Admission Requirements

Special Admission Requirements

Application Deadlines and Fees

Application Process

Graduate Probationary Admission

Graduate Record Exam (GRE)

International Students

Admission Requirements
Admission to graduate study at Mills is contingent upon the completion of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. Two copies of official transcripts from each post-secondary institution attended, including official transcripts documenting the bachelor's degree, should be sent directly from the institution(s) to the Office of Graduate Admission. If you are still completing your degree at the time of application to graduate school, send official transcripts showing all work completed and in progress. If you are admitted to a graduate program at Mills, official transcripts confirming the bachelor's degree are required prior to enrollment.

In addition to providing transcripts, a complete application for admission and three letters of recommendation are also required. These letters might come from your instructors, if you have recently graduated from college, or from work supervisors and other professional contacts who can comment on your character and potential for graduate study. Special recommendation forms are included in the application packet. Recommendation forms should be sent by the recommenders directly to the Office of Graduate Admission. Be sure to ask your recommenders to send their forms prior to the listed deadline. We cannot act on your file until your application is complete. All copies of transcripts and recommendation forms become the property of Mills College. The Office of Graduate Admission cannot provide copies of transcripts or recommendations for your use.

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Special Admission Requirements
Some programs have special admission requirements in the form of supplemental applications, in addition to those items listed above. These supplemental applications can be accessed through the Mills website or through the online application. Consult the department's website for details regarding each program's requirements.

Application Deadlines and Fee
The priority deadline for receipt of application materials is February 1 for fall admission. The priority deadline for spring admission is November 1. Please note, the Studio Art, Dance, Teaching Credential, English, and post-baccalaureate Pre-Medical Programs do not accept applications for spring admission. Applications are reviewed when all supporting materials are received, and official notification of an admission decision is sent in writing from the Office of Graduate Admission. Programs review applications on a rolling admission basis after the priority deadline.

Exception: Applications to the MFA Program in Studio Art must be received or postmarked by February 1 in order to be considered.

A $50 nonrefundable application fee, payable to Mills College and drawn from a U.S. bank as a personal check or money order, must be included with application materials. We cannot accept credit card payments for this application fee. However, if you apply online, credit card payments for the application fee are accepted.

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Application Process
Although the application processes and admission criteria vary from program to program, it is possible to identify certain institution-wide characteristics. The admission decision is individualized, and based on a wide range of information about the applicant. Applications are reviewed by program-specific faculty committees that evaluate an applicant's potential based on several kinds of evidence including, but not limited to, transcripts of undergraduate work and graduate work (if any); letters of recommendation; work experience; and the applicant's statement of purpose. Some programs have additional requirements for evaluation, including auditions, submission of creative work, and standardized tests.

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.

If accepted to a graduate program, a $300 nonrefundable tuition deposit ($500 for studio art) is required along with the Statement of Intent.

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Graduate Probationary Admission
If one applies for graduate work in a field different from their undergraduate concentration, or if the undergraduate GPA is below that recommended for admission, one 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.  

Deferment
If accepted to a Mills graduate program and the applicant choose to delay her/his studies, she/he has the option to defer with deposit for up to two semesters.  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 scholarship funding offered does not carry over from the initial semester it was awarded if one chooses to defer.

Graduate Record Exam (GRE)
California residents wishing to apply for the California State Graduate Fellowship must take the GRE. General information about this fellowship may be obtained by contacting the M Center/Financial Aid, or by requesting detailed information from the Student Aid Commission in Sacramento. Although the graduate programs at Mills do not require the Graduate Record Examination, with the exception of the post-baccalaureate Pre-Medical Program, you may include the GRE test results with your application if you have taken it.

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International Students
Mills encourages applications from graduates of colleges and universities abroad that have the equivalent of an American bachelor's degree, and international students who have graduated from American universities. Admission of international students is highly competitive and is based on a close examination of a variety of credentials. International students should submit certified, English-translation copies of college or university records, school certificates, or examination results, and (for those for whom English is not their native language) official scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) administered by the College Entrance Examination Board. Graduate programs in English and computer science require TOEFL scores of 250 or more on the computer-based test, 600 or more on the paper-based test or 100 or more for the internet based exam; other programs require 213 or more on the computer-based test or 550 or more on the paper-based test or 79 or higher for the internet-based exam. For fall admission, these tests should be taken by December of the year preceding the academic year for which admission is sought. Generally, international students are admitted for the fall semester.

In admitting international students to Mills graduate programs, we pay particular attention to the applicant's ability to read, write, and understand English because successful completion of a graduate degree at Mills requires a high degree of proficiency in the English language. Letters of recommendation should testify to your ability in written and spoken English as well as potential for success in graduate studies. If, after you arrive, it appears that further help in language is needed, a tutor's services may have to be obtained at your expense.

International students should be aware that financial assistance is very limited. Even students who receive financial aid must be prepared to contribute significantly to the cost of their education. A Declaration of Finances form, indicating that an international applicant is able to cover two full years of tuition plus living expenses in the United States, must be submitted before the College can provide a certificate of eligibility (I-20 form). The I-20 form will be provided upon admission to a graduate program at Mills only after the applicant has confirmed his or her acceptance by forwarding the $300 nonrefundable tuition deposit ($500 for studio art), and submitting the Declaration of Finances form to the Office of Graduate Admission.

It is important for international students to follow the regulations for admission to the United States as an international student. A prospective student may not obtain an I-20 from one institution and use it to attend another. International students must be in continuous full-time enrollment in order to retain their student visa status. We advise international applicants to communicate clearly with the U.S. Consulate or Embassy in their country in order to receive the most accurate information and guidance in seeking opportunities for study abroad.

Dormitory space with room and board is available on campus for single female international students. An on-campus graduate residence is available to both male and female international students. We advise international students to plan to live on campus, if possible, in the first year in order to develop a support system with other students as they learn about the fascinating resources in the Bay Area.

Note: All international students (F-1 visa status) are required to pay a health insurance fee. International students with a student visa are not allowed to hold jobs or work off campus. While the visa does allow for on-campus employment, Mills College is unfortunately unable to offer on-campus jobs to international students.

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