Non-Degree and Visiting Students

Applicants not interested in working toward a degree while taking classes may be approved to do so upon submitting an application for admission. Admission as a special, non-degree seeking student is not intended to serve as a means of access to regular, degree-seeking status nor is it intended for a person who has earned unsatisfactory grades in previous high school or college coursework. Non-degree students are not eligible for most financial aid programs.

If you are a high school student looking for information on taking college courses while still in high school, see our Dually Enrolled Students page.

Personal or Professional Development: Students intending to take courses for personal or professional development must meet the same application deadlines as other students. Applicants must submit the application, non-refundable application fee, and transcripts needed to meet any course prerequisites. Applicants in this category are normally expected to have been out of high school for five or more years. This category also applies to students who may have already earned a degree and want to take additional classes but not toward another degree at this time. Students wishing to enroll in successive terms should submit official transcripts showing a degree has been awarded.

Visiting Students: Students attending other colleges or universities and who wish to enroll at the university to earn credits that they plan on transferring back to their home institution must submit an official college transcript or a letter from their home institution demonstrating good standing in addition to the application and non-refundable application fee.

When to Apply

Students interested in applying to the University of Arkansas for the fall semester are urged to apply early; however, regular fall applications will be accepted until August 1. Students seeking dual enrollment should apply at least one month before the semester of intended enrollment begins. Be sure to check out our dates and deadlines page.

Application Process

Beginning with applications for Spring 2020 admission, the University of Arkansas has an updated application process. Please create a New Student Center account prior to beginning your application.

Setting up a New Student Center Account and Managing Your Application

When you are ready to apply to the University of Arkansas, your first step is to set up a New Student Center account. The New Student Center is a central location where you can get important news about your application and view any missing requirements we might need to finish reviewing your application.

To set up your New Student Center account:

  1. Go to our Application Center.
  2. Select "Create an account" (under the "First-time users" heading).
  3. Enter the requested information. For the email address, be sure to use a personal email address that you will have access to at all times, even after graduation.
  4. Check the email account you entered for a message from the Office of Admissions with the subject line "University of Arkansas Online Registration," and follow the steps listed there. Take note of the PIN included in this message – it is your temporary password to activate your account. See a screenshot of a sample message.
  5. Follow the "Activate Account" link in this message to activate your account and establish a password.

Once you have established a New Student Center account, you are ready to complete an application for admission. Be sure to keep a close eye on your email and regularly log in to your New Student Center account to check for updates regarding your application.

Using your New Student Center, you can:

  • Check the status of your application
  • View updates about your admission decision
  • Keep track of important next steps

If You Need Help:

If you have any trouble setting up your New Student Center Account, let us know. Email uofa@uark.edu or call 479-575-5346. We are happy to help!

Common Troubleshooting Tips

  1. If you don't receive an account set up email with the subject line "University of Arkansas Online Registration," be sure to check your spam folder. We also recommend adding uofa@uark.edu to your email contacts list to avoid important emails being delivered to the wrong folder.
    If the email isn't in your spam folder, navigate to admissions.uark.edu/status and use the "Forgot Password" feature to receive a new email.
  2. If you lose your PIN, navigate to navigate to admissions.uark.edu/status and use the "Forgot Password" feature to receive a new PIN.

Application Materials

Personal or Professional Development

  • Submit official transcripts only if you need to demonstrate prerequisite completion for any classes for which you intend to register.
  • If you have been out of high school for less than five years, please submit official high school transcripts, test scores, and any official college transcripts.
  • You may use our online Application Checklist to make sure you are staying on track.

Visiting Students

  • Submit an official transcript demonstrating good standing or a letter of good standing from your home institution’s registrar’s office.
  • You may use our online Application Checklist to make sure you are staying on track.

Admissions Requirements

Personal or Professional Development

Students seeking enrollment for personal or professional development must be out of high school for at least five years. Students out of high school for less than five years should supply transcripts and test scores to demonstrate fulfillment of our normal admissions requirements.

Visiting Students

Students must demonstrate good standing at their home institution through an official transcript or letter of good standing from the home institution.

Admissions Decisions

We admit students on a rolling basis throughout the year beginning mid-September for the next fall. Please note that our estimated application processing time changes depending upon what time of year it is and how many applications we are currently receiving in the office. You will receive an email from us in the days following your application submission that will give you an estimate of your application processing time. All application processing times are based on when your file is complete (application, fee, and all transcripts and test scores).