Admissions
Admission Requirements
Two of the primary tasks of the Office of Graduate Admissions and Academic Services are to assist students through the application process and collect all the admissions requirements submitted by each student. Each graduate program at the University of Saint Joseph has specific admissions requirements that must be submitted before the student’s file will be reviewed. A list of the specific requirements for each program is available by clicking the program of interest from the Graduate Programs web page and also on the student’s welcome letter they receive from the Office of Graduate Admissions and Academic Services after applying for their program of interest.
Below is a general list of admissions requirements used by our various graduate programs. The program has the right to add, change, or waive certain requirements for an individual student on a case-by-case basis. Clicking the name of any of the the admission requirements below will provide a brief summary and any prerequisite information needed to make sure the student’s submission of that individual requirement is sufficient.
Application & Application Fee
Transcripts
Minimum GPA & Prerequisite Courses
Letters of Recommendation
Proof of Immunization
Program Essay or Letter of Intent
Planned Program of Study
Praxis Scores (M.A. School Counseling and Teacher Licensure only)
Certified Background Check (All Nursing programs)
Copy of RN License (All Nursing programs)
Nursing Supplemental Health Form (All Nursing programs)
GRE Scores (Doctorate of Nursing Practice only)
The application is the single most important document submitted by the student because it provides the necessary contact, background, and previous degree information as well as the selection of the student’s program of interest. Furthermore, the application is used to create/start the student’s file at the University of Saint Joseph.
Applications are available to students on our external website.
The application fee is a one-time payment of $50 that validates the student’s interest in applying to the University of Saint Joseph. The application fee can be paid online directly after completing the application, by visiting the Pay Online feature, or by submitting a check or money order made out to the University of Saint Joseph to the attention of the Office of Graduate Admissions and Academic Services.
Note: Graduate students will not be admitted to a graduate program and will not be allowed to take any graduate coursework without submitting both the application and application fee.
The transcript provides information about a student’s academic background. The courses, grades completed, and degree information listed on a transcript provide a great deal of knowledge about the student’s past academic experiences. A student should contact the Registrar’s Office from their previous institution to have an official copy of their undergraduate transcript sent to the Office of Graduate Admissions and Academic Services. All transcripts should be sent to the following address:
University of Saint Joseph
Graduate Admissions and Academic Services
1678 Asylum Avenue
West Hartford, CT 06117
The University of Saint Joseph will always require the transcript showing degree conferral of a Bachelor degree program from a regionally-accredited institution for students interested in a Master degree program or graduate certificate program, regardless of the student’s program of interest. The University of Saint Joseph will also require the transcript degree conferral of a Master degree program from a regionally-accredited institution for students interested in Post-Master’s degree programs including the Doctorate of Nursing Practice and the Applied Behavior Analysis graduate certificate.
Note: Graduate students will not be admitted to a graduate program and will not be allowed to take any graduate coursework without adhering to the transcript requirements of the graduate program(s) the student listed on their application. This includes the submission of an official transcript showing degree conferral from a regionally-accredited institution to be admitted to a program and the minimum of an unofficial transcript showing degree conferral from a regionally-accredited institution to take graduate coursework.
Minimum GPA & Prerequisite Courses
GPA (or grade point average) provides the quantitative knowledge about the student’s past academic experiences on the transcript. A student’s GPA is determined by the number of GPA points they receive for a course and dividing it by the number of GPA hours completed. GPA points are determined using a formula based on the grade the student receives in a given course. At the University of Saint Joseph, many of the graduate programs use a minimum GPA that is set by that individual graduate program.
Course prerequisites are used to ensure that every student, regardless of their academic background, has a strong enough foundation in the courses needed to be successful in their program of interest. Course prerequisites are required for the Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, and Nutrition graduate programs.
For information regarding the minimum GPA and prerequisite courses for a graduate program offered by the University of Saint Joseph, please visit the Admissions Requirements section of that specific graduate program’s webpage from the list available on our external website.
The minimum GPA and prerequisite courses requirements for each program are available by clicking the program of interest from the Graduate Programs web page.
Note: Graduate students will not be allowed to take any graduate coursework without submitting a transcript meeting the minimum GPA and prerequisite courses required by the student’s program of interest.
Professional Letters of Recommendation
Professional letters of recommendation are an important admissions requirement because they provide information that is not visible on a transcript or standardized test. A professional letter of recommendation is a reflection of not only academic/work experience spoken on behalf of a professor, advisor, or employer but how that experience could benefit or make the student more successful in graduate school. Letters of recommendation should not come from friends, family, spiritual leaders, or public officials.
Professional letters of recommendation must meet the following requirements:
- A one to two-page typed letter
- Written on letterhead
- Signed by the recommender in pen (no electronic or blank signatures)
- Be accompanied by the Letter of Recommendation Cover Sheet
Failure to meet these requirements will result in the letter of recommendation not counting towards completing the student’s file. Subsequently, the student will have to submit a new letter of recommendation that meets these standards.
All students in a Master degree program and most of the graduate certificate programs will have to submit two letters of recommendation. All students in the Doctorate of Nursing Practice program will have to submit three letters of recommendation. For information regarding the letter of recommendation requirement for graduate certificate program offered by the University of Saint Joseph, please visit the Admissions Requirements section of that specific graduate certificate program’s webpage from the list available on our Graduate Programs web page.
Note: Graduate students will not be admitted to a Master degree program, the Doctor of Nursing Practice, or most of the graduate certificate programs without completing the letter of recommendation requirement.
The proof of immunization requirement is designed to make sure all graduate students attending courses on the University of Saint Joseph campus have been vaccinated for Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella. A list of exemptions is listed on the Proof of Immunization form. All students that did not graduate from an undergraduate program offered by the University of Saint Joseph will have to submit a completed copy of the Proof of Immunization Form with the proper attached documentation. Students can obtain the required documentation by getting a report from their physician, transferring these records from their undergraduate institution, or getting a laboratory report after having titers drawn.
Note: Graduate students that did not graduate from an undergraduate program offered by the University of Saint Joseph cannot be admitted to any on-campus graduate program without submitting the Proof of Immunization Form with proper attached documentation to Health Services (860.231.6794.)
Program Essay or Letter of Intent
The program essay or letter of intent is a document used in the admissions process to determine the student’s ability to discuss their past experiences in this area or how the student’s program of interest will affect both the student’s professional and personal life. All Master degree programs and the Applied Behavior Analysis graduate certificate program require one of these options.
The program essay is used by the Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy, Nursing, School Counseling, and Teacher Licensure programs and must meet the following requirements:
- A typed document that answers the specific essay topic provided by the program. Many of these essay topics are available to students on our Gradforms web page.
The letter of intent is used by the remaining Master degree programs and the Applied Behavior Analysis graduate certificate program. The letter of intentmust meet the following requirements:
- A one-page typed document
- Addressed to the Program Director
- Answers the statements below:
1) establishes your desire for the degree and articulate why you have selected your specific program
2) identifies the strengths that you would bring to the program (e.g. credentials, experience)
3) explains how you envision using your training and knowledge in the future
Note: Graduate students will not be admitted to any Master degree program or the Applied Behavior Analysis graduate certificate program without submitting either the required program essay or letter of intent.
The planned program of study is a document completed during the student’s meeting with an advisor from the program of interest. The planned program of study provides information about when the student plans to take the courses that make up their program of interest. The planned program of study may also be used by departments to determine upcoming course schedules and it is also used in the degree audit process. A planned program of study is required for any Master’s degree program and graduate certificate programs at the University of Saint Joseph.
The planned program of study appointment will only be scheduled once all of the other admission requirements have been submitted with the exception of the Emerging Diseases, Biology, and Nutrition programs. Students who applied to programs requiring an appointment to complete the planned program of study will be contacted by the Program Director. If you have not been contacted and you have submitted all of your admission requirements, you may contact the Program Director or contact person listed on the back side of the insert received with their Welcome Letter once all their admissions requirements have arrived.
Students in the Emerging Diseases, Biology, and Nutrition programs do not meet with an advisor before completing the planned program of study. The planned programs of study for those graduate programs are available on our Gradforms web page .
Note: Graduate students will not be admitted to any Master degree program or many of the graduate certificate programs without having the planned program of study signed and approved by their advisor after the necessary appointment.
Praxis I Scores (M.A. School Counseling and Teacher Licensure only)
The Praxis I examination is a standardized test for mathematics, reading, and writing and is used in the admissions process as another quantitative method for evaluating students. At the University of Saint Joseph, only the School Counseling and Teacher Licensure programs require Praxis I scores. The official report from Praxis must show passing scores for all three sections for the report to fulfill this admission requirement. If a student did not pass all three sections, they will have to re-take the Praxis I test and re-submit their scores.
Note: Graduate students will not be admitted to School Counseling or Teacher Licensure until passing scores for all three sections of the Praxis I Exam are submitted.
Certified Background Check (All Nursing programs)
The Certified Background Check is an online background check that reviews the student’s address history and criminal record. The University of Saint Joseph requires that all Nursing students complete their background check with CertifiedBackground.com. More information to complete the Certified Background Check is available on our Gradforms web page. Once the results are sent to the student, the student must inform the Office of Graduate Admissions and Academic Services or submit their results. Any fees associated with the background check must be paid by the student.
Note: Graduate students will not be admitted to any Nursing program until the certified background check has been completed by the student and passing results are submitted.
Copy of RN License (All Nursing programs)
Because all students in Nursing programs at the Master degree or Doctorate level must be practicing nurses, the RN license is a requirement. A copy of the student’s RN license can be sent to the Office of Graduate Admissions via fax, scan/email, standard mail, or the original can be brought to the office for copying by the student.
Note: Graduate students will not be admitted to any Nursing program until a copy of the RN license is submitted.
Nursing Supplemental Health Form (All Nursing programs)
The Nursing Supplemental Health Form requirement for all students interested in a Nursing program is designed to make sure all students have completed the vaccinations necessary to work and complete clinical hours in a hospital or medical setting. The Nursing Supplemental Health form is available on our Gradforms web page. More information about the required vaccinations is available on the form.
Note: Graduate students will not be admitted to any Nursing program until a copy of the Nursing Supplemental Health Form is submitted to the Health Services department (fax number: 860.231.6794).
GRE Scores (Doctorate of Nursing Practice only)
Like the Praxis I Exam, the GRE (Graduate Record Exam) is a standardized test used in the admissions process as another quantitative method for evaluating students. GRE scores are required for all Doctorate of Nursing Practice students who do not have a 3.20 GPA or higher on their official transcript showing degree conferral from a Master of Nursing degree program at a regionally-accredited institution.
Note: Graduate students will not be admitted to the Doctorate of Nursing Practice program until GRE scores have been submitted.
