Admission

The Ratcliffe Hicks School of Agriculture (RHSA) serves students who have a variety of interests and career goals. Some students graduate from Ratcliffe Hicks with an associate’s degree and enter a career field related to their studies. For other students who wish to further their education, RHSA serves as a launching pad into a baccalaureate program. RHSA graduates who successfully complete the program with a cumulative grade point average of 2.7 or above may apply to transfer into the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources. The Ratcliffe Hicks School of Agriculture also welcomes adult and non-traditional students who are looking to pursue their passion and earn an associate’s degree.

How to Apply

Students who are applying to the University of Connecticut are asked to indicate a first and second choice school/college and major.* This ranking option allows students who are interested in Ratcliffe Hicks to list the program as first or second choice. If you are interested in applying to the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources for admission as a baccalaureate student with interests in animal, urban forestry, and/or plant sciences, you may want to consider listing RHSA as a second choice on your application. Students can also select a first and second choice campus. Ratcliffe Hicks is only available at the Storrs campus.

Explore the menu options above for where on the application to declare RHSA as your first or second choice, depending on whether you are applying as a freshman or transfer student.

*Please note that “first choice” means the major you want the most, and “second choice” means the major you want to be considered for if your first choice is not available. 

Once admitted, matriculated (i.e., formally admitted through the UConn Admissions process) students may select full-time or part-time schedules. Individuals may also choose to register as part-time non-degree (non-matriculated) students. Formal admission into the University is not required to enroll in individual RHSA courses.

Cost

Since they receive the same services as in UConn’s baccalaureate programs, the annual cost is the same to attend RHSA. To see the cost of attending UConn, please visit the Bursar’s Office.

RHSA students may be eligible for reduced tuition through the New England Regional Student Program. Students pursuing Animal Science, who are residents of Maine, Rhode Island, or Vermont are eligible; students pursuing Plant Science, who are residents of Maine, New Hampshire, or Rhode Island are eligible; and Urban Forestry and Arboriculture students who are residents of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont, or Rhode Island are eligible. Get an overview of how the program works by visiting the New England Board of Higher Education website.

RHSA students are also eligible to apply for College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources scholarships. Incoming students are automatically considered and need not apply.