Applications to the MA/MS and PhD programs are due by January 15. Applicants who miss this deadline may not be considered for funding opportunities. Applications received after January 15 will be accepted and reviewed on an intermittent basis throughout the spring. If applications are delayed until the summer months, however, they may not be reviewed until the following academic year.

Application requirements for the MA/MS and PhD programs are:

  • Online application
  • $70 nonrefundable application fee
  • One official transcript from each post-secondary institution attended
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Personal statement
  • Curriculum vitae

Our department does not accept applications for mid-year enrollment. If you wish to begin classes in the spring semester, you must be admitted for the preceding fall semester and then request that your entrance into the program be deferred until spring.

Applications should be submitted directly to the Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions via the online application portal. In this case, all of your materials will be submitted electronically and will be available to the admissions committee of the Graduate Program in Geography. If some of your materials are only available in hard copy form (e.g., some letter writers will only write hard copy reference letters), these should be mailed directly to the Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions at the following address:

Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
56 College Ave
New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8541
USA

After submitting your application and paying the application fee, you can track the admissions process online via the application portal, using the "Check Your Status" link to confirm whether your file is complete and has been transferred to our program office.

 

Graduate Student Admissions FAQ