Graduate Students

How to Apply for Graduate Admission

For admissions application requirements and deadlines, please consult the department page that you are applying to.

1

Complete an Application

If starting a new application for: Addiction Studies, Athletic Training, Behavioral Health, Biology, Communication Studies, Computer Science, Creative Writing, English, History, Music, Physical Education, Psychology, Public Administration, Public Health, Social Work, Urban & Regional Planning, or any graduate certificate, complete a GradCAS application. Remember to select the correct program at EWU.

GradCAS Application

If starting a new application for Professional Accounting, complete the BusinessCAS application. Remember to select the correct program at EWU.

BusinessCAS Application

If starting a new application for Applied Mathematics, Education, Business Administration, Communication Sciences & Disorders, Physical Therapy, or Occupational Therapy, complete an EagleNET application.

EagleNET Application

Complete the application and submit the nonrefundable $75 application fee.* This fee cannot be waived unless you’re a McNair Scholar.

You’ll need to submit an application fee every time you apply to a graduate program (excluding the MBA/MPA, MPA/MURP, and MPA/MSW dual programs). Only one fee is assessed for dual-degree applicants.

*These programs charge an additional program application fee: Communication Sciences and Disorders ($25), Dental Hygiene ($50), Occupational Therapy ($50), and Physical Therapy ($50).

2

Submit Transcripts

Submit one copy of your official transcripts from all colleges and universities where you’ve earned credit to the CAS application. EWU alumni don’t need to submit an official EWU transcript.

GradCAS or BusinessCAS Application

Do not send your transcripts to EWU. Transcripts may only be received by the CAS Transcript Processing Center.

Contact your previous university to send an electronic transcript through Credentials Solutions, Parchment, or National Student Clearinghouse to GradCAS or BusinessCAS. If your school does not offer any of these services, your transcript must be sent by mail. To mail transcripts, download the Transcript Request Form from the CAS system and provide it to your previous university. Your previous university should mail your paper transcripts to the following address:

GradCAS Transcript Processing Center
PO Box 9217
Watertown, MA 02471

Transcript Guidelines

Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Communication Sciences & Disorders applicants:

At the time you apply, your official transcripts should be submitted directly to PTCAS, OTCAS, or CSDCAS rather than to EWU Graduate Studies.

EagleNET Application

For MBA and M.Ed. applicants, please send your official transcripts electronically via eSCRIP-SAFE, National Student Clearinghouse, or Parchment to EWU Graduate Studies. Transcripts can be sent to:

Office of Graduate Studies
206 Showalter Hall
Cheney, WA 99004

3

Submit GRE & GMAT Test Scores

If required by your program, submit official score reports from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). EWU’s Institutional code for sending scores is 4301.

GRE Scores in GradCAS

Follow the prompts in the GradCAS application and use the EWU GradCAS code: 4593

Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Communication Sciences & Disorders applicants:

At the time you apply, your official GRE scores should be submitted directly to PTCAS, OTCAS, or CSDCAS rather than to EWU Graduate Studies.

4

Submit Program-Specific Items

Many EWU graduate programs require additional items like personal statements, references, résumés, academic writing samples, or other items. You can find these requirements on your program’s website.

Graduate Programs

Official Transcript Guidelines

EWU has your EWU transcript.

Electronic Transcripts

Have all electronic transcripts sent to the correct CAS Application: GradCAS or BusinessCAS.

Paper Transcripts

For each college or university entered, click the Download Transcript Request Form button to download and print transcript matching form. Provide this form to the college or university Registrars Office so they can send an official transcript to GradCAS.

Sending Paper Transcripts by Mail

Your registrar should mail your paper transcripts to the following address:

GradCAS Transcript Processing Center
PO Box 9217
Watertown, MA 02471

Electronic transcripts sent by secured electronic transcript exchange programs, e-script, National Clearinghouse or Parchment Services requesting an email address: gradprograms@ewu.edu

Paper transcripts are mailed to:

EWU Graduate Studies
206 Showalter Hall
Cheney, WA, 99004

Please Note: Sending transcripts to the department will significantly delay the application process.

 

  • Transcripts contain more information than grades (i.e. degrees or certificates, accreditation, suspensions & dismissals, etc.)
  • Transfer credits may lose grade information, or course titles change.
  • Transcripts can and do change over time (grades are revised; degrees are added/revoked).
  • A complete picture of an applicant’s academic career.

If you are unable to obtain an official transcript due to: a financial, disciplinary, or academic hold, you will need to work with your institution to resolve the issue.

In addition to a transcript from outside the United States, an official course-by-course evaluation is required. A credential evaluation service must be recognized by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). The credential evaluation service must also provide a chronological list of course work.

A list of credential evaluation services can be found at www.naces.org.

 

To complete your application, please submit your official transcripts from all universities where you have received credit. This includes running start programs and study abroad.

Official transcripts are sent directly from the university or college that awarded the credits. If you are applying in the CAS application, please send your transcripts to the CAS application. Transcripts must arrive:

  • In the original envelope sealed by the issuing institution.
  • Via a secured electronic transcript exchange program, e-script, National Clearinghouse or Parchment Services.
  • Or in an envelope sealed by a US State Department-sponsored organization (e.g. USEF) and are attested by that organization. The United States government considers educational records to be federally protected and private.

EWU may not obtain your transcripts for you. Faxes, copies or scans sent from applicants cannot be accepted.

Graduate Student Admission Requirements

Applicants must have earned a bachelor’s degree from a regionally-accredited college or university.

Applicants must have a calculated minimum GPA of 3.0 in the most recent 90 quarter or 60 semester graded credits of post-secondary academic coursework. The calculated GPA is not the cumulative GPA from the applicant’s transcript.

Cumulative GPA

When a course is repeated, a cumulative GPA only uses the highest grade and does not factor the same course with lower grades. (Example: An applicant takes the same course three times and earns a D, C, and A. The cumulative GPA = A)

Graduate Admissions Calculated GPA

When a course is repeated, a calculated GPA factors in all the graded courses. (Example: An applicant takes the same course three times and earns a D, C, and A. The calculated GPA =  C+)

The Director of Graduate Studies may, with the written recommendation of the program director, approve admission based upon other considerations for students who do not meet this standard.

Graduate Students Policy

International, non-native English speaking students must provide evidence of adequate proficiency in the English language before admission to graduate study. English proficiency requirements are provided on our International Graduate Students page.

These are the minimum admission requirements for graduate study. Each graduate program will have its own additional criteria, which you can find at the department page for your program.

For applicants who do not meet these requirements, graduate programs may seek approval for an exemption based on other qualifications from Graduate Studies. Please consult with your intended graduate program if this applies to you.

Graduate Office

Admitted
Returning
International

Checking Your EagleNET Application Status

For the most up-to-date information on your application status:

  1. Login to your EWU Graduate Admissions application. Use the Login ID and PIN you created. If you forgot your Login ID (case-sensitive) or PIN, please contact Graduate Studies by phone to have it reset: 509.359.6297.
  2. Click the Admission Term link under Processed Applications to check your status in the Application Summary.
  3. Under Application Summary, the “Application Status” field will tell you whether or not your application is complete.

For a more complete list of steps, see the Checking Your Application Status document.

If your status indicates “Incomplete items outstanding”:

  1. Review the “Requirements” section to see which items have been received and which have not.
  2. If no date appears in the “Received” column, then that item is incomplete.

Please be aware that during peak admissions periods, there may be some delay from when an application document arrives at our office to when it is processed and marked with a “Received” date in your Application Summary. We appreciate your patience during these busy times.

Admission decisions vary by program. Check with your program to find out when they notify applicants of admission decisions. You will receive a decision letter in the mail.

If you’re not admitted, remember that each program makes its own admission decisions based on their own established criteria. For specific reasons behind the decision, please contact the graduate program.

Student Stories

“I thought I could be the sort of person who would seek deeper life satisfaction outside of my job, but after two and a half years in the corporate world, I realized I was not that person. Healthy human relationships, connections between people, have always been very important to me. Getting my Master’s in Social Work seemed to align with that.” 

Tracie earned her undergraduate degree from Whitworth University in Sociology and Peace Studies. After graduation, she vowed to travel and explore her options. Tracie has lived on a sailboat with her husband in the Puget Sound area. She did two stints with Americorps, teaching at a job skills training café on Whidbey Island and working with Habitat for Humanity in Seattle. She worked as an Event Coordinator at Amazon as well, before making the decision to pursue her master’s at EWU.

Currently, Tracie works for Spokane Public School’s HEART (Homeless Education and Resource Team) Program. This federally mandated program identifies homeless students within school populations and provides services to support their educational rights. She enjoys advocating for unaccompanied high schoolers. Growing up, Tracie remembers her mother often opened up their home to others who experienced difficulties. She credits her mother for passing on her sense of compassion and belief that we should care for one another.

Dilli, a Master’s in Public Health student, has special reason for seeing himself working in refugee camps in the future. Growing up, he lived with his family in a refugee camp in Nepal for 16 years. It breaks his heart that most camps are unable to provide refugees with a basic social structure and education. More and more refugee camps have been created around the world to give shelter to growing populations of displaced people. This has stretched available resources impossibly thin.

Dilli and his family were resettled in Lansing, Michigan. He attended university at Grand Rapids and earned his undergraduate degree in speech pathology. Looking back on his experience, he says, “I think people underestimate the pleasure of unstructured life, but at times, fun can be had unexpectedly.”

Dilli hopes to bring his personal experience and skills attained with a Master’s to maximize resource management and aid. He will work to find practical solutions to improve the lives of refugees.

Photo: MSW graduate student, Tracie Fowler

Our Faculty & Research

Eastern’s more than 500 graduate faculty members are active scholars, dedicated teachers and mentors. Their expertise will empower you to engage in a variety of supervised and independent research, giving you the professional preparation required for specialized practice in your chosen field.

The university is awarded millions of dollars each year in competitive grants from external funding agencies for research, training and service. Eastern’s graduate students benefit from well-funded research facilities and student-centered faculty of a comprehensive university.

Follow us on Facebook for news about graduate faculty and student research, activities, and Graduate Studies updates.

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Take a Graduate Class

Do you want to take a graduate-level class or two without being admitted to a graduate program? Under most circumstances, you must be admitted to a graduate program to register for a graduate class. However, you may be able to enroll for a term of coursework as a non-degree-seeking (NDS or “non-matriculated”) student with the approval of the academic department that offers the course(s).

NDS Application (PDF)