In select instances, students who are matriculated doctoral candidates at other institutions and who do not wish to enroll in a degree program may be permitted to register as non-degree special students.
Non-degree special student status is limited to a maximum of two terms and requires payment of tuition at either the Extended Residence rate (if enrolling in courses) or the Matriculation and Facilities rate (if conducting research only).
Non-degree special students and visiting scholars register only at the Graduate School, and are not eligible to participate as Columbia University students in other exchange or consortium agreements through the Graduate School. With the limited exception of students whose home institution has a partnership with GSAS (see International Exchange Students, below), non-degree special students and visiting scholars are not eligible for fellowships or other financial aid from the Graduate School.
Post-baccalaureate applicants who are not doctoral degree candidates elsewhere, but who wish to take non-degree graduate-level courses at Columbia, should contact the School of Professional Studies at 203 Lewisohn Hall or (212) 854-9666.
Admissions Deadlines for Non-Degree Students
- Spring 2020 semester
Most programs: November 16, 2019
University of London-Birkbeck: October 15, 2019
Ecole Polytechnique, EHESS, Trilateral Agreement: November 1, 2019 - Fall 2020 semester
Most programs: April 17, 2020
Minzu STS: February 1, 2020
University of London-Birkbeck: March 25, 2020
Students applying through the Ivy Plus Exchange Scholar Program or from the Bard Graduate Center may be eligible for year-round admission. Those applying for the Ivy Plus program should submit the Ivy Plus Exchange Scholars application through their home institutions. Bard Graduate Center students should submit the Bard/Columbia Consortium form through our online consortium application, which may be found here.
Applying as a Non-Degree Student
Doctoral students from other institutions who wish to study at Columbia on a visiting basis should review the options below.