High School
Courses

Applicants to the University of Rhode Island are required to complete a high school diploma or its equivalent in compliance with the requirement of their respective state or school district. As a part of their curriculum, each student is expected to complete at least 18 core academic units at the college-preparatory level or above. These courses should include:

• 4 years of English
• 3 years of mathematics, including Algebra I, Algebra II, and Geometry
• 2 years of physical or natural sciences
• 2 years of history or social science
• 2 years of the same world language
• Up to three of the remaining five core academic units may be completed in academically focused electives, including career or pathway areas or subjects including computer science, technology, engineering, business, animal science, theatre, film, music, or art.
• Meeting these expectations does not guarantee admission, and applicants who do not meet every expectation will still be considered through a holistic review process. The most successful applicants exceed these expectations.
• Coursework not completed at the high school level may be fulfilled by equivalent college-level academic work.

World Language
Requirements

To meet the world language admission requirements, prospective students have a range of options:

• Pre-High School Credits
  First-year world language courses completed in the eighth grade will be counted toward the minimum two year requirement.
• American Sign Language
  We will accept two years of American Sign Language coursework (documented on the high school transcript) as satisfaction of our world language requirement.
• Seal of Biliteracy
  Students who have earned the “Seal of Biliteracy” in high school (noted on the transcript) may receive Gold and Silver Seal credits after completing an advanced course in their language sequence at URI. For more information, contact the department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures at languagedepartment@etal.uri.edu. 
• Special Circumstances
  Students who have 18 units of college preparatory coursework but attend high schools that do not offer world languages may still be considered for admission. Under these circumstances, admitted students will be required to take foreign language coursework in their first year at URI.

Major-Specific
Requirements

The following colleges/majors have additional requirements (or recommendations) as noted below.

Business, Chemistry, Computer Science, and Physics

We recommend applicants complete 4 units of mathematics (including precalculus or trigonometry).

________________________________________

Engineering

Applicants are encouraged to complete:

• 4 units of mathematics (including precalculus or calculus)
• 3 units of science with at least one laboratory science. Physics and Chemistry are strongly encouraged.
• Competitive applicants have a strong academic background in math and science courses.

Applicants who are not admitted directly to the College of Engineering may be admitted to a pre-engineering pathway.

________________________________________

Music

Applicants to all music majors (including music therapy) must audition. Click the Audition Schedule button below to view dates. Applicants to the music therapy program are strongly encouraged to apply by the Early Action deadline (December 1).

Please contact the Department of Music at 401.874.2431 or see web.uri.edu/music for requirements or questions. Please note: if you’re admitted to URI prior to auditioning, your acceptance to the music major is contingent upon a successful audition.

________________________________________

Nursing

Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply by the Early Action deadline (December 1). Students should show demonstrated strength in math and science, including biology and chemistry. The required Nursing statement allows students the opportunity to share their interest in this demanding, competitive field

Applicants who are not admissible to the College of Nursing who may be admissible to other programs at URI may have an opportunity to request consideration for admission to another major on a space available basis.

________________________________________

Pharm.D.

URI offers a zero-to-six program in Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.). Admission to the zero-to-six Pharm.D. program is competitive. Applicants are encouraged to complete 4 years of math (through pre-calculus or calculus), chemistry, and biology. Competitive applicants have a strong academic background with a B or better in their science and math courses.

Applicants who are not admitted directly to Pharm.D. may be eligible to pursue Pharm.D. through a B.S.P.S. pathway.

Advanced Credit/
Dual Enrollment

Applying with Advanced Credit

Students who have taken college coursework prior to high school graduation should apply as first-year applicants. This includes students pursuing an associate’s degree while finishing high school.

To be considered for credit, all transcripts must be sent to URI directly from the college through which the credit was earned or from the official examination board(s). The evaluation of credits awarded by examination (AP, IB, A-Levels, etc.) or through dual enrollment is subject to change and may be reviewed and revised periodically by faculty. Credit is determined by department faculty responsible for instruction in the subject area. A list of pre-approved credits can be accessed by visiting The University of Rhode Island Transferology database.

Additional
Testing

SAT/ACT

URI is a test-optional institution. If you choose to submit your test scores for consideration, please note the following:

• Official SAT or ACT scores MUST be sent electronically by the testing service: the URI ID code is 3919 for SAT and 3818 for ACT. We do not require the writing section of the ACT or the optional SAT essay.
• We “superscore” your SAT and ACT results, so, we will take the highest combination of scores from each section across all test dates. This eliminates the need to use the College Board’s option for “Score Choice” on the SAT.

____________________________________________

TOEFL

• Students whose first language is not English are encouraged to submit official TOEFL examination results to supplement the SAT verbal score. A TOEFL iBT: minimum score of 4.5 (Pharm.D. applicants 5.0) or higher is required for all international applicants (please refer to International Requirements for further details.

____________________________________________

High School Equivalency Tests (GED)

As part of our holistic review, the URI Office of Undergraduate Admission considers the context of high school equivalency testing to evaluate the maturity and motivation of applicants. This includes the reason the applicant pursued equivalency testing and the applicant’s life experiences, such as military or work experience.

While high school equivalency tests are accepted, we require a GED score between 165-174, as well as additional evidence of college readiness, such as high school coursework and community college courses.

Students who have been out of school for less than 3 years apply as first-year students and must still submit official high school transcripts and meet the required 18 units of college preparatory work as listed above.