Your completed application requires: 

1) APPLICATION FORM  

Use the new admissions system to apply  by December 15, 2023 for priority consideration or January 15, 2024 which is the deadline date.

2) APPLICATION FEE

The non-refundable $85 application fee is payable online via credit card or by check drawn on a U.S. bank, made payable to UMass Amherst. 

2A) Graduate Application Fee Waivers - The Astronomy Graduate program has a number of application fee waivers it can grant students who have faced adversity - such as societal, economic, or academic disadvantages. We will additionally consider application fee waiver requests from applicants who are first generation students and students who have been traditionally underrepresented in graduate education in Astronomy. Applicants must be US domestic students.  Interested applicants should fill out this short application for a fee waiver.  Please email Grant Wilson at wilson@astro.umass.edu to find out if your waiver has been granted. If you do not receive a waiver, the application fee must be paid by the January 15 date. Please note that if an application fee waiver is granted, applicants should select the "pay by check" option on the application and notify the program office when it is submitted. 

3) THREE ACADEMIC RECOMMENDATIONS

Submit the names and emails of three references, and the Graduate School will e-mail referees with instructions for submitting recommendations. 

4) OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS 

Please submit transcripts for all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended. Unofficial copies are acceptable for application review purposes, however official transcript will be required before the start of your first semester’s classes. 

5) GRE REQIUREMENT 

Please note that both the Physics and General GRE exams are no longer required, and sumitting scores is optional. International applicants must also submit TOEFL test scores. Unofficial scores are acceptable for review purposes only, however official score reports will be required if enrolling.

6) DEADLINE  

Applications received by December 15 receive priority consideration; applications will be accepted through January 15th.  

7) FINANCIAL STATEMENT  

If enrolling, international students must complete the "International Student Financial Statement". For Visa eligibility, it is mandatory for international students to demonstrate that they can support their academic life while in school. For PhD students, the amount of a full Teaching Assistantship, if offered by the Department, is sufficient to demonstrate support.

Please note:

MISTAKES AND OMISSIONS CAN DELAY APPLICATION REVIEW

If you do not SEND THE APPLICATION FEE, or send the wrong fee, your application will be held by the Graduate School until the proper fee is paid. 

Failure to TAKE REQUIRED TESTS AND HAVE SCORES REPORTED TO US will result in an incomplete application. If the TOEFL score is required (international student) and not received, the Graduate Admissions Committee will not consider the application.  

Unofficial copies of transcripts and test scores should be uploaded as PDFs on the Additional Materials page of the application.  If you forget to do this, you can upload them via the Graduate Applicant Center in SPIRE.   

Official copies must be mailed to the graduate school or sent via secure “E-Transcript”: 

GRADUATE SCHOOL 
530 GOODELL 
UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS 
140 HICKS WAY 
AMHERST, MA 01003-9333 USA 

Any document sent to the Department must be forwarded to the Graduate Admissions Office, resulting in a delay. 

COMPLETE THE APPLICATION PROCESS EARLY!  

The Admissions Office is very busy before the January 15th deadline. Avoid delays by having your application arrive early. Applications may be submitted at any time and the review process will begin mid-December.

Please contact department Admin Assistant, TBD, with any questions.