For application deadlines, please refer to The School for Graduate Studies' Admission website page.

School for Graduate Studies Admissions

Admissions Review for a Master's Program

An application is reviewed when it is complete. A complete application may include:

• Standard biographical information;
• Official transcripts of undergraduate and graduate study from a regionally accredited institution;
• A record of previous experience in employment and/or education (a CV/resume);
• A personal essay describing academic and professional goals;
• An analytical essay (for select programs);
• A copy of active teaching license (for select programs);
• Recommendations from appropriately qualified persons who can attest to the applicant’s ability to pursue graduate study (personal references are not appropriate), for select programs; and
• A $50 orientation fee (nonrefundable).

Applications are reviewed regularly throughout the year but only after all required documents have been received (requirements vary by program). You should submit all documents immediately upon applying. It is important to note that the MAT programs, M.Ed in Adolescent Special Education, M.S. in Applied Behavior Analysis only start new students in the fall term.

Transcripts, letters of recommendation, the personal essay, the analytical essay, and employment experience (resume/CV) are all considered in the admission decision.  For select programs, applicants may be invited for an interview. (Please see the Graduate Admission Policy located in the Policies and Procedures section of this catalog.)

PROGRAM PREREQUISITES

The M.A. in Community and Economic Development, MAT, M.S. in Finance, M.S. in Information Technology, M.S. in Applied Analytics, and MBA programs have prerequisite requirements. Please refer to the respective program's page for a detailing of the prerequisite requirements.

ENTRANCE EXAMS

Entrance exams (GRE, GMAT) are not required for application to any of the master's programs.

Admissions Review for the Doctoral Program

An application for the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Change is reviewed when it is complete. A complete application includes:

• Standard biographical information;
• A record of previous experience in employment and/or education (a CV/resume);
• A personal essay describing academic and professional goals;
• A program research essay;
• Official transcripts of undergraduate and graduate study from a regionally accredited institution;
• Two recommendations from appropriately qualified persons who can attest to the applicant’s ability to pursue graduate study (personal references are not appropriate); and
• A $50 orientation fee (nonrefundable).

Applications are reviewed for fall term admission only. The application deadline is March 1.

Transcripts, letters of recommendation, personal essay, program research essay, and experience (resume/CV) are all considered in the admission decision. An interview is required for candidates. (Please see the Admission Policy located in the Policies and Procedures section of this catalog.)

Program Prerequisites

The Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Change has prerequisite requirements. Please refer to the Ed.D program's Admission section for a detailing of the prerequisite requirements.

ENTRANCE EXAMS

Entrance exams (GRE, GMAT) are not required for entrance to the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Change.

Admissions Review for an Advanced Certificate 

An application is reviewed when it is completed. A complete application includes:

• An application form;
• A record of previous experience in employment and/or education (a CV/resume);
• Official transcripts of undergraduate study from a regionally accredited institution; and
• A $50 orientation fee (nonrefundable).

PROGRAM PREREQUISITES

Advanced Certificates in Financial Management and Analysis, Global Finance and Investment, Information Technology Management, Marketing Analytics and Brand Management, and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages have prerequisite requirements. Please refer to the respective program's page for a detailing of the prerequisite requirements.

Admissions Review for a Certificate of Advanced Study 

An application is reviewed when it is completed. A complete application includes:

• An application form;
• A record of previous experience in employment and/or education (a CV/resume);
• Official transcripts of undergraduate and graduate study from a regionally accredited institution; and
• A $50 orientation fee (nonrefundable).

PROGRAM PREREQUISITES

Certificates of Advanced Study in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages have prerequisite requirements. Please refer to the respective program's page for a detailing of the prerequisite requirements.

School of Nursing and Allied Health Graduate Admissions

Both the M.S. in Nursing Administration and the M.S. in Nursing Education programs require the following when applying:

• A bachelor's degree in nursing (BSN) from a regionally accredited institution with a GPA of 3.0 or above;
• Possess an active, unencumbered RN license with expiration date;
• Resume showing clear demonstration of clinical practice as a registered nurse (minimum 1 year); and
• Must meet the M.S. in nursing application requirements.

The Certificate in Advanced Study in Nursing Education has the following admission requirements:

• A complete admission application;
• A New York State or state of residence unencumbered license as a registered nurse and any other advanced practice license;
• Official transcript(s) from a regionally accredited institution of higher education;
• A graduate degree (masters) in nursing with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher; and
• Evidence of completing graduate level content for advanced health assessment, pathophysiology and pharmacology.

Evaluation of Foreign Educational Credentials

All foreign educational documents should be evaluated by World Educational Services, Inc. (WES) or any National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) member evaluator prior to being submitted to Empire State University. Evaluation reports must be submitted directly from the evaluation service to the university.

Canadian transcripts must be in English and approved by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) or Canadian Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology (CAAT). All other transcripts will be required to be evaluated by a NACES member evaluator.

Applicants for whom English is not the first language must submit proof of proficiency. The School for Graduate Studies will accept Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test scores taken within the last three years. You must score within the range of 79-94 on the TOEFL internet-based test (iBT), 250 on the computer- based test (CBT), or 6.5-7 on the IELTS to be considered for admission to the Empire State University advanced certificate programs. Applicants, who have completed a bachelor’s degree from a U.S. institution or from an institution where the instruction was given in English, may be exempt.

Canadian Border Commuter Student Admission

Canadian students who maintain their residence in Canada and travel to the U.S. for required residencies, orientations or meetings with their advisors are considered border commuter students and must apply for admission to the university and meet the following additional admission documentation requirements:

• Students whose first language is not English must demonstrate that they have sufficient English proficiency to study at Empire State University. See above;
• proof of financial ability to pay for tuition; and
• proof of health insurance coverage.

Canadian transcripts must be in English and from institutions approved by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) or Canadian Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology (CAAT). All other transcripts from non-U.S. educational documents must be evaluated by any of these approved evaluation services. See above.

I-20 Information

Canadian border commuter students must obtain an I-20 to study in the U.S. Canadian citizens are not required to apply for or hold an F-1 student visa in order to enter the U.S., however, permanent residents of Canada who are not Canadian citizens will need to apply for a F-1 student visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate once they have applied for and received their initial I-20 from the university.

Canadian border commuter students accepted to the university are entered into the federal Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), generating the student’s I-20. All international students who are issued an I-20 document are required to pay the federal SEVIS fee. The current fee is $200 and must be paid directly to the U.S. government. Please visit the SEVIS website for more information on the SEVIS fee and how to pay it. Students are required to present receipt of this payment when they cross into the United States. Border commuter students are issued a new I-20 each term, but are not required to pay the SEVIS fee for each consecutive term they are in attendance. If a student does not maintain status for each consecutive term, he or she will be required to pay a new SEVIS fee when issued a new I-20.

To cross the border, students are required to have a valid passport, an I-20 issued for the current term, their SEVIS fee receipt and their financial documents.

Citizens and permanent residents of Canada are allowed to attend classes on a part-time basis. However, part-time students should submit new financial documents to the international student liaison every term, in order to receive a new I-20 for that term.

Students should contact the international student liaison once they have registered for their program so that their registration is entered into SEVIS, demonstrating that they are in status. The earliest border commuter student may enter the U.S. is 30 days before the start of the term.

Canadian border commuter students are not eligible for financial aid, university-sponsored scholarships or employment while studying with Empire State University. Border commuter students are always considered nonresidents for tuition purposes. Border commuter students are not allowed to establish a residence in the U.S.

For visa or international student questions, please contact Admissions toll free at 800-847-3000.

Please visit the International Students webpage for more detailed information on Canadian border commuter student admissions requirements, including demonstration of financial resources and evaluation of non-U.S. credentials. All documents should be mailed to:

Admissions
Empire State University
2 Union Ave.
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866-4390
Attention: International Student Liaison, U.S.A.

Matriculation

A matriculated student is one who has been admitted for study toward a doctoral degree, master’s degree, advanced certificate, or certificate of advanced study program.

State Authorization for Provision of Online Education

Federal regulations require that colleges and universities that participate in Title IV funding and offer degree programming through distance or online education to students in other states, must seek approval from those states to offer such programs.

Empire State University is working to comply with each state’s regulations and to maintain the necessary authorizations to continue providing our online degree programs. As a member of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA), Empire State University is authorized to offer its online degree programs to residents of all other NC-SARA participating states. A complete list of states that are participants of NC-SARA can be found on their website.

If a state or U.S. territory is not participating in NC-SARA, please visit our State Authorization for the Provision of Online Education web page to check on the status of Empire State University’s authorization in your state of residence. All states are considered “registration approved” unless listed otherwise. If your state is not currently approved, we cannot accept your application for admission to an online degree program at this time.

Complaint Resolution

Empire State University, as a provider of distance or online education, is required by the United States Department of Education to provide all prospective and current out-of-state students with contact information for the appropriate agency in their home state that handles complaints against institutions offering distance learning within that state.

Students are encouraged to follow the university’s student problem resolution process prior to filing a complaint with a state agency. Please visit Empire State University's Student Problem Resolution Non-New York Residents webpage for more information.