Graduate Admissions Deadlines and Required Materials

Apply online.

US $100.00

Please submit a personal statement that describes your background (personal, academic and professional) and research interests, your professional goals and motivations for entering this graduate program, any relevant prior experience (for instance, job-related expertise, familiarity with specific tools and methods), and if relevant a possible area of research or practice within the graduate program. Please also consult the application guidelines for the program you’re applying for, which may include more specific questions. Personal statements should be a minimum of 250 words.

Transcripts

Upload unofficial transcripts to the Application system as part of your application.

Target GPA is 3.0 on a 4.0 scale

If admitted, you will have 30 days after classes start to provide an official copy of all degree-bearing transcripts.

Official Transcript Submission Instructions

Transcripts from International Applicants

The Foreign Credential Evaluation (FCE) is a required assessment of all transcripts and documents from non-U.S. accredited post-secondary education institutions. (Review the FCE requirements by country.) This evaluation is done internally by Northeastern University.

Transcripts from international applicants must be in English and, if applicable, also in the language of instruction. English-translated transcripts must be from:

• the institution, or
• an officially certified translator, or
• an educational credential evaluation agency.

All applicants should submit a resume.

Letters of recommendation are submitted by the letter writer via the online application system.

Degree Programs

Three letters of recommendation are required for all degree programs.

Certificate Programs

Most graduate certificate applications must include one letter of recommendation. The exceptions are Sustainability and Climate Change Policy, which requires two letters, and Nonprofit Sector, Philanthropy, and Social Change, which does not require a letter.

Non-Degree Special Students

Letters of recommendation are not required for Special Student applications.

Writing samples are required for the following programs:

• Criminology and Criminal Justice
• English
• History
• International Affairs
• Political Science
• Sociology

English Proficiency

Upload unofficial test scores then send official exam scores from either the TOEFL iBT (ETS institution code is 3682), IELTS, Duolingo or PTE exam

Minimum and Target Scores

Applied Quantitative Methods & Social Analysis
4.5 TOEFL iBT (or 6.5 IELTS or PTE equivalent), 110 Duolingo
85 TOEFL iBT for exams taken prior to January 21, 2026

Criminology and Criminal Justice – All programs
5 TOEFL iBT (or 7.0 IELTS or PTE equivalent), 120 Duolingo
100 TOEFL iBT for exams taken prior to January 21, 2026

English – All Programs
4.5 TOEFL iBT (or 6.5 IELTS or PTE equivalent), 110 Duolingo
90 TOEFL iBT for exams taken prior to January 21, 2026

Economics – All programs
4.5 TOEFL iBT (or 6.5 IELTS or PTE equivalent), 110 Duolingo
85 TOEFL iBT for exams taken prior to January 21, 2026

History – All programs
4.5 TOEFL iBT (or 6.5 IELTS or PTE equivalent), 110 Duolingo
85 TOEFL iBT for exams taken prior to January 21, 2026

Network Science
5 TOEFL iBT (or 7.0 IELTS or PTE equivalent), 120 Duolingo
100 TOEFL iBT for exams taken prior to January 21, 2026

Political Science – PhD, MA, MS
5 TOEFL iBT (or 7.0 IELTS or PTE equivalent), 120 Duolingo
100 TOEFL iBT for exams taken prior to January 21, 2026

School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs – All programs
5 TOEFL iBT (or 7.0 IELTS or PTE equivalent), 120 Duolingo
100 TOEFL iBT for exams taken prior to January 21, 2026

Sociology – PhD
4.5 TOEFL iBT (or 6.5 IELTS or PTE equivalent), 105 Duolingo
90 TOEFL iBT for exams taken prior to January 21, 2026

All programs not previously mentioned
4.5 TOEFL iBT (or 6.5 IELTS or PTE equivalent), 105 Duolingo
79 TOEFL iBT for exams taken prior to January 21, 2026

Here are some examples where you may not have to provide us with a language proficiency test score report but please do be advised that language proficiency will be determined during the application review process.

1. You have/will receive a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree from a U.S. institution.
2. You are a citizen of a country where English is the official/primary language.
3. You have/will receive a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree from a country where English is the official/primary language.
4. You have have/will receive a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree abroad from an accredited, American university abroad.
5. English is the medium language of instruction where you have/will receive a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree. This information must be clearly stated on your transcript.

Please note that we consider graduate certificates as a non-degree and as such will not satisfy the language proficiency requirement.

Test scores may be helpful for applicants with little or no experience beyond the undergraduate degree.

An applicant can upload an unofficial copy of GRE General Exam scores to the online application. If admitted, official scores will be required and are to be sent through ETS (institution code 3682).

CSSH offers a part-time, non-degree student classification called Special Student. Applicants for special student classification use the same online application system that degree and certificate applicants use. Special student admissions deadlines and materials are listed on this page.

Special students may enroll in CSSH graduate courses on a part-time basis (no more than 4 semester hours per semester). Special students may earn up to 12 semester hours over time.

After completing 12 semester hours, a special student who wants to continue in graduate coursework should apply to a degree or certificate program. See the Academic Catalog for more information about student classifications.

All applicants with accredited bachelor’s degrees are welcome to apply to any of our graduate programs. We understand that some bachelor’s programs are shorter than 4 years. The duration of your accredited bachelor’s degree program has no bearing on your eligibility for admission.

Graduate Office staff are unable to preview application materials and comment on the likelihood of admission.

Please note that the admissions committee takes a holistic approach in their review and considers all the materials that you have submitted when making their decision.

If you have questions about a specific program or are interested in scheduling a campus visit, contact the graduate program directly.

When filling out your application, please be sure to indicate any affiliations that you may have when prompted (e.g. military service). Some programs may offer scholarships to applicants who are affiliated with certain organizations.

Scholarships at the master’s level are normally awarded at the time of admission, based on the strength of the application as evaluated by the Admissions Committee (no separate application is required). Questions about additional scholarship should be directed to your academic unit. 

While you are free to apply to any number of programs within our College or University, we encourage you to discuss your interests with faculty and staff prior to submitting any applications. You can only enroll and actively pursue one CSSH graduate degree at a time.

Letters of Recommendation (LOR) do not need to be submitted on official letterhead, and recommenders may use personal email addresses. An “official” email address is not required. Please note that Interfolio is not an acceptable submission method. All LORs must be submitted directly by the recommender through the Slate Application system; applicants cannot submit recommendations on their behalf.
Recommendations must:

– Be completed by a professional or academic reference
– Be at least one paragraph in length
– Include the applicant’s name

• I need to update my reference information
• My recommender is not receiving the reference request email

For accepted students, visa-related information will either be sent directly via email or will appear on your applicant status portal. For any additional questions related to the I-20, POA (Proof of Attendance), or visa processes, please contact the Office of Global Services.

• I need a breakdown of expenses for my I-20
• How can I check the status of my I-20?

For additional technical questions not addressed below, please visit our application Support Center for further assistance.

• How do I confirm my application is submitted?
• My application says it is Awaiting Materials.
• I have a problem regarding my admissions checklist.
• When is my application checklist considered incomplete?