Application Procedures

Degree-seeking Graduate Students

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 College or School to which they have applied.

Note: Applicants are advised to check with specific graduate program departments to verify the materials required for their application packet. No documents submitted as part of the application process will be returned nor will any requests to duplicate documents be honored.

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. The College of Nursing is more restrictive – students may only complete a maximum of 6 graduate nursing credits in total on a non-matriculated basis. Please note that not all graduate courses and/or programs of study are available to non-matriculated students. Applicants are advised to reach out to specific academic departments to determine if non-matriculated graduate study is permitted prior to applying. 

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/. 

All graduate international student applicants to Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology are advised to contact the School of Theology directly at (973) 761-7491. 

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 SpanTran as our recommended international transcript evaluation service. A custom application has been created by SpanTran exclusively for Seton Hall University, allowing our applicants to request their evaluation at a discounted rate. In addition, SpanTran will provide us with a verified copy of your transcript, along with their evaluation report, so prospective students who opt to utilize SpanTran will not need to send an additional copy of their transcript(s) to Seton Hall. Please use this link to access the discounted application: SpanTran 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, including those currently enrolled in U.S. institutions, 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, either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), in accordance with the admission requirements set forth by the department or college 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 Unites States, you may be eligible for a waiver of the English proficiency exam requirement by the College to which you 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. The Student Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) under the Department of Homeland Security requires international students to obtain an I-20, which is used to apply for an F-1 student visa. Upon admission to the University, the Office of International Programs (OIP) will review the I-20 application and determine if the documents are sufficient to issue an I-20, which is used to apply for an F- 1 student visa. Additionally, applicants to the School of Theology’s programs must adhere to the School of Theology’s admissions deadlines (July 15 for Fall admission; November 15 for Spring admission).

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
• Proof of passport
• Students currently studying in the United States on an F1 visa must also fill out the Transfer of Visa Sponsorship Form and have 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 F1 visa are subject to a one-time fee of $400. This fee is assessed in the first semester of attendance. The international student’s F-1 visa status must be kept valid at all times. 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 USCIS 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 by phone at (973) 761-9072. Please also visit the OIP website for immigration regulations and details about documents required for I-20 issuance. All graduate international student applicants to Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology, please contact the School of Theology at (973) 761-7491.

Acceptance

After the application has been processed, and if the qualifications are satisfactory, graduate applicants will receive a letter of acceptance from the appropriate graduate office.

Deferment of Application

Applicants for admission to a graduate program may request a deferment. Such requests may be made regardless of whether all other required, supporting documents (e.g. transcripts, credential evaluations, etc.) have been received. Requests for deferment may be made at any time prior to the application deadline for the semester to which the applicant wishes to defer a previously submitted application. Please note that applications will be deferred for no more than the immediately subsequent two semesters (fall or spring) beyond the semester for which the applicant initially submitted an application. Beyond that two-semester period of time, applicants are required to re-apply to the academic program of their choosing. Requests for deferment must be submitted in writing to the academic department to which the initial application was submitted. In no case may applicants defer an application after receiving an unfavorable admission decision.

Duplicate Degrees

Students who have earned a graduate degree at Seton Hall may be accepted to another program with a different major that culminates in the same degree provided that the content of the program is significantly different. In this case, the dean determines the number and distribution of credits required in the second degree.

Readmission

Seton Hall University welcomes students who were previously enrolled in a graduate program at Seton Hall to apply for readmission. The readmission policy applies to graduate students whose matriculation at Seton Hall University lapsed without their having taken a leave of absence, or whose leave of absence exceeds that which is permissible. Students seeking an official withdrawal for a limited period should refer to the Leave of Absence policy that appears in this catalogue.

To be eligible for readmission to a graduate program in which a student was previously enrolled, students must meet the following conditions:

• Successful completion of at least one semester at the University in the academic program;
• No enrollment in another college or university subsequent to the student’s most recent enrollment at Seton Hall;
• Good academic standing at the point of application for readmission.

In cases where active student status has lapsed and an individual wishes to resume graduate studies, readmission to a University graduate program is required. Readmission is not guaranteed, and such decisions are at the discretion of the college/school and department to which the student is reapplying. Furthermore, the college/school and academic department may add conditions or restrictions to the student’s readmission (e.g., course grades older than a specified number of years may not be included in the degree plan).

Students seeking readmission following a medical leave of absence may be required to meet certain conditions before returning. These conditions normally include, but are not limited to, providing documentation from a medical provider that the student is ready to resume studies, and meeting with Seton Hall University staff for assessment and review of applicable University services.

Students whose registration status has been inactive for no longer than one calendar year without an official leave of absence having been approved will be required to provide their most current demographic information (e.g. home address, phone number, etc.) and may have their prior application reactivated, pending the approval of the appropriate college/school and academic department.

Students whose registration status has been inactive for more than one calendar year will be required to reapply to the University and may request an application fee waiver from their college/school and academic department. 

To initiate the graduate readmission process at Seton Hall University, students are advised to submit a written request to the college or school to which they are seeking readmission. The written request should include their name, current address, phone, and personal e-mail address, as well as the proposed date of return and confirmation that the student has not studied at another institution during the intervening period. Academic departments will forward approvals of such requests to the Office of the Registrar. Please note that requests for readmission should be submitted at least six weeks prior to the start of the semester during which the student wishes to resume his/her studies.

For additional assistance, students may contact the Office of Graduate Affairs at shugrad@shu.edu or (973) 275- 2892.