Each application for graduate admission is evaluated on an individual basis. Once your application and all of your supporting documents are received in the grad admissions office, they go through an initial evaluation. Your application file is then passed along to a faculty admissions committee within the department to which you are applying. The faculty committee makes a recommendation for an admission or denial, which is approved by the Academic Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Minimum Requirements of Admission Include:
- A bachelor's degree (or its equivalent) earned at an accredited college or university. (See the chart titled "International Degrees Equivalent to a U.S. Bachelor's" for international equivalencies.)
- A 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or better cumulative grade point average (GPA) calculated on the last 60 credit hours of course work completed in your undergraduate program and available at the time of application for admission.
- A 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or better GPA in all relevant graduate work for which a grade has been awarded.
- GRE Exam scores (if required by the academic program — see Requirements Chart.pdf for specific GRE requirements).
- Praxis I Exam scores for all Master's and Certificate programs in Teaching. (See Requirements Chart.pdf for specific requirements.)
- For international students whose native language is not English and who do not possess an undergraduate or graduate degree from an accredited U.S. institution, TOEFL test scores of at least 600 (paper) or 100 (internet IBT); or a minimum IELTS score of 7.
- An applicant for graduate study may be admitted without reference to the undergraduate average provided that he or she has maintained either a 3.3 cumulative grade point average in a master's degree program completed at an accredited institution; or has maintained a 3.5 cumulative grade point average in the last 12 credit hours which are part of a master's or doctoral degree program still in progress at the time he or she applies; or in graduate work taken in nondegree status at American University and applicable to the degree program for which he or she is applying.
How to Apply
:- Fill out an application form, either online or download an application. It is strongly recommended that you apply online. As an incentive to apply online, the application fee is $50 rather than the $80 paper application fee. Submit all required transcripts, recommendation letters, test scores, writing samples, and statement of purpose. For specific requirements for individual programs, see our Requirements Chart and Application Procedures.
- Keep a copy of all of your documents, and be sure to submit your application by the required deadline for your program. Our peak review period is between January 1 and April 1.
- Check your application status – if you applied online, you may log in to your application account at any time to check on the status of your application. If you applied using the paper form, you can check your application status by emailing us at CASGRAD@american.edu
- Waiting for a decision – Admissions decisions are released as soon as the faculty admissions committee and the academic dean render a decision. You will receive your notification by postal mail.
Deadlines
CAS generally uses a rolling admissions process. That means that you can submit your application throughout the year allowing sufficient time to be evaluated before the beginning of the semester, but not meeting a specific deadline. However, there are deadlines for some graduate programs and merit award applications. Please check the Requirements Chart for deadlines for specific programs. All applicants who would like to be considered for CAS financial aid should submit their applications by February 1 unless an earlier date is specified in the requirements chart.
