Graduate Admission

Application procedures described below are for graduate programs- masters degrees and graduate certificates- at the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding. CJP works with a rolling admissions process.

Who Can Apply

Applicants with an Undergraduate degree*.

Preference is given to those with at least two years of experience in mediation, community development or relief work, advocacy, restorative justice, working with traumatized populations or related areas. If you want the practical tools and knowledge to help create a more just and equitable world but have been working in an unrelated field, please contact the Admissions Director so we can have a conversation about how our programs might meet your goals. Email the Admissions Director at cjpadmissions@emu.edu.

Applicants should have an undergraduate GPA of at least 2.75 (on a four-point scale). However, those who do not meet that criteria, but, have extensive experience in the peacebuilding field, are encouraged to apply; if all other admissions requirements are met, the applicant may be conditionally admitted. If the student earns a 3.0 GPA in the first semester of studies, the student’s probation status is removed and will be considered fully admitted.

* In exceptional cases admission may be granted to applicants who meet qualifications for a rarely awarded non-Baccalaureate admission. This is typically done for applicants who have extensive experience in the field and whose undergraduate studies were disrupted by violence.

Admission Process

Domestic (U.S.) Applicants

Application
Students will submit an initial application for admission, along with a $50 non-refundable application fee. Payment can be made online through CASHNet (International payments can be made using Flywire.) After submitting the initial application you will receive two follow-up emails. The first will include a link to your Application portal: here you can upload your resume and also monitor the progress of your application. The second email will include a link to your essay portal: here you will complete the essay for your application, and have the option to submit an additional essay if you would like to be considered for scholarship support.

Transcripts and Test Scores
Send official transcripts from each college or university attended to Graduate and Professional Programs at EMU, Campus Center 230, 1200 Park Rd., Harrisonburg, VA 22802, or, electronically to graduate@emu.edu.

Transcripts must be in English or accompanied by a certified English translation. Students are required to have non-US transcripts evaluated by an academic transcript evaluating agency, such as World Education Services (WES).

References
Please provide three references (including one academic, one professional and one character reference). Only two letters required when applying for a graduate certificate. Your references will be contacted via email with a request upon submission of your application. Reference forms must be completed in English.

GRE's are not required or recommended

*An arts-based option is accepted in lieu of the essay for the application. Contact cjpadmissions@emu.edu for more details and to discuss your ideas.

Application deadlines:

Priority Deadline for Admission and Scholarship consideration: March 5

Subsequent Admission Committee review deadlines:

Fall semester entry - July 1 & August 15

Spring semester entry - November 20

*Scholarship funds will be awarded as available after the March 5 review date.

Fraudulent Documents
Honesty is a requirement of the programs at EMU and CJP. Therefore, CJP will verify every document uploaded with your application against official documents we receive from the issuing institution. If any material is found to have been altered or falsified, we reserve the right to withdraw offers of admission or expel the student. To uphold the integrity of our programs, applicants who are denied admission due to plagiarism on their essay or writing sample will not be considered for admittance for at least two years.
International Applicants

Application
Students will submit an initial application for admission, along with a $50 non-refundable application fee. Payment can be made online through CASHNet (International payments can be made using Flywire.) After submitting the initial application you will receive two follow-up emails. The first will include a link to your Application portal: here you can upload your resume and also monitor the progress of your application. The second email will include a link to your essay portal: here you will complete the essay for your application, and have the option to submit an additional essay if you would like to be considered for scholarship support.

Transcripts and Test Scores

Send official transcripts from each college or university attended to Graduate and Professional Programs at EMU, Campus Center 230, 1200 Park Rd., Harrisonburg, VA 22802, or, electronically to graduate@emu.edu.

Transcripts must be in English or accompanied by a certified English translation. Students are required to have non-US transcripts evaluated by an academic transcript evaluating agency, such as World Education Services (WES).

Applicants whose first language is not English must submit scores for either the TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo test. CJP requires a 79-80 on the internet-based TOEFL, or its equivalent, a 6.5-7.0 on the IELTS, or a 104 on the Duolingo. (Institutional code: 5181)

GRE's are not required or recommended

References
Please provide three references (including one academic, one professional and one character reference). Only two letters required when applying for a graduate certificate. Your references will be contacted via email with a request upon submission of your application. Reference forms must be completed in English.

Visa (This process begins after an offer of admission to CJP)
F-1 student visa applicants must submit the application for Form I-20. Note: Citizens of certain countries (such as Canada) are not required to have a US visa in order to enter the US.

A financial certificate demonstrating the student’s ability to pay is required after admission in order for the program to issue a student visa application (I-20 form).

*An arts-based option is accepted in lieu of the essay for the application. Contact cjpadmissions@emu.edu for more details and to discuss your ideas.

Application deadlines:

Priority Deadline for Admission and Scholarship consideration: March 5

Subsequent Admission Committee review deadlines:

Fall semester entry - July 1 & August 15

Spring semester entry - November 20

*Scholarship funds will be awarded as available after the March 5 review date.

Fraudulent Documents
Honesty is a requirement of the programs at EMU and CJP. Therefore, CJP will verify every document uploaded with your application against official documents we receive from the issuing institution. If any material is found to have been altered or falsified, we reserve the right to withdraw offers of admission or expel the student. To uphold the integrity of our programs, applicants who are denied admission due to plagiarism on their essay or writing sample will not be considered for admittance for at least two years.

Housing

We are in the process of finalizing graduate housing opportunities for the 2024-2025 school year. As we are working out the details of creating a graduate community, please reach out to your admissions counselor with questions. If you are in need of on campus housing for the Fall 2024-2025 term, please complete the 2024-2025 Graduate Housing Form. For additional information on on-campus Graduate Housing, visit our Living in Harrisonburg page.