How to Apply to the Graduate Program

Applications for Fall 2025 admission must be received by December 15, 2024 to be guaranteed full consideration. Please check that you are applying to the correct campus (Rutgers University-New Brunswick).

Application Materials

All applicants are required to submit undergraduate transcripts, a resume or CV, a personal statement, and a minimum of three recommendation letters.

• While GRE scores are not required for the application to our graduate program, we strongly encourage applicants to submit GRE General test scores as it strengthens an application. CCB takes a holistic approach to reviewing applications, and standardized tests are just one aspect of a candidate’s profile. Unofficial scores or scans of results may be submitted; formal, official documents are only required upon admission.
• A TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System) test score is required if your undergraduate education was completed in a non-English speaking country. Your scores must be current within 2 years of the semester you are applying to.
  • An acceptable paper-based TOEFL score is 550. An acceptable computer-based TOEFL score is 213.
  • An acceptable IBT-internet based TOEFL is Writing 22, Speaking 23, Reading 21, Listening 17.
  • An acceptable IELTS score is bandwidth 7.
  • Some fee waivers are automatically applied based on the information you provide on your application. For example, Rutgers University-New Brunswick offers a limited number of fee waivers for military veterans and active-duty service members on a first-come, first-served basis.
  • Prospective domestic students can request a fee waiver for PhD programs in the Big Ten Academic Alliance, such as CCB's doctoral track at Rutgers University-New Brunswick, through FreeApp. FreeApp is a collaborative program for students who have been traditionally underrepresented in graduate education, including racial and ethnic minorities, women in STEM, first-generation college students, and individuals who have faced adversity, such as societal, economic, or academic disadvantages. The priority deadline for requests is November 15. Please apply here: https://btaa.jotform.com/212284441127146
  • International students from Africa and Iran can contact Linda Costa ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) for a fee waiver. International students living outside of these areas may contact her about the possibility of delaying the application fee.

  Institution code: 2790

  Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions
  Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
  Proctor Hall, Suite 308
  65 Davidson Road
  Piscataway, NJ 08854 U.S.A.

  Please do not send any application materials to CCB.

  While we are able to accept late applications, priority will be given to applicants who applied prior to the application deadline and who meet the department’s admissions criteria. Late applications are considered on a rolling basis until the program has reached its capacity for the semester.