How to Apply

Students must use the Soka Online Application at http://admissions.soka.edu/apply to apply to the Graduate School.

New applicants will need to create a GoSoka! Account to initiate the process of applying.

A printable PDF version of the application may be requested by emailing grad_admissions@soka.edu.

After completing the application information, you may submit your application. Your application will not be considered complete unless you have submitted all required application checklist materials.

Frequently Asked: Do I have to submit my application checklist materials at the same time as my application?

No, you may submit your application checklist materials after you submit your application. The Application form and all required application checklist materials need to be received by the Office of Graduate Admission by the application deadline.

You have the option to upload your Personal Statement, Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV), and Academic Writing Sample through your GoSoka! Account. Application fee payments can be made after you submit your application through your GoSoka! Account.

Your GoSoka! Account is where you can monitor your admission checklist, meet your admission counselor, acquire or obtain additional admission information, and receive your decision on your completed application. To access, visit go.soka.edu.

To log into your GoSoka! Account, you will use the email address and password you created for your Soka Online Application.

The Application form and all required graduate admission checklist materials must be received by the Office of Graduate Admission by the February 15 deadline of the year you are applying to in order to be considered for admission.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to manage their checklist and ensure the Office of Admission has received their checklist items by the listed deadlines. You can find and manage your application checklist within your GoSoka! Account after you have submitted your application form.

Please allow 3-5 business days for submitted checklist items we have received to be processed.

Soka does not accept faxed, emailed, or late documents.

Information is subject to change without notice. Please visit admissions.soka.edu/apply for our current checklist and policies.

Students must use the Soka Online Application to apply to the Graduate School. New applicants will need to create a GoSoka! Account to begin the process of applying.

Students who would like to submit a paper application can request a PDF of the application by contacting grad_admissions@soka.edu.

$30 for submitting the Soka Online Application or $45 for submitting a paper application. Payments can be made online through the applicants GoSoka! Account.

Payments may also be mailed to the Admissions Office. The university requests that payment of all fees (application fee, tuition deposit, etc.) be in the form of a check drawn on a US bank or an International Postal Order and in US dollars.

Applicants should request that all current and previous academic institution(s) send an official transcript covering all undergraduate studies (and graduate studies if any) directly to the Office of Graduate Admission at Soka University of America.

Only official transcripts that are signed, stamped and sealed, or otherwise certified, by the issuing institution will be accepted.

The applicant is responsible for making sure complete, official transcripts are on file with the Office of Admission.

Work in progress will be considered in fulfillment of requirements and admission may be granted subject to the filing of final transcripts, before enrollment, showing satisfactory completion of work in progress.

Ask two individuals qualified to evaluate your educational background and/or academic and professional achievement to complete a recommendation for you. Recommendations are usually from the applicant’s former or current professors who are able to give an in-depth evaluation of the applicant’s strengths and weaknesses with respect to academic work.

Recommenders should paint as full a picture of you as possible for the admission committee, saying how well and in what capacity they know you, and frankly stating deficiencies as well as merits. They should provide a candid opinion of your ability to undertake graduate study and your potential for a career in educational leadership.

Please ask your recommenders to use the online recommendation form or the official Reference Form (.pdf) provided by SUA.

Online recommendation forms are sent by email to your recommenders with information you provide in your Soka Online Application and can be managed with your GoSoka! Account. These forms can be submitted online and do not need to be printed.

Recommenders using the Reference Form (.pdf) will need to return the completed form directly to the Office of Graduate Admission in the sealed envelope (emailed or faxed documents will not be accepted). The applicant will need to type, or print clearly, their name on each form and sign the waiver statement before providing the form to their recommender.

Please write a brief statement in which you describe your ambitions, skills, experience, and why you have a passion for our MA program.

This is an opportunity for you to articulate your background/experience, past work in your intended field of study, your goals for graduate study and a professional career, experience, and any other information you feel is relevant or as it relates.

A copy of your resume or CV is required for all applicants. This document will outline your experiences and skills as they relate to the graduate program.

An academic writing sample is required for all applicants. This should be one of the following:

• a college-level research paper written for one of your classes.
• a college-level research paper written for your college or university used as a graduation requirement (E.g. senior thesis).
• an independent research paper.

The topic of the sample you submit is less important than the strength of the sample itself. The sample should clearly articulate your writing and research skills as a student.

It is not necessary to include the grade or the instructor’s comments with your submission.

Any applicant whose native language is not English is required to submit either a TOEFL® iBT or Duolingo English Test score report. Soka University prefers a TOEFL® iBT minimum score of 100 or a Duolingo English Test minimum score of 130 (160 Scale). TOEFL iBT or Duolingo English Test must have been taken within the two years from the testing date.

It is required that all official test scores be sent to Soka University, Office of Graduate Admission directly from the testing agency. Student copies and self-reported scores are not accepted.

The TOEFL® school code for SUA is 4720. For Duolingo, please select “Soka University of America.”

The Office of Graduate Admission has a process to waive the English proficiency requirement for non-native English speakers who have received a degree from a college or university where English is the primary language of instruction. Please email grad_admissions@soka.edu for more information on the waiver process.

Official test scores from the GRE or MAT are not required for admission consideration.

For applicants who wish to provide official test scores, an official score report for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE®) or Miller Analogies Test (MAT®) taken within five years from the testing date.

Official GRE® or MAT® scores are required to be sent to Soka University, Office of Graduate Admission directly from the testing agency. Student copies and self-reported scores are not accepted.

The GRE® school code for SUA is 4720 and the MAT® school code is 3458.

For information about the test, the applicant should check the GRE® website or the MAT® website.

• Applicants who submit their application can manage their requirements by accessing their GoSoka! Account at go.soka.edu.
• Students are responsible for managing their checklist and ensuring the Office of Admission receives their required application form, documents, and application fees by the February 15 Deadline for the year they applied to.
• The status of the file and the information it contains are confidential. Information will be revealed, at our discretion and in compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, only to the applicant or to individuals whose names the applicant has provided in writing to Soka University of America.

• Applications will be evaluated only when all required materials have been received. 
• Once all application materials have been received the file is considered complete and is immediately assigned for evaluation. 
  • No additional materials will be accepted once your application form and checklist is complete.
• It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all of the required documents that you have requested of your school(s) are submitted by your school(s) on time.
• Soka University does not accept faxes, emails, or copies of official documents.
• Once all application materials have been received the file is considered complete and is immediately assigned for evaluation. Therefore, no additional materials will be accepted.
• All documents submitted to Soka University and/or contained in the application file belong to Soka University of America and cannot be returned.

• Documents not in English will require English translations. Applicants must provide the English translation as well as the original document. All translations must be complete and literal with no attempts to interpret or evaluate the document, prepared in the same format as the original document and signed by a translator attesting to the familiarity with the foreign language.
• Translations may not be provided by the student or members of their family.