Graduate Catalog Online Admission to Graduate and Professional Studies and Eligibility for Competitive Fellowships

General Academic Regulations & Requirements
Classification

Graduate Student Assistantships

Classification

Graduate Classification
The University classifies a student as a graduate student when an admission application and the required credentials have been submitted, the student has been approved for admission, and has registered for classes as a graduate student at the University of Houston. All graduate students must go through the formal application process in order to obtain the graduate student classification.

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

Students who received their prior degree at another institution should apply to the Office of Admissions to be admitted as a post-baccalaureate student. Students who received their prior degree at the University of Houston and wish to change their classification to “post-baccalaureate” should submit a general petition to the department of their major or, if undeclared, the Academic Advising Center.

An applicant who is not accepted for graduate study or who is unable to complete the admission application prior to registration may place a request with the Office of Admissions to be admitted as a post-baccalaureate student. This may enable the applicant to enroll in classes prior to (or instead of) being admitted to a graduate studies program. (See section on Applicable Graduate Credit).

Students may petition to have graduate credit granted for course work completed as post-baccalaureate students under the following conditions:

  • The course must be at the 6000 level or higher.
  • If the course is below the 6000 level, the student must have conformed to the same standards required of graduate students similarly enrolled.

Students may apply advanced courses taken while they are classified as post-baccalaureate toward a graduate degree, but there are limitations that particularly affect those whose goal it is to earn a graduate degree at the University of Houston. Because of these restrictions, prospective post-baccalaureate students should consult the department of their major before enrolling in advanced courses. These restrictions include the following:

  • Enrollment in graduate-level courses in some colleges is prohibited.
  • Application of course work completed, as a post-baccalaureate student toward a graduate degree, is subject to approval by the individual college or department after the student enrolls at the graduate level. A maximum of 12 semester hours may be applied to a graduate degree in this manner.

Additional restrictions may be imposed by the colleges and departments.

Students who would like more information on post-baccalaureate status should consult the "Undergraduate Studies Catalog," the undergraduate application brochure, and the Texas Common Application Web site located at https://www.applytexas.org/adappc/commonapp.wb.