Application and Admission

Degree-seeking Graduate Students

All students applying for admission to graduate courses leading to a degree must submit, at minimum, the following items:

• completed application form;
• application fee;
• official transcripts of all academic work completed beyond high school; and
• other application materials as required by the Department to which they have applied. Please view the admissions requirements listed by the individual departments in the College to learn more. 

Non-matriculated Graduate Students

To enroll in graduate courses on a non-matriculated basis, the student must complete an “Application for Graduate Admission” as a non-matriculated student at the time of the initial registration. This application can be found online at Graduate Affairs. An official transcript as evidence of receipt of an undergraduate degree, or graduate degree for doctoral non-matriculated study, must be submitted. Generally, the maximum number of credits non-matriculated students may earn before matriculation is 12, with a maximum of only 6 credits during any one semester. 

International Graduate Student Applications

Seton Hall University welcomes applications from international students for admission into full-time, on-campus graduate degree programs, as well as online graduate degree programs. Students who wish to pursue an on-campus graduate degree program must apply for, or already have, a valid visa status that permits full-time study in the United States. For students applying for an F1 visa, the Office of International Programs (OIP) provides counseling and support for all student visa and immigration issues, and also assists international students in becoming active members of the University and surrounding communities, including a variety of services and social/cultural activities for this purpose. For additional information related to services offered by the Office of International Programs, students are advised to call (973) 761-9072, email oip@shu.edu, or visit shu.edu/international-programs/. 

Academic transcripts from institutions outside of the United States or Canada must undergo a course-by-course evaluation conducted by an independent credential evaluation agency. These agencies must be members of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). While applicants are free to select any NACES member, the University has partnered with The Evaluation Company (TEC) as our recommended international transcript evaluation service. A custom application has been created by The Evaluation Company (TEC) exclusively for Seton Hall University, allowing our applicants to request their evaluation at a discounted rate. In addition, The Evaluation Company (TEC) will provide us with a verified copy of your transcript, along with their evaluation report, so prospective students who opt to utilize The Evaluation Company (TEC) will not need to send an additional copy of their transcript(s) to Seton Hall. Please use this link to access the discounted application: The Evaluation Company Application - Seton Hall University. 

The evaluation process can be lengthy. Therefore, we encourage all international applicants to begin this process well in advance of their application deadline to ensure timely receipt and review of all documents. All evaluations must be done on a course-by-course basis, as confirmation of course level and degree equivalency. Applications submitted without credential evaluations will not be considered for admission or transfer credit evaluation. Students are responsible for all costs associated with credential evaluations. 

All applicants whose first language is not English, or those who have not completed a degree at a U.S. institution, must present evidence of their ability to successfully conduct and complete their studies in English. Qualifying applicants must take, and submit official scores attained on, the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or an alternate English language proficiency examination, in accordance with the admission requirements set forth by the department to which the applicant has applied. An applicant that has received instruction in English in her or his primary or secondary schools, or received a degree from an institution in the United States, may be eligible for a waiver of the English proficiency exam requirement by the College to which they are applying. Requests for such waivers should be directed to the department or college to which the applicant has applied.

Student Visa

International students requiring a student visa must be accepted to an academic program and have completed their I-20 application by July 25 for Fall admission and December 1 for Spring admission. Students are encouraged to begin the I-20 application process as early as possible to avoid potential visa process wait time delays. The Student Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) under the Department of Homeland Security requires international students to obtain an I-20 immigration document the University before beginning the F-1 visa application process. Upon admission to the University, students who need to apply for an F-1 visa will receive the I-20 application instructions from the Office of International Programs (OIP). Students should submit the I-20 application along with required documents to OIP as soon as possible. After reviewing the I-20 application if the documents are sufficient, an I-20 immigration document will be issued. 

The documentation required to issue an I-20 is as follows: 

• Application for an I-20, which may be found at the Office of International Programs website
• Proof of ability to pay for the cost of education
• Passport Biographical page
• Students currently studying in the United States on an F-1 visa must also fill out the SEVIS Transfer Questionnaire and request their current institution transfer their SEVIS record to Seton Hall.

All F-1 visa international students are required to enroll full-time (at least 9 credits for graduate students) and comply with all other requirements of maintaining visa status. International students with an F-1 visa are subject to international student fee listed on the Bursar’s Website. This fee is assessed in the first semester of attendance. International students are expected to maintain valid F-1 status during the duration of their study. It is the responsibility of each international student to familiarize him/herself with and abide by immigration regulations. Please see the section on Dissertation/Thesis Research - International Students that appears in this catalogue.

The OIP serves to counsel students on these issues as well as report immigration matters to the SEVP through SEVIS (the federal immigration database). Questions about initial I-20 issuance or maintaining visa status should be directed to the OIP in Jubilee Hall room 231 or by email at oip@shu.edu or schedule a virtual or in person advising appointment to discuss their specific situation with an OIP advisor. OIP can also be reached by phone at (973) 761-9072. Please also visit the OIP website for immigration regulations and details about documents required for I-20 issuance.