UTPA Helpdesk

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Tuition and Funding

2. Prospective Students

3. Current Students

Tuition and Funding

Tuition

What is the estimated Tuition cost per semester?
UTPA offers a very competitive cost of attendance. For detailed information please review the following links: Cost of attendance Estimated Tuition and Fee Information

Financial Aid

Do you offer scholarships?
You may check with financial aid and scholarships section on the Graduate School Web site for more information.

Can I get financial aid to partially pay the fee for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)?
Yes, please review the GRE section for detailed information.

Online Application

If I decide not to enroll, can I use my application again?
Each application will be kept on file for one year.

Can I edit my Application if I have already submitted it?
Please make sure that you have completed all sections of your application before hitting the submit button as it will then be downloaded for review by the graduate office. You may not edit your application once it has been submitted.

I am having issues with my online application. who should I contact?
Please contact support@embark.com and copy our office (gradschool@utpa.edu) or visit http://support.embark.com (this also apply for recommenders).

Admissions

How can I find out the status of my application?
You can review your status login on at the Application Web site.

Who is my advisor?
In many cases your Graduate Advisor is your Graduate Program Director. If not, they will be able to tell you who is. Please visit Program Contact Information.

When is the deadline to apply for my program?
Each program has its own deadline, please review the deadlines section at the Graduate School Web site.

General Questions

When will the new catalog be available?
The 2009-2011 Graduate Catalog is now available online at our Web site.

What happens if I don’t bring the original documents after the application is submitted or during the first semester?
Students not complying with this requirement will not be able to register for future semesters. Failure to submit a complete/correct application and official transcripts from all institutions attended will result in one of the following: rejection of application, withdrawal of admission offer or disciplinary action including expulsion if the student is enrolled.

How long does the Graduate School keep my files?
Please review the Student File Retention Schedule

Transcripts

Where do I need to send my official transcripts?
Official college transcripts are to be sent to the Graduate Studies office directly from all the institutions attended. If the applicant attended UTPA at any time, those official transcripts will be handled by the Graduate Studies office; however, the applicant is responsible for requesting official transcripts to be sent directly from all other institution(s).

What is the Graduate School mailing address?
Please request that your official transcripts be mailed directly to the address listed below. It is important that you include the office name and room number to ensure proper delivery.

The University of Texas-Pan American
Office of Graduate Studies
Administration Building Room 116
1201 W. University Drive
Edinburg, Texas 78539

What does official transcript mean?
Transcripts must be sealed and sent directly from the institution to be considered official. Transcripts will be considered unofficial if they are hand delivered by the applicant or third party regardless if sealed by the institution. If sent directly from the university or college, a transcript can be considered official if received by fax or email.

If I was enrolled as an undergrad student at UTPA, do I need to request official transcripts to be sent to the Graduate School?
If you attended UTPA at any time, UTPA official transcripts will be handled by the Graduate School; however, you are responsible for requesting official transcripts to be sent directly from all other institutions attended – including coursework transferred to UTPA.

How long do you keep my transcripts?
Admission documents will remain on file for one year if the applicant does not attend the University. Documents will be retained for seven years for students enrolled in a master’s level program and for ten years for students enrolled in a doctoral program. Please review the Student File Retention Schedule for more details.

Do I still need to submit official transcripts if the coursework is on the UTPA transcript?
Even though you have transferred courses to the UTPA transcript, you are still required to provide official transcripts from all universities or colleges attended.

Can I request submitted documents to be returned to me?
All submitted documents become the property of UTPA and will not be returned.

International Applicants

Who is considered an international student?
Any student that is not: a U.S. Citizen, a U.S. Legal Permanent Resident or a Political Asylee to the U.S.

How many credit hours do I need to be enrolled if I have a F1 visa?
Nine credit hours per semester is the minimum; please contact the office of International Admissions and Services for more details.

How much financial support do we need to provide?
The usual amount will be $22,000.00 per year. It depends on the personal situation (if you have dependants, if you are considered Texas Resident for Tuition purposes, etc.)

What is the TOEFL institution code for UTPA?
Institution Code: 6570 University of Texas-Pan American

For how long is a TOEFL score valid?
TOEFL scores have a two year validity period. For more information on the TOEFL, please review the TOEFL section.

For how long is a IELTS test score valid?
IELTS scores have a two year validity period. For more information on the IELTS, please review the IELTS section.

International Students from which universities are not required to send transcripts to FCSA?
Monterrey Tec (ITESM)
Universidad de Monterrey
Universidad de las Américas

Does the Indian 15-year Degree plan meet the requirements for a Master's degree?
According to Foreign Credential Services of America, depending on the undergraduate University and the degree conferred it might be sufficient. Note: This depends on the evaluation by Foreign Credential Services of America.

Is an Evaluation of Educational Records necessary?
International applicants must have their transcript(s) evaluated by Foreign Credentials Service of America (FCSA). Click here for the FCSA application. Additional information is available at www.fcsa.biz or (512) 459-8428.

Do I need to send the original transcripts to Foreign Credentials Service of America (FCSA)?
Not anymore. You may send copies of your transcripts to FCSA. Then you must bring the original copy of the transcript to the Office of Graduate Studies and a copy will be made and placed in the student’s file. This can be done at any point after the application is submitted or during the student’s first semester, but must be done before the student registers for the second semester.

What documents do I have to submit to FCSA?
To complete an academic credentials evaluation, you must submit:

Completed FCSA application
Photocopies of your academic documents
Certified translations of the academic documents if they are not in English
Note: All translations must be certified unless the native language is Spanish, in which case it does not need to be a certified translation.
Payment—check, money order or credit/debit card (information to be entered on “Payment” section of the application).

Can I submit those online?
You may send the documents electronically via fax or scanned email attachments.
If you have questions about FCSA please contact:
Foreign Credentials Service of America
1910 Justin Lane
Austin, TX 78757-2411
Phone: (512) 459.8428
Fax: (512) 459.4565
Website: www.fcsa.biz
Email: info@fcsa.biz

Is proof of mandatory medical insurance required for international students?
The Board of Regents of the UT-System schools requires that all international students be billed medical insurance every semester. The Board of Regents has granted an exception for Mexican Nationals attending institutions of UTPA, TEP, UTB, and TAMIU. The minimum coverage is $50,000 Medical Benefits, $10,000 Medical Evacuation, $7,500 Repatriation and $500 Deductible. Waivers may be requested if you have proof of your own insurance that is equal to or exceeds these minimums, and that will cover you while in the U.S. For more information visit Office of International Admissions Web site.

For more information about the International Students section please contact:
Office of International Admissions and Services (OIAS)
The University of Texas-Pan American
LAC156 1201 W. University Drive
Edinburg, TX 78541-2999
Telephone: 956/665-2922
Web Site: www.utpa.edu/dept/isa/
E-mail: intladvise@utpa.edu

Domestic Applicants with non-US-transcripts

I am not considered an international students yet my transcripts are not from the US. Do I need a foreign credential evaluation?
Yes, domestic applicants who attended foreign universities should evaluate their transcripts through FCSA.

I am a domestic applicant; do I need to take the TOEFL?
If your transcripts are not from the US, please review the TOEFL section to check if you will need the exam. Depending on the country you may or may not need to take it.

Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT)

What is GMAT?
“The Graduate Management Admission Test® (GMAT) is a standardized assessment, delivered in English, which helps business schools assess the qualifications of applicants for advanced study in business and management” (GMAC, 2009).

Where can I find the valuable information about the GMAT?
For more information visit the GMAT section of the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) website by clicking here.

How do I schedule a GMAT appointment?
Just click on the following link: schedule an appointment now

Which UTPA programs require GMAT scores?
Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Accountancy (MACC), and the Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration (Ph.D.).

For how long is a GMAT score valid?
Score Reports from tests taken up to 10 years ago are available from the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), but if you have a score within five years, only scores from the last five years will be reported.

Does UTPA accept scores taken over five years ago?
If you are applying for the Master in Business Administration (MBA) or the PhD in Business Administration, only scores taken within the last five years are accepted. If you are applying for the Master of Accountancy (MACC), you may submit scores taken up to ten years ago.

What will be the good score to be accepted in the program?
It depends on the program and on your GPA. The minimum score for unconditional admittance for the MBA program is 400 (along with a 3.0 GPA).

Does UTPA have GMAT Tutoring?
We do offer free GMAT Tutoring courses each semester; they are 2 days out of the week (usually Fridays and Saturdays) for 4 to 5 weeks. For the next available dates or more information please contact Priscilla Gonzalez, MBA program secretary, at 956/665-3313 or pgonzalezz14@utpa.edu

What is the Institution code for UTPA?
GMAT Institution code for UTPA is 6570

Registration

How do I register
Below are registration instructions and important links that will help you to register. Please follow your official degree plan when registering and consult with your graduate program advisor if you have any questions. Your UTPA username and password will be used to access all online student services. This is the same username and password required to use the computer labs and access your UTPA e-mail.

Registration Instructions

1. Go to Assist or http://assist.utpa.edu

2. Click on Enter Online Service for Students, Faculty, and Advisors

3. Log on with your Username and Password

4. Then go to Student Services and click on Registration

5. Select term [semester]

6. Register for classes

How do I get my username and password?
If you have questions regarding your username and password or if you need help creating a UTPA Account Username contact:IT Helpdesk at Academic Services Building at helpdesk@utpa.edu or (956) 665-2020

How can I get my student ID number?
If you don’t know your student ID number, you can retrieve it from the Embark online application program by logging into your account. If you submitted your application before October 4, 2010, click here to access your application. If you submitted your application after that date, click here.

Where can I get more information?
For information about the upcoming semester review the Spring 2011 Registration Bulletin and visit the office of Graduate Studies Web site

Thesis/Dissertation

Submission and Technical Support

How can I submit a multi-part file?
Combine all the sections together as one PDF file and submit that. To make one PDF file from multiple files, open the first PDF file, then choose Document> Insert Pages from Acrobat’s menus to insert the second file (indicate it should go after the last page of the first file), and repeat for all documents. The result will be one combined PDF file which may then be submitted.

How do I change the format of the page numbers for different sections in my Microsoft Word document?
Your manuscript must be submitted as one file. So, create different formats of page numbers or to restart page numbering in the document you’ll need to divide your document into “sections”, and then change the page number format for each section. (Note: That specific step will vary for different versions of Microsoft Word.)
NOTE***In order to prevent you difficulties in the future when submitting your final draft, it is highly recommended for you to create different files: A document with only the roman numerals, another separate document with regular numbers, and another separate document which is going to be the copyright page. By doing this, at the very end when converting them to PDF files (Adobe Acrobat), the process will be much easier and less time consuming for you. Thus, during the final steps of the process all you will have to do is insert all pages (from multiple files) and combine them into one {Refer to PDF Questions}. Click here for detailed instructions

How do I add a portrait page number to a landscape page in Microsoft Word?
From Microsoft Word’s Knowledge Base: If a page of your document is formatted with landscape orientation, the header and the footer of the page are also formatted with landscape orientation. There is an article provided on the following link that describes how to use rotated text in a text box or table to add a page number in portrait orientation to the header or footer layer of a landscape-oriented page. http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=211930.

PDF

Do I have to do anything differently when writing my manuscript?
You simply write your document as you normally would in your word processor, keeping a few tips in mind to improve the quality of the PDF document:

Spacing and pagination: Use tabs instead of a series of spaces to align text. Insert page breaks instead of a series of paragraphs to start a new page. Use section breaks to change the format between pages in the document. Use your word processor’s tools for creating table of contents and cross references to ensure that pagination is consistent even if the generation of the PDF file causes the pages to shift slightly.
Fonts: According to the Thesis/Dissertation Manual the Time New Roman font is to be used.
Graphics: It’s best to use EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) files rather than bitmaps, GIFs, or JPEG images. Use a high resolution such as 6000-dpi.Avoid using graphic editors that are part of a word processor.
Equations: Microsoft Word users should NOT use Microsoft Word’s Equation Editor. Instead, use italic Times Roman font and Symbol font, along with superscripts and subscripts to create equations.

What settings should I choose when creating the PDF file?
Though each version of the PDF creation software will differ slightly in how you create the file, you should always choose the following options:

Embed all fonts (VERY IMPORTANT!)
Print optimized
Minimum of 600 dpi resolution
Do not encrypt the file. Encrypted PDF files will not be accepted. The text cannot be extracted from them for full text indexing or storage.

Other important tips for creating the best PDF files:

If you are using Adobe products, use Acrobat Distiller to create the highest quality PDF files. Do not use Adobe Acrobat Writer to create the files (Distiller comes with the full version of Adobe Acrobat).
Create the PDF file on the same machine where the original document was created to ensure that the fonts necessary for viewing and printing the resulting PDF file are available during PDF creation. If you create the file on a different computer, please examine the final PDF file to verify that the correct fonts were used throughout the document. Note: These instructions do not apply when using the PDF conversion tool-Found in the ETD Site.

What does “embed all fonts” mean?
When fonts are embedded, readers of your work will be able to see your document as you intended, with the same fonts that you used. If you do not embed all your fonts, and those fonts are not available on the reader’s computer, Adobe Acrobat will make its best guess at what font it should use as a substitute. This can result in significant differences between your original document and what the reader sees (particularly with symbol fonts).

How do I embed my fonts?
These instructions differ depending on what you are using. Click here for detailed instructions

How do I create PDF files from Microsoft Word Documents?
Creating a PDF file from a word processing document is fairly straightforward. Once you have installed the software necessary to write PDF files (For EX: Adobe Acrobat Distiller), you can essentially print to a PDF file instead of printing to paper.

If you are using Adobe Acrobat Distiller and Microsoft Word, the best way to go about creating the PDF file is:

From the Microsoft Word File menu choose Print.
Select Distiller (or “Crate Adobe PDF”) as the printer by choosing it from the “Name” (or “Printer”) drop down list at the top of the print dialog.
Choose “Print Optimized” as the job option.
Click OK (or “Save”) to create the PDF file. You will be prompted to name the file choose where it is saved. Do so, and click Save. (If you’re not prompted to choose the name and location, make note of where the file is being saved as indicate in the Print Dialog.)

What if my manuscript is made up of multiple files?
If your submission consists of multiple documents (such as word processing file, graphics, spreadsheets, etc.). It is best to consolidate them first in one document and then print that file as a PDF document. If you aren’t able to consolidate the files before creating the PDF file, it is possible to combine PDF files using the commands in Adobe Acrobat.

Open the main PDF file in Adobe Acrobat.
Go to the page where you want to insert the additional pages or pages.
Choose “Insert Pages” from the Document menu.
Select and open the PDF file that contains the pages to be inserted.
Verify the settings in the dialog to be sure that you’re inserting the pages in the correct location, and click OK.

How do I do the uploading of my Thesis/Dissertation?
Goto: File - Save As - Word document - Tools - Save Options - Embeded Fonts (click on it-a check mark should appear) - Save - Save As - PDF Conversion tools - File to convert - Convert File (from thumb drive) - PDF (click on the word) - Browse - Save and Continue