Most graduate schools/programs do not have pre-requisite requirements. Graduate schools/programs might request that you have completed or will be completing a Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.

Please refer to an Admission Counselor from your desired institution or visit your desired institution’s admission page to learn more about pre-requisite requirements

Most graduate schools/programs start their newly admitted classes once a year in the Fall semester. But there are some institutions that offer Spring and/or Summer admission.

Applications are submitted at least 6 – 12 months in advance of the desired enrollment date. To maximize your opportunities for school acceptances, scholarships, and research/teaching/graduate assistantships, you should apply to graduate schools/programs the Fall before you wish to enroll. While applying early in the cycle has advantages, the best time for you to apply is when your application is the best it can be.

Requirements vary from graduate program to graduate program. Visit your desired institution’s admission page to learn more about specific information about requirements.

The Graduate School Application includes 6 - 7 components:

1. Application Form
2. Official Transcript from all institutions
3. Entrance Exam – the GRE or GRE Subject Test (select programs)
4. Personal Statement/Statement of Purpose
5. Writing Sample (select programs)
6. Letters of Recommendation
7. Resume or Curriculum Vitae Resume

Freshmen – Sophomore Year

• Maintain and keep up your grades using the Transformative Learning services (https://www.uky.edu/tl/)
• Participate in volunteer, student organization and leadership opportunities
• Participate in undergraduate research or study/intern abroad opportunities within or outside your major
• Schedule and shadow professionals in your relevant field
• Apply for related jobs, internships, and practicum opportunities
• Complete your resume or curriculum vitae resume review by scheduling a “Resume Review” with us at the button below “Schedule Appointment”
• Identify and meet often with your instructors for a potential letter of recommendation
• Save and organize papers from your core courses/within your major for potential writing sample submissions
• Start studying for the GRE during the Fall semester to take the entrance exam in the Spring semester. Register and attend a Transformative Learning’s GRE Prep Seminar (https://www.uky.edu/tl/gre-prep-seminar)
• Research graduate schools/programs
• Create a budget for application fees and GRE exam (Please reach out if you need resources for financial assistance)
• Maintain and keep up your grades using the Transformative Learning services (https://www.uky.edu/tl/)
• Participate in volunteer, student organization and leadership opportunities
• Participate in undergraduate research or study/intern abroad opportunities within or outside your major
• Schedule and shadow professionals in your relevant field
• Apply for related jobs, internships, and practicum opportunities
• Complete your resume or curriculum vitae resume review by scheduling a “Resume Review” with us at the button below “Schedule Appointment”
• Identify and meet often with your instructors for a potential letter of recommendation 
• Save and organize papers from your core courses/within your major for potential writing sample submissions

Senior (Summer and Fall semester)

• Re-take the GRE if necessary
• Select graduate schools/programs you plan to apply to
• Complete and pay for Application Form(s)
• Submit a request for Official Transcript with the Office of the Registrar (https://www.uky.edu/registrar/transcripts)
• Maintain and keep up your grades using the Transformative Learning services (https://www.uky.edu/tl/)
• Participate in volunteer, student organization and leadership opportunities
• Participate in undergraduate research or study/intern abroad opportunities within or outside your major
• Schedule and shadow professionals in your relevant field
• Apply for related jobs, internships, and practicum opportunities
• Research graduate school/program’s personal statement/statement of purpose prompt and guidelines.
• Complete a personal statement/statement of purpose review with the Writing Center (https://uky.mywconline.com/) or schedule a “Graduate/Professional School Prep” with us at the button below “Schedule Appointment”
• Complete a final resume or curriculum vitae resume review by scheduling a “Resume Review” with us at the button below “Schedule Appointment”
• Research financial resources to pay for graduate school/program with Financial Wellness (https://www.uky.edu/financialwellness/)
• Identify and request a letter of recommendation from your instructors, advisor, internship, or job supervisor, coaches, etc.
• Submit papers from your core courses/within your major for if a writing sample is required

Most graduate programs do not have or require an interview as part of their application process. However, if yours does, you can schedule a mock interview with us or practice through BigInterview in your Handshake account.

Letters of Recommendation 

Requirements for letters vary between schools, most graduate schools require 1-3 letters of recommendation. Begin early to establish a network of professors and supervisors (for volunteer or paid work) who are familiar with your work. It is important to choose recommenders who know you well.

Academic Letters: At least one to two letters, should be from faculty members who have taught you in a class and are able to make specific observations about your personal and academic achievements and your potential for graduate school. Get to know your Professors early, start your Freshman year. 

Personal Statements

Graduate schools will want a Personal Statement/Statement of Purpose on who you are and your interests within the field. 

Research graduate school/program’s personal statement/statement of purpose prompt and guidelines.

Complete a personal statement/statement of purpose review with the Writing Center (https://uky.mywconline.com/) or schedule a “Graduate/Professional School Prep” with us at the button below “Schedule Appointment”

Resumes

Many graduate schools require resumes/curriculum vita resumes as part of their applications, and those that don’t will often accept one anyway. A resume allows you to highlight all your activities and accomplishments in your own way. It can’t be stressed enough, however, that the resume is not a substitute for completely filling out the school’s application form.

Complete your resume or curriculum vitae resume review by scheduling a “Resume Review” with us at the button below “Schedule Appointment”

Involvement and volunteering allow you to supplement a strong academic record. Graduate school admissions committees like to see evidence of initiative, service, creativity, leadership and collaboration, and organizational skills. However, it is important to remember that such activities will not substitute for poor grades, so don’t sacrifice study time for activities. 

Search UK Student Organizations/Programs at BBNVolved:  https://uky.campuslabs.com/engage/

Search UK Service-Learning and Civic Engagement for opportunities to help in the community: https://servelearnconnect.uky.edu/community-organizational-needs

• Before the interview, be sure you know where you are going, the drive time, and the parking situation. 
• Dress professionally and have your attire laundered and ready the night before the interview.   (Don’t forget to polish those shoes!) Most industries will be most impressed with business suit attire. How you look creates a first and lasting impression. 
• Take additional copies of our resume with you. Be prepared to “walk” your interviewers through your resume and be sure you can answer anything about it. 
• Offer detailed and specific examples that demonstrate your "fit" for the position. 
• Know the industry standards and the history of the company you are applying to. 
• Have questions ready for the interviewers about the position. But never bring up salary until you are offered the position. (See the list below for question suggestions). 

Come prepared with questions you can ask that demonstrate your understanding of the organization and interest in the position. It’s okay to have these written down. And it also makes a good impression if you quickly jot down the answers. Sometimes your prepared questions may get answered in the course of the interview, that’s okay. Just plan a list of 5 to 7 questions so you will be ready. 

Here are a few suggestions: 

• What can I expect on a typical day? 
• Why is this position open? Is it a new position in the company? 
• To whom does this position report? 
• What are your expectations of the person hired for this position within the first 30 days? 
• What do you like about working here? 
• When can I expect to hear from you? 
• And any other industry-related questions you may have. 

WHAT NOT TO ASK! 

• Salary! Never mention salary unless you have officially been offered the position. Please see a career advisor as to the best way to navigate the, “So how much money do you need to make?” question. 
• Time off, lunch breaks, and other compensation issues will be addressed if a job offer is made, and you can address those questions at that time. 

Next-Day:

• Immediately send a thank you note to each person who interviewed you. They may be meeting with a long list of candidates, so it’s best to make contact while they still remember you. 
• Keep it brief, but consider the following: 
• Reference something you discussed in the meeting. Again, you want them to remember you, so this might help make a stronger connection. 
• Clarify any questions you stumbled on during the interview. If you forgot to bring up a relevant certification, for example, this is a good time to mention it. 
• Express appreciation for their time and consideration. The interview process can be labor and resource-intensive. This is a good time to show your gratitude and reinforce your interest in the position. 
• Written correspondence (i.e., physically mailing a letter) is rare these days but it is appropriate if a longer hiring timeline has been given. If your correspondence with the company has been primarily via email, it’s okay to send a thank you note via email. BUT…handwritten sure makes a great impression! 

Next Week:

• If you haven’t heard anything within the employer’s given timeline, send an email to follow-up on the process. 
• Keep it brief, thank them again, and express your interest. Careful not to nag an employer for an answer, but if you still don’t get a response within a reasonable time, let it go and move on with your search. 

Remember, you don’t have the job until you’ve signed a written offer letter. Keep looking for positions and applying for jobs, even if the interview went well and you assume the job will be offered to you. 

There are additional spaces available around campus such as in the Gatton Student Center study rooms and these rooms are on a first-come, first-served basis.  

• To make a reservation at the Gatton Student Center, please go through the Gatton Student Center Information Desk.  

• The Jacobs Science Building has study rooms available for students to reserve via the campus Event Management System.  

• Gatton Business students can reserve study rooms in the Gatton College of Business & Economics. 

There are several online tools to assist you in your job search: 

• Handshake is an online job resource for employers specifically seeking university level students and graduates. Employers posts internships and jobs (local, national and global), upcoming events, employer info sessions, and more. 

• Glassdoor is an online job board linking you to thousands of jobs. You can research companies, employee reviews, personalized salary tool, etc. 

• LinkedIn is a social network that focuses on professional networking and career development. You can use LinkedIn to display your resume, search for jobs, and enhance your professional reputation by posting updates and interacting with other people. 

• Interstride is a database that contains country-specific career and employment resources for more than 80 locations. You can use job searching resources, learn about work permits/visa regulations, resume guidelines, interview tips, etc. 

Looking for additional online resources when it comes to searching for an internship? Check out the list linked below for resources and opportunities. 

Internship Resources/Opportunities 

Every year, the Career Center hosts local, state, and national companies that come to campus specifically to interview and hire UK students and alumni for seasonal, part-time, and full-time jobs and internships. To access the schedule of interviews and register for upcoming interviews, visit Handshake.

• How to avoid scams 

• What To Do If You Were Scammed 

• Report Fraud 

• UK ITS Phishing Alerts 

• CyberSafeCats 

UK Students and alumni are urged to perform due diligence in researching employers when applying for or accepting off-campus employment. The Stuckert Center staff are available for consultation on how to research prospective employers. Questions about safety, wages, working conditions, or any other aspect of off-campus employment are appropriate and important and should be discussed before accepting employment. The Stuckert Center and UK cannot guarantee terms of employment posted by an employer and are not responsible for employer misconduct.” 

Your resume is a marketing tool created to market you. It may be your first contact with an employer, whether applying for an internship, co-op or job opportunity. Resumes may also be requested for leadership opportunities, graduate school, scholarship, fellowship applications, and more. 

Employers often review resumes and cover letters in 10 seconds or less. This means your resume must be well-written, concise, extremely organized, and easy to read in order to be effective. When creating your resume, customize your resume for the reader; organize your accomplishments and interests to their needs. Tailoring your resume and cover letter to the specific employer is a key component of a successful resume and cover letter! 

There is not one correct way to organize a resume. Design and content depend on your unique education, experiences, and skills. It is a good idea to have different versions of your resume depending on the job type/industry that you'd like to target. 

Examples of Resume Sections

Objective 

An objective tells the employer what you want to do, either by stating a job title or the type of job you currently seek. Often you will have more than one version of your resume with different objectives. 

Education 

List the college/university name, city, state, your degree, major, concentration, and graduation date by month and year. List your most recent college first. Under the education section, you may include information about: 

• GPA if over 3.0 (major GPA and/or overall GPA) 
• Academic honors, Dean's List, and scholarships 
• Study Abroad Programs/Experiences 

Relevant Experience 

List your career-related experience, including full-time or part-time jobs, summer jobs, volunteer experience, cooperative education, and internships. Large course projects can also go under this section! You may include experiences unrelated to your career area if you focus your job description on transferable skills, such as customer service, communication, problem solving, project management, teamwork, and leadership skills. You do not need to list every job you have held. The descriptions for your relevant experiences should be longer than those not directly related to the work you are seeking. Make sure you highlight your skills and accomplishments. 

List your job title, the employer's name, city, state, and dates of employment by month and year. When describing your experiences, you will use bullet points that include keywords and strong action verbs that best describe your skills and experience. Avoid writing in full sentences and leave out pronouns (I, me, my). Pay close attention to verb tense in your descriptions, past experiences should be in the past tense. 

Identify your accomplishments and successes from past experiences, and the skills that you used in each situation. In your resume, emphasize what your role was, focus on the skills you used, and describe how you benefited the organization or state the results of your work. Highlight what you achieved and the difference you made. 

Accomplishments might include situations in which you created or built something, initiated a project, achieved a goal you set, saved time, saved money, demonstrated leadership, solved a problem or created a solution. Use numbers whenever you can! You want to paint a descriptive picture to the person who is reading your resume. 

Additional Sections 

You may include a variety of activities and additional types of information on your resume, such as those listed hereunder other sections. These sections may be titled things such as Professional Activities, Leadership Roles, Extracurricular Activities - Be creative and title it what makes sense for you. Focus on positions you held, your level of involvement, accomplishments, projects, demonstrated leadership roles, committee work, communication skills, organizational skills, and any skills related to your stated career objective. 

• Campus/student organizations 
• Community service 
• Volunteer experience 
• Team and group projects 
• Computer skills 
• Publications 
• Foreign languages 
• Leadership roles 
• Professional membership 

A CV is used by those with graduate degrees (i.e., M.S., Ph.D.) to apply for positions in academia or for scientific or research positions. CVs are very inclusive; therefore; they tend to include all experiences not just selective experiences. CVs are longer than resumes and focus on education, publications, presentations, research, classes taught, and other professional activities. CVs are also used in European countries for all positions. 

The most common job search letter is a cover letter, but it's important to be aware that there are other letters that you may use in the course of a job search. For most college students, letter writing has been reduced to short e-mail messages, quickly written, and quickly sent. This is not acceptable when in the midst of a job search. Communication skills are critically important in your career and your job search letters will be one of the first samples employers will have of your competence in this area. All correspondence with a prospective employer will be carefully critiqued to screen out candidates. Be sure your job search letters have no typos, are grammatically correct, follow standard business format, and present you as the best candidate for the internship or job! 

To have your job search letters critiqued, come to drop-in hours at the career center or meet with a career advisor. 

Below are some common types of Job Search Letters. Be sure to sign the original hard copy letters and to keep copies for your records 

Cover Letter 

A cover letter always accompanies a resume when you send it through email, U.S. mail, or when you are completing an online application. It is not required when you hand a resume to a recruiter at a career fair, presentation, or interview. Write a persuasive letter in a conversational format to market yourself for the particular job you are seeking. Identify your experiences, education, and skills which are most directly related to that job. Use the job description to drive what you include and highlight in your cover letter. Each cover letter should be unique to the experience that you are applying to as it is based on what that specific employer is looking for. This is your opportunity to help an employer see how and where you fit into the organization.  

View sample cover letters  

View sample cover letters - email  

View sample cover letters - print  

View Seven cover letter don'ts 

This letter or email is sent to individuals requesting information about a career or company. It's a great way to reach out to other UK alumni to prospect for possible job openings. Be sure to focus on broader fields and industries when describing your qualifications. Normally, a resume is not attached to this type of letter because the focus is on generating information not generating job offers! It's also used to ask for an informational interview. 

View a sample Exploratory/Networking letter 

This is one of the most important yet least used letters in a job search. A thank-you letter is used to establish goodwill and express appreciation. It can be sent to a potential employer, a contact that's assisted you, or an interviewer. The general rule of thumb is that if someone has spent more than 10 minutes of their time, then a thank you would be appropriate. A thank-you letter should always be sent with 24 hours of an interview, informational interview, etc. A handwritten thank you note is a more traditional form; however, you must take into consideration the person to whom it will be sent. Use your best judgment. If you have been communicating via email, it might be more acceptable to send an emailed note of thanks. 

View a sample Thank you letter 

This is a letter requesting the status of your application while noting your continued interest in the position. You should also offer to provide any additional information that would assist the employer in making a decision. Due to time sensitivity, this letter is often emailed. 

View a sample Follow-up letter 

Congratulations if you've made it to this stage in the job search! This letter is sent to an employer when an offer has been made. Use it to accept the offer and confirm the terms of employment (start date, salary, medical examinations, etc.). It's an excellent way to positively reinforce the employer's decision to hire you. 

View a sample Acceptance letter  

This is a letter sent to formally decline an offer of employment or to remove yourself from consideration as a candidate. Rejecting an employment offer must be done thoughtfully. Indicate that you have carefully considered the offer but that it was not the best job fit for this stage in your career. Do not say that you have obtained a better job. You want to express your thanks while keeping the door open for future contact. 

View a sample Withdrawal letter 

• The Iris photo booth is self-service with a touch screen, high-quality lighting, and camera equipment.
• Information about getting ready for your photo, on the Iris photo booth website.
• When your appointment begins, you will sit on the adjustable stool in front of the booth and follow the prompts on the screen.
• You will enter your UK email address and accept terms to continue.
• To take your photos, continue to follow the prompts on the screen.
• The booth will take a series of three photos during your session and you will have the option to re-take one of the three photos. 
• Your photos are immediately emailed to you for downloading and editing. 

*Staff will be available before, during, and after your session to assist as needed. 

• Dress professionally, and be aware the portrait will not include your lower body, so you can dress accordingly.
• Professional attire generally means a dark-colored suit and solid-colored shirt or blouse.
• It's fine to wear a white shirt/blouse under a dark jacket. But avoid wearing white as your outer layer (white jacket, or white shirt/blouse without a dark jacket over it). Why? The portrait background is light, so a white outer layer might not give sufficient contrast.

* Stuckert Career Center does have a blue backdrop that can be used upon request, but the Iris Air photo booth camera settings are adjusted to the white background. 

Stuckert Career Center

• On your arrival, please proceed to the Stuckert Career Center's front desk for check-in.
• A staff member will walk you back to the Iris Air photo booth station. 
• There is a restroom near the photography station for your convenience, should you require attire changes or a quick touch-up.
• A staff member will be available before, during, and after your session to assist as needed. 

As you prepare for your appointment, we have a few tips for you:  

• Practice in the mirror at home:  
  • All headshots are from mid-chest up. 
  • We will rarely take a waist-up shot unless a special request by you.   
• Try on different outfits: 
  • Choose what fits you best. Take into consideration the ability to cross your arms. 
  • Think about the career field you will be going into. What types of clothing do individuals wear in their photos, such as polo, scrubs, white shirts, professional white coats, or suits? 
  • Go to a couple of companies online and see if they have staff headshots or company photos. Look at what they are wearing. As the old saying goes “Dress for the position that you want to obtain.” You want employers to see how you will fit in their team. 
  • Try to avoid patterns and thin stripes and do think about contrast and tones in the colors you wear with your skin tone, eyes, and with your clothing accessories.   
• Practice your facial muscles: 
  • You have over 40 muscles in your face. See which angle you prefer, and how strong a smile you prefer. Watch how your eye shape changes from full to squinting.  
  • Practice chin awareness, we tend to lean our heads backward. Just tilting the head downward, a quarter inch can change an entire photo.  
• Try out different hairstyles: 
  • You might choose the typical style that is you or you might want to try something new. Do not try something new on the day of your shoot…test it.  
  • Bring with you your own brush and hair accessories that could be used to touch up hair issues during the session. 

The Stuckert Career Center has a photo studio where business-professional headshots are taken for enrolled University of Kentucky students at no cost to the student. Students must schedule an appointment via Handshake, UK’s career management platform, and photos will be taken in one outfit.  Effective April 2023, due to equipment and logistics considerations, unless it is an event that is being organized by the Stuckert Career Center, mobile headshot studios will not be provided for student organizations or campus partners at off-site locations. In addition to individual student headshot services by appointment, headshot services will continue to be available to student organizations, UK classes, and UK student programs on-site in the Career Center building. If an approved UK organization or office wants to schedule a headshot event at the Stuckert Career Center, please email ukcareercenter@uky.edu.