Admissions

**Please note: From Wednesday, December 26 to Friday, December 28 Enrollment Services office hours will be 9:00 am - 5:30 pm.

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.

All graduate applicants should be aware of our Bridge Program which allows three-year degree holders to enter graduate study without completing a second bachelor's degree.

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 Admissions and Student Affairs, 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 Admissions Office.

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 Admissions Office, 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 Admissions Office. If the file is not completed within that year, the application is canceled. Once an applicant is admitted, the admission is valid for the term for which the student was admitted, and the subsequent two terms. If the applicant has not enrolled during that time period, the admission is canceled. To be reconsidered, the applicant must reapply for admission, pay the application fee in effect at the time of reapplication, and resubmit all original transcripts as well as transcripts for any subsequent academic work undertaken.

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 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" form at the Office of Admissions and Student Affairs or online here. Students will be reevaluated 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 the student's 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 desire to change their degree program prior to an admission decision should submit the request to the Office of Admissions and Student Affairs.

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.