Qualifications

As admissions to our programs are highly competitive, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible. Learn more about the application requirements:

• U.S. bachelor’s degree or international equivalent.
  If your post-secondary credentials are from an institution outside the United States, the Office of Admissions 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 for admission consideration. The Office of Admissions will use the credential evaluation provided by WES to determine if your undergraduate degree is the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor's degree.
• Students must be comfortable with rapid and idiomatic spoken English.
  Please review the English language proficiency details under the Application Requirements section to determine if proof of English language proficiency is required. Applicants who are required to provide test scores must submit a current TOEFL iBT or IELTS score report and have a minimum score of 100 on the TOEFL iBT or receive a 7.0 or higher on the IELTS. If you have TOEFL paper scores, please contact apply [[at]] sps [[dot]] columbia [[dot]] edu (apply[at]sps[dot]columbia[dot]edu) to discuss their use.
• Demonstrated ability for critical thinking and analysis.
• Three to five years minimum of relevant work experience with demonstrated leadership experience.
• Excellent written communication skills.
• Most successful applicants have a cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 or better.