The University of Central Oklahoma admission policy is conducted on a rolling basis with an average acceptance rate of 78% in the fall of 2023 academic session. Presently, the University of Central Oklahoma is home to about 1500 international students from 82 countries offering different programs across the 125 undergraduate majors and 76 graduate programs in the school. International students should note that:

  • With proof of 12 weeks of intensive English study at an approved English as a Second Language (ESL) program center in the United States, applicants with low English language test score can be admitted.
  • The school offers merit-based scholarships to international students.

Highlights

Application Portal Official University of Central Oklahoma Admission portal
Application Fee 100 USD for Undergraduates and 60 USD for graduates
Acceptance Rate 78%
Combined SAT score (Reading, Writing and Maths Section) 1030
Composite ACT score 20
English Test Score Undergraduate: IELTS (5.5), TOEFL iBT(61)
Graduate: IELTS (6.5), TOEFL iBT(79)
Mode of Payment Online
Academic Calendar Term-based
Intake Seasons Fall, summer, and Spring
Work Experience Optional for some programs
Financial Aid Scholarships, graduate assistantships, and other financial aid

Admission Deadlines

Undergraduate Application: The University of Central Oklahoma admission application is for both admission & scholarship consideration. For applicants to be considered for scholarship consideration, he/she must apply and ensure admission materials are received earlier than the scholarship deadlines (April 1st for Fall and Summer Terms and November 1st for Spring Term). For the undergraduate admission application, there is no deadline for admission consideration.

Graduate Application:

  • Spring Semester: November 15th
  • Fall Semester: July 15th

Other Deadlines by the Department

College Department Deadlines
College of Business Business Administration Spring: November 15th
Fall: July 15th
College of Fine Arts and Design Design Spring: October 1st for Spring
Fall: April 1st
College of Education Athletic Training Summer: March 1st
Family & Child Studies: MFT Fall Only: January 15th
Psychology Fall Only: January 15th
Speech-Language Pathology Summer Only: January 31st
Forensic Science Institute Forensic Science(General; Biology/Chemistry) Fall Only: April 15th

*All Required admission Documents must be submitted before the deadline, or the application will automatically be deferred to the next semester

International Admissions

International students willing to study in the US are accepted into the University of Central Oklahoma if only they can meet the requirements for admission.

Admission Portal: Official University of Central Oklahoma Admission portal

Application Fees: 100 USD for Undergraduates and 60 USD for graduates

Admission Requirements/Supporting Documents: The required documents for admission eligibility are as follow:

  • Official transcripts evaluated by an authorized agency
  • ACT or SAT (undergraduate)
  • GRE/GMAT (graduate)
  • Proof of English Proficiency
  • Financial Support Documents
  • Government Issued official ID or passport
  • Personal Essay and Letters of Recommendation

Visa Process for International Students

The International students planning to study at the university must apply for a student visa to study in the USA once the application letter has been issued to them. The documents required to enter the United States in F-1 (student status) are:

  • Current I-20 signed within the last 5 months
  • Valid Passport
  • Valid Visa
  • Official Transcript
  • Class Schedule
  • Proof of SEVIS Fee Payment
  • Proof of Tuition Fee Payment (Statement from the Bursar Office)

Submission of Required documents-

Students are strongly advised to upload the scanned PDF or JPEG documents on the online application. However, if applicants experience issues using this medium, documents can be submitted via email at international@uco.edu for undergraduate and igrad@uco.edu for graduates admission. Applicants should note that submission by mail delays his/her admission process.

Note:

  • During application, applicants do not need to complete the entire application in one session. Application progress can be saved and continue in a later time
  • The financial documentation must be a bank statement, certificate of deposit or statement of accounts signed and stamped by the financial institution not older than 90 days from the day of collection with liquid balance equaling at least the amount of the first-year expenses.
  • For applicants with a sponsor, the sponsor (if outside the U.S.) is required to submit a Certificate of Financial Resources
  • If an applicant is sponsored or supported by a government, business, or corporate sponsorship, a letter of support listing the duration of promised support and monetary amount of support being offered is required of the applicants.

English Proficiency Test Score for International Students

  • International students whose first language is not English must submit test scores (TOEFL/IELTS) to demonstrate English language proficiency.
  • The English test scores accepted by the University are:
English Test Undergraduate Graduate
TOEFL PBT 500 550
TOEFL iBT 61 79
IELTS 5.5 6.5
Duolingo English Test - 105

Note:

  • If an undergraduate applicant’s English language proficiency test score is low (minimum of 48 in TOEFL iBT, 460 in TOEFL PBT or 5.0 overall band in IELTS), he can still be admitted if he/she has a proof of 12 weeks of intensive English study at an approved English as a Second Language (ESL) program in the United States
  • For a graduate applicant with low English language test score (minimum of 61 in TOEFL iBT, 500 in TOEFL PBT or 6.0 overall band in IELTS), proof of 12 weeks of intensive English study at an approved English as a Second Language (ESL) program in the United States will be accepted.
  • Duolingo English Test for graduate admission is only for Fall term

Undergraduate Admission Requirements

Freshmen are students from any age range that have never attended another college or university. Students who earned college credit as a concurrently-enrolled high school student cannot categorize such as prior college experience

Application Portal: Official University of Central Oklahoma Admission portal

Application Fee: 100 USD

Admission Requirements:

To be eligible for freshman admission, applicants must meet one of the following criteria

  • 20 Composite ACT score or 1030 combined SAT score on the reading, writing and mathematics section
  • 2.7 Overall non-weighted GPA or it is equivalent depending on the applicant's country education system
  • Ranked among the upper 50% of his/her graduating class in high school
  • 2.7 overall GPA in the 15 unit high school core curriculum

Freshman applicants are required to submit the following:

  • University of Central Oklahoma admission application
  • Official High school Academic records and transcripts (plus the official English translated copies).
  • Proof of English Language proficiency
  • Financial Support Document
  • ACT/SAT scores (optional)
  • Certificate of Financial Resources
  • Government-issued official ID or passport

There are two methods of freshmen admission:

Admission Based on Grades From High School: suitable for students who are graduate of high school with a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.70 or its equivalent. In this method, the Computerized Placement Test (CPT) is required before enrollment into classes.

Admission Based on SAT or ACT Results: suitable for students who are interested in admission before completing high school or do not meet the admissions requirements in the first method

The University of Central Oklahoma Transfer Student Requirements

The University of Central Oklahoma admission guideline defines transfer Student as an undergraduate student who has attended an accredited college or university other than the University of Oklahoma and has attempted more than 6 credit hours. An applicant is qualified to apply for transfer admission in University of Central Oklahoma if he/she has earned 2.5 GPA (or its’ equivalent depending on the applicant’s country) regardless of the number of credit hours earned from an accredited college or University 

Application Portal: Official University of Central Oklahoma Admission portal

Application Fee: 100 USD

Admission Requirements:

  • University of Central Oklahoma Admission Application
  • Official transcripts from all institutions attended
  • Certificate of Financial Resources
  • Bank Statement
  • Government-issued official ID or passport
  • English language Proficiency result
  • Program-specific requirements

The University of Oklahoma admission as a transfer student is based on applicants’ cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) system equivalent to the US system. SAT or ACT score is not required for admission as a transfer student.

There are two different types of admissions from international universities:

Admission from Official Partner University or College: A minimum cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.00 or its equivalent. Applicants in this category may be required to take the Computerized Placement Test (CPT) before enrollment

Admission from an Accredited College or University: Requires a minimum cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.50 or its equivalent.

Graduate Admission Requirements

To be eligible for admission into a graduate program of the University of Central Oklahoma, applicants must have completed a bachelor’s degree or first professional degree or currently enrolled in the final year of Undergraduate program in any field from a regionally accredited institution with a Cumulative Grade Point Average of at least 2.5 – 3.0 or 50% -75% or its’ equivalent depending on the educational system of the applicant’s country.

Since most Graduate program admissions are based on overall undergraduate degree Grade Point Average (GPA), certain programs have additional requirements such as GMAT, GRE, Resume, Letters of Recommendation, etc.

Application Portal: Official University of Central Oklahoma Graduate Application portal or program-specific admission portal

Application Fee:  60 USD

Admission Requirements:

  • University of Central Oklahoma online application
  • Proof of Graduation
  • A current résumé or curriculum vitae
  • Two or three Letters of Recommendation
  • Official Academic records and transcripts (plus the official certified English translated copies)
  • Official English Proficiency test score
  • Financial Support Documentation
  • A clear scanned copy of the biographical page of applicant’s passport
  • Program-specific requirements like Design Portfolio, Audition Video, etc

Program-specific requirements are presented on the table below

Programs Program-specific Requirements
MBA A 500-word personal statement
A minimum of 2.75-grade point average (GPA) of 2.75 or its equivalent
Nursing TOEFL(IBT): 83; IELTS:7.0
A minimum 3.00 GPA overall or in the last 60 hours attempted
Preference will be accorded to applicants with a current unrestricted license to practice as a Registered nurse in the state of Oklahoma
Computer Science A minimum 3.00 GPA overall or in the last 60 hours attempted
For applicants with a GPA of 2.25 and above, five years of work experience is required

Conclusion

Admission into the University of Central Oklahoma is minimally difficult if applicants possess all the necessary documents. However, the university holds a stringent policy on application fees for graduate programs; as such it cannot be waived for any reason whatsoever. For admission into an undergraduate program, since it is on a rolling basis, applicants are advised to resume submission of application as soon as possible as admission will be deferred if the process is not concluded before the resumption of classes.