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Admissions

The Office of Admissions helps prospective students as they navigate the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies application and admissions processes. Whether you are applying as a new student to our undergraduate, graduate, certificate, or non-degree programs we are here to assist you. For admissions questions please email admissions@slu.cuny.edu.

Undergraduate Admissions

Our undergraduate programs are designed to meet the needs of adult students who are returning to college, some after many years, to finish or transition into a bachelor’s degree or earn a specialized credential in one of SLU’s credit-bearing certificate programs.

Requirements for undergraduate admission:

  • Applicants should have a minimum of 24 earned credits from a regionally accredited institution.

  • A cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better is required for admission.

  • We accept a maximum of 90 transfer credits. Please visit our transfer credit section of our website for me detailed information.

  • Students who are admitted to CUNY must satisfy the reading, writing, and mathematics basic skills requirements.

  • A personal essay is part of the application process.

  • Applicants to a certificate program with no prior college, complete the Freshman Application for Admission and pay a $65 non-refundable application fee.

  • Applicants to a certificate or bachelor’s degree program with college credit, complete the Transfer Application for Admission and pay a $70 non-refundable application fee.

  • An application will not be reviewed for admission until the application fee is paid. Veterans of the United States Military, active duty service members, and members of the National Guard or Reserves are eligible for an application fee waiver.

  • The CUNY Undergraduate application and instructions can be found here.

Graduate Admissions

CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies offers both master’s degrees and advanced certificates on the graduate level. Students interested in graduate education programs at SLU can access the application and instructions here.

Requirements for graduate admission:

  • To be eligible for admission to our master’s degree or advanced certificate programs, applicants should have a bachelor’s degree and at least a 3.0 GPA from an accredited institution.

  • Required application materials are:

    • a $75 non-refundable application fee

    • official transcripts from all previous colleges attended

    • a resume

    • personal statement; and

    • two letters of recommendation

Applicants may also be asked to participate in an interview with a member of the admissions committee, either in person or by phone.

Applicants who did not complete their undergraduate degree at an English-speaking institution should submit a TOEFL score report or IELTS. GRE/TOEFL code: 2113

International Applicants

If you are on a temporary visa and educated in a non-English speaking environment, you must demonstrate proficiency in the English language by submitting test scores from TOEFL or IELTS (Academic Level) or PTE (Academic level). Please request to have your official test scores sent to our processing center, CUNY/UAPC and/or list our University code 2950 when registering for the exams. Visit the TOEFL, IELTS or PTE website for more information. Graduate applicants should use GRE/TOEFL code: 2113 to have official test scores sent to SLU’s Office of Admissions.

In addition to the admission criteria that is listed for SLU’s undergraduate and graduate programs, applicants who were educated outside of the United States must submit the following documents:

  • An official transcript in the original language from each postsecondary school/university attended in a sealed envelope, and

  • An international credential evaluation report that includes a course-by-course analysis indicating the type of degree received, the U.S. equivalency of the degree, the graduation date and a cumulative grade point average from a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES).

We recommend that documents are submitted to the evaluation service 8-10 weeks ahead of the application deadline to allow for the additional time needed to verify and review credentials. To be considered for a graduate degree or advanced certificate program, the applicant's undergraduate degree must be the equivalent of a U.S. baccalaureate degree.

Applicants for Non-Matriculation (Non-Degree)

A $65.00 Non-Degree Undergraduate; $75 Non-Degree Graduate application fee.

Acceptance to non-matriculated status does not guarantee admittance to courses. Class sections may be filled early during registration, many courses have prerequisites, and some courses and programs are not open to non-matriculants. Applicants for non-matriculated status should confer with the appropriate graduate advisor prior to filing their applications for admission in order to determine their eligibility for the course, the likelihood of their being able to register for the course, and to get the advisor's approval on the admissions application. Non-matriculated students must obtain permission from the graduate advisor each semester before registering.

Graduate non-matriculants, except for those who have a master's or higher degree, or those who are cooperating teachers with tuition waivers may take no more than 9 credits at SLU. Non-matriculants who wish to matriculate must meet all requirements for admission to the particular program. Students should bear in mind that approval of non-matriculated status does not guarantee subsequent acceptance for matriculation, nor that courses taken as a non-matriculant will be credited toward the degree.

Non-matriculants who have not achieved a B average after completing 9 credits will not be permitted to matriculate.

Please note: Applicants on student or exchange visitor visas (F-1 or J-1) are not eligible to apply for nonmatriculated status.

CUNY Policy on the Submission of Fraudulent Documents and the Omission of Information in Support of an Application for Admission can be found here.