Department Requirements for Admission

The application process is entirely online, and applicants are required to submit the following documents:

  1. M.S. in Geography
    • Completed online application form
    • Application fee
    • Official transcripts for all colleges/universities where a degree was awarded (bachelor’s or higher), and any college attended within the past 5 years.
    • Three letters of recommendation
    • Statement of Purpose

Graduate School – Geography

  1. M.S. in Planning and Development
    • Completed online application form
    • Application fee
    • Official transcripts for all colleges/universities where a degree was awarded (bachelor’s or higher), and any college attended within the past 5 years.
    • Two letters of recommendation
    • Statement of Purpose

Graduate School – Planning and Development

Application Deadlines

Fall SemesterSpring Semester
Domestic StudentsMS Geography:
February 15th (Priority)
August 1st (Standard)

MS Planning:
April 15th (Priority)
August 1st (Standard)		MS Geography:
November 15th (Priority)
December 15th (Standard)

MS Planning:
November 15th (Priority)
December 15th (Standard)
International StudentsMS Geography:
February 15th (Priority)
April 1st (Standard)

MS Planning:
Not eligible to apply.
MS Geography:
February 15th (Priority)
September 1st (Standard)

MS Planning:
Not eligible to apply.
Note: International Students are not eligible to apply for the M.S. in Planning and Development

GPA

The ECU Graduate School requires a minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.7 or higher to be eligible for standard admission.

GRE

The M.S. in Geography and the M.S. in Planning and Development programs do not require GRE scores.

Letters of Recommendation

Letters of recommendation should be from individuals in a professionally relevant field who can speak to the applicant’s achievements and their promise as a graduate student.

Statement of Purpose

This is a personal statement summarizing an applicant’s interests and goals. The statement of purpose (or letter of intent) should state (a) why you want to go to graduate school, (b) why ECU, (c) your research and/or professional interests, (d) the experiences and training you have acquired that you feel will help you to successfully pursue your graduate degree here at ECU, and (e) how will the M.S. in Geography or the M.S. in Planning and Development from ECU help you attain your career goals.

International Students

TOEFL or IELTS scores are required for international applicants applying to the M.S. in Geography whose native language is not English and who have received a baccalaureate degree from a university outside the USA where English is not the official language. If your previous school had English as the primary language of instruction, ECU could offer you a placement test in lieu of the IELTS or DuoLingo test. Additional admissions information for international students is available from the Graduate School.