Graduate School Admissions Requirements

As you apply to Roger Williams University, you need to be aware of two distinct sets of admission requirements:

• Those set forth by the Graduate Studies Program
  
  
• Those set forth by individual departments and programs

Applications are accepted for admission on a rolling basis to each of the following Master's Degree programs (except the Master of Architecture and M.A. in Forensic Psychology programs) with a start term of fall, spring, or summer.

To request a Graduate School brochure and an application, please call (401)-254-6200.

General Requirements for Graduate Study

1. Bachelor's Degree from an accredited institution.
   
   
2. Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate records (Note: Students whose transcripts are not in English must provide a literal English translation of each transcript along with a sealed, official copy of the original transcript. The admissions office will have the original transcripts evaluated by a professional foreign credential evaluation company.
   
   
3. International Students and Non-Native English Speaking Students: Submit your Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or scores.
   
   
4. Personal Statement discussing relevant past experiences and career goals. Please limit to two double-spaced pages.
   
   
5. A completed application form signed and accompanied by the $50 application fee.
   
   
6. International Students will need to provide documentation showing financial support for the annual costs of study (tuition, fees, and living expenses). This information is NOT needed to make an admission decision and may be submitted after acceptance and after the student has decided to enroll at RWU. This information is required to issue the I-20 form. Official bank statements/certificates or the RWU International Student Financial Statement are acceptable forms of documentation.

Educational Documents - Official and English Translations

International students are eligible to apply to the graduate program of RWU if they have successfully completed the equivalent of a United States bachelor degree program (4 year undergraduate degree) and have the appropriate diplomas and/or satisfactory results on transcripts or leaving examinations.

All Official college/university scholastic records in the language of instruction, as well as English Translations must be submitted.

Official Documents
All documents submitted for review must be official; that is, they must be either originals with a school seal and/or signature OR copies certified by authorized persons. (A "certified" copy is one that bears either an original signature of the registrar or other designated school official or an original impression of the institution's seal.) Uncertified copies are not acceptable. These documents should be sent directly to RWU from the institution of attendance in a sealed envelope. Submission of falsified documents is grounds for denial of admission or dismissal from the University.

School profiles, in English, including information on the school's grading/marking system will facilitate accurate evaluation.

English Translations
English translations do not need to be official but they should be literal (word-for-word, not interpretive) translations. They should include:

• Dates of attendance
• Name of each course
• Number of hours and weeks each course was in session
• Grade or mark earned in each course.

Final Transcripts
Since offers of admission are made with the expectation that all courses in progress will be successfully completed, we will require that you forward all final transcripts prior to matriculation.

English Proficiency Requriement - TOEFL Score

Roger Williams University offers two types of admission for international and non-native English speaking graduate students.

RWU Graduate Degree Program - Direct Entry
Non-native English speaking students may enter the Roger Williams University graduate degree program directly, with no additional ESL courses, by submitting evidence of one of the following:

• TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) greater than or equal to 550 Paper/213 Computer
• Completion of level 112 at an ELS Language Center

ELS Language Center at RWU - Conditional Admission
The ELS Language Center offers an Intensive English Program to English as a Second Language (ESL) students whose test scores do not qualify them for admission to Roger Williams University ELS Language Center students attend classes on campus and may live in the residence halls. For more information, contact the Center at: bri@els.edu or 401-254-5300.

Non-native English speaking students who do not submit evidence of English proficiency or have one of the following may be offered conditional admission to RWU. These students will be directed to the ELS Language Center for ESL education before beginning their graduate degree program:

• TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) less than 550 Paper/213 Computer
• Less than completion of Level 112 at an ELS Language Center