Minimum Admissions Requirements
Congratulations on taking the big step of exploring graduate school!
Below are the minimum admission requirements for our degree programs in the Graduate School at Howard. We encourage you to review these requirements before completing your application.
Completion of a Bachelor's Degree
Applicants for admission to the Graduate School have (or will earn before starting at Howard) a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in the United States or the equivalent from an international college or university. For applicants admitted to the Graduate School, official transcripts must demonstrate completion of (and conferment of) a bachelor's degree before starting classes at Howard. In addition, if an applicant's degree is from a college or university outside the United States, the institution must be recognized and approved by the ministry of education or commission responsible for higher education in the country where the degree is earned.
Completion of Online Application
Applicants for admission to the Graduate School must complete an online graduate 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 programs. Please refer to the list of graduate degree programs to see which online application is appropriate based on your program of interest. 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. Finally, you will need to submit a separate application for each program to which you apply.
Statement of Purpose/Academic Interest & Professional Goals
A statement of academic interest and professional goals (otherwise known as the application essay or research statement) that describes your motivations and goals related to pursuing your proposed degree program is required for the online application. Check your program of interest here for any specific requirements regarding the statement. You'll generally want to speak about your preparation for this field of study, research interests (and what motivated your interest in this field of study), and 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 academic and professional objectives. What are your specific professional goals? How can your completion of this program help you meet those goals?
Ultimately, the statement of academic interest and professional 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.
Autobiographical Sketch/Personal Statement
For the autobiographical sketch or personal statement, you must upload to the online application a brief statement to help the admissions committee understand how your background (e.g., first-generation graduate student, service leadership) and personal experiences will contribute to the Howard University community. It's 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 any obstacles or challenges you experienced that helped shape your educational and professional goals and motivated your desire to pursue this field of study. The purpose of the autobiographical or personal statement is to give the admissions committee an impression of who you are as an individual and your journey toward graduate study. It's also an opportunity for the review committee to get to know you beyond your letters of recommendation, your transcript, your CV/resume, and your statement of academic interest. Finally, this statement is an opportunity for you to discuss, in brief, any causes for concern in your application (a low GPA, a change in your field of study, etc).
Three (3) Letters of Recommendation
Applicants for admission to the Graduate School must request and submit three (3) letters of recommendation via the online application (Graduate Certificate programs require at least 2 letters of recommendation). Once you save the contact information for a reference in the online application, that individual will receive instructions via e-mail for submitting a letter of recommendation on your behalf. Recommendations can arrive before or after application submission, so you do not need to wait for all recommendations to be received before submitting your online application. These letters should be sought from faculty, academic advisors, or supervisors sufficiently familiar with your work to speak to your academic or professional strengths and your potential for graduate-level study.
Official U.S. Transcripts (Postsecondary)
Applicants must submit official transcripts from each institution of higher education attended, 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. How to send official transcripts: to GradCAS, to CSDCAS, to PSYCAS, and to EngineeringCAS. In addition to submitting their official transcripts, applicants can initially upload copies of their transcripts to the online application. However, these will be considered "unofficial," and admitted applicants will be required to submit all final official transcripts by a deadline given prior to registering for classes.
Official Foreign Transcripts (Postsecondary)
Applicants who attended universities outside of the U.S. must have their foreign transcripts evaluated by World Education Services (WES) or by a current NACES member with electronic delivery (IEE, ECE, WES-ICAP) and submit this course-by-course credential evaluation, showing all coursework, grades and proof of the degree earned, via the online application. 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. Applicants should also upload copies of this evaluation directly to the application to expedite review. How to send official foreign transcript evaluations to: GradCAS, CSDCAS, PSYCAS, and EngineeringCAS.
Current Résumé or Curriculum Vitae
Applicants for admission to the Graduate School must upload to the online application a current résumé or curriculum vitae (CV) listing their current and past employer(s) and professional experiences, 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.
Additional Admissions 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.
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.