Graduate Visiting Students

Individuals who are currently enrolled in a master's degree program at another university and are in good academic and disciplinary standing may apply as nonresidential Visiting Graduate students

Students who are graduates students at other universities who wish to take courses at Columbia only in the summer should apply directly to the Summer Sessions.

Limitations: Admission as a Graduate Visiting student is permitted for two terms of study, with continuation into the second term contingent on successful completion of the first. It is not normally possible to remain as a Graduate Visiting student beyond two terms.

Application Deadlines

Applicants are urged to submit application materials well in advance of the deadline.

The Office of Admissions begins reviewing applications for the fall term in early June, for the spring term in mid-October, and for the summer in late February. Students who wait until the deadline to submit an application must come in person to the Office of Admissions to receive a decision.

International applicants must submit applications at last 12 weeks before the term begins.

 

Note: Applicants for whom English is not a first language will be required to demonstrate English proficiency before being considered for the program, regardless of whether or not they have studied at colleges or universities where the instruction is in English.

Application Materials

  1. Completed Online Application form.

  2. $80.00 nonrefundable application fee (U.S. currency). Applicants not applying online may pay in the form of a check or money order made out to Columbia University.  Do not send cash. Checks must be in U.S. currency drawn on a U.S. bank.  If you would like to pay by credit card you must apply online.

  3. Statement of purpose (300-400 words). The statement should address the applicant's academic goals, previous training and education experience, current situation and interests, and purpose in applying to Columbia University as an Visiting Graduate student.

  4. Transcripts from all post-secondary schools attended.

    We strongly suggest submitting unofficial documents at the time of application as it expedites the admissions process. This can be done by uploading the scanned, unofficial transcripts through the online application system. Applicants with transcripts not in English must supply the document in the original language and provide an English translation. 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. 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.

    The rules and requirements for providing documentation for domestic vs. international transcripts are outlined below:

    Domestic Transcripts
    from institutions in the U.S. or Canada

    If your transcripts are from an institution in the U.S. or Canada, we strongly recommend submitting unofficial documents through the online application system at the time of application. For those applicants who are offered admission, official transcripts must arrive in envelopes sealed by the issuing institutions certifying conferral of a bachelor's degree and that you are currently enrolled in a graduate program at another institution.

    For those applicants who are offered admission, 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. The Admissions Committee reserves the right to withdraw any offer of admission already made if there is a discrepancy between the self-reported transcript and the official transcript.

    International Transcripts
    from institutions outside the U.S. or Canada

    Spring 2013 Applicants

    If your post-secondary credentials are from an institution outside the U.S. or Canada, the Office of Admission requires that all post-secondary credentials be submitted in the original language along with both a certified English credential evaluation and translation. We recommend using the World Education Services, Inc. (WES) to fulfill this requirement.

    Fall 2013 Applicants

    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.

  5. International students must fulfill additional application requirements.

Submitting the Application

  1. Applicants must apply online and submit supporting materials online (except transcripts and test scores, which must be submitted in sealed envelopes). 

  2. Applicants are encouraged to submit all remaining supporting application materials in a single packet. While the Office of Admissions will accept materials submitted piecemeal, such submissions substantially delay the admissions process.

  3. All submitted materials should clearly bear the applicant's name, Social Security number, and the name of the program to which he or she is applying.

  4. Because of the large volume of applications we receive, the Office of Admissions cannot accept application materials (e.g., transcripts) submitted in advance of applications themselves.

  5. Applications are not considered complete until all required materials (including the application fee, and ALP scores if necessary) have been received. Only complete applications are reviewed.

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
ce-info@columbia.edu
Office hours: Monday-Thursday, 9:00 AM-6:00 PM; Friday, 9:00 AM-5:00 PM

Notification of Admissions Decision

Students are notified of admissions decisions via e-mail. As soon as the review process has begun, it usually takes two to three weeks to receive a decision once all application materials have been received.

Students who complete their applications fewer than 10 days prior to registration must come in person, during registration, to receive an admissions decision.