Application Materials

1. Completed Online Application form.

2. $80.00 nonrefundable application fee (U.S. currency).

3. Transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended.

   We strongly suggest submitting unofficial documents at the time of application as it expedites the admissions process. Candidates offered admission will later be required to supply official documents prior to enrollment. Official transcripts must arrive in envelopes sealed by the issuing institutions, certifying conferral of a bachelor's degree. Copies, opened or unsealed envelopes, unofficial printouts, or facsimiles will not be accepted. Many schools take a number of weeks to fulfill transcript requests; please plan accordingly.

   International applicants are required to submit official transcripts and diploma/degree certificates in the original language along with a certified English credential evaluation and translation for the application to be considered complete.

   If your post-secondary credentials are from an institution outside the U.S. or Canada, the Office of Admission requires you to submit all post-secondary credentials (undergraduate and graduate) to World Education Services, Inc. (WES), a third party verification agency for a course-by-course evaluation.

   Instructions for using WES

   WES must complete a course-by-course evaluation of all post-secondary credentials. Please select the WES basic course-by-course evaluation (with GPA and course-levels) and request to have WES send your evaluation to Columbia University School of Continuing Education. The school can be found by searching Columbia University and then selecting School of Continuing Education. The evaluation provided to the School of Continuing Education becomes an official academic record and sole property of the School of Continuing Education upon its receipt.

   WES evaluations will be reviewed by the School of Continuing Education administrators and the determination of degree equivalency to U.S. degrees is at the discretion of the School of Continuing Education.

4. New Students Only (all certificate programs and Business Edge): A statement of purpose (no more than 500 words) that addresses your interests and purpose in entering the program. Some applicants have used their statements as an opportunity to amplify information contained on the application or academic transcripts. The statement provides an excellent forum for explaining any weaknesses that may appear on the transcript or to highlight any strengths that may not be evident elsewhere.

5. Applicants to certificate programs are required to submit a résumé.

6. International students and non-native English speakers must fulfill additional application requirements detailed on the International Student Requirements page.

Submitting the Application

1. Applicants are encouraged to submit all supporting application materials through the online application system.  Unofficial documents will be used for admission consideration.

2. Applications are not considered complete until all required materials listed in the Application Materials section have been received.  Only complete applications will be reviewed.

3. Applicants who are admitted to the program must submit all official documents to the Office of Admissions before the offer is considered official.

4. All submitted materials should clearly bear the applicant's name and the name of the program to which he or she is applying.

Mailing Address and Contact Information

Office of Admissions
School of Continuing Education
203 Lewisohn Hall
2970 Broadway, Mail Code 4119
New York, NY 10027-6902
212-854-9666
Office hours: Monday-Thursday, 9:00 AM-6:00 PM; Friday, 9:00 AM-5:00 PM

Notification of Admissions Decision

Students who submit complete applications by the deadlines posted on this site will be notified of admissions decisions via e-mail. Once all application materials have been received, it usually takes two to three weeks for notification.

International students must fulfill these additional application requirements