Application Fee (Required)
$65 for U.S. citizens and permanent residents.
$80 for international students.
English Proficiency Test (Required)
This program uses the Graduate School's English Language Proficiency Score Requirements and Minimum Scores for Regular Admission.
Minimum Scores for Regular Admission
TOEFL iBT: 4.5 (no sub score less than 4) (or 79 for students who took the test prior to January 2026)
IELTS: 6.5 (no sub score less than 6)
Duolingo English Test: 120 (no sub score less than 110)
PTE: 59
More information is available at https://graduate.ua.edu/applicants/international-students/.
Letter of Recommendation (3 Required)
Three letters of recommendation, which discuss and evaluate the student’s writing skills, analytical abilities, and potential to excel at graduate studies and research.
Resume (Required)
Statement of Purpose (Required)
In the statement of purpose section (up to 2 pages), applicants should explain clearly and cogently: i) why you wish to earn an Geographic Information Systems Certificate, MS, or PhD degree and what are your academic and career goals, ii) why our department is a good fit for you, iii) which faculty member has agreed to serve as your advisor, iv) what experiences and background do you have that will help you succeed in graduate studies.
Note that no students will be admitted without a potential advisor from our faculty.
Transcript (Required)
Please upload an unofficial transcript for any institution of higher education at which you have completed 15 or more credit hours. Please include a grading scheme if your university does not use a letter-based (e.g. A, A-, B) grading scheme.
Writing Sample (Required)
Academic/professional writing samples. These may include published research papers, conference papers, research or applied project reports, term papers, and completed Master's thesis.
Additional Requirements (not listed) (Recommended)
Research Statement: For the research plan section, applicants should develop a tentative research proposal/plan up to 4 pages total length. The following is a list of suggested elements to include: a title, research background (brief literature review), research gaps being addressed and/or research questions/hypotheses being posed, a general description of methodological approach(es), and some description of why the research is important and/or its implications. Note that the purpose of the research plan is to evaluate the applicant’s research potential. After admission to our graduate program, students may consult with the advisor to modify, improve, or completely change the research plan.