Graduate and Doctoral Online Admission Requirements
Graduate applicants may be accepted at GCU with an undergraduate degree from an accredited college or program that has been approved by Grand Canyon University (GCU), with a 2.8 GPA or higher.
If you do not meet the GPA requirement, you may be eligible for admission with a graduate degree from an accredited, GCU-approved college or program and passing test scores:
- Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT): 500
- Graduate Record Examination (GRE): 1,000 combined verbal/quantitative, prior to August 2011; 300 combined verbal/quantitative, after August 2011
Admission Requirements for Select Graduate Programs
Some programs of study may require a higher GPA and/or other qualifying criteria for admission. Please review full admission and program requirements in the University Policy Handbook.
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GCU proudly welcomes doctoral applicants wanting to pursue higher levels of achievement in learning and research. You may be accepted by meeting one of the criteria below:
- Earned a doctoral degree from a regionally accredited institution with an overall GPA of 3.4 or higher. Applicants with a GPA less than 3.4 may be accepted with specifications.
- Earned a master's from a regionally accredited institution with an overall GPA of 3.4 or higher. Applicants with a GPA of 3.0 - 3.39 will be accepted with specifications. Applicants with a GPA below a 3.0 will not be accepted.
The Grand Canyon University (GCU) admissions process is simple. We encourage prospective students to contact an admissions counselor during the admissions process. If you are interested in becoming a student at GCU, browse through our Admission Requirements page to begin your admissions process.
Prospective learners applying for admission into GCU's Doctor of Education (EdD) in Organizational Leadership with an Emphasis in Special Education program must have attained an undergraduate, graduate or doctoral degree in education prior to consideration.
Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) applicants must have an MBA or graduate degree with fundamental courses in accounting, finance and statistics, with a minimum 3.0 GPA or a passing grade. Graduate-level courses may be taken at GCU prior to enrolling in your doctoral program.
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) applicants must have taken a statistics or research course with statistic fundamentals and received a "C" (or passing grade). Courses may be taken at GCU prior to enrolling in doctoral programs.
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) applicants must hold a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree from a CCNE-, NLNAC- or ACEN-accredited program and possess a current unencumbered, unrestricted license as a registered nurse (RN). You also must have taken a statistics course and received a "C" (or passing grade).
Grand Canyon University's online and evening programs offer the flexibility you need to get ahead, providing a quality education to help you thrive in today's complex world.