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General Admissions Requirements

All William Paterson University graduate applicants are required to submit the documentation listed below. Please refer to the Our Programs page for additional program specific requirements. Applications that do not have all required documentation will be considered incomplete until all documentation is received. Incomplete applications will not be considered for admission. Any application for a program with a deadline date must be complete prior to the deadline to be considered.

  • Completed application
  • $50 application fee (non refundable)
  • Official transcripts from all previous colleges/universities sent directly to William Paterson University from the home institution
  • Proof of Bachelor’s degree (Master’s where required)

Prior to applying, review our listing of graduate programs for specific program requirements. Be advised that some programs have application deadlines. International students should visit our International Students page for instructions and helpful resources.

*Please note: 
*Application to the master’s program in Speech Language Pathology should be submitted through the Communication Sciences and Disorders Centralized Application Services (CSDCAS) https://portal.csdcas.org/ 

*Applications to the Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) should be submitted through the Centralized Application Service for graduate study in Psychology (PSYCAS) https://psycas.liaisoncas.com/applicant-ux/#/login

*Students interested in applying to the "Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Professional Program" please click here

*Unofficial Transcripts:

William Paterson University will be allowing unofficial college transcripts to be used during the admission and registration process. All unofficial transcripts must include the student’s full name, institution, grade points, credits, and grade point average. Unofficial transcripts must be sent as a PDF (WP does not accept pictures including jpeg files of transcripts).

If you submit unofficial transcripts for review purposes, please note acceptance is conditional pending receipt of final official transcript(s). Final official transcripts from all collegiate institutions attended must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Admissions which includes those confirming your undergraduate and/or masters degree conferral as applicable. The finalized documentation is required to be submitted by the second week of your first session in order to avoid a registration hold being placed on your academic record for future terms.  It is the student’s responsibility to request all official transcripts to be sent to us.

Supplemental documentation should be mailed to:
Office of Graduate Admissions and Enrollment Services
Morrison Hall 102
300 Pompton Road
Wayne, NJ 07470

Application Options

William Paterson University offers several options for admission. These include Doctoral, Master's and certificate programs. Non-degree, post-master’s and visiting non-degree.

Degree and Certification

You may apply for admission into a degree and/or certificate, and are considered a matriculated student if you are formally accepted into one of those programs. As a matriculated student, you may pursue your studies on a full or part-time basis.

Full-time status: Enrolled in 9-15 graduate credits per semester.

Part-time status: Enrolled in up to 8 graduate credits per semester.

Non-Degree:

Students interested in applying to the "Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Professional Program" please click here.

You may apply as a non-degree seeking student for most programs. As a non-degree student, you must possess a bachelor’s degree and may enroll for up to nine (9) graduate credits or three (3) graduate courses. After nine credits, in order to continue, you must file an application for matriculation to be accepted into a degree or certificate program. If at any time a non-degree student wishes to apply for admission to the University, formal application must be made and complete credentials must be submitted.

Some programs may not accept non-degree students or may require special permission, based on availability of seats. Additionally, some programs that allow non-degree study, may only allow students to take three to six non-degree credits before requiring matriculation. Please check with the program director to determine the non-degree policy that is applicable to your program of interest.

Students who pursue non-degree study are not eligible for financial aid or application of unemployment waivers. Additionally, individuals who have completed a certificate program at William Paterson University must obtain special permission before applying for non-degree status. Please contact us for further information.

Please note:

  • New and currently enrolled non-degree seeking students are required to re-apply each subsequent term.
  • The nine credit limitation does not apply to senior citizens or to students taking undergraduate courses needed for eligibility for matriculation into a graduate program.
  • Non-degree seeking students are not eligible to register for WPonline courses

Post-Master's:

A post-master's student (one who has previously earned a master's degree) may earn up to 30 credits in courses designated as open to non-matriculated students. Admission on a non-degree or post master's basis does not imply eligibility for matriculation in any degree program or acceptance into a certificate program.


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