Application Requirements (Graduate)

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership

• A master’s degree, in any major, from a regionally accredited institution with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
• For Ed.D. plus Superintendent Credential:
  • Valid Washington State teaching, administrator, or ESA certificate
  • Three years of building or district level leadership experience
• For Superintendent to Ed.D.:
  • Washington State Superintendent Certificate completed at a Professional Educator Standards Board approved superintendent program
    • Applicants who have completed superintendent credentials in other states may be able to transfer courses based on a course-by-course review
• Online application
• Application fee (non-refundable)
• Transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
• Two letters of recommendation
• Résumé
• Personal statement

Doctor of Nursing Practice

• Master of Science in Nursing degree from a regionally accredited institution with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Current, unencumbered WA State RN License or Multistate License (MSL) from home state through Compact agreement
• Prerequisite Course: Introductory Statistics (including inferential and descriptive) with a minimum grade of 3.0 (B)
• Online application
• Application fee (non-refundable)
• Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
• Two letters of recommendation
• Résumé
• Statement of professional goals
• Official TOEFL, Duolingo, or IELTS score report (for international applicants only)

Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy

• A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution with
  • A major in Family Studies, Human Services, Psychology, Sociology, Social Work, or the equivalent OR completion of the following courses with a minimum grade of 2.0 (C):
    • Introduction to Psychology
    • Clinical Psychology – Mental Health and Psychological Disorders
    • Developmental Psychology – Lifespan
• Online application
• Application fee (non-refundable)
• Transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
• Two letters of recommendation
• Résumé
• Personal statement
• Interview, if invited
• Official TOEFL, Duolingo, or IELTS score report (for international applicants only)

Master of Arts in Education: Teacher Certification (Residency), Alternative Routes to Certification (ARC), and Non-Certification (for International Applicants)

• A bachelor’s degree, in any major, from a regionally accredited institution with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Online application
• Application fee (non-refundable)
• Transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
• Two letters of recommendation, one of which speaks to the applicant’s work with young people
• Résumé
• Personal Statement
• Score reports on the WEST-B OR official SAT or ACT scores in Reading, Writing, and Mathematics
• Interview, if invited
• Post-admission requirements (if admitted):
  • A passing score (240) on the WEST-E and (220) on the NES (or equivalent)
  • Completion of all content coursework
• Official TOEFL Duolingo, or IELTS score report (for international applicants only)

Master of Business Administration

• A bachelor’s degree, in any major, from a regionally accredited institution with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Online application
• Application fee (non-refundable)
• Transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
• One letter of recommendation
• Résumé
• Personal statement of educational and professional goals
• Official TOEFL, Duolingo, or IELTS score report (for international applicants only)

Master of Education

• A bachelor’s degree, in any major, from a regionally accredited institution with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Online application
• Application fee (non-refundable)
• Transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
• Two letters of recommendation
• Résumé
• Statement of Professional Goals
• Additional requirements for individuals planning to earn one of the stacked credentials:
  • To earn the Elementary Education, Special Education, or English Language Learns endorsement, the candidate must hold a valid Washington Teaching Certificate
  • To complete the Principal Certification program, the candidate must have three years of certified experience, a valid Washington State Teaching or ESA Certificate, PLU Form of District support, and OSPI forms 4001F and 4201

Master of Fine Arts - Low Residency Creative Writing

• Online application
• Application fee (non-refundable)
• Personal statement
• A creative writing sample
• A 500-word literary critique
• Transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
• Recommendations (optional)

Master of Science in Cybersecurity

The Master of Science in Cybersecurity

• A bachelor’s degree, in any major, from a regionally accredited institution with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Knowledge of computer networking, computer programming, and mathematics demonstrated by the following:
  • Programming: Programming courses and/or professional experience in Java, C#, C++, C or Python
  • Networking: Education, professional experience, and/or certification in CompTIA Network+, CCNA, etc.
  • Mathematics: Discrete Structures and Introductory Statistics courses
• Online application
• Application fee (non-refundable)
• Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
• One letter of recommendation
• Résumé
• Personal Statement

Master of Science in Kinesiology

The Master of Science in Kinesiology program is on hiatus for the 2026-27 academic year.

• A bachelor’s degree, in any major, from a regionally accredited institution with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Online application
• Application fee (non-refundable)
• Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
• Two letters of recommendation
• Résumé
• Personal statement
  
• Official TOEFL or IELTS score report (for international applicants only)

Master of Science in Nursing

Entry-Level M.S.N.

• A bachelor’s degree, in any non-nursing major, from a regionally accredited institution with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Completion of the following prerequisite courses with a minimum grade in each of B- (2.5 on a 4.0 scale). Courses which require a lab may be completed either on-site or online:
  • College-level Statistics (both descriptive and inferential)
  • Human Anatomy and Physiology I (taken with lab within the last six years)
  • Human Anatomy and Physiology II (taken with lab within the last six years)
  • Developmental Psychology – Lifespan
  • Intro to Microbiology (taken with lab within last six years)
  • Nutrition

B.S.N. to M.S.N.

• A Bachelor of Science in Nursing from a regionally accredited institution with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Current, unencumbered WA State RN License or Multistate License (MSL) from home state through Compact agreement
• Completion of college-level statistics (both descriptive and inferential) with a 3.0 (B) or better on a 4.0 scale

Additional Requirements for both pathways

• Online application
• Application fee (non-refundable)
• Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
• Two letters of recommendation
• Résumé
• Statement of professional goals
• Official TOEFL, Duolingo, or IELTS score report (for international applicants only)

Master of Social Work

Regular Standing

• A bachelor’s degree, in any major, from a regionally accredited institution with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher

Advanced Standing

• A bachelor’s degree in social work from a CSWE accredited program; CASWE-accredited baccalaureate social work degree (from the Canadian social work accreditor, recognized through an MOU with CSWE and CASWE); or an internationally earned ISWDRES-evaluated degree comparable to a baccalaureate social work
• GPA in social work courses of 3.0 or higher and cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. Applicants with a GPA below 3.0 may also be considered. Applicants with less than a 3.0 GPA are encouraged to provide additional information related to the context of their GPA in the application.

*Applicants who graduated from a CSWE-accredited B.S.W. program within 7 years from the time of application to the M.S.W. program may opt to waive the bridge course (SOCW 535) offered in the first summer of the program. Those who earned their B.S.W. degree 8+ years upon the time of applying for the M.S.W. degree, and who have not been working at least part-time in a social services-related field for every year since earning the B.S.W. degree, must take the bridge course (SOCW 535) the first summer term. These applicants may also be asked to schedule an interview with program faculty members.

Additional Requirements for both pathways

• Online application
• Application fee (non-refundable)
• Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
• Two letters of recommendation
• Résumé
• Personal Statement
• Interview, if invited
• Official TOEFL, Duolingo, and IELTS score report (for international applicants only)

M.S.W. Transfer Credit Policy

For the regular standing (2-year) program, up to 18 credits may be transferred into PLU’s M.S.W. program. For the advanced standing (1-year) program, up to 12 credits may be transferred into PLU’s M.S.W. program. All transferred courses must fulfill PLU M.S.W. course requirements and learning outcomes and must have earned a grade of B- or higher. Transfer credits for social work courses must be from another CSWE-accredited M.S.W. program. Transfer credits for elective courses are permissible if they were taken for graduate credit and can be shown to meet PLU’s M.S.W. program’s learning outcomes. Students may not receive credit for life experience or previous work experience, nor have any practicum experience or courses waived on this basis.

Transferring credits is not automatic nor guaranteed. To request consideration of transfer credits, please submit a statement to the M.S.W. Director that includes that course(2) you are requesting to transfer, including grades earned, which courses in the PLU curriculum you would like to replace, and how you think the courses you are transferring meet the learning outcomes of the replacement courses (or the program in the case of electives). Include the syllabi of the course(s) you are requesting to be transferred. If requesting transfer of social work courses, offer documentation (via a website reference or letter of support) that the social work courses are from a CSWE-accredited program. Requests will be reviewed after students are admitted to the PLU M.S.W. program and are considered on a case-by-case basis by the M.S.W. Director.

Post Graduate Nurse Practitioner Certificate

• Current, unencumbered WA State RN license or WA Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (APRN) certification
• For Family Nurse and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Certificates
  • For candidates with an APRN certification, a master’s degree or above from a nationally-accredited school of nursing
• Online application
• Application fee (non-refundable)
• Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
• Two letters of recommendation
• Résumé
• Statement of professional goals
• Official TOEFL, Duolingo, or IELTS score report (for international applicants only)

All records become part of the applicant’s official file and can be neither returned nor duplicated for any purpose.

An offer of admission is good for one term in all graduate programs. Admitted students who have not enrolled in any coursework for the admitted term must reapply for another term or request permission for deferral. Approval for deferral is subject to the discretion of each program.