that applicant must send a request to the Office of Admissions asking them to update the application. The applicant must also specify their desired term of enrollment. Applications are held for only 12 months. Email your update request to the graduate program within 12 months of the term you initially requested. If you miss this deadline, you must submit a new application and fee. The Office of Admissions will not process any update requests without first receiving all official transcripts and required test scores.

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