Application Instructions and Required Materials
Congratulations on taking this big step to apply!
Prior to beginning your application, we encourage you to review the guidance below on how to apply to our graduate degree programs. Please also review the summary of graduate application deadlines and requirements and letter of recommendation requirements for graduate degree programs within the Graduate School.
It is important that your complete application is submitted by the given program deadline. Only completed applications, with supporting materials, will be forwarded by Howard's Office of Admissions (a separate Office from the Graduate School) to your prospective degree program, whose faculty committee will render a decision on your application.
Department review committees conduct a holistic review of an applicant's academic and professional experiences, academic records, statements of purpose, letters of recommendation, and other factors reflecting a student's academic potential and motivation for successful graduate study.
Starting Your Application
Bachelor's Degree (Minimum Requirement)
Applicants for admission to the Graduate School who are enrolled in their final semester or quarter of their postsecondary education program can apply. At minimum, applicants must have (or will earn before starting at Howard) a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in the United States (U.S.) or the equivalent from an international college or university. For applicants admitted to the Graduate School, official transcripts must demonstrate conferment of a bachelor's degree prior to the start of the term to which a student was admitted. If an applicant's degree is from an educational institution outside the U.S., the institution must be recognized by the ministry of education or commission responsible for higher education in the country where the degree was earned. Some programs may require a master's degree, in addition to a bachelor's degree, for admission.
Create an Account to Begin Your Application
Applicants for admission to the Graduate School must complete and submit an online application using the appropriate CAS online application system. The Graduate School utilizes GradCAS, CSDCAS, PSYCAS, and EngineeringCAS as the centralized online application systems for its relevant graduate degree programs. Please refer to the summary of graduate application deadlines and requirements to access the correct application based on your program of interest (you will see a link to apply for each program). To start an application, you'll first need to create an account. Then filter by "Institution" [Howard University] and select your intended program of study. You must submit a separate application for each program to which you intend to apply.
Completing Your Application
Once you open the online application, you will see multiple sections that need to be completed. Complete all fields for each section of the application. To complete and submit your application, the following minimum application materials are required:
Upload Statement of Academic Interest & Research Goals
Upload to your online application a statement of academic interest and research goals (two to four pages, double-spaced) which describes your motivations and goals related to pursuing your proposed degree program. Check your program's entry requirements webpage listed here for any specific requirements regarding the statement. To strengthen your essay, it is recommended that you speak about your preparation for this field of study, your research interests (and what motivated your interest in this field of study), your research alignment with program faculty (relate the research you imagine yourself doing to the research of faculty in the program to which you are applying), and your academic and professional objectives. What are your specific professional goals? How will obtaining a degree from this particular program, at this particular institution, help you meet your professional goals? Are there distinct research facilities, resources, courses, and/or research opportunities that this program provides that would help facilitate your professional goals?
Ultimately, the statement of academic interest and research goals has three main functions: (1) to highlight your awareness of the field and the work you want to do in it (including commentary on content and methods); (2) to reveal your qualifications and readiness for doing this work; and (3) to convey to the application review committee that your writing is thoughtful, well-organized, and reveals the confidence and awareness needed to pursue research in the field. This statement is distinct from the autobiographical statement and should focus on your past research, present research, and future research and their relation to your professional goals. This information helps the admissions committee evaluate your motivation and aptitude for graduate study.
Upload Autobiographical Sketch/Personal Statement
Upload a second essay to your online application: This essay should be an autobiographical sketch or personal statement (two to three pages, double-spaced) that helps the admissions committee understand how your background (e.g., first-generation graduate student, student leader) and unique experiences will contribute to your intended program and to Howard's scholarly community.
This essay is also an opportunity to explain what motivates you and what experiences will help you persist in completing this program. As appropriate, you may wish to highlight achievements and life events relevant to your studies or to address challenges you experienced that helped shape your educational and professional goals and motivated your desire to pursue this field of study.
The purpose of this essay is to give the admissions committee an understanding of your individual journey toward graduate study. It's also an opportunity for the committee to get to know you beyond your recommendations, transcript, and CV/resume. You may choose to discuss, in brief, any causes for concern in your application (a low GPA, a change in your field of study, etc.).
Upload Current Résumé or Curriculum Vitae
Applicants are asked to upload to their online application a copy of their current résumé or curriculum vitae (CV) listing their current and past employer(s) and professional experiences, and where applicable, any extracurricular or volunteer activities, a list of published work, and any academic honors or awards. There is no page limit, though we recommend a one-to-two-page resume.
Request Online Three Letters of Recommendation
Through the online application portal, applicants will be prompted to provide the contact information of three recommenders (online and certificate programs in the Graduate School require two recommendation letters). Once the student's application is saved, the recommenders will then receive an electronic request via e-mail with instructions for submitting a recommendation through the application portal. Applicants should review the letter of recommendation requirements webpage to identify which evaluator types are accepted by each program. Recommendations can arrive before or after application submission, so applicants do not need to wait for all recommendations to be received before submitting their online application. These letters should be sought from faculty, academic advisors, or individuals sufficiently familiar with the applicant's work to speak to their academic or professional strengths and potential for graduate-level study.
Submit Official U.S. Transcripts (Postsecondary)
Applicants must submit official transcripts from all previously attended institutions of higher education, whether or not a degree or credit was earned, courses were taken as a non-degree student, or the credit appears as transfer credit on another transcript. For each CAS application, official transcripts should be sent electronically to the transcript processing center. For instructions on how to submit official transcripts, please review the link below to the appropriate application for your prospective program of study:
How to send official transcripts in GradCAS
How to send official transcripts in CSDCAS
How to send official transcripts in PSYCAS
How to send official transcripts in EngineeringCAS
Unofficial Transcripts: In addition to submitting their official transcripts, applicants can initially upload scanned copies of their transcripts to their online application. However, these will be considered "unofficial," and if an applicant has been admitted and would like to enroll, the student will be required to submit all final official transcripts by the deadline given in their admission correspondence prior to the start of the term to which a student was admitted.
Submit Foreign Transcript Evaluations (Postsecondary)
Applicants who attended a university outside of the U.S. must electronically submit to Howard University an official course-by-course evaluation report from a credential evaluation service with electronic delivery such as World Education Services (WES) or a current NACES member. In order to ensure that U.S. accreditation standards, degree, course, and credit equivalencies are met, transcripts from higher education institutions outside of the U.S. must be evaluated by a recognized foreign educational credential evaluator from the list below:
World Education Services (WES)
International Education Evaluation (IEE)
Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE)
In addition to electronically submitting their official course-by-course evaluation report to Howard University, applicants should also upload copies of their transcript evaluation report directly to their online application to expedite review. If the documents are not in English, they must be accompanied by an official translated copy. All documents must bear the same name that appears on the admissions application. For instructions on how to submit official foreign transcript evaluations, please review the link below to the appropriate application for your prospective program of study:
How to send official foreign transcript evaluations to GradCAS
How to send official foreign transcript evaluations to CSDCAS
How to send official foreign transcript evaluations to PSYCAS
How to send official foreign transcript evaluations to EngineeringCAS
Unofficial Transcript Evaluations: In addition to submitting their official foreign transcript evaluations, applicants can initially upload scanned copies of their transcript evaluations to the online application. However, these will be considered "unofficial," and if an applicant has been admitted and would like to enroll, the student will be required to submit all final official foreign transcript evaluations by the deadline given in their admission correspondence prior to the start of the term to which a student was admitted.
Additional Application Components
We encourage applicants to submit materials as early as possible before the applicable deadline. You are responsible for ensuring all supporting documents, including letters of recommendation and academic transcripts, are submitted on time.
Pay the Application Fee
Applicants will be assessed a non-refundable application processing fee when submitting their online application. Applicants are responsible for paying this fee online whether or not they are offered admission or choose to enroll. Applications will not be processed until an applicant pays the application fee.
Equal Opportunity Statement
Howard University admits qualified students of any age, sex, religion, race, sexual orientation, color, disability, and/or national or ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate based on age, sex, religion, race, sexual orientation, color, disability, and/or national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletic and other school-administered programs.