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Southern Connecticut State University prides itself on providing quality education at affordable prices. We offer over 117 programs including masters and doctoral degree programs, post-graduate certificates, and many professional development programs.

Included in the many supports we offer our graduate students are

Start here to learn how to apply, review your application status, and much more!

Where to begin

To apply to Southern Connecticut State University’s School of Graduate and Professional Studies (SGPS), you must first meet the minimum requirements of the Graduate School and the requirements of the program for which you wish to apply.

The SGPS requires all students applying for a master’s program to have their bachelor’s degree conferred no later than two weeks prior to the start of classes. An official transcript showing proof of degree is required to satisfy this requirement. Applicants do not need to have received their bachelor’s to apply.

SGPS requires all students applying for a doctorate to have their master’s degree conferred no later than two weeks prior to the start of classes. An official transcript showing proof of degree is required to satisfy this requirement. Applicants do not need to have received their master’s to apply.

Please see the Program Page for additional program requirements.

How to Apply

Start The Online Application

All applicants for graduate study must submit their applications online using the Graduate Admissions Portal. A non-refundable $50 application fee must be submitted before your application will be considered complete.

Access the online application and follow the prompts to create a username and password. If you have previously applied to a graduate program in 2022 or later, you already have an account to retrieve your information and can use the “Forgot your Username or Password?” link.   Select “Graduate Application” from the drop-down menu.  Note: If you choose any application type other than “Graduate Application” you are not applying to a graduate program.

Complete and Submit Your Application

Complete each section of the application thoroughly. Make sure to click the “Save and Continue” button at the bottom of each page to save your progress. Required questions are marked with an asterisk*. The applicant is responsible for ensuring that all materials and documentation for the application file are complete. You will see a confirmation page and receive a confirmation email once your application has been submitted successfully.

Applicants can view the status of their applications through the Graduate Admissions Portal. You will see a confirmation page and receive a confirmation email once your application has been submitted successfully.

Applicants who wish to change the program of application, must resubmit another graduate application and pay the additional application fee.

Applicants who wish to change a concentration track option within the same degree program should email gradadmissions@southernct.edu with this request.

The graduate admission process is a collaborative effort between the School of Graduate and Professional Studies (which processes the online application) and the Office of International Education (which processes the International Student Enrollment Form and assists with immigration procedures).

International students are subject to all requirements for admission to the School of Graduate and Professional Studies and all program requirements. In addition, to be considered for admission, each international applicant must submit a completed “Application for Admission to Graduate Study” form and meet the following requirements:

  • Hold the foreign equivalent of a United States bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education with an undergraduate grade point average of at least “B.” (On various grading scales this would be at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, 14 on a 20 point scale, 80.0 from Chinese institutions, 1st Class or Division from Indian institutions, and upper 2nd Class Honors from British systems. Other grading systems will be evaluated on receipt of transcripts and certified evaluation of those transcripts.)
  • Present certified copies and certified English translations of all academic achievements in each college or university attended. A diploma is not sufficient. The complete record of courses and marks earned and/or record of subjects and examination results must be received. Documents presented by applicants must detail the award of either a bachelor’s degree or equivalent or a graduate degree.
  • Provide a certified evaluation of foreign transcripts and credentials (course by course with grades) from World Education Services or Educational Credential Evaluators Inc. Evaluations must include a copy of the transcript(s) provided to the evaluating agency by the granting institution, in the report sent to the School of Graduate and Professional Studies. Applicants are responsible for payment of fees charged by these agencies.
    Note: Effective for the spring 2026 term:

    • Transcripts from outside the United States must be evaluated (course by course) by a NACES approved organization (www.naces.org), at the applicant’s expense . While any NACES member organization may be used, those listed below are preferred:
      • World Education Services, Inc., www.wes.org, Tel: 212.966.6311, Fax: 212.739.6100.
      • Josef Silney & Associates Evaluators, Inc., www.jsilny.com, Tel: 305.273.1616, Fax: 305.273.1338.
      • Global Credential Evaluators, Inc., www.gcevaluators.com, Tel: 800.707.0979, Fax: 979.690.6342.
      • Educational Credential Evaluations, Inc., www.ecmc.org, Tel: 1-855-810-4922, Fax: 866.296.8795

Specific Graduate Admissions inquiries can be emailed to gradadmissions@SouthernCT.edu.

Specific immigration – and visa – related inquiries can be emailed to:
Michael Schindel
Assistant Director of the Office of International Education
schindelm1@SouthernCT.edu

How To Submit Required Documents

Recommendation Forms

Certain programs require letters of recommendation, and others require contact information for recommenders. For programs that require letters of recommendation, once you enter the appropriate information on the application, an automated email will be sent to those listed, providing them with a link to use to upload your recommendation(s). No letters of recommendation are to be mailed/emailed to us, they will not be accepted in hard copy. You may change/remind your recommenders through the Graduate Admissions Portal.

Official Transcripts

Graduate students are required to submit official transcripts from each institution attended. To be considered official, the SGPS must receive the transcript directly from the granting institution either by mail or through electronic delivery. SCSU requires official transcripts of all previous academic work from every college or university attended from which overall undergraduate and graduate grade point averages can be calculated. The cumulative grade point average for all undergraduate courses at each institution will be used in the calculation of the undergraduate grade point average. The same process of considering grades of all graduate courses is used to calculate the overall graduate grade point average.

Applicants applying to Southern’s graduate programs, who participated in a Southern supported study-abroad program while enrolled as an undergraduate, may have their international credit evaluated by the Office of International Education, in lieu of having a transcript evaluation performed by WES or ECE evaluation agencies.

Mail hard-copy official transcripts to:

Southern CT. State University
School of Graduate and Professional Studies
501 Crescent Street
New Haven, CT 06515

eTranscripts should be sent from the Institution to GradDocs@southernct.edu

All other application materials must be uploaded directly through the Graduate Admission Portal.

The cumulative undergraduate GPA is the weighted average of all cumulative GPAs that show on each transcript. The Cumulative GPA of SCSU is the cumulative GPA that shows on the transcript, as per the standard procedures of the Registrar’s Office.

Other Documents

Some programs require additional application documents such as writing samples, additional letters of recommendation, resumes, or graduate entrance exam scores. Many of these documents may be uploaded directly through the Portal once your application has been submitted. Please check with the School of Graduate and Professional Studies for information related to these other documents.

Resident aliens must provide a copy of their alien registration cards to the School of Graduate and Professional Studies or upload a copy (both sides) through the Graduate Admissions Portal.

Application Deadlines

Applicants are urged to submit the completed application and credentials well in advance of the semester for which they seek admission. Applying and completing your file by the deadlines will give you priority consideration for admission. No applications can be submitted once the deadline for that program has passed. For some programs, incomplete applications will not be considered after the deadline. Deadlines are program specific, to find your deadline, look for your program on our page.

Although the School of Graduate and Professional Studies has a rolling admissions process for the fall and spring terms, many departments have established application deadlines for their programs. Those who are applying for programs that include teacher certification should allow a minimum of six months from receipt of application to admission.

How To Accept Your Admission Offer

Although many graduate programs send departmental letters of acceptance to applicants, no student is officially accepted by the School of Graduate and Professional Studies, until he or she receives a letter of acceptance from the Associate Dean of Graduate Enrollment Management, or designee. All admitted students must accept their admission to the university. Students who are admitted and who do not register for courses for the term for which they are admitted, are automatically withdrawn and will need to reapply.

Start Your Application

Create an account with the online Graduate Admissions Portal. You can save your progress or check your status at any time.

Note: Applicants who have a pending application for a given term after 3pm on the first day of class will have their applications withdrawn. Applicants who wish their applications to be considered for a future term, up to a year from the term of the original application, may request in writing to graddocs@southernct.edu that their application and materials be moved forward. This request must be made no later than the first day of classes for original term. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure requirements have not changed from the time of original application to the new term.

Students wishing to defer their admission, must email gradadmissions@southernct.edu by 3pm on the first day of classes for the term in which they were originally admitted. A deferral request may be made for a maximum of one year.  Deferrals may only be granted in the term for which the program offers admission, exceptions are on a case-by-case basis and must be approved by the graduate coordinator of the program.