Application Materials

Select Non-Degree & Other Certificate Programs to access the application and then select Visiting - Postbaccalaureate as your Program of Study within the online application.

You must submit all materials directly, not through an agent or third-party vendor, with the sole exception of submissions by the U.S. Department of State’s Fulbright Program and its three partner agencies IIE, LASPAU and AMIDEAST, and by the Danish-American Fulbright Commission (DAF), Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD), and Vietnam Education Fund (VEF). 

If you have any questions about this requirement, please contact the admissions office at visiting [[at]] sps [[dot]] columbia [[dot]] edu (visiting[at]sps[dot]columbia[dot]edu).

Fee payment must accompany the online application.

In the Academic History of the application, you will be required to provide information regarding your academic background and unofficial transcripts.

Documents required for review:

Applicants must provide an unofficial transcript showing all undergraduate degree coursework, grades, and degree conferral. Unofficial transcripts must be in English and show the applicant’s name, institution name, courses and grades, and degree conferral. 

• If your unofficial transcript does not meet the requirements noted, please reach out to the visiting [[at]] sps [[dot]] columbia [[dot]] edu (admissions team) who will follow up with additional information. 

• Applicants may be required to provide transcripts from any and all post-secondary institutions if requested.

Documents required if admitted:

Applicants must submit a certified and secure electronic transcript sent directly from the institution or via the vendor that provides that service for their institution to transcripts [[at]] sps [[dot]] columbia [[dot]] edu (transcripts[at]sps[dot]columbia[dot]edu). 

• If the school does not offer electronic delivery, you must write to transcripts [[at]] sps [[dot]] columbia [[dot]] edu (transcripts[at]sps[dot]columbia[dot]edu) and provide the link to your institution's web page regarding transcript orders. After verification, we will respond with further instructions.
• If you are requesting an official transcript via a third-party vendor, such as Parchment or National Student Clearinghouse, please ensure that Columbia University, School of Professional Studies (SPS) is the recipient.

Falsification, forgery, and misrepresentation of any type will risk forfeiture of admissions and/or enrollment. Forfeiture may occur whenever an integrity lapse is discovered, and may include admissions revocation, expulsion, or another sanction outlined within the Student Conduct and Community Standards. Applicants would not be entitled to request any refund of the application fee, enrollment deposit or tuition in the case that the official transcript deviates from the unofficial. 

Please upload your résumé or CV. Please be sure to include all relevant work experience, professional organizations, or activities that would be relevant to evaluating your candidacy for admission.

English Language Proficiency

If your native/first language is not English, you must provide official scores on the TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test (DET) unless both of the following are true:

• The language of instruction of your undergraduate degree conferring institution is English.
• You completed two or more years at the institution at the time of your application.

Applicant total scores must meet the Columbia SPS minimum requirement of 100 (TOEFL iBT), 7.0 (IELTS Academic) or 130 (DET) to be admissible. You will be required to enter your test scores or your anticipated testing date within the online application, and official test score reports will be required for your application to be considered complete and ready for admission review. TOEFL and IELTS Academic scores are valid for two years after your test date. Applicants receiving scores below the posted minimums may be advised to apply directly to the American Language Program. 

• To submit TOEFL iBT scores: Visit www.ets.org and send your official score to our school code 2594. Please note: we do not accept TOEFL best scores.
• To submit IELTS Academic scores: After you have submitted your application, please upload your unofficial IELTS Academic score report. Alternatively, you can also send us your official score through your testing center.
• To submit DET scores: Visit https://englishtest.duolingo.com. Filter by “Graduate” and choose “Columbia University - School of Professional Studies” as the recipient.

Please note: if you send your scores to the university before submitting your application, please contact visiting [[at]] sps [[dot]] columbia [[dot]] edu (visiting[at]sps[dot]columbia[dot]edu) after your application is submitted so the scores can be associated with your record. 

Visa Requirements

International students are responsible for ensuring they have read and understand the University’s student visa application eligibility and requirements. Please note that it is not permissible to enroll while in B-1/B-2 status. International students enrolled in a full-time course load—registered for at least 12 points of credit-bearing courses a term—are eligible for a student visa.

Eligible international students who wish to apply for a student visa should do so immediately after they have received their letter of admission to Columbia University. This should be done by completing the Application for Visa Certificate (AVC). Applicants should be aware that after admission into a program it may take up to four weeks to receive the documents needed from Columbia to obtain a student visa, so please plan accordingly.

International students who require a student visa to study at Columbia are required to pay an International Services fee. See your program's Tuition and Fees for more information

You can find the online application for visa certificate by clicking here: http://isso.columbia.edu/. While you are not permitted to submit the application until you have gained admission, we strongly encourage you to read the instructional information provided.

For questions about individual cases, please contact:
International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO)
212-854-3587
isso [[at]] columbia [[dot]] edu (isso[at]columbia[dot]edu)
http://isso.columbia.edu/