Admission

Applying for Admission

Admission Requirements

Graduate Record Exam (GRE)/Standardized Test Scores

Application Deadlines

Spring Admission

Application Fees

Application Forms and Materials

Application Process

Accepted Students

Concurrent Enrollment Policy

Deposit Policy

Deferment Policy

Readmission Process, Leave of Absence

Probationary Admission

International Applicants

International Students

Applying for Admission

Admission Requirements
Admission to graduate study at Mills is contingent upon the completion of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.

The criteria used for admission decisions vary according to each program. They reflect an evaluation of the applicant's potential for graduate work.

Mills College does not discriminate in its graduate admission policy on the basis of race, color, marital status, age, religious creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, or disability, but reserves the right to refuse admission to anyone on the basis of previous academic record, letter of recommendation, or, in the case of the fine arts areas, auditions, portfolios, manuscripts, or other works submitted.

Graduate Record Examination (GRE)/Standardized Test Scores
Many graduate programs at Mills College do not require GRE or standardized test scores. Applicants should review the program-specific section(s) of this catalog, the website, and the program's supplemental application for program application requirements.

Application Deadlines
For fall admission, February 1 is the priority deadline for receipt of applications.

For spring admission, November 1 is the priority deadline for receipt of applications.

Applications to the MFA program in studio art must be received or postmarked by February 1 to be considered.

Most programs review applications on a rolling admission basis after the priority deadline. Potential applicants should contact the Office of Graduate Admission for current information.

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Spring Admission
Studio Art, Dance, English, and the post-baccalaureate Pre-Medical Programs do not accept applications for spring admission.

Certain programs within the School of Education do not accept applications for spring admission, or only accept applications on a conditional basis. Potential applicants should contact the School of Education or the Office of Graduate Admission for current information.

Application Fees
Hard-copy applications require a $50 nonrefundable application fee, payable to Mills College and drawn from a U.S. bank as a personal check or money order. This fee must be included with application. The Office of Graduate Admission cannot accept credit card payments for hard-copy application fees. The Office of Graduate Admission cannot grant application fee waivers.

If applying online, applicants must pay by credit card or electronic check. Payment by electronic check, rather than credit card, may delay processing.

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Application Forms and Materials
A link to the online graduate admission application and a downloadable PDF application are available on the program's application webpage. Applicants may also request a hard-copy application to be sent from the Office of Graduate Admission.

All programs also require program-specific supplemental applications. These may be downloaded (as PDF documents) from the program's application webpage. Applicants may request hard copies from the Office of Graduate Admission. The online application includes the supplemental application; online applicants are not required to submit separate supplemental applications.

Two (2) copies of official transcripts from each post-secondary institution attended must be sent in sealed envelopes from the institution or from the applicant. If the applicant is a current Mills student or Mills alumnae/i, she/he should contact the Office of Graduate Admission for transcript requirements.

An applicant still completing her/his degree should send official transcripts showing all completed and in-progress academic work. Prior to enrollment, accepted applicants must also send official transcripts confirming the awarded degree.

Three (3) letters or recommendation forms are required. If the applicant is a current Mills student or Mills alumnae/i, she/he should contact the Office of Graduate Admission for program-specific recommendation requirements.

Recommendations should come from academic or professional contacts who can comment on the applicant's character and potential for graduate study. The Office of Graduate Admission strongly recommends applicants contact references as early in the application process as possible.

The Office of Graduate Admission cannot provide copies of transcripts or recommendations for the applicant's later use.

Recommendation forms are included in the hard-copy graduate admission application packet, which is available from the Office of Graduate Admission. Recommendation forms may also be downloaded as PDF documents from the program's application webpage.

The online application allows applicants to supply the email addresses of three references. Once the application has been submitted and the application fee paid, references are emailed links to an online reference form. Applicants may log back in to the online system and send references reminder emails.

Applicants may mail applications with completed materials (such as writing samples or transcripts) enclosed, or submit parts of the application piecemeal. Applications will not be considered complete until all supporting materials (such as transcripts and recommendations) have arrived.

A completed graduate admission application, a supplemental application, and an application fee are required for all graduate applicants. Applicants should consult the program-specific section(s) on the Mills College website for program application requirements, such as art portfolios, writing samples, or standardized test scores.

Art portfolios, dance samples, and music samples should be sent directly to the respective department. All other application materials should be sent to the Office of Graduate Admission.

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Application Process
1. Upon submission of an online or hard-copy application and application fee, the applicant will receive an email from the Office of Graduate Admission with the applicant's Banner ID number. It may take up to two weeks during peak application periods for the applicant to receive an email that contains her/his Banner ID number.

Applicants may use their Banner ID number to access the Mills Resource Portal. The Portal allows the applicant to view missing application materials and update her/his contact information. The portal is continually being updated during peak application periods.

2. Shortly after the priority deadline, completed applications are sent to the program for review. Review times vary.

3. Departmental admission committees consider requests for admission and forward their recommendations to the Office of Graduate Admission for processing.

4. Applicants are notified of the admission decision by email or hard copy. The notification letter will come from the Office of Graduate Admission.

5. Admitted students will receive information from the Financial Aid Office via email or hard copy within the same time frame as they receive their acceptance letter.

6. In order to ensure a place in a program, admitted students must send their deposit and the Statement of Intent form, which accompanies their letter of admission, to the Office of Graduate Admission.

7. Deposited students receive an email confirming that the Office of Graduate Admission has received their deposit.

8. General orientation material is sent over the summer from the Division of Student Life. Programs may also send out orientation material.

Financial Aid
Please see the Financial Aid section for more information.

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Accepted Students

Concurrent Enrollment Policy
Concurrent enrollment in two graduate programs at Mills College is possible only under some circumstances. A student interested in this option must apply to, and be accepted into, each of the graduate programs. Concurrent enrollment requires the consent of both graduate departments. It is the responsibility of the student to work with academic advisors in each program to develop an academic plan that allows for completion of the degrees. That academic plan should identify core courses that must be taken for completion of the degree in each program. The number of unduplicated courses in each field shall be determined by the departments. Rules concerning maximum course loads must be followed. Thus, completion of two programs will require longer than the time allowed for the completion of one program.

If accepted to two programs, students will only be offered one financial aid package.

Deposit Policy
Mills College requires a $300 nonrefundable tuition deposit for all programs except studio art. Mills College requires a $500 nonrefundable tuition deposit for the studio art graduate program. This deposit is applied against the new student's first-semester tuition.

The deposit must be made in the form of a money order or check and sent to the Office of Graduate Admission. An option of paying the deposit online via credit card or electronic check will be available beginning spring 2010.

Deposits are required to hold an applicant's slot for a graduate program. A deferred student's deposit is applied against the new student's first-semester tuition.

An accepted and deposited graduate student who chooses not to attend Mills College forfeits her/his deposit. However, an accepted student who withdraws before starting her/his academic program has one academic year to have her/his deposit reinstated. Refunds are not given.

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Deferment Policy
If accepted to a Mills graduate program and the applicant chooses to delay her/his studies, she/he has the option to defer with deposit for up to two semesters. A deposit is required to hold the applicant's space in the program. After two semesters, the applicant must reapply to the academic program of her/his choice through the Office of Graduate Admission.

Please note that any financial aid funding offered does not carry over from the original semester it was awarded, if she/he chooses to defer. Deferred accepted students must reapply for any departmental aid, scholarships, and/or financial aid.

Readmission Process, Leave of Absence
If a student is enrolled in a graduate academic program at Mills College and then chooses to leave for a period of time, she/he has up to two years to reactivate her/his status. Within that time frame, she/he is required to fill out the Application for Readmission. She/he must follow the procedures laid out in the form and submit it to the Office of Graduate Admission. After two years' time, a new application and supporting materials must be submitted.

Graduate Probationary Admission
If a student applies for graduate work in a field different from her/his undergraduate concentration, or if the undergraduate GPA is below that recommended for admission, the applicant may be offered admission to graduate study on a probationary basis for one semester. This is a period during which the student must establish an academic record at Mills that qualifies her/him to advance to degree status. Some courses taken before admission to degree status may be accepted as fulfilling degree requirements by departmental approval only. Admission as a probationary candidate does affect a student's allowable federal student loan limits.

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