Application Steps and Required Materials
Before Starting Your Application
Research Graduate Program(s) of Interest
Prior to beginning your application, we encourage you to review the summary of graduate application deadlines and requirements and letter of recommendation requirements for degree programs within the Graduate School as well as the guidance below on how to apply to our graduate degree programs. Each of our degree programs has a Program Entry Requirements webpage link in the first column of the summary page that provides a list of the materials you are required to submit in your online application.
It is important that your complete application is submitted by the given program deadline. Only submitted 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)
At a minimum, applicants for admission to the Graduate School 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. Applicants enrolled in their final semester or quarter of their postsecondary education program may apply. 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, setting up a username and password. You'll be asked to complete your profile and the required fields. When searching for programs to add to your application, filter by "Institution" [Howard University]. Select the programs to which you intend to apply. To add a program to your application, click on the plus "+" sign. Once you've selected the programs you want to apply to, click the "My Application" section. You will find the programs you selected in "Program Materials" subsection.
Completing Your Application
Once you open the online application, you will see multiple sections that need to be completed, including the "Colleges Attended" section, making sure to add all previously attended institutions of higher education, whether or not a degree was earned, courses were taken as a non-degree student, or the credit appears as transfer credit on another transcript. 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 or "Application Essay"
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, relate the research you imagine yourself doing to the research of faculty in your prospective program. Also, highlight briefly your academic and professional goals (how will obtaining a degree from this program help you meet these goals?) Are there distinct research facilities, graduate faculty, or courses that would help facilitate your professional goals?
This essay 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 preparation for doing this work; and (3) to convey 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 or "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
Upload to your online application a copy of your current résumé or curriculum vitae (CV) listing your current and past employer(s) and professional experiences, and where applicable, any extracurricular or volunteer activities, published work, and academic honors or awards. There is no page limit, though we recommend a one-to-two-page resume.
Request Online Three Letters of Recommendation
On the "Program Materials" section of your online application, you will be prompted to provide the contact information for three recommenders (online and certificate programs in the Graduate School require two recommendations). Once your application is saved, your recommenders will then receive an electronic request via e-mail with instructions for submitting their recommendation through the application portal. Guidance on how to request letters of recommendation for each application system is below:
How to request letters of recommendation in GradCAS
How to request letters of recommendation in CSDCAS
How to request letters of recommendation in PSYCAS
How to request letters of recommendation in EngineeringCAS
Review the letter of recommendation requirements to identify which evaluator types are accepted by each program. Recommendations can arrive before or after application submission, so you do not need to wait for all recommendations to be received before submitting your application. You can submit your application before your official transcripts, recommendations, and/or official test scores are received by the application system. These letters should be sought from faculty, academic advisors, or individuals sufficiently familiar with your work to speak to your academic or professional strengths and potential for graduate-level study.
Submit Official U.S. Transcripts (Postsecondary)
You must submit official transcripts from all previously attended institutions of higher education, whether or not a degree 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 can be sent electronically to the relevant CAS application transcript processing center via e-transcript delivery (i.e., Credentials Solutions, Parchment, and National Student Clearinghouse). If your school does not offer any of these services, you can request that your official transcript(s) be submitted via mail to the appropriate CAS transcript processing center. If you do not list or send official transcripts for all institutions attended to the relevant CAS system, the processing of your application will be delayed.
Transcripts must be sent from all US and English-speaking Canadian institutions you listed in the Colleges Attended section of your application. For instructions on how to submit official transcripts, please review in its entirety 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
Uploading Unofficial Transcripts: In addition to submitting your official transcripts, you can initially upload scanned copies of your transcripts to your online application. Any uploaded transcript will be considered "unofficial," and if you are admitted and would like to enroll, you will be required to submit all final official transcripts prior to the start of the term to which you are admitted.
You can submit your application before your official transcripts, recommendations, and/or official test scores are received by the application system.
Submit Foreign Transcript Evaluations (Postsecondary)
If you attended a university outside of the U.S., your official course-by-course evaluation report should be sent from a credential evaluation service with electronic delivery such as World Education Services (WES) or a current NACES member to Howard University. 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 any of the recognized foreign educational credential evaluators listed below:
World Education Services (WES)
International Education Evaluation (IEE) (indicates a 3-day turnaround)
Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE)
You can also order WES or ECE electronic evaluations directly through your online application. The CAS application will only accept the evaluation report from the credentialing agency. Click "Order" after listing your foreign school in the Colleges Attended section. Once the credential evaluation service completes your evaluation, they will send it to the CAS processing center. For instructions on how to submit foreign transcript evaluations, please review in its entirety 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
Uploading Unofficial Transcript Evaluations: In addition to having your official course-by-course evaluation report sent to Howard through one of the credential evaluation services with electronic delivery, you can initially upload a scanned copy of your foreign transcript evaluation(s) to your online application to expedite review. If the documents you are uploading 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. Any uploaded transcript evaluation will be considered "unofficial," and if you are admitted and would like to enroll, you will be required to submit all final official foreign transcript evaluations prior to the start of the term to which you are admitted.
You can submit your application before your official transcripts, recommendations, and/or official test scores are received by the application system.
For Non-native English Speakers
Non-native English speakers who completed a postsecondary degree in a country/region in which the official language is not English are required to demonstrate proficiency in English to meet the Graduate School’s admissions requirement. Applicants demonstrate proficiency if they hold (or will earn before starting at Howard) a bachelor’s or advanced degree from an accredited institution of higher education in the U.S. or from a university outside of the U.S. where English is the primary language of instruction (see list of TOEFL/IELTS-exempt countries here) . All other applicants must achieve at least the minimum score required on either the TOEFL or IELTS test to demonstrate English proficiency. Official test scores must be received by the application deadline. Applicants should allow 6 to 8 weeks from the test date for scores to be received by Howard. See guidelines for the English Language Proficiency Requirement.
See list of TOEFL/IELTS-exempt countries here
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.
Submitting Your Application
You can submit your application before your official transcripts, recommendations, and/or official test scores are received by the application system.
Pay the Application Fee
When you are ready to submit your application, you 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.