Graduate Degree Program

Deadline for Fall 2025 Admission:

Priority Deadline: December 2, 2024 – Applicants whose materials are received by this date will be given priority review for assistantship appointments and scholarships.
Final Deadline: January 6, 2025 – The final day to submit application materials for consideration.

ISU Office of Admissions Requirements

Application materials to be submitted to both the Iowa State University (ISU) Office of Admissions and the Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) graduate program.

The Iowa State University Office of Admissions requires the following to be submitted:

  • Graduate College Application and fee. Online electronic process begins with the ISU Admissions graduate application.
  • Undergraduate and graduate transcripts. Official academic transcripts must be mailed directly to the Office of Admissions, 100 Enrollment Services, Ames, IA 50011-2011. Copies can be uploaded to the online application, but if accepted to a graduate program, the Office of Admissions will need official transcripts mailed to their address above before you would be able to register for courses.
  • Graduate Examination Scores. The ISU Institution code is 6306. To take the GRE, visit the GRE website or write to Graduate Record Examination, Box 955, Princeton, NJ, 08541 or call 1-800-473-2255 for test information. Allow at least three weeks for the GRE scores to reach us.
    • **The GRE requirement has been waived for HDFS applicants.

International Applicants

International applicants are required to take the TOEFL and must arrange to have scores sent to ISU. The ISU Institution code is 6306.

International applicants must also submit a financial statement. For info on visa and financial requirements, international applicants should refer to the Graduate Programs, Certificates, and Minors Page for additional requirements and instructions.

HDFS Requirements

The HDFS graduate degree program requires the following:

  • Resume or vita – Upload within your electronic Admissions application.
  • Three letters of recommendation. These must clearly speak to your ability to pursue an advanced degree and should be preferably someone familiar with your academic work. Have your recommenders submit them via your online graduate application. If you provide the email address of your recommenders on your online graduate application, those recommenders will automatically be sent an email with a link to submit their recommendations electronically. You can have your recommenders submit letters of recommendation via email to hdfs-grad-adm@iastate.edu if they do not submit through the online admissions application.

Graduate Certificate Program

Students must have at least one course left to take before applying to a certificate program.

Deadline for Admission:

The HDFS graduate certificate programs have a rolling deadline, so students may apply for any semester.

Application materials to be submitted to both the Iowa State University Graduate College Graduate Admissions and the HDFS graduate program.

Requirements for Non-ISU Graduate Students

ISU Office of Admissions Requirements

The Iowa State Office of Admissions requires the following to be submitted:

  • Graduate College Application and fee. The electronic process begins with the ISU Admissions graduate application. For “Type of Application,” students should choose “Graduate Degree-Seeking.”
  • Transcripts. Note that the minimum undergraduate GPA needs to be at least a 3.0. Official academic transcripts must be sent directly to the Office of Admissions, 100 Enrollment Services, Ames, IA 50011-2011.

Requirements for Current ISU Graduate Students

If you have ever been admitted current as a degree-seeking graduate student in any department, please submit the following:

Need More Information?

Graduate Program:
DeAnn Barnes
2330E Palmer Building
2222 Osborn Drive
Ames, IA 50011-1084
515-294-9438
dhbarnes@iastate.edu