Admission to Graduate Programs

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 General

An applicant for admission to Hunter College as a matriculated student in any of the master’ s programs must meet the following minimum requirements in order to be considered: (For admission to the School of Social Work, see Silberman School of Social Work   section of this catalog.)

1. The student must hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution, comparable in standard and content to a bachelor’s degree from Hunter College.
   
   Degrees granted on the basis of work completed at institutions which are not fully accredited, or on the basis of nonacademic prior learning, test scores, and other than organized supervised course work in academic subjects may not be considered comparable.
    
2. The student must demonstrate ability to pursue graduate work successfully. In general, the minimum requirements for consideration are an undergraduate average of B in the area in which the student wishes to specialize and an average of B minus in the undergraduate record as a whole. Applicants are required to submit official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended other than Hunter College.
    
3. For admission in the School of Arts and Sciences, the student is usually required to present at least 18 credits of previous work in the area of specialization acceptable to the school or department concerned and two letters of reference. See specific program descriptions for additional requirements.
   
   For admission to the School of Education, the student is usually required to present at least 36 credits of previous liberal arts and science courses and a liberal arts or science major of at least 30 credits. See specific program descriptions for detailed requirements.
    
4. Competency Examinations
   
   The Graduate Record Examination: The general aptitude test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required of most applicants to the School of Arts and Sciences and to the School of Health Sciences. See specific program descriptions regarding this requirement. It is not required for the School of Education or the School of Nursing.

Applicants should write directly to:
Graduate Record Examination, Educational Testing Service
Box 6000, Princeton, NJ 08541-6000
(609) 771-7670
http://www.gre.org
for full information and arrangements to take the test. The GRE should be taken no later than February for fall admission and September for spring admission. The Hunter College institution code is 2301.

The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)* is required of all applicants whose native language is not English and/or who have taken all or part of their post-secondary education in a country where English is not the native language. Such applicants, regardless of country of citizenship or U.S. permanent resident status, must take this examination. Depending on the program selected, an applicant may also be required to take the TWE (Test of Written English) and the TSE (Test of Spoken English), also administered by the Educational Testing Service.

Applicants should plan to take these examination(s) at least nine months before their intended date of enrollment. Information about TOEFL, TWE, and TSE can be obtained by writing to TOEFL Bulletins, P.O. Box 6151, Princeton, NJ 08541-6151-(609) 771-7100-http://www.toefl.org. The Hunter College institution code is 2301. 

International Students

An international applicant for admission to Hunter College is expected to have a firm command of the English language before he/she applies. No provisional admission is offered whereby a student may come to the university and spend a semester or a year learning English at the college.

If the applicant plans to enter or remain in the U.S. on a student visa (F-1), it will be necessary to complete a Certification of Finances form and provide documented proof of financial support confirming that he or she has the funds necessary to cover all college tuition and personal expenses (approximately $35,275 per year). This form and documentation are required in order to obtain the I-20 AB Certificate of Eligibility. This procedure takes place after determination of academic eligibility and before registration for the first semester, and is carried out under the auspices of the International Students Office in the Office of Student Services.

Note: Overseas applicants who are interested in attending Hunter College are advised not to come to the U.S. on a B-2 visitor’s visa. Unless prearranged through the American consul (and unless the visa is marked “prospective student”), the B-2 visitor’s visa will not be changed to the F-1 student visa once the applicant enters the U.S. The I-20 form (required by the U.S. Immigration Office) is issued only to students who have been accepted as full-time matriculants.

Applicants are responsible for the payment of all tuition fees at the time of registration. International students must be in a position to finance the cost of their education and living expenses as college-based financial assistance is not available.

Hunter College does not make housing arrangements for students; it is essential that students be prepared to make their own housing arrangements before arrival.

Note: Academic credentials from non-U.S. institutions are evaluated by the Office of Graduate Admissions in order to establish U.S. baccalaureate degree equivalency. Applicants need not submit third party equivalencies; however, they must submit official English translations of academic records written in languages other than English. The evaluation is conducted in accordance with minimum criteria set by the Hunter College Senate, and it takes place before the completed application is referred to the departmental admissions committee.

*Minimum satisfactory score on the TOEFL is 550-600 on the paper based test or 213-250 on the computer administered test or 60-75 (less speaking component) on the TOEFL IBT, depending upon the curriculum.

Application Procedure

Applicants may apply to only one program for any given semester; please decide which of our programs is the most appropriate before filing the application. The deadline for applications varies by program. The earliest deadlines are January 15 for fall admission and September 1 for spring admission. Applicants are responsible for submitting their application and supporting application materials by the deadline for their desired graduate program. More information on the exact application deadlines can be found at: http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/graduateadmissions/applying/deadlines/degree-applications.

Applying for admission to a graduate program at Hunter College is a two-step process. The first step is completing the online Application for Graduate Degree Admissions. Hunter College offers a web-based application for graduate degree admission which can be accessed at:  https://app.applyyourself.com/?id=Hunter-G. The second step is collecting and submitting the required supporting application materials, such as letters of recommendation and official transcripts from each institution attended. Applicants are responsible for collecting all supporting documents needed for the review and evaluation of their applications and submitting them before the application deadline.  Supporting application materials must be mailed in one envelope to: Graduate Admissions, 223 Noth, 695 Park Ave., New York, NY, 10065 for applicants applying to the School of Arts & Sciences, School of Education, School of Health Professions, and School of Nursing. Applicants to the School of Social Work must mail their supporting application materials to:  Office of Admissions, Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College, 2180 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10035. Specific information for applying to the School of Social Work can be found at: http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/socwork/prospective-students/prospective-students.html

Additional information on submitting the supporting application materials can be found at: http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/graduateadmissions/applying/degree-application/supporting-application-documents.

Applicants to some graduate programs may be asked for additional materials and may be interviewed by a member of the program to which the application is made.

Credentials submitted in support of an application become the property of Hunter College and will not be released to the applicant or transmitted to a third party, except for those foreign certificates considered irreplaceable. Original foreign documents will be returned to the applicant only if, at the time of filing, they are accompanied by photocopies.

Application Fee

 A $125 application fee is required of all applicants. Applications submitted without the fee cannot be processed.  You can pay your application fee via credit card online when you are ready to submit your online application form or you can mail a check or money order to the Graduate Admissions Office.  Please make checks or money orders payable to Hunter College. If a check is written for you by someone else, be sure your name appears on the face of the check. Those currently attending Hunter as graduate non-degree students who are applying for degree status need not pay this fee. As the application fee is devoted to the administrative cost of processing all applications, it is not refundable under any circumstances, regardless of the outcome, the date of filing, the time of review, or, if for whatever reason, the application is withdrawn.

 Admission Status

Applicants are approved for admission by the graduate adviser or coordinator of the program and the appropriate dean under any one of the following categories:

1. Matriculated – For matriculation, students must fulfill all the requirements for admission.
2. Matriculated with conditions – Students whose undergraduate training is inadequate, but who are otherwise qualified, may be admitted with not more than 6 credits of course conditions to either the School of Arts and Sciences or to the Schools of the Health Professions, and with not more than 12 credits of course conditions to the School of Education. Such students are expected to satisfy their conditions by eliminating all deficiencies within one year of matriculation if admitted to a program in the School of Arts and Sciences and the Schools of the Health Professions, and within three semesters in the School of Education.
   
   Note: Applicants admitted to matriculated status who wish to delay their admission to the following semester must reapply by filing a new application prior to the next semester’s deadline. Credentials submitted in support of the original application need not be resubmitted.
   
   
3. Nonmatriculated – A formal application must be filed in the Office of Admissions, Room 203 HN, 695 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10065, approximately two months before registration. The undergraduate degree must be equivalent to at least a U.S. bachelor’s degree. If the application and supporting material are acceptable, registration material will be sent with further instructions. Applicants should present a student copy of their undergraduate transcripts as well as a copy of the undergraduate catalog(s) to the departmental adviser in order to obtain course approval. The nonmatriculation application fee of $125.00 will be charged when the student registers.

Acceptance to nonmatriculated status does not imply approval to take a specific course. This approval rests solely with the graduate program adviser involved. Students should consult the graduate program adviser in the appropriate department for specific information.

To be considered for possible matriculation, a nonmatriculated student must have earned grades of B or better for the course credits taken. For most programs in education, 9 credits must be presented with a minimum grade point average of 3.0. This requirement is in addition to the college and program admission requirements for matriculation.

A separate application for matriculated status must be completed and can be filed while the nonmatriculated courses are in progress. The application for matriculated status must be filed by the appropriate deadline for the individual program desired. Consult the Application for Graduate Degree Programs for specific dates.

A nonmatriculated student may be limited to 12 credits (check with departmental adviser). A minimum grade point average of 3.0 must be maintained.

Registration as a nonmatriculant does not entitle an international student to an I-20 AB (Certificate of Eligibility).

Approval of Credit from Nonmatriculant to Matriculant Status

Approval will automatically be granted for courses taken in support of the degree if the grades received are B or higher. Approval is not automatic for courses in which the grade received is less than B, nor for courses not required for the degree. To have such a course considered for approval, the student must submit a credit approval form, which may be obtained in the Office of Graduate Admissions. Note: Grades in courses taken as a nonmatriculant at Hunter will be calculated into the student’s grade point average (GPA) whether approved toward the degree or not.

Transfer of Credit

Students may request transfer credit for relevant graduate courses taken at regionally accredited institutions, including courses taken at Hunter College while matriculated in another degree program, whether or not the master’s degree was awarded.

A form for such a transfer may be downloaded at http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/graduateadmissions/applying/degree-application/transfer-credit.

Transfer of credits is subject to the approval of the department or graduate adviser and to the regulations of the Hunter program in which the student is matriculated. The following additional limitations apply:

1. In order to be counted toward graduation, the course(s) for which transfer credit is requested must have been completed within five years prior to the awarding of the Hunter graduate degree. (A four-year restriction applies to the School of Arts and Sciences.)
    
2. Credits for courses in which the student earned a grade below B, or took a non-letter grade such as a pass/fail option, are not transferable.
    
3. A maximum of 12 credits may be transferred.
    
4. Courses used to satisfy entrance requirements, as well as courses used as part of a previously completed bachelor’s program, may not be transferred.

Note: Grades in courses transferred from other institutions, or from a prior master’s degree program taken at Hunter College, will not be calculated into the student ‘s grade point average (GPA), nor will these grades be posted on the current Hunter College record.

Undergraduates

Upon the recommendation of the student’s undergraduate major or program adviser, and with the approval of the adviser of the graduate program offering the course, highly qualified undergraduate degree students may take graduate courses for credit toward the bachelor’s degree. If it is determined that the courses were not used for the bachelor’s degree and the graduate transfer is acceptable, then the student will be charged the difference between the undergraduate and graduate tuition rates at the time the student took the course. No course may be applied to both the undergraduate degree and the graduate degree.

Readmission: Matriculated and Nonmatriculated Students

A student who has not been in attendance for one or more semesters must apply for readmission to the college. Students who registered for the previous semester and officially withdrew after the third week of classes are not required to file for readmission.

Applications may be downloaded at: http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/graduateadmissions/applying/readmission-application/application-form. The completed form needs to be submitted or mailed to Graduate Admissions, 223 North, 695 Park Ave., New York, NY 10065. There is a $10 nonrefundable readmission fee. The fee is $125.00 for nonmatriculants.

Students who are academically eligible (GPA at least 3.0) and are within their program’s time limit (five years except for the program in the School of Arts and Sciences, which has a time limit of four years) are generally approved for readmission. Applications for readmission must be filed at least two months before the beginning of the semester in which the student plans to resume studies.

Change of Degree Program

A matriculated student who wishes to change from one graduate curriculum to another is required to file formal application for admission and submit an application fee of $125.00 to the Office of Admissions. The application must be filed by the appropriate deadline for the individual program. Please consult the application for specific deadlines.

Courses Outside the Degree Program

It is the responsibility of the graduate adviser to see that matriculated students do not register for any graduate courses outside their program without written permission of the graduate adviser or coordinator of the program in which they are matriculated.

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