The School of Professional Studies is one of the graduate and professional schools at Columbia University. Degree program graduates of the School of Professional Studies receive a Master's Degree from Columbia University. You can find the full list of Columbia University's schools here.
While a limited selection of online courses may be available, we do not offer an online-only student application. All non-degree applicants must complete the standard application designed primarily for on-campus study.
The Visiting Postbaccalaureate program is highly flexible, allowing students who already hold a bachelor’s degree to take individual credit-bearing courses across various departments to fulfill prerequisites or explore new interests without being tied to a specific curriculum. Certificate programs are more structured, requiring a specific sequence of courses in a specialized field to earn a formal Columbia University credential upon completion.
Explore the University Courses to identify courses that align with your interests.
No. You must first accept your offer and complete the “Next Steps” (i.e., activate UNI, submit admissions verification documentation, etc.) before you can register. Students can then register for specific courses. Some courses do require the pre-approval of the department or instructor.
You can register for our 1:1 Non-Degree Office Hours via Zoom here.
Admissions and Application Materials
The Visiting – Undergraduate program is open to those that are currently enrolled in an undergraduate degree program at another institution and in good academic standing.
The Visiting – Graduate program is open to those that are currently enrolled in a graduate degree program at another institution and in good academic standing.
The Visiting – Postbaccalaureate program is open to those that are U.S. bachelor’s degree holders or international equivalent.
Be sure to select the program that matches your academic level for the term you are applying to.
Applications submitted on or before the priority deadline will be reviewed first, so long as they are complete with all required information and material. The Admissions Committee will then review applications on a rolling basis until the final application deadline. We encourage applicants to apply by priority deadlines if an early decision is needed for an application to on-campus housing, funding opportunities, or a visa.
Materials received will be marked complete on your Application Checklist in your application portal. However, transcripts and international academic credential evaluations (through one of the following third-party agencies: WES/ECE/TEC) will not be marked complete until we receive the final document with degree conferral (if applicable). If you scroll past the Application Checklist to the “Upload Materials” section, you will see all the materials we have received for your application.
Official transcripts are typically only required if you are admitted. However, if you studied at an institution outside of the United States and are applying to one of our Certificate or CPA programs, an official transcript is required to review your application. We can only consider transcripts as "official" when they are sent to us directly from the issuing institution. To send official transcripts, please request that your institution send your transcript electronically to the School of Professional Studies at this email: transcripts [[at]] sps [[dot]] columbia [[dot]] edu (transcripts[at]sps[dot]columbia[dot]edu). Please note applicants may be required to provide an official transcript from any and all post-secondary institutions if requested.
Your transcript must include your name, your university name, all previous semester courses and grades, as well as the in-progress courses you are currently enrolled in or your degree conferral (if applicable).
If you are applying for Summer Session or Fall, your transcript should note your Spring in-progress coursework. Spring applicants must have a transcript noting Fall in-progress coursework. If you have questions about your transcript, please contact summersession [[at]] columbia [[dot]] edu (summersession[at]columbia[dot]edu) (for Summer Session applicants) or visiting [[at]] sps [[dot]] columbia [[dot]] edu (visiting[at]sps[dot]columbia[dot]edu) (for Fall or Spring applicants).
These scores are not required or accepted for Non-Degree program applications. Submission of additional documentation that is not required will delay the application review.
Letters of recommendation are required only for applicants to the Advanced Certificate in Classics program. Letters of recommendation are not required as part of the application for any other programs.
Once all required materials have been received and verified, your application will be under review. You can monitor this by logging into your application portal.
To monitor your application status, after you have submitted your application, please log into your application portal and review your Application Checklist. You will receive a notification via email once an admissions decision has been made.
After your application is considered complete and includes all the required application material, please allow at least 4-6 weeks for your admissions decision to be released.
No, you can only apply to one program in any one semester. Please carefully review our application policies.
Official documentation received outside the application system can take 7-10 business days to verify and upload to a record. If it has been longer than 10 business days, please reach out to the admissions team.
If your application status is "Awaiting Materials," this means the Admissions Committee requires additional information and/or material for your application. Please review your Application Checklist and provide any required material marked "Awaiting." If your Application Checklist does not show any required material marked as "Awaiting," please check your email for any updates from the admissions team regarding what is needed for your application, or reach out to visiting [[at]] sps [[dot]] columbia [[dot]] edu (visiting[at]sps[dot]columbia[dot]edu).
Applicants are encouraged to apply for the term in which they plan to enroll. Please reach out to visiting [[at]] sps [[dot]] columbia [[dot]] edu (visiting[at]sps[dot]columbia[dot]edu) (for Visiting Programs) or certificates [[at]] sps [[dot]] columbia [[dot]] edu (certificates[at]sps[dot]columbia[dot]edu) (for Certificate program) to request a deferral. If approved, you may only request to defer once and to a specific future term.
This information will be emailed to you after you have committed to your program. If you have not received this information as specified in your decision letter, please reach out to visiting [[at]] sps [[dot]] columbia [[dot]] edu (visiting[at]sps[dot]columbia[dot]edu).
Program
Registration & Course Information
The Auditing Program through SPS is only available during the Academic Year (Fall or Spring) and not available during the summer term. Auditing students are silent observers and do not earn credits for the courses they enroll in. View our Auditing opportunities here. Students enrolled in a non-Auditing program cannot register for a course as an auditor.
Our program team canvasses departments across the University prior to the term in order to add as many courses as we can to the list. For more information on course offerings, please see page 22 of our policy handbook.
Many (but not all) courses are available for Cross-Registration. See the Cross-Registration guide and consult with your Academic Advisor to determine eligibility.
Only the receiving institution (including Columbia schools/colleges) can determine if credits will transfer. Please connect with your home institution to confirm if credits will transfer.
International Student Requirements
Non-U.S. citizens/permanent residents must be full-time (minimum 12 points of credit) to be eligible for an F-1 visa. For more information, please contact the International Students and Scholars Office.
Check with your current institution’s International Student Services Office to confirm requirements.
Tuition, Billing & Financials
You can view your bill on SSOL under “View Most Recent Activity.”
Please contact Student Financial Services with any questions:
Phone: +1-212-854-4400
Email: sfs [[at]] columbia [[dot]] edu (sfs[at]columbia[dot]edu)
SPS does not offer any tuition-based scholarships, but we do offer a range of financial resources and options. You can view other internal and external resources on our financial resources page.
Campus Life & Resources
Visiting students have access to many of the same resources available to CU Student ID holders, including University libraries, fitness centers, on-campus events, and, if applicable, dining halls and residence halls.
During the Academic Year (Fall or Spring), visiting students must secure off-campus housing. View the resources from our Off-Campus Housing Assistance Office.
On-campus housing accommodations are available to visiting students during the Summer Session.
There are no meal plans for Summer Session students. Students enrolled in the Fall or Spring terms have the choice to select a meal plan, though it is separate from the cost/ fees of the program. Students would need to separately opt in with Columbia Dining.
Current Student Logistics (Admitted Students)
Visiting students are permitted for a maximum of three terms (continuation into the next term is contingent upon successful completion of the previous term and advising approval). Please connect with your Academic Advisor to learn more about how this applies for your specific program.
In order to drop all of your classes, you must submit a Notice of Withdrawal Form. Please read and be aware of the withdrawal related policies here. Also connect with your Academic Advisor. Once you submit this web-based form, it will automatically be routed to the SPS Student Affairs Office.
Please see Who is my Advisor for information about connecting with your program advisor.
