Application Process for Master’s Degrees and Graduate Certificates
- Complete the application and submit a resume or curriculum vitae. Both must be submitted for your application to be complete.
- Pay the application fee of $50 (U.S.) which can be paid online through CASHNet (International payments can be made using Flywire.) Cash and check are also accepted.
- Arrange for official transcripts from each college or university attended to be emailed directly to EMU.
- Include three references in your admissions application: one academic, one professional, and one character. Only two letters are required when applying for a graduate certificate. The references should email their reference form directly to cjpadmissions@emu.edu or mailed to the Center for Justice & Peacebuilding, 1200 Park Rd., Harrisonburg, VA 22802, USA. Only reference forms received directly from the references will be accepted.
International Applicants
In addition to the above requirements, international students will need to:
- Submit a scanned copy of your passport ID page with your application.
- For applicants whose native language is not English, submit scores for either the TOEFL or IELTS test. CJP requires a 79-80 on the internet-based TOEFL or its equivalent and a 6.5-7.0 on the IELTS. (Institutional code: 5181)
- Submit a financial certificate demonstrating the student’s ability to pay. This document is required after admission in order for the program to issue a student visa application (I-20 form).
Because the program works with many international students, the admissions committee assesses applicants’ preparedness and fit with the program through transcripts, letters of recommendation, and the essay. (An arts-based option may be accepted in lieu of the essay. Contact cjpadmissions@emu.edu for more details.)
Guidelines and Requirements
Applicants must have an undergraduate degree.* A social science background is preferred but not required. Preference is given to students who have two or three years of experience (paid or voluntary) in any type of work that involves making the world more just and less violent. This includes, but is not limited to, community development, social movement organizing, mediation, relief work, restorative justice, working with communities traumatized by injustice or violence, and advocacy. If you want the practical tools and knowledge to help create a more just and equitable world but have been working in an unrelated field, please email the admissions director at cjpadmissions@emu.edu so we can have a conversation about how our programs might meet your goals.
*In exceptional cases admission may be granted to applicants who meet qualifications for a rarely awarded non-Baccalaureate admission. This is typically done for older applicants who have extensive experience in the field and whose undergraduate studies were disrupted by violence.
Applicants should have an undergraduate GPA of at least 2.75 (on a four-point scale). However, those who have a weaker academic background but extensive experience in the peacebuilding field are welcome to apply; if all other admissions requirements are met, the applicant may be conditionally admitted. If the student earns a 3.0 GPA in the first semester of studies, the student’s probation status is removed and will be considered fully admitted.
Submission of GRE scores is neither required nor recommended.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Applicants who apply for admission after February 15 will not have access to internal scholarships. If you would like to apply for a scholarship, please submit your admission and scholarship applications by February 15 in order to have that scholarship applied to the next academic year. Our academic year runs from August to June.