Admission Requirements

Admission to Utica College

Applying to graduate programs at Utica College is a comprehensive process that warrants thorough consideration and preparation. Each program’s faculty evaluates admissibility based on a broad package of application materials that includes not only test scores and grades, but also research interests, past employment, portfolios, recommendations, and a statement of goals. When preparing an application package, it is critical to carefully consider each component of the process in an effort to present the strongest application possible. Space in many of our programs is limited and, as a result, admission is highly competitive.

Utica College seeks to admit graduate students who show evidence of being able to succeed in and benefit from rigorous academic programs. To qualify for admission to a graduate degree, an applicant must have a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited four-year institution.

Admissions decisions are based on consideration of undergraduate academic record, admission test scores (if applicable), written personal statements, and letters of recommendation.

Each graduate department decides on the admissibility of its students. Each department may also consider admission by exception for a limited number of students who do not qualify for regular admission but have other strengths. Students who are accepted will be notified by postal mail and email. 

Students who are uncertain about the strength of their application are advised to contact the Graduate Admissions office for advisement at (315) 792-3010.

Application information is available by contacting the Office of Graduate Admissions at (315) 792-3010 or by e-mailing John Rowe, executive director of graduate admissions, at jrowe@utica.edu, or Lynn Cope, assistant director of graduate admissions, at lcope@utica.edu. You can also submit your application for all graduate programs online by going to www.utica.edu/gradapp. DPT applicants need to apply through PTCAS at www.ptcas.org. MS in Occupational Therapy applicants need to apply through OTCAS at http://portal.otcas.org.

All applicants to graduate programs at Utica College must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution and must complete the appropriate application forms. Students whose native language is not English are required to submit proof of their proficiency in English. TOEFL (550/79), IELTS (6.5) All students whose native or first language is not English will be required to take an English proficiency examination regardless of their TOEFL or IELTS score. In addition, the individual programs have program-specific requirements (see below).

International Graduate Students

International students enhance the cultural richness and diversity of a campus community. Students whose native language is not English are required to submit proof of their proficiency in English. TOEFL (550/79), IELTS (6.5) International students may also be required to take additional English courses to prepare them for future writing-intensive courses and assignments at Utica College.

Graduate applications can be found through the Utica College website at www.utica.edu/gradapp.The International Student Certification of Finances Form, along with third-party verification, must accompany the application. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement requires this information. While an admission decision can be made without this financial documentation, the I-20 form cannot be issued until this document and third-party verification of funding are received.

International transfer students are welcome at Utica College and will receive credit for their past academic work from accredited colleges and universities. Transcripts submitted for consideration of transfer credits must have an official translation into English. We recommend that you submit your transcripts to a recognized professional credential evaluation service.

Prospective international students will also need to submit a proof of funds with an international student financial statement and third-party verification. For more information about graduate study for international students, please contact the Graduate Admissions Office at (315) 792-3010 or e­mail gradadmissions@utica.edu.

Transcript Evaluation Service

Utica College recognizes that many students with undergraduate degrees may want to look into graduate programs at Utica College that will prepare them for professional licensure in elementary and secondary education, occupational therapy, physical therapy, or professional accountancy. However, their undergraduate degree may not be in an area or subject that allows them to easily transition into one of these graduate programs and may require other coursework to be taken before applying.

The graduate admissions office works in conjunction with the faculty members of the accounting, education, occupational therapy and physical therapy departments to provide transcript evaluation of a prospective graduate student’s undergraduate transcripts in order to determine what other coursework is necessary to apply for the graduate programs that lead to professional licensure.

Prospective graduate students who want their transcripts evaluated for programs in these departments should contact the graduate admissions office at (315) 792-3010 or email gradadmissions@utica.edu.

A copy of an official transcript for initial review and advisement can be emailed to gradadmissions@utica.edu, faxed to (315) 223-2530 or mailed to:

Office of Graduate Admissions
Transcript Review Service
Utica College
1600 Burrstone Road
Utica, NY 13502

Graduate and Professional Examinations

• The Miller Analogies Test, which is an hour long, can be taken anytime during normal business hours (10 am to 3 pm, Monday through Friday with the exception of holidays). The fee is $100 (subject to change at any time). Please contact John Rowe, graduate admissions director at (315)792-3010 or e-mail him at jrowe@utica.edu to arrange a time to take the test. Review materials for the Miller Analogies Test are available at no cost online at: www.pearsonassessments.com.  PLEASE NOTE:  The MAT examination is the only graduate test accepted by the Utica College Department of Teacher Preparation for admissions to the teacher certification programs.
• New York State Teacher Certification Examinations: Candidates for teacher certification must also pass the Content Specialty Test (CST) for their certification area and the Educating All Students Test (EAS) along with the edTPA exam.  For more information, please go to: www.nystce.nesinc.com

Business Administration

Applicants to the MBA in Economic Crime and Fraud Management  program:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
• Undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0.
• 3 letters of recommendation
• A personal statement

Those applicants with a BS degree in other than business may be required to complete up to 12 hours of prerequisite classes in addition to the 30-hour program. Applicants with BA degrees must present evidence through previous study of math skills equivalent to those contained in a BS degree, as well as completing up to 12 hours of prerequisites.

Applicants to the MBA in Professional Accountancy  program:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from an accredited institution.
• Undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0.
• 3 letters of recommendation
• A personal statement

Applicants with limited accounting experience should have an undergraduate record that indicates a high potential to be successful on professional exams, such as the CPA, CMA, or CFE. Applicants with limited undergraduate coursework in accounting may need to satisfy accounting prerequisites.

Applicants to the Management (M.B.A.)   program:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
• Undergraduate GPA of at least 2.7.
• 3 letters of recommendation.
• A personal statement.

Those applicants with a BS degree in other than business may be required to complete up to 12 hours of prerequisite classes in addition to the 30-hour program. Applicants with BA degrees must present evidence through previous study of math skills equivalent to those contained in a BS degree, as well as completing up to 12 hours of prerequisites.

Computer Forensics 

1. An overall GPA of 3.0 or above
2. A letter of recommendation.
3. Official transcripts from schools you have attended, including a final transcript from your undergraduate school showing that you received a bachelor’s degree.

Cybersecurity

Applicants to the Cybersecurity  program must have: 

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
• Undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0.
• A personal statement
• 3 letters of recommendation.

Those applicants with a BS degree in a discipline other than Cybersecurity, Intelligence, or Computer Forensics may be required to complete up to 12 hours of prerequisite online classes at Utica College or accredited institution in addition to the 30-hour program. Applicants with BA degrees must present evidence through previous study of math and computer skills equivalent to those contained in a Utica College BS degree, as well as potentially completing up to 12 hours of prerequisites. Candidates who do not possess the above necessary background knowledge will still be considered for conditional admission to the program if they possess unique or more extensive experience or certifications recognized in the field.

Cyber Operations

Applicants to the Cyber Operations Advanced Certificate    (C.A.S) must have

1. An overall GPA of 2.7 or above
2. A letter of recommendation.
3. Official transcripts from schools you have attended, including a final transcript from your undergraduate school showing that you received a bachelor’s degree.

Cyber Policy

Applicants to the Cyber Policy Advanced Certificate  (C.A.S) must have

1. An overall GPA of 2.7 or above
2. A letter of recommendation.
3. Official transcripts from schools you have attended, including a final transcript from your undergraduate school showing that you received a bachelor’s degree.

Cyber Policy and Risk Analysis

Applicants to the Cyber Policy and Risk Analysis (M.P.S.)   must have: 

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
• Undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0.
• A personal statement
• 3 letters of recommendation.

Students with degrees in fields other than Cyber may be required to complete some prerequisite courses in addition to the 30 credit hour requirement for the program.

Data Science

Applicants to the Data Science (M.S.)  Program  must have: 

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
• Undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0.
• A personal statement
• 2 letters of recommendation.

Education

Applicants to the Childhood and Special Education  Program:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
• Undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0.
• 2 letters of recommendation.
• A major or major equivalent in an appropriate liberal arts area.
• Miller Analogies Test (MAT)
• Personal Statement

Additional requirements, which may be satisfied at the graduate or undergraduate level:

6 credits in each of the following areas: English, science, math, history; and

• One year of college-level study in a language other than English;
• One course in the fine arts.

Applicants to Adolescence Education , Adolescence and Students with Disabilities Grades 7-12 Generalist , and Apprenticeship (Transitional B) program:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
• Undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0.
• 2 letters of recommendation.
• A major or major equivalent in the subject area in which they wish to teach.
• Miller Analogies Test (MAT)
• Personal Statement

Additional requirements, which may be satisfied at the graduate or undergraduate level:

• One year of college-level study in a language other than English.

Applicants to the Special Education Teacher Certification  Program:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
• Must hold initial certification in Childhood Grades 1-6
• Undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0.
• 2 letters of recommendation.
• Miller Analogies Test (MAT).
• Personal Statement

Applicants to the Leadership and Instruction for Inclusive Classrooms  Programs:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
• Undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0.
• 2 letters of recommendation.
• Miller Analogies Test (MAT).
• Personal Statement

Internal transfers within the Education  Department:

Students who are enrolled in the education department and who wish to leave one education program and matriculate into another must complete the appropriate application forms and must meet all admissions requirements for the new program. Candidates will be reviewed on the same basis as any new applicant to the College. When a candidate is admitted into a new program within the education department, Utica College courses that were completed as part of the old program will automatically transfer to the new program. When calculating cumulative GPA all courses taken at Utica College will apply.

Financial Crime and Compliance Management

Applicants to the Financial Crime and Compliance Management   program must have: 

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
• Undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0.
• 3 years of fraud-related experience from areas in both the private and public sectors such as fraud investigation & detection, law enforcement, loss prevention, auditing, compliance.
• A letter of support from applicant’s employer.
• 3 letters of recommendation.
• A personal statement.

A GMAT score may be required at the discretion of the FCM Program Director for those candidates with less than a 3.0 undergraduate GPA.

Financial Crime and Compliance Operations

Applicants to the Financial Crime and Compliance Operations (C.A.S)  program must have:

1. An overall GPA of 2.7 or above
2. A letter of recommendation from your current employer
3. Official transcripts from schools you have attended, including a final transcript from your undergraduate school showing that you received a bachelor’s degree.

Health Care Administration

Applicants to the Health Care Administration  program must have:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
• Undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0.
• 3 letters of recommendation.
• Personal statement.
• 3 years of experience in a healthcare and/or management position.

Liberal Studies*

*Utica College is not currently accepting students for this program 

Monitoring, Surveillance, and Intelligence Operations

Applicants to the Monitoring, Surveillance and Intelligence Operations Advanced Certificate  (C.A.S) must have

1. An overall GPA of 2.7 or above
2. A letter of recommendation.
3. Official transcripts from schools you have attended, including a final transcript from your undergraduate school showing that you received a bachelor’s degree.

Occupational Therapy

Utica College participates in the OTCAS centralized application service. All graduate OT applicants must apply through OTCAS. Please go to https://portal.otcas.org. Before applying, applicants should go to www.utica.edu/ot  and read the OT Information Guide thoroughly.

Applicants to the Occupational Therapy  program must have:

• Bachelor’s degree with a “B” average (GPA of 3.2 or higher on a 4.0 scale) from an accredited institution.
• Successful completion of designated prerequisite courses with a minimum grade of C.
  These courses include:
  • Anatomy and Physiology I & II
  • General Psychology
  • Statistics
  • Research Methods
  • Introduction to Sociology or Anthropolgy
  • Human Development or Lifespan Development (must cover birth through old age)
  • Upper-level (applied) anatomy courses such as Gross Anatomy or Neuroanatomy
  • Abnormal psychology
  • Biomechanics Kinesiology 
  • Medical conditions and implications or pathophysiology
• 2 personal recommendations (one from a currently practicing occupational therapist and one from an academic professor).
• Knowledge of the profession through work or volunteer experience. Applicants should complete 25 hours of volunteer/observation experience with an occupational therapy practitioner in at least two different practice settings and write a reflective summary of those experiences.
• A physical health examination, completion of designated health requirements, and accident and health insurance.
• CPR certification for adult/child/infant.
• The following prerequisite courses need to have been taken within seven years of the date of application: Applied Anatomy, Abnormal Psychology, Research Methods, Medical Conditions and implications or pathophysiology.

For more information, contact the Office of Graduate Admissions at (315) 792-3010 Email gradadmissions@utica.edu.

Note for Canadian Applicants: If you choose to do clinicals in Canada, there is an additional fee charged by National Field Placement Services for students who attend programs in the US. You will be responsible for paying this fee as it is not part of your tuition.

For more information:

National Field Placement Services
Kayla Fraser, Coordinator, Fieldwork Placement Coordinator
Ph: 1-866-294-5160 
Fax: (613) 4326840
email: kaylafraser@megram.com

Questions about field placements should be directed to the Office of Graduate Admissions at (315) 792-3010 or by email to gradadmissions@utica.edu.

Information for Canadian Students who wish to attend Utica College’s M.S. OT program and then return to Canada to practice can be found by going to the CAOT website (www.caot.ca) or calling 1-800-434-2268.

Entry Level Physical Therapy (DPT)

Utica College participates in the centralized Application process for PT (PTCAS). To apply, please go to their website at www.ptcas.org. Before applying, applicants should go to www.utica.edu/pt and read the DPT Information Guide thoroughly.

Applicants to the graduate physical therapy program (DPT)  must have:

• Bachelor’s degree with an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher from an accredited institution.
• 2 personal recommendations (one from a currently practicing physical therapist and one from an academic professor).
• For non-native speakers of English, a minimum TOEFL score of 550 on the paper-based examination, and a minimum TOEFL score of 213 on the computer-based examination, 79 on the internet-based examination (minimum of 25 on the speaking portion required).
• Knowledge of the profession through work or volunteer experience. A broad overview of the profession is preferable to experience in a limited area. More than one experience is required (total 40 hours). Complete a Clinical Observation Sheet for each experience. Complete at least 10 hours in an inpatient setting with the remainder of the 40 hours in another setting such as an outpatient setting, a school, etc.
• An academic history that includes the courses listed below. All courses should have been taken through the appropriate departments, e.g. Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Psychology. All prerequisite courses must have been completed prior to the start of the Physical Therapy Program. All science courses must have been taken within 10 years prior to applying.

Students must earn grades of “B-” or better in the following science courses:

1. Biological Sciences: two courses (anatomy/physiology course with laboratory meet this requirement).
2. Upper-Level Science: one upper-level course (300-400) of at least 3 credits with a biology focus. This course can be taken through another department such as Exercise Science or Kinesiology but preferably should be taken through the biology department. Examples of courses that would fulfill the requirement are: Neuroscience, Principles of Motor Control, and Biology of Aging.
3. Physical Sciences: four courses, two courses in general chemistry with laboratory (equivalent to 8 semesters hours) and two courses in physics with laboratory (equivalent to 8 semester hours).

Note: Prerequisite science courses can only be repeated once in order to get a grade of B- or better.

Students must earn grades of “C” or better in the following:

1. Psychology: three courses, one being general or introductory psychology.
2. Statistics: one course. (Content should include descriptive statistics, differences between two means, correlation, and beginning concepts of analysis of variance.)

Note for Canadian Applicants: All Canadian applicants to Utica College need to review and understand the requirements of the Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators regarding credentialing in Canada for “internationally educated applicants.” Please go to www.alliancept.org for more information.

Post-Professional (Transitional) Doctor of Physical Therapy

Applicants who are licensed physical therapists in the United States and are applying to the post-professional transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy  program must provide copies of proof of licensure including the dates obtained, or be deemed license-eligible by the State of New York. Applicants working in countries other than the United States must hold a physical therapy license/certification in their country of practice, and provide copies of proof of licensure.

For non-native speakers of English, please refer to the following information: Non-native speakers of English must meet one of the following conditions for general admission.

• TOEFL score minimum score
  • Computer-based - 213
  • Internet-based - 79-80
  • Paper-based - 550
• IELTS score minimum score - 5.5
• Citizenship of a country where English is an official language and the language of instruction in higher education.
• Hold a post-secondary degree from a US college which required completion of written and oral materials in English.
• Post-professional transitional DPT applications are reviewed, on a rolling basis, for three separate entry cohorts (January, May, and August). For more information, visit the graduate website at www.utica.edu/admissions-grad.

Regulatory and Compliance Assurance

Applicants to the Regulatory and Compliance Assurance Advanced Certificate  (C.A.S) must have

1. An overall GPA of 2.7 or above
2. A letter of recommendation.
3. Official transcripts from schools you have attended, including a final transcript from your undergraduate school showing that you received a bachelor’s degree.

Securities Compliance

Applicants to the Securities Compliance Advanced Certificate (C.A.S.)  must have

1. An overall GPA of 2.7 or above
2. A letter of recommendation.
3. Official transcripts from schools you have attended, including a final transcript from your undergraduate school showing that you received a bachelor’s degree.