Visit the Apply page for graduate admissions deadlines, required materials, Welcome Day events, and more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Application Preparation *For Spring 2023 and Summer 2023 applicants only
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.
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.
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.
- You have/will receive a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree from a U.S. institution.
- You are a citizen of a country where English is the official/primary language.
- You have/will receive a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree from a country where English is the official/primary language.
- You have have/will receive a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree abroad from an accredited, American university abroad.
- 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.
Upload a PDF copy of your transcript to the online application system before submitting the application.
Please contact gradcssh@northeastern.edu for further assistance.
If the Graduate Office has an applicant’s materials by the deadline, the materials will be reflected on the application and the application will be reviewed.
If your application is not complete prior to the stated application deadline then your application may be reviewed as is. Please do be advised that application updates will not take place during university recess, holidays or weekends.
CSSH offers a part-time, non-degree student classification called Special Student. A special student applies through the same online application system that we use for degree and certificate applicants. For information about the Special Student application, see the Deadlines and Required Materials page.
If admitted, special students can enroll in CSSH graduate courses on a part-time basis (no more than 6 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.
If you have questions about a specific program or are interested in scheduling a campus visit, contact the graduate program directly.
Please visit the Deadlines and Required Materials page for more information about GRE scores and other materials.
Please visit the Deadlines and Required Materials page for more information.
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.
Please note that you will have to pay separate application fees and submit the required documents for each program you apply for.
Yes, the Welcome Day application fee waiver can be applied to any CSSH graduate program including PhD. When you submit your application, please check “yes” in response to the question “Did you attend an admission event?” Please enter the date of the event and your application fee will automatically be waived.
Please be advised if you are applying to a joint program, you may select “Pay by Check” then email the Home College and indicate that you have attended a CSSH welcome day event in your email and are requesting and application fee waiver.
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. There is no length requirement for the personal statement, however most will be between 1 to 2 pages.
Application Status *For Spring 2023 and Summer 2023 applicants only
Applications are manually reviewed and as such take time to move from Incomplete to Committee Review status.
Additionally, although you have submitted your documents, you may be missing letters of recommendation. Please log into the application portal to check the status of your application and for any outstanding materials that may still be missing.
Several times per week excluding university recess, holidays or weekends.
Applicants must log into the online application system to check the status of an application. Applicants will also receive an email when a status update has posted to their application.
For master’s, certificate and special status applicants, after receiving all your required documents your application will be moved to Committee Review and a decision is typically made in 2-3 weeks after having reached that status.
If your application is not complete prior to the stated application deadline than your application may be reviewed as is. Please do be advised that application updates will not take place during university recess, holidays or weekends.
If you have questions about a specific program or are interested in scheduling a campus visit, contact the graduate program directly.
Instructions for submitting the I-20 will be sent via email within 24 hours of confirming your enrollment in the online application portal. If you are still experiencing difficulties please contact gradcssh@northeastern.edu.
We have many resources for new students on our website. You can also contact your graduate program for advising.