STEP 2: Requirements

Minimum Requirements

Graduate study is open to qualified students who posses a bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. college or university or the equivalent from a foreign institution and an adequate background in the field of study that they wish to pursue. Normally the equivalent of an undergraduate major in the field is required. If you are an international applicant, your academic credentials will be evaluated based on the characteristics of your country’s educational system and the level of work completed. See our page on information for International Applicants.

The Application
City College only accepts applications submitted online via our online application.  Submitting the online application is one part of a two step application process.  The second step is for the applicant to mail all supporting documents (official transcripts, application fee, and any other supporting documentation that is not submitted through the online application).  All supporting documentation should be sent to the appropriate Office of Admissions.  Please see the addresses below.  Applications are considered incomplete until all materials are received.

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Program Information:

Information for The Spitzer School of Architecture may be obtained from:
The Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture
The City College of New York
141 Convent Avenue, Room 133
NY, NY 10031
(212) 650-7118
archgrad@ccny.cuny.edu

School of Architecture
Information for The School of Education may be obtained from:
The School of Education
North Academic Center Room 6/207B
The City College of New York
160 Convent Avenue
NY, NY 10031
(212) 650-7262
edgradadm@ccny.cuny.edu

School of Education Programs

Information for the Grove School of Engineering and the College of Liberal Arts and Science program may be obtained from:
Office of Admissions
The City College of New York
160 Convent Avenue
NY, NY 10031
(212) 650-6977
graduateadmissions@ccny.cuny.edu

School of Engineering (PDF)
College of Liberal Arts and Science (PDF)

Application Fee
An application fee of $125, which is non-refundable and may not be applied to any other fees, must accompany this application.  Make check or money order payable to The City College of New York.  Applications received without the fee will not be processed. Fee waivers are not available for graduate students. Application fees are subject to change. City College does not accept credit card or bank transfers for payment of the application fee.

Personal Statement
A personal statement about your educational or career objectives should be typed and enclosed with the application. The personal statement is your way of introducing yourself to the Admissions Committee. Your personal statement should be of the kind and quality that expresses why you have chosen to pursue a graduate degree. The personal statement is one of several credentials that will determine your eligibility for admission to a graduate degree program at The City College and should be no longer than one page in length. The personal statement should be uploaded to your online application.

Letters of Recommendation
Applicants to the College of Liberal Arts and Science and to Engineering must submit two letters. Applicants to the International Relations program, Mental Health Counseling, Sustainability in the Urban Environment, the School of Education and all Ph.D. programs are required to submit three letters of recommendation. All applications to the School of Architecture must include curriculum vitae and three letters of recommendation from persons familiar with the applicant’s intellectual and design abilities.

Recommendations should be submitted online as part of the online application.  Your recommender will complete a brief assessment of your ability to be successful at the graduate level and will also upload a narrative letter in support of your application. Recommendations must be academic or professional.

Transcripts
Official transcripts from all institutions previously attended must be included with the application. Transcripts must arrive in the envelope, sealed and stamped by the Registrar’s office. If the official transcript does not include the conferral date of baccalaureate degree, please request an official copy of the diploma or provisional certificate as well. Transcripts (and diplomas) not in English must be accompanied by a translation. See Guidelines for Official Translations of Documents for more information.

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)
All applicants from countries in which the official language is not English are required to submit official TOEFL scores. This requirement applies to all applicants from Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Latin America, the Middle East, Israel, the Peoples Republic of China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, most European countries and non-English speaking countries in Africa. The TOEFL is not required of permanent residents of the U.S. or individuals who have been granted official refugee or asylum status by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The TOEFL is not required of students from countries where English is the official language, or by students that have studied full-time at a university for at least two years at an institution in a country where English is the official language.  Applicants who attend a university in a foreign country where English is the medium of instruction are NOT waived from the TOEFL.

A minimum paper-based test score of 500 or internet based of 61 is required for consideration. Several graduate programs require a higher minimum score for consideration.  Please consult the program requirements for you program's minimum score.

TOEFL score reports must come directly from ETS (Educational Testing Service) to be official. TOEFL scores expire after two years. The Institutional Code for City College is 2083. This Institutional Code number will ensure that TOEFL scores are sent to The City College Office of Admissions. TOEFL scores sent directly to any academic department will delay the processing of your application.  City College does not use department codes.  The Educational Testing Service administers TOEFL.  For more information about the TOEFL, contact ETS or visit http://www.toefl.org.

TOEFL/TSE Services
P.O. Box 6151
Princeton, NJ 08541-6151
Telephone: 1-609-771-7100
Fax: 1-609-771-7500
Email: toefl@ets.org

GRE (Graduate Record Examination)

Several graduate programs require applicants to take the GRE's in support of their graduate application for admission.  The following programs require the GRE's:

All PhD programs in Engineering
Chemical Engineering (All degree levels)
International Relations
General Psychology
Architecture I & II

While there is no minimum score required for the GRE's, a competitive candidate will score in the top 50th percentile on each of the three sections of the GRE's. 

GRE score reports must come directly from ETS (Educational Testing Service) to be official. GRE scores expire after five years. The Institutional Code for City College is 2083. This Institutional Code number will ensure that GRE scores are sent to The City College Office of Admissions. GRE scores sent directly to any academic department will delay the processing of your application.  City College does not use department codes.  The Educational Testing Service administers the GRE.  For more information about the GRE, contact ETS or visit www.gre.com.

GRE-ETS
PO Box 6000
Princeton, NJ 08541-6000
Telephone:  1-609-771-7670
Fax:  1-610-2908975
gre@ets.org