VIP Admissions Program for Current UTSA Students and Alumni

The VIP Graduate Admissions Program was established to retain talented University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) undergraduate students and alumni in pursuit of their graduate education. Both domestic and international students who have completed a minimum of 90 semester credit hours can qualify. Additional eligibility requirements can be found below.

The VIP program is based on faculty nomination. The nomination serves as the highest form of recommendation. As a benefit, selected VIP candidates are fast-tracked through the graduate admissions process to include an abbreviated application. All test scores and supplemental documentation for the graduate application are waived including statement of purpose, letters of recommendation and resume/CV.

The VIP admissions program is limited to Master's programs (thesis/non-thesis option, or internship option) only. Many but not all programs at UTSA participate. A faculty member can contact the Associate Dean or Department Chair to determine VIP Admissions Program participation status.

Note: Students must apply for the term to which they were nominated. An updated nomination form must be submitted if the student is unable to apply for that semester or misses the deadline.

VIP Nomination and Admissions Deadlines

VIP nominations and applications should be received and submitted by the corresponding program deadlines, which can be viewed here. 

Please note, if you are nominating an international alumnus who is residing in their home country, the individual will most likely need to complete the full student visa process. As you know, this process can take time. We encourage you to complete the nomination and highly encourage your VIP nominee to complete the subsequent application as soon as possible to ensure successful navigation of the visa process.

Current UTSA Student Eligibility

The VIP nomination process allows a tenure or tenure track UTSA faculty member to recognize outstanding junior or senior (minimum of 90 hours awarded) UTSA students for admission into a graduate program. Both domestic and international students can qualify.

To be eligible, the student must meet the following requirements:

  • Must be degree-seeking student with a minimum of 1 semester of undergraduate coursework at UTSA prior to nomination.
  • Cumulative GPA of 3.00
  • Discipline GPA of 3.30
  • Good Academic Standing
  • Additional departmental prerequisite requirements may apply. Contact the Associate Dean or Department Chair for details.

UTSA Alumni Eligibility

The VIP nomination process allows a tenure or tenure track UTSA faculty member to recognize outstanding UTSA alumni for admission into a graduate program. The alumni nominee must have graduated within three years of the admission term of nomination. Both domestic and international students can qualify.

To be eligible, the alumni must meet the following requirements:

  • Awarded undergraduate degree from UTSA, with 1/3 of coursework completed at UTSA.
  • Cumulative GPA of 3.00
  • Discipline GPA of 3.30
  • Good Academic Standing.
  • If student has attended another institution after graduating from UTSA, the following items apply:
    • Submission of official transcript from all regionally accredited institutions of higher education attended after UTSA graduation.
  • Will be verified through the National Student Clearinghouse
    • Cumulative GPA of 3.00
    • Good Academic Standing at the last institution attended.

Faculty Nomination Process

I. Once a faculty member has identified a potential VIP nominee, the faculty member* should contact the prospective VIP student to inform them of the nomination, confirm the student’s interest in pursuing a graduate degree, and collect important information for the process.

II. A template with instructions to notify the student of nominations and provide instruction for the application is located here and should be provided to all nominees.

III. The student should submit VIP application and application fee on the Liaison application system.

* Note: Some Colleges may have a variant nomination form or specific internal processes. Please contact your College with questions regarding internal processes.

Graduate School VIP Process

Once The Graduate School receives the VIP application, the following steps are taken:

I. Nomination is reviewed by an Admissions team member and verified against the student’s Liaison application (for correct term, program, eligibility, etc).

II. Graduate Admissions will complete data entry for the application and admit the student directly into the program.

III. Student is notified of admissions status by the Graduate Admissions team.