To be considered for admission to graduate studies in the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, applicants must have demonstrated academic excellence and hold an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher learning. Normally, a minimum of a B average is required.
Some programs require materials in addition to those listed below. To see if your program requires additional materials, please consult our graduate programs listing.
Application documents that are not submitted online must be mailed to us at the following address:
Columbian College of Arts and Sciences
Graduate Admissions Office
The George Washington University
801 22nd Street NW
Phillips Hall Room 107
Washington DC 20052
All programs require the submission of a completed application for admission. Applicants are expected to submit their applications online. Instructions for creating your online account and submitting your application are available at the application website.
A transcript is required from each college and university attended, regardless of whether or not a degree program was completed. Copies of transcripts must be uploaded to the online application. We will request official transcripts only if you are admitted. If academic records are in a language other than English, please upload the English translation only.
Doctoral applicants must submit three recommendations (if you have completed a significant amount of graduate work, at least two references should be from professors in your major program).
MFA applicants must submit two letters of recommendation.
Master's applicants must submit at least one letter of recommendation. To determine if your program requires more than one recommendation, please check your program's profile page by visiting it from the departments and programs page.
Certificate applicants must submit one letter of recommendation.
Recommendations may be submitted online through the online application process. We encourage applicants and their recommenders to use the online recommendation process whenever possible. Recommendations not submitted online must be mailed to our office in signed, sealed envelopes. A paper recommendation form is available here.
GRE:
All programs (except our Master of Fine Arts programs and our certificate programs) require that you submit scores from the general test of the GRE. Some of our departments will waive the GRE requirement for students with a prior, earned JD, MD, or PhD. If you hold one of these degrees, you must check with your department to determine if the GRE is required.
Some programs also require submission of GRE subject test scores.
Information regarding the GRE is available at GRE.org.
TOEFL:
TOEFL scores are required of all applicants who are citizens of countries where English is not an official language. Exceptions may be made for applicants who hold a degree from a college or university in a country where English is the official language and the medium of instruction.
The minimum TOEFL score for admission to any graduate degree program is 550 on the paper-based test, 213 on the computer-based test, or 80 on the Internet-based test. Some departments may require a higher score. Those applying for graduate teaching assistantships must achieve at least a score of 600 on the paper-based test, 250 on the computer-based test, or 100 on the Internet-based test.
Information regarding the TOEFL is available at TOEFL.org .
IELTS:
As an alternative to the TOEFL, students may also submit scores from the academic International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The minimum for the academic IELTS is an overall band score of 6.0, with no individual band score below 5.0. As with the TOEFL, some departments may set higher standards.
Information regarding the IELTS is availabe at IELTS.org .
TOEFL and IELTS scores may not be more than two years old.
Standardized tests should be taken early enough to allow scores to reach the admissions office before the application deadline. The ETS reporting code for GW's Arts and Sciences is 5246.
The statement of purpose should be an essay of approximately 250 to 500 words in which you state your purpose in undertaking graduate study in your chosen field. Include your academic objectives, research interests, and career plans. Also discuss your related qualifications, including collegiate, professional, and community activities and any other substantial accomplishments not already mentioned on the application form. (If you are applying for a graduate teaching assistantship, you should include information on any teaching experience that you have had.)
If there is anything further that you wish to know, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Columbian College is taking the study of Jewish expression to an exciting new level with the Master’s Program in Jewish Cultural Arts, the first of its kind in the country. We sat down with Jenna Weissman Joselit to learn more about the new MA and the motivation behind its creation. Read more.
Painting, drawing, and sculpting as means to express what may be verbally inexpressible are at the heart of the increasingly popular field of art therapy. At GW’s Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, the healing power of art is fully realized through an Art Therapy Program that boasts modern new studio spaces, a counseling center for hands-on immersion in therapeutic techniques, and an expanded 61-credit curriculum to facilitate professional licensure upon graduation.
GW doctoral candidate in biology Jonah Choiniere and Michael D. Pittman, a graduate student at University College London, discovered a new species of raptor dinosaur, called “Linheraptor exquisitus,” that will help scientists further describe the physical appearance of other closely related dinosaurs.
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