Future Students

Quick Guide:

Application Procedures

All individuals who utilize the Self-Service Banner web application must complete the following on or before the published application deadline:

  • At the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, there is a $75 [non-refundable] application fee for all application types [e.g., Undergraduate, Graduate, etc.] that must be submitted with a completed online application. One exception to this policy exists for applicants applying to the College of Graduate Health Sciences [GHS]. Applicants applying to GHS are not required to pay the $75 [non-refundable] application fee. GHS applicants will select the GHS waiver on the online application.

    Payment Methods
    Payment can be made by Discover, MasterCard, VISA, ACH or Debit card. Terms & Conditions and Privacy Statement Link to Acrobat file

  • Online Application (including applicant Essay).

    An applicant can have ONLY one active application in process per admission cycle. For example, an applicant cannot concurrently apply to both the College of Pharmacy and the College of Dentistry.

  • Three (3) Recommendation Forms and/or Pre-professional Evaluations [Check your program requirements]
  • Official Transcripts from all colleges attended.

    International applicants must have transcripts evaluated by one of two professional transcript evaluation services Educational Credit Evaluators [ECE] or World Education Services [WES]. Only evaluations from these two organizations are considered valid. See International Applicants.

  • Official Test Scores (e.g., GRE, TOEFL) – Some colleges/programs require official test scores.
  • The applicant should check the requirements for the program to which he or she is applying.
  • UTHSC identification codes: (1) GRE, 1850; (2) TOEFL, 1850.
  • Continuation Requirements: Some colleges and programs have additional requirements for continuing in a program.
  • Current certification (e.g., BCLS, ACLS, PALS)
  • Current licensure (e.g., nursing, dental hygiene, physical therapy)

All individuals who utilize one of the CAS application systems to apply are expected to complete a SSB web supplemental application [e. g., Data Form]. The timing of this action is college and program dependent. For example, applicants to the UTHSC College of Medicine are asked to complete the data form prior to the campus interview, while applicants to the College of Pharmacy's Doctor of Pharmacy program are asked to complete the data form as part of the post-acceptance, pre-admission process. In all cases, submission of a SSB web application or submission of a SSB web data form is an expected part of a UTHSC complete application.

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Complete Application

A complete application includes both an online and paper-based component. The online component must be submitted on or before the application deadline for the program of interest, either via one of the CAS systems or through the SSB web application. The paper-based component includes all supporting application materials collected on or before the application deadline for the particular degree program of the applicant's choice. Supporting documentation is program specific and includes the following:

  • Non-refundable, $75 Application Fee is required for all SSB web applications and SSB web data form
  • All official, post-secondary-school transcripts, including official transcript documentation of all prerequisite courses
  • Three (3) Recommendation Forms
  • Relevant, official test scores (e.g., GRE, TOEFL, DAT, MCAT, PCAT)
  • All program-required certifications (e.g., RN License, DH license, etc.)

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General Requirements

Each college is responsible for developing program-specific, admission requirements, including prerequisite course and other requirements. It is the responsibility of the Office of Admissions to administer the admission requirements developed by individual UTHSC colleges and programs. General admission requirements for all UTHSC colleges include:

  • Previously earned grades of "D" or below in prerequisite courses are not accepted as fulfilling admission standards.
  • One or two-semester hour courses in physical education, seminar, music, military science, remedial and developmental, research, and non-theory courses are not counted toward total credit hours earned and are not used in computing the overall, UTHSC Common Grade Point Average (CGPA).
  • All required prerequisite courses in science must include a lab concurrent with that science course to fulfill the course requirement.
  • Correspondence coursework must be approved by appropriate college administrators and the UTHSC Director of Admissions to before inclusion.
  • Advanced Placement credit, CLEP, or other non-traditional credit in required science prerequisite courses awarded by the applicant's regionally-accredited college may be honored for fulfilling prerequisite course requirements provided that the applicant has successfully completed an equal number of semester hours in the same discipline in a traditional classroom setting.

Note: Some UTHSC colleges and programs do not accept CLEP credit in required science prerequisite coursework. Coursework credit awarded via General CLEP tests is not accepted by the UTHSC. One credit unit in high school or six semester hours of college-level credit in American history must be completed prior to the beginning of the second term of a student's baccalaureate program at UTHSC.

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Grade Point Average Calculation

Grades earned in all relevant collegiate coursework, including grades earned in repeated coursework, are included in the overall Common Grade Point Average (CGPA) calculation.

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Centralized Application Services

All individuals who wish to be considered for professional careers in Physical Therapy, Audiology, Speech-Language Pathology, Medicine, and Pharmacy at the UTHSC must complete an application provided by Centralized Application Services.

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Dual Degree Programs

Dual degree programs represent the only exception to the one-active-application policy. Four UTHSC colleges host dual-degree programs.

  • Dentistry (DDS/PhD)
  • Medicine (MD/PhD)
  • Nursing (DNP/PhD)
  • Pharmacy (PharmD/PhD)

To be considered for a dual degree, an applicant must first be accepted into a professional doctorate program, including DDS, MD, DNP, or PharmD. Once accepted, the applicant should contact the program director of the program to which he or she has been accepted. After discussing the possibilities with the college's program director, the applicant may complete a separate application for entry into the dual degree program.

Note: Applicants must meet the admission requirements for both colleges and be accepted by both colleges and begin studies as a dual degree student.

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Advanced Standing

Students with advanced standing at another accredited program seeking admission to the UTHSC are expected to follow the same application and admission guidelines listed above. Additionally, such applicants must present a statement of good standing and recommendation from the Dean or other appropriate administrative officer from the institution previously attended. Students are encouraged to speak to an administrator in the Office of Student and Academic Affairs within the college he or she is considering applying to prior to submitting an application.

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Non-Degree Student

Some opportunities for qualified individuals to take courses as non-degree students are available through the College of Graduate Health Sciences and the College of Nursing. These opportunities are for individuals who are not currently seeking admission to a degree program. Please contact the colleges directly regarding the possibility of taking courses for credit as a non-degree student.

Graduate Health Sciences – Becky Brown, (901) 448-4465

Nursing – Marsha Chorice, (901) 448-6917

To complete a non-degree application, please visit the registrar.

Note: The application must be completed and submitted six weeks prior to enrollment.

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Residency

As a part of our mission, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center gives preference to applicants who reside in Tennessee. UTHSC academic programs reserve a small number of seats to highly competitive applicants who reside outside Tennessee. Applicants who wish to discuss their residency status may contact the UTHSC Office of Academic Records & Registrar. Policies regarding residency classification can be found online.

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Enrollment Deposit Policy

At the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, there is a $200 [non-refundable] enrollment deposit for all accepted students. Six exceptions exist for accepted Dentistry, Nurse Anesthesia, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, Graduate Health Sciences, and Medicine students. The Dentistry students' must pay an enrollment deposit of $1,000 [non-refundable] and Nurse Anesthesia students must pay an enrollment deposit of $1,500 (non-refundable). The Pharmacy and Physical Therapy students' must pay an enrollment deposit of $500 [non-refundable]. The Graduate Health Sciences and Medicine students do not have to pay an enrollment deposit.

Re-Applying

The UTHSC receives many more applications from highly qualified applicants than we are able to admit each year. If you wish to apply to any UTHSC for the next academic year, you must submit a new application and new supporting documents.

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Deferring Program

If you are accepted for admission, you may be able to defer program enrollment for one (1) year, with a guaranteed position in the program for the next academic year, assuming that you are able to provide an acceptable reason to the College for the deferment. Potentially acceptable reasons for deferment might include inability to pay, medical, military, personal or family obligations. To be considered for a deferment, you must submit in writing a formal statement to the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs on or before July 1 or before program orientation date, whichever is earlier.

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Concurrent Application to Multiple Programs Not Allowed

An individual may have only one* (1) active application in process per admission cycle. That is, applicants may apply to only one (1) UTHSC college or program until a final administrative decision (e.g., accept, deny, final alternate, or withdraw) has been made regarding that application.

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