The Graduate School accepts applications for designated degree and certificate programs through a secure, electronic submission process. Please see more information below regarding the application process and requirements.
Application Requirements Checklist
Application Form
Submission of the electronic application form will activate your application to the Graduate School. All hard copy documents submitted in support of the application should be submitted according to the guidelines outlined in the sections below. Start your application!
Please note that materials submitted with your application are considered final and cannot be amended once you have submitted your application. Prior to submission, changes can be made to your application. Once submitted, the application is considered final and will be reviewed as submitted. Please check your work carefully before submitting the application.
Statements of Purpose
Academic Statement of Purpose: An Academic Statement of Purpose is required for your application. Be sure to check your academic program of interest for any specific requirements regarding the statement. If there are no specific program requirements, your statement of approximately 500 words should address your intellectual interests, academic and professional objectives, and proposed topic(s) of graduate study. Please review the academic program pages for any additional guidelines for the statement of purpose.
Optional Statement (Diversity, Personal Background, and Contributions): As Georgetown is a diverse, global community, we encourage you to upload a brief statement of up to 500 words to help the Admissions Committee understand the contribution your personal background and individual experiences would make to our community. As appropriate, you may wish to address any educational, familial, cultural, economic, and social experiences that have helped to shape your educational and professional goals; or how your background (e.g., first generation student, resident outside the U.S.) or activities (e.g., community service and leadership) will contribute to the diversity of perspectives and ideas at Georgetown University.
Transcripts, Translations, and Evaluations
Applicants are required to upload to the application copies of official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended where more than 15 credits of coursework have been completed or where program prerequisites have been completed (any number of credits). We consider these uploaded transcripts to be “unofficial” as they are submitted by the applicant. Transcripts from both degree and non-degree coursework provide the admissions committee a more complete picture of academic preparation for graduate study. Only transcripts that have been uploaded to the application by the student are required for the application review. Applicants who receive an offer of admission will be required at that time to submit official final transcripts (transcripts that have been submitted directly to Georgetown University by the institution) for verification prior to enrolling. Do not send electronic or paper copies of your official transcripts before receiving an offer of admission.
- Step 1: Request a copy of your official transcript from your institution.
- Step 2: Upload the transcript to your application.
An acceptable transcript is a copy of an official transcript produced by the institution. This includes:
- Scanned copies of paper transcripts issued by the institution
- Electronic transcripts issued by the institution (not a download from your institution’s web portal)
We do not accept screen shots or photos, and we do not accept downloads of the “student’s view” from your institution’s website.
- International Transcripts: Applicants who have attended institutions outside of the United States are strongly encouraged to upload their transcripts in the form of World Education Services (WES) ICAP evaluations or may utilize other credential evaluation services that are members of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). Applicants should upload this evaluation directly to the application. If the evaluation does not include a copy of the transcripts that were evaluated, applicants must upload both the transcripts from the institution and the credential evaluation as one document to the application. Note: Some programs require a credential evaluation (WES or similar) for international transcripts. Please review the program admission requirements to determine if a credential evaluation is required.
- For transcripts not in English: These documents must be accompanied by an English language version provided by the academic institution. If your institution does not provide English language copies, applicants are responsible for providing a certified or notarized translation along with a copy of the original transcripts. Applicants may upload an evaluation from a credential evaluation service. This must include course and grade information. If not included in the evaluation, the transcript from the institution must be included as well. Both the evaluation and original transcript should be submitted in the application as one document.
- In cases where a certified translation is needed, the translation should be provided by the institution or by a professional translator / translation company. Translations from friends or family members are not accepted. The translator will provide both the translated documents and a signed certification statement. The certification statement will affirm:
- That the translator has reviewed and translated the document with name, signature, and date included
- The completeness and accuracy of the document, and the origin country / language
- The translator’s qualifications.
- The translation and certification statement may be uploaded with the copy of the transcript in the original language.
- Study Abroad and/or Transfer Coursework: If your undergraduate transcripts contain study abroad courses and/or transfer credits showing grades earned, you do NOT need to list these institutions separately or upload transcripts. If courses are not listed on your primary institution’s transcript or the transfer courses do not show course grades, please list the institution(s) separately and upload the transcript(s).
- If an offer of admission is granted and accepted, admitted students will be required to submit final official transcripts from all institutions where a degree has been earned and other institutions as designated in their admissions letter. Additional details for which can be reviewed on our admitted students page. Georgetown University reserves the right to request any missing transcripts or an official copy of a transcript at any point during the application and/or admission process. Georgetown University also reserves the right to withdraw any offer of admission already made if there is any discrepancy between a transcript uploaded in the application and the final official transcript that is received.
Review our Transcript FAQs for additional details regarding required content, format, and submission.
Self-Reported GPA
You will be required to self-report the grade point averages (GPA) for undergraduate and graduate (if applicable) coursework in the Self-Reported GPA section of the application.
The GPA represents the combined GPA of all credits applied toward the primary degree. All applicants will provide the self-reported GPA for their primary undergraduate degree. Those who have attended a graduate program will need to calculate a second GPA for the graduate degree.
As such, please review the steps below to understand what needs to be reported and how to calculate your GPA.
What to Report and Calculate:
- All undergraduate and graduate coursework completed at the time of the submission of the application should be included in the GPA reporting.
- If you attended only one school in the U.S. and the GPA is calculated on a 4.0 scale, please report the cumulative GPA provided within your transcript.
- If you have multiple undergraduate degrees, the most relevant degree GPA should be reported.
- If you attended more than one school in the U.S., review the following criteria:
- If you transferred more than 15 credits from one or more U.S. schools, grades from those schools should be combined to calculate the undergraduate GPA.
- If the primary undergraduate institution accepted only some of the courses taken and specifies which courses were accepted, only the grades for courses transferred should be included in the calculation.
- If fewer than 15 credits were completed at one or more U.S. institutions, even if applied to the degree, they should not be calculated towards the GPA.
- If credits were earned elsewhere but not accepted by the primary degree-granting institution, they should not be calculated towards the GPA.
Other Notes
- Failed courses that appear on your transcript but are not included in the institution’s calculation of the GPA should be included in the calculation
- If a course was repeated, both grades should be included in the calculation.
- If you attended a U.S. school that does not calculate GPAs, or if the school does not issue standard letter grades, the GPA should be self-reported as “CBC” or “Cannot Be calculated”
The following should not be included in the calculation:
- Study abroad credits
- Pass/Fail grades
- Withdraw or dropped coursework/grades
- Graduate coursework should not be included in undergraduate GPA calculation unless counted towards undergraduate degree requirements.
- 15 or fewer credits were completed at another institution, even If those credits were applied to the degree
If you have determined that you will need to calculate your GPA based upon the previous criteria, please follow the steps here to calculate your GPA.
How to Calculate Your GPA
- Download the GPA Calculation Form
- Confirm your institution(s) grade scale.
- GPA must be calculated based upon a 4.0 grade scale
- If not, then you must recalculate grades using the calculation form.
- Confirm Semester Hours
- If you have attended two schools and one school uses 1 unit as a semester hour and the other school uses 3 units as a semester hour, the first school’s values should be multiplied by 3 so that the grades are given equal weight.
- Confirm Academic Credit Hour System
- If one of the schools is on the quarter system and the other is in the semester system, the credit hours are not equivalent and must be converted. One semester hour is equivalent to 1.5 quarters hours, and one quarter hour is equivalent to .667 semester hours. GPA must be calculated to the hundredth decimal point (i.e. 3.15) rounding up or down as necessary). (So, to convert semester hours into quarter hours, multiply by 1.5. To convert quarter hours into semester hours, multiply by .667.)
- Determine which grading scale matches your institutions.
- Select the appropriate tab on the GPA Calculation Form and begin entering the credit hours as required.
- When completed, save the GPA Calculation Form and upload to the Self-Reported GPA section of the online application.
- Additional Notes:
- An A+ should not be counted as 4.3 grade points, as Georgetown does not calculate as such. An A+, should be counted as 4 grade points.
- Failures should be calculated in the GPA
- Pass/Fail credit hours: Some institutions will include Pass/Fail credit hours in the total hours, even though they are not included in the GPA. As a consequence, you will enter the data in the spreadsheet and the resulting GPA will not match the GPA on the transcript. You should always check to see if this is the case when entering data. You can determine if P/F grade hours are included by checking the individual semester totals. Adjust the total number of credit hours as appropriate, and double-check to make sure the GPA for that school is now calculating correctly.
Official Recommendations
Three official recommendations are required by the Graduate School unless your program only mandates two. These recommendations must be from persons in positions to appraise the applicant’s potential for graduate study. Some programs have specific requirements for recommendation providers.
The Graduate School requires use of the online recommendation system, which utilizes a secure online recommendation system that will:
- email your recommendation providers with instructions for online submission of the recommendation
- allow applicants to track recommendations received or not received and follow up with recommenders who still need to submit their appraisals
- expedite the processing of the recommendations, which will be included in the online application once submitted
- automatically notify you when recommendations have been received
Official Test Results
Most departments and programs require applicants to take standardized entrance examinations, such as the GRE, GRE subject tests, GMAT, MCAT or others. Please refer to academic programs for the examinations required by individual programs. All official examination results must be:
- received by the application deadline of the graduate program to which you are applying (we recommend you take the test(s) no later than one month prior to the application deadline for the program).
- received directly from the appropriate testing organization (photocopied/faxed/scanned documents will not fulfill this requirement).
- Note: Do not upload unofficial score reports to the application. Only official scores will be reviewed by the admissions committee.
Submitting Test Scores
Official test scores should be requested and sent to the following:
- GRE Code: 5244
- TOEFL Code: 5244
- IELTS: Submit by electronic score delivery service to Georgetown University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
- GMAT Codes:
- McCourt School of Public Policy: JT7-D8-97
- All other programs: JT7-GJ-96
- MCAT Scores (reporting options below):
- PDF AMCAS Report
- Score Report w/ verification link
- Report scores through AMCAS
English Proficiency: TOEFL/IELTS
All applicants are required to demonstrate a level of proficiency in the English language sufficient to meet the admission requirement of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Proficiency can be demonstrated by the receipt of a bachelor’s or advanced degree from an accredited institution of higher education in the United States or from a university where English is the primary language of instruction (please note that applicants receiving degrees at universities in U.S. territories, such as Puerto Rico, are required to submit the TOEFL or IELTS unless the primary language of instruction at the institution is English).
All other applicants must achieve at least a minimum score on either the TOEFL or IELTS test. Test scores must be received by the application deadline date. Applicants should allow six to eight weeks from the test date for the reporting of scores to the institution. Applications will not be considered without TOEFL/IELTS scores.
- TOEFL: A minimum score of 80 or 100, dependent on program requirements (some programs require a score of a 100), on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Georgetown University’s score reporting code is 5244.
- TOEFL information: http://www.ets.org/toefl/
- IELTS: A minimum score of 7.0 or 7.5, dependent on program requirements, from the International English Language Testing System. Electronic score reporting only.
- IELTS Information: http://www.ielts.org/
Note: Do not upload unofficial score reports to the application. Only official scores provided by the testing agency will be reviewed by the admissions committee.
Resources for International Applicants
- Visa and Immigration Documents: International applicants should not submit supporting financial and sponsorship documentation during the initial application process, but should instead wait until after an official offer of admission has been made. Soon after you confirm your enrollment, you will receive instructions to request a Certificate of Eligibility for F-1 or J-1 status (Form I-20 or Form DS-2019) from the Office of Global Services (OGS).
- Scholarships Financial Aid: International students are eligible for institutional funds (such as assistantships, fellowships and scholarships) and for support drawn from federal and other research grants; however international students are generally not eligible for federal loan money from the United States government. For further information and resources on available funding for international students, please visit the Financial Aid for International Students page.
- EducationUSA: EducationUSA is the U.S. State Department’s network of over 400 advising centers in 170 countries around the world. These centers are designed to assist international students as they prepare to apply to and attend colleges and universities in the United States.
Supplemental Application Data
Some departments and programs require the completion of supplemental data or submission of materials such as writing samples, resumes, and language proficiency forms. Review the application requirements of your program of interest to determine if supplemental questions and/or materials are required. If so, this will be included as an additional section in the application to which may be asked to provide additional information about prior coursework, upload your resume, a writing sample, etc.
Application Fee and Submission
The application must be submitted with a non-refundable application fee. The application fee for the 2024 application cycle is $90. The fee can be paid by Visa or MasterCard only.
Check Receipt of Your Materials and Application Status
When you apply online, you have convenient access to an application status portal. You can verify your address, upload missing materials and review your application checklist to verify what application items have or have not been received. The status page is available after you submit your application and is updated as materials are received. Online recommendations are automatically updated to a status of “received” when submitted by the recommender.
Please note that your online checklist is a tool for you to see what has been received. For more detailed application requirements, please consult your individual program requirements and website.
Eligibility for Admission
Applicants for admission must meet certain eligibility requirements set by the Graduate School and the Graduate Departments and Programs. Applicants are admitted by the Dean of the Graduate School. Admitted applicants who confirm their intended enrollment with the Office of Graduate Admissions will be eligible to participate in Graduate Student Orientation and registration activities.
Admission Review and Admission Criteria
Once an application is received and processed by the Office of Graduate Admissions, the Graduate Department or Program Admissions Committee reviews the application. The length of this review varies by program. A decision recommendation is made to the Graduate School, where a final review of the application takes place. All final decisions on applications are rendered by the Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
Please note: The Graduate School requires that an application fee accompany any application to one of our graduate programs. We do not waive fees. Applicants will not receive a Graduate School decision on their application if the application fee is not paid.
Admission is official upon receipt of an online letter from the Dean of the Graduate School. Admission to a degree program may be granted to applicants:
- who have received a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in the United States or the equivalent from an international college or university;
- who will graduate or have graduated with an average of B or better;
- who meet the academic criteria specified by the department or program and the Graduate School.
Special Student Status
Occasionally, an applicant not meeting the above criteria may be admitted to the Graduate School as a Special Student. Applicants may not apply for Special Student Status, but may be admitted to this status at the discretion of the department or program and the Graduate School. Special Students are not admitted to a degree program and may be enrolled for no more than a single semester. They may take a maximum of six credits of graduate coursework during that semester. Consideration for admission to degree status includes meeting minimum requirements outlined in the Special Student admission letter. Special Students who desire degree status should submit an official, written request to the Graduate School before the end of the initial semester of admission. Please note that students admitted to Special Student status have limited access to resources such as financial aid and student health insurance. Please check with the appropriate offices for eligibility requirements.
Additional Policies and Resources for Applicants
Applicant Responsibility
It is the responsibility of the applicant to make certain that all admission materials are received by the designated application deadline. Neither the Graduate School nor the departments can assume the responsibility of informing the applicant about erroneous or missing materials.
All materials (original, copies, or electronic documents) submitted in support of an application become a part of Georgetown University application records and cannot be released to the student or a third party.
If application materials are forged, falsified or altered, the Graduate School will notify all relevant officials, including the individual or institution issuing the document(s) and, as appropriate, immigration officers. Submission of such materials will disqualify an applicant for admission.
Notice of Non-Discrimination
View Georgetown’s Notice of Non-Discrimination in education.
Students with Disabilities
The university’s Academic Resource Center is available to assist and guide students with disabilities who may need access to accommodations. Contact information:
Location: Leavey Center, Third Floor
Telephone: 202-687-8354
Email: arc@georgetown.edu
Privacy Policy
Georgetown University’s Privacy Policy describes the University’s general approach to protecting your personal information. If you have any questions, please contact GUprivacy@georgetown.edu and reference “Graduate Admissions.”
Our processing of personal information provided by EU/EEA residents may also be subject to the General Data Protection Regulation (the “GDPR”). When EU/EEA residents submit information to Georgetown University or use Georgetown University’s websites and/or electronic services, they consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of that information as described in the Admissions Privacy Notice- EU.