Applying for Graduate School

The School of Graduate Studies admission requirements are noted below:

• Online graduate admission application
• $50 application fee (non-refundable)
• Official transcripts from all universities and colleges attended
• Personal statement (check whether the degree program has specific criteria/guidelines for this document)
• Minimum 2.75 GPA (note: some programs may have a higher GPA requirement)
• If you have not already done so or your residency determination has expired and you intend to claim NC residency for tuition purposes (in-state tuition), you are required to complete the NC Residency Determination Services application.

Departments may have additional admission requirements.  These requirements vary from program to program. For example, some departments may require the following supporting documents:

• Resume
• Writing sample
• Letters of recommendation (Some programs require at least two, and some require at least three.  Also, some programs require that the person that is recommending you is a former professor, field supervisor, or employer supervisor.)
• Interview
• Specific foundation courses
• GRE or GMAT (The Graduate Record Examination [GRE] can be taken here at the NCCU Testing Center by registering for the exam at GRE Test Registration and selecting North Carolina Central University as the testing location.)

For program application deadlines, please note that not all programs have the same deadline date.

Application Deadlines

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A visiting (non-degree seeking) graduate student is considered a special student who desires to enroll in an NCCU graduate course without being admitted to a graduate degree program. This includes students admitted to a UNC System school who wish to enroll in an NCCU graduate course through the interinstitutional agreement.  Any time a prospective student is interested in enrolling in an NCCU graduate course without being admitted to an NCCU graduate degree program, the student must notify the respective graduate program director/coordinator of his intent.  The department is responsible for informing this type of student if space is available in the course(s) in which the prospective student intends to enroll.

Admission requirements for visiting and non-degree-seeking applicants include the following:

• Online graduate admission application
• $50 non-refundable application fee
• Official transcripts from all schools attended
• Personal statement indicating what program you wish to take courses in and why
• If you have not already done so or your residency determination has expired and you intend to claim NC residency for tuition purposes (in-state tuition), you are required to complete the NC Residency Determination Services application.
• It is the visiting student's responsibility to confirm with the department in which the course is offered that there is no course enrollment restriction limiting enrollment only to students admitted to the degree program.

Note:  An individual admitted as a visiting (non-degree seeking) student is not eligible for university funding or student loans. Additionally, individuals who later wish to seek admission to the degree program are limited to the number of credit hours that will be accepted and counted towards degree completion. This information can be verified with the graduate program coordinator/director for the program.

If you are interested in taking courses in a program whose department is under the auspices of the School of Education, you will apply as a "special" student and you must select "Education Undecided Special" as your program.  All others will apply as "special" and must select "Graduate Studies Undecided" as your program.

Transfer of graduate credits from another institution may be considered if the following criteria are met:

• The course is graduate level at an accredited university;
• The student earned at least a grade of “B” or equivalent in each course for which credit is to be transferred;
• The adviser, department chairperson, and dean of the college approve the course as part of the student’s graduate program; and
• The courses do not exceed the time limit for completing the master or PhD degree program.