•Do I need to take a placement exam before I register for classes at orientation?
Some general courses at Oakland, including Mathematics, Modern Language and Writing and Rhetoric, require students to take placement exams or to meet certain criteria. New students are strongly encouraged to complete necessary placement exams prior to attending orientation. For more information about course placement and testing, visit the Course Placement Web site.
It is also important that you forward your most current ACT scores to Undergraduate Admissions, 101 North Foundation Hall, Rochester, MI 48309-4401 and your Advanced Placement (AP) scores and/or transcripts to Academic Records, 102 O'Dowd Hall, Rochester, MI 48309-4401. Some academic departments use these scores to suggest beginning placements.
•How can I schedule an appointment with an admissions adviser?Any student who wishes to meet with an admissions adviser may call the
Office of Undergraduate Admissions at (800) OAK-UNIV to arrange an appointment.
Students who wish to make an appointment regarding graduate admissions should call the Office of Graduate Study at (248) 370-3167.
Students can apply to a masters program by submitting an application to
Graduate Admissions at Oakland University. Applications are available online or paper applications can be requested
. Admission requirements and deadlines vary by academic program.
Undergraduate admission: Once we have received your completed
application (including all transcripts, etc.),we will make a decision within 12 weeks. You will be notified by mail of the decision.
Graduate admission: The
Office of Graduate Study collects all application requirements. Files are then reviewed in one of two ways. For programs that admit students on a rolling basis (admission decisions made on a continual basis), files are sent for review as soon as they become complete. For programs that admit students on a cohort basis (competitive admission for a limited number of seats), files are forwarded to the department for review after the application deadline. Once the academic recommendation is received and a final decision is made, the Office of Graduate Study notifies the applicant of his/her admission status. Once a file is complete and sent to the academic department for review, an applicant can expect to receive a decision letter from the Office of Graduate Study within two-four weeks.
After you are admitted, you will receive an official transfer credit evaluation. All coursework completed with a “C” or better grade is evaluated. You may use transferred courses for general education and major requirements. Academic departments will review transcripts for credits to be used toward major requirements by the end of your first semester at OU.
If you have attended a Michigan community college, you can view our
course equivalencies online.
To get your transcripts from other schools, contact the
Registrar's Office at your
prior college or university.
If you are interested in an undergraduate program you can visit the
How to Apply page and select International Students for detailed application instructions. To speak with an admission advisers, contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at (800) OAK-UNIV. For graduate studies, you can apply online for
Graduate Admissions or you can contact the Graduate Admissions Office at (248)370-3167.
After the admissions office determines that your file is in order and everything needed has been submitted, your file is sent to the
International Students & Scholars Office. There, your I-20 or DS-2019 is prepared and sent to you along with other helpful information.
For information on transferring to Oakland University, including the admissions process, and transferring credits, please see the transfer section of the
Future Students site. Once an international student has been officially admitted to Oakland University, they will receive an admission letter, an I-20 or IAP-66 document, other pertinent information, and a transfer form (for those who are transferring from other institutions). International students transferring from an institution in the U.S. to Oakland University must also follow transfer procedures according to USCIS. To complete this transfer process, students must complete Part I of the transfer document and have the international student adviser from your current institution complete Part II of the transfer document. Have your adviser send or fax the transfer form to the Admission Office. If you do not receive your I-20 prior to your arrival to Oakland University, make an appointment with an OU international student adviser at 157 North Foundation Hall to complete the transfer process.
a. Tuition: The cost for an international student varies depending on your level (i.e., undergraduate, graduate, doctorate) and major. See the current tuition rates on the Registrar's site:
b. Resident Tuition: What are the eligibility requirements for resident tuition?
i. I have a non-student visa, but have lived in Michigan for 3 years. Can I obtain resident tuition?
Each case is handled on an individual basis. After you apply and are admitted, you will receive a form to complete, which may result in receiving resident status.
ii. If I am an out-of-state or international student, how can I change my residency rates?
Students who would like to change their residency rates must apply for re-classification with the Registrar's Office. You can also find helpful information about re-classification in the undergraduate catalog in the general information category and graduate catalog under Academic Service Offices and Regulations.
c. Living & Other Costs: Other costs such as living expenses, school supplies, and medical insurance are around $14,590 per year.
•Will I sign up for classes at an orientation program?Yes. During the
orientation program, professional academic advisers help all new undergraduate students plan for their first semester of study. The Orientation Staff will help you register for courses.
While there is no official application deadline for regular freshman or transfer admission, candidates are encouraged to submit their on-line application at least ninety days in advance of the start of the term they wish to enter.
Students interested in enrolling in a Community College Partnership must submit their online application for admission by the following dates:
Fall Deadline July 1
Winter Deadline October 1
Summer Deadline April 1
Students interested in applying as a post baccalaureate, teacher certification ( U1) additional degree (U2), additional major/minor, additional endorsement to teacher certification (U4), second undergraduate degree with pre-requisites (U5) must apply by the following deadlines
Fall Deadline July 1
Winter Deadline December 1
Summer Deadline April 1
•After you receive my completed application, how long will it be before I know if I have been admitted?Once your application materials are received, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions will make a decision within 12 weeks. Admissions decisions are sent by U.S. mail. If you receive a delay decision, you should contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at (800) OAK-UNIV or (248) 370-3360.
You can check our application status
online. Select “Apply for Admission”, then enter the login and PIN you created when you first applied. You may also request a status check by calling the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.
If you take the ACT more than once, Oakland University will take the highest of the ACT scores. Please ensure that your ACT scores are sent to:
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
101 North Foundation Hall
Rochester, MI 48309-4401.
•What is the recommended high school curriculum a student should follow?Oakland University recommends a high school curriculum that includes:
- English (4 years)
- Mathematics (3 years)
- Social Sciences (3 years)
- Natural Sciences (3 years)
- Foreign Language (2 years).
OU has a low student-to-faculty ratio.
•Are freshmen allowed to have cars on campus?
All Oakland University students are allowed to have cars on campus and
parking is free.
Yes,
full-time students are permitted to try out for teams. Information can
be found on OUgrizzlies.com for each individual sport, or
student-athletes can contact the head coach by finding his/her e-mail on
the staff director on the athletics website listed above.
•What is the average age of Oakland University students?
More than 63 percent of Oakland University's undergraduate students are between the ages of 17-22. For more information about OU students, see the
student profile section of the Future Students site.
Less than one percent of classes are taught by graduate assistants.Oakland University is committed to teaching. Senior faculty teach all levels of classes, including introductory courses.
•What is Oakland University's total enrollment?
For the most up-to-date information on total enrollment, visit OU's
Fast Facts page.
Oakland is happy to give future students and their families a
tour of campus. Please contact us at (800) OAK-UNIV for campus visit information.
Oakland University prefers the ACT, but SAT scores can be converted into ACT-like scores.
•What percentage of students return to Oakland University after their freshman year?About 74 percent of freshmen enrolled for fall 2000 returned to Oakland University in fall 2001.
•Does Oakland accept the GED?Yes, Oakland accepts GED holders based on the level of their total score.
•Does Oakland University have a policy of placing students on a waiting list?At the undergraduate level, Oakland does not place any students on a waiting list.
•How many credits can I transfer from a community college or four-year college?A student may transfer half the credits required for the degree from a community college (i.e. if the degree requires 128 credits, you may transfer 64 credits that apply to your degree). If the student has credit from a community college and a four-year college, the rule applies to the community college credit, but full credit is given from the four-year college courses in which you earn a grade of 2.0 or better. Even though full credit is given, 32 credits must be taken at Oakland University to obtain a degree.
•My GPA is below a 2.5. How do obtain admission?Make an appointment with an admissions adviser by calling (248) 370-3360 or (800) OAK-UNIV. We will help you in taking the proper steps to be able to meet Oakland’s requirements for admission.
•I have a Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) and I have college credit from my home country. Am I considered an international student? Would I pay resident student tuition?You are not considered an international student and are eligible to pay resident fees, if other conditions are also met. However, you will need to have your transcripts evaluated by an
independent agency. And if your native language is
not English, you are required to present either a TOEFL or MELAB score before admission can be granted.
All students whose native language is
not English are required to present TOEFL or MELAB scores, unless you have graduated from an American high school or have obtained 24 credits from an American college, including at least one English course (not ESL).
To start to obtain an F-1 visa status, you can complete an online
undergraduate or
graduate application. We will then send you the additional forms required.
Admitted students have a year from their original term to update their application. After that, you must re-apply. Contact the
Office of Undergraduate Admissions to update your record.
Yes, even if you graduated from Oakland University after attending other colleges, you still need to request transcripts from all previous schools. Once credits from previous colleges have been transferred, the transcripts are destroyed after one year.
•What is the application fee for admission?There is no application fee. You can apply
online for free!
Oakland does not have a separate scholarship application for academic merit scholarships. Visit the
scholarships website for current deadlines.
Currently, Oakland only offers
scholarships to students entering in the fall semester.
Many university departments have information on scholarships for the students in their department. For information about specific OU scholarships, see the
scholarship page on the
Financial Aid site. Also, search the Internet or visit the library to find out about other scholarship opportunities.
For general undergraduate admission, as well as many arts and sciences programs, the minimum GPA required is a 2.5. However, some academic programs require a 2.8 GPA minimum.
•Which OU programs require a higher GPA for admission?OU programs that require a higher GPA for admission include:
- Engineering: 2.8
- Nursing: 2.8
- Education: 2.7
- Physical Therapy: 2.8
- Business: 2.6
We can use unofficial transcripts for the admissions process, however, we must receive the official transcripts before the start of the following semester or you will not be allowed to register or be able to obtain an official credit evaluation.
Official transcripts should be mailed to the
Academic Records Office at 101 O'Dowd Hall, Rochester, MI 48309-4401.
No. When applying for admission at the undergraduate level, the transcripts must be mailed by the sending institution directly to Oakland University and must not be handled by the student. The mailing address for Undergraduate Admissions is:
Undergraduate Admissions
101 North Foundation Hall
Rochester MI, 48309
•Do you offer “English as a Second Language” (ESL) classes?
Oakland University offers the following these
ESL courses. These courses are offered through the
English as a Second Language Center in the Department of Linguistics and can be taken for credit. You may call (248) 370-2175 for more information.
To attend Oakland University as a guest student at the undergraduate level, you will need to pick up a Michigan Uniform Guest Application from the records/registrar’s office of your university or
online. That office will then need to complete, sign and affix their seal to the bottom portion of the application. You then complete the rest and mail it to us at:
Oakland University
Office of Admissions
101 North Foundation Hall
Rochester, MI 48309-4401.
If your university is out-of-state, it is very important to make sure that official transcripts are sent to our office along with the application.
As for class availability, schedules are available on OU's
Registrar's site. Often times, various departments on campus know well before schedules are printed which courses are being offered and when. To get in touch with the department or for information, the operator can assist you at (248) 370-2100.
Students who wish to be a guest student at the graduate level should contact the
Office of Graduate Study at (248) 370-3167.
If you do not earn an acceptable composite score, Oakland encourages you to retake the ACT or SAT. Your test score is a good indicator toward your college performance. If you have questions about the ACT requirement, please talk to an admissions adviser. You can contact us at 248-370-3360.
•What are the average GPA and ACT scores for incoming freshmen?The average incoming freshman possesses a 3.2 high school GPA and an ACT composite score of 22.
•What if I change my mind about registration?Students who find it necessary to drop all courses for which they are registered must file an official withdrawal form with the registration office or drop all of their classes via SAIL Web. See the
drop / withdrawal page on the Office of the Registrar’s website for more information.