Due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on GRE testing, the majority of Graduate Center programs are suspending their GRE requirements for 2021 applications (both Fall 2021 and, where applicable, Spring 2021 applications).
The following programs will continue with their regular GRE requirements:
- Audiology
- Biochemistry (optional)
- Business
- Computer Science
- Economics
- Mathematics (General GRE remains required; however, the Subject Test requirement is suspended)
- Physics (optional)
All other programs who usually require GRE scores will be suspending them. Each program’s admissions committee may request additional writing samples or interviews as an alternative means of assessing your qualifications. If you have already taken the exam, you may upload your scores as usual.
TOEFL and IELTS requirements are not suspended.
Please check our deadline and requirements chart for a complete list of program requirements. Contact us in the Office of Admissions with any questions you have about testing, or anything else as you consider your graduate school options.
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Hi, will the GRE For the MBA program be waived for the 2021 applications?
The Graduate Center does not have an MBA program, so you would need to contact the school that you are applying to for clarification.
Hi Gerry, Baruch has the MBA program. Do you know of any updates on this program requirement?
You will need to contact Baruch for updates about their programs; I do not have updates on the requirements of another school, I’m afraid.
Does the GC offer a fully online PhD program? Or is the GC planning to implement a totally online PhD?
The Graduate Center does not have any online Ph.D. programs and, to my knowledge, has no plans to implement any. If we are online in the Fall it will only be due to COVID and we will transition back to in-person classes as soon as we are able.
Greetings,will GRE waived for fall 2021 applicants for data science(M.S),and when is the best time to start the application for an international students, I need guidelines
Yes, the Data Science program is suspending the GRE for Fall 2021 applicants. The deadline to apply for Fall 2021 is April 15th–see more on requirements here: https://admissions.commons.gc.cuny.edu/program-application-deadlines-and-requirements/ Thank you and have a great afternoon.
Will the clinical psychology PhD programs require GRE?
Yes, Psychology is suspending the GRE for this year. As noted above, please see our deadline chart for complete requirements by program: https://admissions.commons.gc.cuny.edu/program-application-deadlines-and-requirements/
Hi, will the MFA programs require GRE? Thanks
The Graduate Center does not have an MFA program, so you would need to contact the school that you are applying to for clarification.
Hello! Does this mean that the GRE requirement for the forensic psychology masters program for Spring 2021 has been canceled? Will the program be looking at my psychology GPA instead? Thank you!!!
The Graduate Center does not have a master’s in Forensic Psychology, so you would need to contact the school that you are applying to for clarification.
I am trying to apply to John Jay College of Criminal Justice for the Spring 2021 semester
Does this apply ?
I’m sorry, but I cannot reply on behalf of John Jay as they are a different school. I would encourage you to contact them directly.
Ok thank you!
I’m considering a doctorate in either sociology or anthropology. Is there someone whom I can talk to about admission and credit auditing? I already have an MA from Queens College and would like to apply my graduate credits towards the doctorate requirements., if possible.
Please contact us at admissions@gc.cuny.edu and we will get back to you about making an appointment to speak to an admissions counselor.
Hi. I sent an email to admissions on 7/13 as advised and haven’t received a response yet. What is the estimated response time, given the coronavirus crisis?
Thank you for letting me know. I will check on that for you.
Does this applies to International students also?
If the program you are interested in has suspended the GRE that would be for any applicant, whether domestic or international. The GRE/IELTS requirement has not been suspended though.
Will the PhD in Criminal Justice require the GRE?
Criminal Justice is waiving it. As noted above, only the programs listed are not suspending the requirement.
Thank you so much for the clarification!!
Will MA in SLP be exempted from GRE?
The Graduate Center does not have an MA in SLP, so you would need to contact the school that you are applying to for clarification. We do have a Ph.D. program in Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences, and they are suspending the GRE.
Does this mean that any CUNY masters program for speech language pathology gre is suspended?
I’m sorry, but I cannot speak for the programs at other schools; you would need to contact each school that has a master’s program that you are interested in for more info. We have a Ph.D. program in Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences but no master’s program.
Is the GRE suspended for SLP grad programs for applicants applying for Fall 2020 or 2021?
The Graduate Center does not have an MA in SLP, so you would need to contact the school that you are applying to for clarification. We do have a Ph.D. program in Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences, and they are suspending the GRE.
Will the SLP graduate program require the GRE for applying for Fall 2020 or 2021?
The Graduate Center does not have an MA in SLP, so you would need to contact the school that you are applying to for clarification. We do have a Ph.D. program in Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences, and they are suspending the GRE.
Hi Gerry; do i have complete my undergraduate requirements(courses) to a full graduation before beginning my application for GRE in Cognitive Neuroscience ?
You can apply to a graduate program as long as you will be finishing the undergraduate program before graduate school would start. So (for example) if you are graduating with a bachelor’s in Spring 2021 you could apply now to Fall 2021 for a master’s; that’s because even though you are not done with undergrad now, you would be done with it before starting your graduate degree.
Thanks Gerry; based on this clarity of yours and in consideration of when i am expected to graduate which is Fall 2021, i may wait another semester. Is that a good idea, Gerry?
That’s correct; if you are graduating in Fall 2021 the earliest semester you could start graduate school would be Spring 2022.
Hi! Just to clarify- the suspension of the GRE requirement is for those submitting their applications in Fall 2021 for a Spring/Fall 2022 start? Or is it for students who are applying now and want to start in Fall 2021?
Thanks!
It is for applying to a 2021 semester. It is too early to say what the next year of COVID-19 will look like (which is what will matter for determining policy for those applying to a 2022 semester).
Hi. I was considering applying to the Psychology Master’s Program at Hunter College for Fall 2021, and for that I would need to take the GRE before the end of this year as originally planned. Is the deadline for the application pushed back?
You would need to contact Hunter College; though we are both CUNY schools we are distinct institutions, so I do not have any updates about them.
Hello,
I’m looking to apply for the Industrial Organizational Psychology PhD. So the GRE is currently not a requirement?
That is correct–it is not a requirement if you are applying for Fall 2021. As noted above, any PhD program not listed there is suspending the GRE.
Will there be an admission date for fall 2021 Phd Nursing program?
As of this point the Nursing PhD program will not be taking applications.
Hi, actually, I am planning for applying for CUNY Biochem Ph.D. 2021 and I was wondering if GRE is required for me. I saw in one website GRE is required while in this it shows optional. Can you elaborate if its optional or required please? Thanks
The GRE for Biochemistry is optional.
Hello, I understand the updated policy on the GRE requirement is pretty straightforward, but I would like to ask for my own satisfaction. I wish to apply for a Master’s in Political Science for Fall ’21 at the GC. The suspension rule applies to the stated program as well, right?
Thanks much.
Yes it does.
Hello- will the GRE for the MA in Communication Arts Sciences and Disorders be waived?
The Graduate Center does not have an MA in Communication Arts Sciences and Disorders, so you would need to contact the school that you are applying to for clarification.
Hi Garry, thanks for replying to these inquiries. I have a couple questions…
1) Are the dates correct? It says Fall 2021, followed by Spring 2021. Shouldn’t it be Fall 2020 and Spring 2021?
2) For mathematics, If I do not have the general GRE, am I out of luck for the PhD program?
1) Yes, the dates are correct. There was already an announcement for Fall 2020 and all but one of our programs has closed admission for Fall 2020 at this point; this is for people applying to 2021 (the Spring semester starts in January 2021 and the Fall at the end of August 2021).
2) Yes, I’m sorry but that is correct; Mathematics is still going to require the general GRE.
Hi there!
I go to CSI and was planning to apply for the Masters program in Education grades 7-12, to teach English, in the fall so that I could start in the Spring of 2021. Does this mean that the Masters Programs for Education are suspending their GRE requirements as well?
The Graduate Center does not have any Master’s of Education program, so you would need to contact the school (whether that be CSI or another CUNY school) that you are applying to for clarification. We can only speak for Graduate Center programs.
Are any PhD programs not required to have GRE? Is possible to get waiver?
Yes, that is what this post is about; all Ph.D. programs at The Graduate Center, with the exception of those explicitly listed above, are suspending their GRE requirements if you are applying to start in 2021.
Hi, will this apply for the clinical PhD program through John Jay?
Yes, the clinical program is administered here through The Graduate Center so it is one of the programs suspending.
Hi Gerry, it is mentioned above that students that already have a GRE score should still submit it. Therefore, what would this decision mean for students who’s GRE score is lower than the average of the accepted students to the program? Is it better to not submit any GRE score than to submit a lower score in this case? or is it better to still try and improve this score?
Thank you!
If you have taken the GRE we are asking that you provide the scores, regardless of what that set of scores was.
Thank you. My intention is to ask if people with lower scores should take the GRE again since CUNY is still requesting to view them, or will the existing score be ignored (although it will be provided)? Or in other words – will people with higher GRE scores still have an advantage?
I would not encourage you to take them again, as the pandemic’s impact on testing is why we are suspending the scores. Programs do take into account a full application when making a decision; if you feel your scores are low and will not take the GREs again, it would be fine to send the application without them.
Thank you!!
Is the GRE required or suspended for an MSed at CSI?
The Graduate Center is a separate school than CSI, so I’m afraid I cannot answer any questions about that. Please contact CSI.
Hi Gerry,
I’m applying to the Clinical Ph D in Psychology (forgive me for asking a question you may have already answered) and I took the GRE’s for the first time in January just to familiarize myself with the test. What scores are accepted? Also, I am currently a practicing School Psychologist – is the Doctoral version at GC Educational Psychogy?
Best,
Ivette
Good morning,
Any scores from the last 5yrs would be a valid GRE; it would be up to you whether to send them now.
The Ph.D. in Educational Psychology is probably the closest to what you are looking for, but you can also check the other subfields within the Ph.D. in Psychology program.
Thank you 🙂
Hi, I want to apply for PhD in molecular biology. Is GRE suspended for this course? And what about IELTS? I want to apply for the spring 2021 but I do not have GRE and IELTS. Am I eligible to apply for spring 2021?
There is no GRE requirement for Biology. Please note however that we do not have Spring 2021 entry; you need to apply to start in Fall 2021.
I’m sorry, but the IELTS or TOEFL requirement still stand.
Thank you.
Is the GRE requirement for admissions to the MSW program in the Fall of 2021 suspended? Thank you!
The Graduate Center does not have an M.S.W. program. Perhaps you might be looking for another CUNY school? In that case you need to contact the school which the M.S.W. you are interest in is hosted at to ask them if their GRE policies have changed.
Hi Gerry, will the Ethnomusicology doctoral program require the GRE for applying for Fall 2021? Thank you.
No it will not. Only those listed above are retaining GRE requirements.
Hello Gerry, I intend to apply for Theatre and Performnace PhD in CUNY GC. I was wondering if candidates are exempted from TOEFL/IELTS requirement like it has been the case for GRE. If they do, the suspension applies to which years?
Thank you.
The TOEFL/IELTS requirement has not been waived at this point. My apologies for any inconvenience.
I’m applying for a phd in linguistics however, It’s not mentioned what score is required and the code of the University
Good morning,
There is not a cut-off score; applications are looked at as a whole. The TOEFL code is 2113.
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Hi, will the GRE For the Psychology programs( clinical specialisation @ John Jay + psychology&lAW SPECIALISATION ) be waived for the 2021 applications?
phanwell
Good morning. Yes, Psychology is suspended as well.
Hello, according to the list above, the PhD program in Mathematics have not suspended the General test requirements. What about the subject test? It has been cancelled this year..
Good morning. Mathematics has suspended the subject test requirement (see: “the Subject Test requirement is suspended”). Thank you.
Hi, how much is the application fee if i apply for physics phd program.
Good morning Sean, The application fee is $75 (though it is waived for McNair Scholars and veterans). Thank you and have a great rest of your week.
Hello,
I am interested in applying for PhD Biology-Neuroscience program for Fall 2021. I understand that GRE was waived but still needs TOEFL. I am wondering if school will waive TOEFL/IELTS requirement for the applicants who has masters degree in united states and been living in the country for the decade. Please let me know.
Thank you so much for your time.
Laxmi.
Good morning. If you have a master’s or bachelor’s degree from the U.S. we will not require a TOEFL, so you do not need to take that exam to apply. Thank you for your interest and have a nice day.
Can the TOEFL requirement be waived for PhD Economics admission for fall 2021 if the applicant is currently in a master’s program in a US university, and will graduate in Spring, 2021? At the time of application, I will have completed 30 credit hours in the program.
Good morning, If you will have a completed master’s degree from a U.S. university before starting here then you will not need a TOEFL. Thank you and have a great day.
Hi, is GRE requirement suspended for 2021 PhD computer science ?
Good morning. As you see above, Computer Science is still requiring the GRE. Thank you.
hi is Gre and Ielts are both required for Ph.D. Physics?????????
Good morning, The GRE is optional for Physics–so you can decide whether or not to provide those scores. However, the IELTS or TOEFL score is required. That said, if you have not taken one yet I would encourage you to complete the application with what you currently have and get us the IELTS or TOEFL as soon as you can afterwards. Thank you.
is there any possibility of a fee wave for Ph.D.? Physics Application??////
As I noted previously, the GRE is optional–that means there is no need to waive it. Thank you.
I was wondering if the GRE requirement will still be suspended for the Theatre and Performance PhD for Fall 2022 applications?
Good morning, We have no information yet on Fall 2022 applications and the GRE yet. My apologies.
Would i eligible to apply for PhD biology as I have completed my Master’s in Forensic Science from India.
Good morning, Yes, you may apply even if your previous degree was not in Biology (though of course your previous coursework is something an admissions committee may consider). Please note that Ph.D. deadline for Fall 2021 have passed, so you would need to apply for Fall 2022. Thank you.
Greetings,
When can we expect to hear admission decisions for PhD in Psychology for Fall 2021?
Good morning, We cannot give you a particular date for this–it depends on the needs of the programs review committee. My apologies; I know that waiting for an answer is the hardest part!
Can you give me a waive of IELTS or TOFEL for master of cognitive neuroscience. I studied my undergraduate degree in English language and I have a certificate proves that the official language of studying in my faculty is English (The University of Jordan). Also, I have a 115 score in Duolingo English exam and GRE
Good morning, The requirement is only waived if your degree is from one of these countries: https://www.gc.cuny.edu/CUNY_GC/media/CUNY-Graduate-Center/PDF/Admissions/English-language-testing-exempt-countries.pdf
That said, I would encourage you to apply even if you have not taken the TOEFL or IELTS yet–get the scores to us as soon as possible, but don’t let it hold up your application. If you have any questions contact us: admissions@gc.cuny.edu
Thank you.
Greetings sir! I wish to inquire if one has attended school in a purely English system, and owns a certificate of English language proficiency aside Toefl and IELTS, is one again obliged to go in for Toefl OR IELTS?
Good morning. You must have a bachelor’s degree from a school in a country on this list: https://www.gc.cuny.edu/CUNY_GC/media/CUNY-Graduate-Center/PDF/Admissions/English-language-testing-exempt-countries.pdf If you have any questions please contact us: admissions@gc.cuny.edu