Master's Degrees

WashU Continuing & Professional Studies (CAPS) administers several master's degree programs, generally consisting of 30 to 36 units of graduate-level coursework. 

A maximum of six units of related, comparable, graduate-level coursework, completed with a grade of B or higher, may be transferred from another university or from a related graduate program at WashU with the approval of the program director. These must be graduate-level courses not used to fulfill undergraduate degree requirements. Approval by CAPS is required.

Only courses taken for a letter grade may be applied to a graduate program of study. Courses taken as Pass/No Pass or audit will not count toward a graduate program of study.* Grades below C will not count toward a graduate program of study. Students are responsible for knowing the specific grading criteria and course requirements set by individual instructors. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 and at least a C in all field-of-study courses are required to graduate.

CAPS offers the following master's degrees, all of which are eligible for financial aid.

Master's Programs

Admissions Requirements

Admission into a graduate program must include the following minimum requirements: 

  1. Applicant has earned a baccalaureate degree or equivalent from an accredited U.S. institution of higher education or its equivalent from a foreign institution.
  2. Applicant has earned a 3.0 GPA or better in all coursework attempted to fulfill baccalaureate degree requirements or earned a 3.0 GPA or better in the last 60 hours of coursework attempted to fulfill baccalaureate degree requirements.

Each graduate program may have additional requirements for admission, which can include the following:

  1. Letter(s) of recommendation
  2. Resume or CV
  3. Writing sample
  4. Personal, goal, or professional statement
  5. Test scores
  6. Other relevant supporting materials approved by CAPS

If the student's transcripts are from a college or university outside of the United States, a course-by-course transcript evaluation is required. Evaluations will be accepted from World Education Services (WES), Spantran, or another member institution of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). For Spantran evaluations, students must use this Evaluation Request Form.

In addition to the above requirements, international students must show proficiency in written and spoken English. For more information about WashU’s English Language Proficiency requirements, please visit WashU’s English Language Proficiency page.

Admission to a program may be offered in one of two categories:  regular or contingent.

  1. Regular status: The applicant has met all requirements and has no additional requirements for admission.
  2. Contingent status: If the applicant has not met the minimum requirements for admission, they may be required to successfully complete 6-9 hours of graduate course work either within or outside of the core requirements of the program, with a grade of B or higher, before being converted to regular admission. If the applicant has met all minimum admission requirements but is missing one or more of the required documents (e.g., the final transcript), the applicant must fulfill the relevant condition(s) before the end of their first semester.

Applicants may appeal an admissions decision through CAPS's general appeal policy.

A maximum of 6 units of related, comparable, graduate-level course work, completed with a grade of B or higher, may be transferred from another university or from a related graduate program at WashU with the approval of the program director. These must be graduate-level units not used to fulfill undergraduate degree requirements. CAPS approval is required.

Only courses taken for a letter grade may be applied to a graduate program of study. Courses taken as Pass/No Pass or Audit will not count toward a graduate program of study.* Grades below C will not count toward a graduate program of study. Students are responsible for knowing the specific grading criteria and course requirements set by individual instructors. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 and at least a C in all field-of-study courses are required to graduate.

Non-Degree-Seeking Status

Those seeking to enroll in graduate-level courses outside of formal application to a program must apply for admission to CAPS as graduate non-degree-seeking student. These applicants must meet the minimum admissions requirements and include the following supporting documentation:

  1. Professional Statement
    1. Please include answers to the following questions, in a statement that is 2 pages or shorter.
      1. What are your areas of interest? 
      2. Are there any specific courses in which you plan to enroll?  Why?
      3. What are your personal/professional or academic strengths?
      4. If applying for contingent admission (if you do not meet the minimum requirements for admission), why should we consider you for admission?

Please visit the CAPS website or call 314-935-6700 for more detailed information, requirements, and policies concerning specific graduate degree programs.

*

WashU Continuing & Professional Studies (CAPS) students may apply a maximum of 6 units of Pass/No Pass credit from graduate-level coursework in the Olin Business School to a master's degree program at CAPS. The coursework must be authorized by CAPS, and the student must have received a grade of Pass or High Pass in the Olin course. Courses with grades of Low Pass are not eligible. This policy applies only to courses completed on a Pass/No Pass basis in the Olin Business School prior to a student's admission to a CAPS graduate program of study administered and conferred by CAPS. Once admitted to a CAPS program of study, students who are authorized to take courses in Olin Business School and apply them toward their program of study are required to convert Pass/No Pass grades to letter grades at the time of registration.

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