Admission
For more information contact Dr. Richard Casagrande, Chairman, or Dr. Roger LeBrun, Graduate Coordinator
Undergraduate Admission
Bachelor of Science Admission to URI is competitive. All qualified Rhode Island residents are admitted; out of state residents are reviewed for the remaining spaces in the class. The 2000 freshman class had 45 percent Rhode Island residents and 55 percent out of state residents.
Primary emphasis is placed on the high school record, the quality of courses taken and the grades earned. Performance on ACT or SAT tests is also a factor. Evaluations of letters of recommendation; extracurricular activities, and alumni tradition are considered as well. The average accepted students is in the top third of their high school class, has an ACT composite of 25, and SAT scores of verbal 550 and math 560.
Freshman candidates who apply nonbinding Early Action deadlines (mid-December) are reviewed first. They also receive priority consideration for merit-based Centennial Scholarships. Regular candidates apply for admission by March 1, and transfer candidates by May 1. Freshmen and transfer students interested in January admission must apply by November 1.
The ACT or SAT test are required for freshman candidates. Transfer students from another college are assessed mainly on earlier college records. Students whose first language is not English should submit TOEFL results to supplement the SAT verbal score: A TOEFL score of at least 550 (213 for the computer version) is required. For students taking the ELPT, a score of 965 or higher is required.
A minimum of 18 units of college preparatory work is expected: 4 in English, 3 in algebra and plane geometry, 2 in a physical or natural science, 2 in history or social science, 2 in foreign language. All students are encouraged to select their additional high school courses from the arts, humanities and foreign languages, mathematics, social sciences, or laboratory sciences.
Graduate Admission
Master of Science (see Programs of Study) Admission requirements: GRE and bachelor's degree in a biological or physical science, or engineering. Applicants with course deficiencies may be required to take appropriate undergraduate courses for no program credit, and to demonstrate, by their performance in such course work or through a qualifying exam, basic knowledge of the subject matter in the area(s) of deficiency.
Doctor of Philosophy (see Programs of Study) Admission requirements: GRE and bachelor's degree in a biological, physical science, natural resources science, or engineering; specific undergraduate majors or course work may be required for certain fields of study. Master's degree with thesis in biological science, physical science, or natural resources science is highly recommended.