Requirements
The Graduate School welcomes applications from qualified candidates holding a minimum of a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution with at least a 2.75 grade point average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale or equivalent. GRE or GMAT exams are not required for most programs. Students with a GPA between 2.5 and 2.7 may be considered on a case-by-case basis.
International students may apply for admission for August or January. Students must enroll on a full-time basis (9 credits) during the August and January semesters. International students are allowed to enroll on a part-time (3 to 6 credits) basis during the May or August sessions but not in the student's first semester.
The following programs are offered on a full-time basis and are available to international students seeking F1 visas:
- Biomedical Science (BMS),
- Bioinformatics (M.S.),
- Business Administration (Doctoral, DBA),
- Ceramics (M.A.),
- Ceramics (M.F.A.)
- Computer Science (M.S.),
- Counseling (M.S.),
- Cybersecurity (M.S.),
- Environmental Biology (M.S.),
- Humanities (M.A.),
- Information Technology (M.S.),
- Master in Business Administration (MBA), with focus areas in:
- Accounting
- Data Analytics
- Finance
- Human Resources Management
- Information Systems
- Marketing
- Public Management
- Management Information Systems (M.S.)
- Organizational Leadership (Doctoral, DOL)
Please note that the non-refundable application fee and I-20 processing fee will be applied toward your student account after we have issued your I-20 for a total of $100.
View application requirements per program. If you have questions regarding additional supporting documents with your application, please email us at gofurther@hood.edu.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and students are notified of admission decisions approximately two weeks after their application file becomes complete.
Please note that the graduate online application fee is non-refundable.
Deadlines
Complete the online graduate school application. To ensure timely review of applications and enrollment, students are encouraged to apply and submit all required supplemental documents by the deadlines listed below. Any applications that become complete after the deadlines may be reviewed on a space- and time-permitting basis.
Master of Science in Counseling
For all students wishing to enter for the fall (August) semester
For all students wishing to enter for the spring (January) semester
All other programs
For all applicants wishing to enter in the fall (August) Semester
For all applicants wishing to enter in the summer (May) semester
For all applicants wishing to enter in the spring (January) semester
Contact Us
The Graduate School makes the application process is easy and convenient. Should you have any questions or concerns, please email us at gofurther@hood.edu or call at 001-301-696-3600.
Apply
Complete the online application for the Graduate School at Hood College. If you do not yet have a Hood account, you will be prompted to create one via the “Sign Up” link at the bottom of the Application page. Please note that the graduate online application fee is non-refundable.
Transcript Evaluation
For students who earned a bachelor’s degree outside of the United States, Hood College accepts official course-by-course evaluations from any member of the National Associate for Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) as well as from any member of the Association of International Credential Evaluators (AICE). It is the international applicant's responsibility to request that their previous educational institutions send their official transcripts directly to the NACES or AICE organization for the course by course evaluation. The NACES or AICE organization will send the official course by course evaluation directly to the Graduate School either electronically to gofurther@hood.edu.
Your degree must be the equivalent to a 4-year U.S. bachelor degree from a regionally accredited institution to qualify for admission. If you earned a 3-year undergraduate degree, your NACES or AICE course by course evaluation MUST say that your undergraduate degree is comparable or equivalent to a 4 year U.S undergraduate degree to be eligible for admission.
Other Supporting Documentation
Submit any supplemental application documents to gofurther@hood.edu such as letters of recommendation and essays. GRE and GMAT scores are not required for many programs. Contact us for more information regarding the documentation requirements or view a list application requirements per program.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and students are notified of admission decisions approximately two weeks after their application file becomes complete.
English Proficiency
All graduate programs at Hood College require English proficiency in writing, reading, and speaking in an academic setting. Such proficiency may be demonstrated by earning a bachelor’s or master’s degree in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Ireland or New Zealand or by obtaining a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score of 89 or higher, an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) composite score of 6.5 or higher, or a Duolingo English Test(DET) score of 105 or higher. English test scores must be no more than one year old. If your test is more than a year old, please plan to retake your English test and send us your updated scores.
Please note: The Graduate School at Hood College is accepting the TOEFL and ELTS English Language Home Edition tests. There will be no distinction or preference given whether the English language test is taken in person at a test center or online. For English test-related questions, email gofurther@hood.edu.
Students whose bachelor’s or master’s degrees were NOT earned in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Ireland or New Zealand must submit an official score report from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or Duolingo English Test (DET); The Hood College school code for reporting purposes is 5296.
If English proficiency is not demonstrated in one of the above ways and if submitted test scores fall in the range of 79-88 (TOEFL), 5.5-6.0 (IELTS), or 100-104 (DET), the admitted student will be required to complete Advanced English for Academic Purposes EAP 500 in his/her first semester at Hood College. Students may not enroll in other summer program courses unless they take the EAP course first or concurrently with the program course. For more information, please consult your acceptance letter and/or your faculty advisor.
After Acceptance
Once you complete all requirements for admission, you will be issued a letter of acceptance. At this time, you may begin the I-20 and visa process. You will need your financial documents, affidavit of support, and passport to begin this process.
You can also view our Tuition & Fees in order to prepare you and your family for the costs of a Hood College education.