Admission Requirements

Scholastic Requirements

Depending on the intended program, an applicant must have earned a bachelor’s from an accredited institution whose requirements for the degree are substantially equivalent to those of the City University. In addition, the applicant must complete the prerequisites specified by the program, submit evidence that he or she shows promise of ability to carry out research, and be approved by the admissions committee of the program in which he or she intends to specialize.

Requirements for International Students

Graduates of foreign colleges and universities who meet the standards of admission equivalent to those described above may be considered for admission to the City University’s doctoral pro- grams. The applicant must present authoritative evidence of sufficient competence in the English language to pursue a regular course of study at the City University. An applicant who has not studied in an English-speaking country must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test.

A student residing alone in New York City should have at least $44,000 for the year to cover tuition, books, room, board, and personal expenses. International students must review financial requirements for visa applications.

University assistance for which international students are eligible to compete is limited and may not be adequate to fund the student’s total expenses. Before receiving a visa for en- trance into the United States in a student status, students must certify that they will have sufficient support for the entire period of their stay in the United States while pursuing a full-time program of study. Instructions for applying for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) to study in the United States may be accessed at www.gc.cuny.edu/International-Students.

Application Deadlines

Application deadlines for admissions vary. Visit our website for program deadlines at https:// www.gc.cuny.edu/admissions.

Financial Assistance

A student wishing to apply for financial assistance should refer to the listing of awards in a later section of this bulletin as well as our website for application dates and other pertinent information. An admissions applicant seeking financial assistance must submit both the admissions and financial forms and supporting documents by the award deadline date.

Transfer of Credit

A maximum of 30 acceptable graduate credits taken at other institutions may be applied toward the doctoral degree, provided the courses were completed with a grade of B or higher within an appropriate period of time and are equivalent to comparable courses at the City University. In the case of master’s programs, a total of 12 credits may be approved for transfer. Requests for transfer of credits should be initiated with the program. In the case of uncertainty, the Office of the Provost will make the final determination of the acceptance or denial of transfer credit.

Credit Hour Policy

All Graduate Center degree and certificate programs are approved by the New York State Education Department (NYSED). The Graduate Center credit hour policy for degree and certificate pro- grams is consistent with NYSED guidelines and with the U.S. Department of Education’s definition of a credit hour. The Graduate Center's policy is that, for each credit hour assigned to a course, a minimum of 3 hours of combined in-class and out-of-class work are required per week for 15 weeks. The relative proportions of in-class and out-of-class time are determined at the program level. As all Graduate Center courses are graduate courses, out-of-class work of- ten constitutes a higher proportion of the total 3 hours as compared to typical undergraduate courses. For individual programs’ implementations of the policy, please see their sections in this bulletin.

The first table below shows the in-class and out-of-class work requirements associated with traditional Graduate Center courses carrying different credit assignments. The second table shows the work requirements associated with one-to-one courses.

Regular Courses: In-Class and Out-Of-Class Work Requirement

One-To-One Courses: Work Requirement