General Graduate Application Requirements

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The NYU School of Professional Studies Office of Admissions carefully weighs each component of your application during the admissions review process. We use this approach to evaluate your ability to benefit from and contribute to the dynamic learning environment and the challenging curricula that makes NYU SPS so unique.

HERE'S ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

2025 Criteria

The NYU School of Professional Studies has both program specific admissions criteria as well as general graduate admissions criteria, which student must meet to be admitted into graduate programs. See below for general graduate admissions criteria.

Application Fee

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The $150 application fee is paid via credit card prior to submitting the online application.

The application fee is waived for all NYU employees; US active-duty military members; US military veterans; and Peace Corp and AmeriCorps volunteers. Applicants who are experiencing financial hardship may be eligible for a fee waiver. To request a fee waiver, please email sps.feewaiver@nyu.edu. with a written request along with any supporting documents.

College/University Transcripts

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NYUSPS requires official transcripts that are electronically or physically delivered to Admissions by the institution and indicate the completion of a Bachelor’s degree as well as the date in which the degree was earned.

If your undergraduate degree is still in process, meaning you are still completing coursework or you have completed coursework but a degree has not yet been conferred, unofficial transcripts can be submitted and are sufficient for the admissions review process. Unofficial transcripts can be submitted electronically by either the applicant or the institution. If you are admitted based on an unofficial transcript and wish to enroll and register for coursework, you will be required to submit your official transcript that shows your degree conferral date prior to your first term of enrollment. Failure to submit an official transcript by this date will result in disenrollment from the program.

Submitting a complete application with all required materials, including an official transcript, will expedite the admissions review process.

Resume

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Indicate the experiences you’ve had so far, and we will help you go further. Relevant experience in the field, transferable skills, and/or the demonstration of potential success will serve to distinguish you as a prospective student.

Resumes may include any professional experience (full-time or part-time), internships, participation in professional associations/affiliations, extra-curricular activities, volunteer work, student clubs/government, etc. Your résumé can be uploaded into the online application.

Degree Requirements

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Applicants are required to possess a US bachelor’s degree or its international equivalent prior to the start of your intended term of entry.

Recommendations

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We require one recommendation submitted from academic or professional sources.

Recommenders should be able to provide examples of your academic or professional contributions. If you share your recommender’s contact information in the online application, your recommender will be able to submit a letter online. All recommendation letters must be submitted using a professional or academic email domain.

Video and Essay Reflection (Supported by Kira Talent)

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The video and essay reflection (supported by Kira Talent) allows us to get to know you better through a candid video response and a timed writing assignment. The assessment takes about 10 to 15 minutes to complete and can be done at your convenience. It includes two parts:

    Video prompt: A two-minute candid response to a prompt. You'll have the opportunity to try a practice prompt first to ensure you're comfortable with the platform.

Degree-Specific Requirements

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MS IN PROFESSIONAL WRITING
Writing portfolio in addition to all other application requirements.

MS IN TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETING
Applicants should schedule a 50-minute online ACTFL Reading Proficiency Test and will receive a certificate from the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages indicating their current proficiency level. Successful applicants usually test at the Advanced level or higher. See sps.nyu.edu/translation for a testing guide, instructions, and sample questions. International Students: Applicants who did NOT complete their undergraduate degree in the United States OR in a country where English is the primary language are required to submit TOEFL or IELTS scores.

English Language Assessment

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All international applicants who did not complete an undergraduate or graduate degree in the US or in a program where the medium of instruction is English are required to submit TOEFL or IELTS. The Office of Admissions will not accept TOEFL or IELTS scores that are older than two years. To check if you are eligible for a language proficiency waiver please refer to the Language Waiver Requests section below. NYU SPS Office of Admissions only accepts the TOEFL, TOEFL At Home, and IELTS academic tests from the past two years.

Minimum score requirements for most graduate programs:

TOEFL 100
IELTS 7.0

If you are applying to one of the programs in the Division of Programs in Business or the Schack Institute of Real Estate, the minimum score requirements are TOEFL 110 and IELTS 8.0.

LANGUAGE WAIVER REQUESTS
Waivers are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. A TOEFL or IELTS waiver may be requested for the following:

International Transcript Evaluation

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Applicants who completed more than half of their academic program at a foreign university are required to submit an evaluation. Evaluations are a required component since they determine how your academics are graded compared to the US education system, as well as if your degree is equivalent to a US bachelor’s degree.

When requesting an evaluation, please request a “course-by-course evaluation.” All transcripts must be evaluated by a recognized foreign educational credential evaluation from the list below.

International Student Visa Requirements

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NYU SPS welcomes international students from all over the world. Accepted students who wish to enroll in an NYU SPS degree program must adhere to the following policy for securing the appropriate visa to study in the U.S.

All international students who plan to travel to the U.S. to participate in their NY classes should enter the U.S. in a visa category that permits study. Entering the U.S. with a tourist visa (B-1 or B-2 visa) or ESTA (visa-waiver program) is a violation of status and is not advisable. We encourage our international students to apply for an F-1 student visa.

If you require a visa to study in the United States, you must submit your I-20/DS-2019 application to the Office of Global Services (OGS).

If you have questions about determining your visa status, please contact the Office of Global Services at newinternationalstudents@nyu.edu.

Guaranteed Admission Requirements

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Without taking any additional action, eligible applicants are automatically accepted into select NYU SPS Fall 2024 degree programs when they apply or transfer by the Guaranteed Admission deadline of January 15, 2024. Learn more about Guaranteed Admission.