Admissions

Learn all about admissions for undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs by clicking the links to the right. International applicants (requiring F or J visas) should see the additional requirements listed on the "International" pages in each section.

Once you've read through the admissions requirements at the links to the right, submit your application online.

You can also obtain applications for admission and information concerning admission procedures by mail. You can download our admissions application or request an application to be mailed to you. Send your completed application forms and documents to the Office of Enrollment Services, 536 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94105.

For your convenience, applications are accepted throughout the year, and admission decisions are made soon after all necessary documents are received. (Please note that all documents submitted become the property of the university and cannot be returned.) An application file is easy to assemble, and you may apply for admission up to six months prior to enrollment. (Please note that the application fee is non-refundable.) You will be admitted under degree requirements in effect at the time of your admission.

If you are an international applicant or an applicant applying to receive veterans' benefits, you should apply by the following dates to allow time for processing the government documents necessary for your attendance:

• For the Fall Term: May 15
• For the Spring Term: September 15
• For the Summer Term: January 15

Admission to academic programs and eligibility to enroll is valid only when verified and confirmed in writing by the Office of Enrollment Services.

Admission to Golden Gate University is based on an assessment of your educational and professional background, and a determination of your ability to benefit from the particular degree or program objective.

Applications are reviewed individually and the admission decision may specify certain requirements as determined by the faculty; these may include satisfying additional admission requirements, satisfying admission conditions, or achieving certain academic progress standards.

The Office Enrollment Services, in consultation with the appropriate faculty, reviews all documents received, including official academic records from other institutions, scores on any required tests, personal statement, professional resumes, letters of recommendation, personal interviews, and any other relevant information.

Applicants whose academic preparation does not meet the university admission criteria, but who show potential for academic achievement, may be offered conditional or exceptional admission with the approval of the appropriate academic department.

Applicants who have been denied admission may not register for classes, and must wait a minimum of one year before applying again at the same academic level.

All application materials become the property of the university and cannot be returned.

All undergraduate and graduate applicants whose first (native) language is not English must meet an English language proficiency requirement to qualify for admission. This requirement may be met in a number of ways:

Official TOEFL score requirements for full admission

Undergraduate	Graduate
525 or higher on paper-based test	550 or higher on paper-based test
197 or higher on computer-based test	213 or higher on computer-based test
71 or higher on Internet-based test	79 or higher on Internet-based test

• GGU Institutional TOEFL (same requirements as listed above)
• Completion of English 1A/1B (or equivalent) at regionally accredited US college or university with grades of B or better in both;
• Bachelor's degree from regionally accredited US college/university (or equivalent from recognized college/university in another English-speaking country) with at least 60 units completed at the US college (or equivalent);
• Master's degree or higher from a regionally accredited US college/ university (or equivalent from recognized college/university in another English-speaking country);
• IELTS (Cambridge) Undergraduate: Band 6 or higher, Graduate: Band 6.5 or higher;
• APIEL (College Board) Undergraduate: 3 or higher, Graduate: 4 or higher
• Completion of 3 years of high school in the US or another acceptable English-speaking country;*
• Completion of a British-standard "O-level" examination in English Language/ Literature with a mark of C or higher**;
• Completion of a British-standard "A-level" examination in English Language/ Literature with a mark of A/O or D or higher**.

*Note 1: Not all English medium educational systems fulfill this requirement. Countries that qualify are: Australia, Anglophone Canada, Great Britain, Ireland and New Zealand.

** Note 2: Not all countries that offer O- and A-level examinations meet British examining board standards. Countries that meet this standard include: Bahamas, Belize, Brunei, Ghana, Great Britain, Guyana, Hong Kong, Ireland, Jamaica, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

You can still be admitted to Golden Gate University even if you do not meet these requirements. Check out GGU's PLUS Program -- Preparation in Language and University Studies. Successful completion of the PLUS Program is required in order to qualify for admission to a degree or certificate program.

Official TOEFL score requirements for provisional admission through the PLUS Program (Preparation in Language and University Skills)

Undergraduate	Graduate
475 or higher on paper-based test	500 or higher on paper-based test
153 or higher on computer-based test	173 or higher on computer-based test
53 or higher on Internet-based test	61 or higher on Internet-based test

• IELTS (Cambridge) Undergraduate: Band 4.5 or higher, Graduate: Band 5 or higher

An application may remain in pending status for up to one calendar year from the date on which it was received in the Office of Enrollment Services. If the file is not completed within that year, the application will expire and the documents associated with that application will be destroyed. Admission is valid for the term for which you wer admitted, and the two subsequent terms. If you do not enrolled during that time period (approximately one year), the offer of admission is canceled and the documents associated with that application will be destroyed. Re-applying after that time will require a new application, application fee, and the submission of all transcripts and other required credentials.

Contact your enrollment counselor at 415-442-7800 to find out about the status of your application.

Applicants to undergraduate and graduate studies may enroll as open enrollment students while the admission application is pending final admissions decision. All rules applicable to Open Enrollment must be followed. Click here for the open enrollment application and policies.

Degree students wishing to change their degree objective or area of concentration must file a "Change of Degree Program/Major" and submit it to the Office of Records and Registration or online here. You will be re-evaluated under the degree requirements in effect at the time the form is processed. Students who are on academic probation may apply for a change of program. If the dean of the school in which the new program is housed determines that your qualifications meet the requirements of the new program, the application will be forwarded to the Committee for Admissions and Academic Probation (CAAP) for review. Applicants who want to change their degree program prior to an admission decision should submit the request to the Office of Enrollment Services. There is no charge for this process.

Certificate students who wish to enter a degree program should submit the appropriate admission application and all required supporting documents and fees. If admitted to a degree program, students will be required to fulfill the degree requirements to that program in effect at the time of admission. In addition to prior school records and test scores, performance in certificate course work at Golden Gate is used as a criterion for admission to degree programs.

Open enrollment is a registration program, but does not constitute admission to the university. Students who wish to change from open enrollment to a degree or certificate program should apply for admission online or request a mailed application.