american university online acceptance rate

Last Updated on December 24, 2022

Admission to American University’s online graduate degree and certificate programs requires an undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university. Each of our programs may have slightly different admissions requirements. International students can get more details on their admissions process on the International Students page. Please call us at 855-725-7614 to speak to an Admissions Adviser for more specific information.

Applicants should submit:

  • A statement of purpose
  • A completed application
  • $55 application fee
  • Current resume/CV
  • Official transcripts from all academic institutions from which you earned credit
  • Letters of recommendation

Other program-specific materials may be required as well. Please contact an Admissions Adviser for more details. For those and all other questions, call us toll-free at 855-725-7614 to speak with an Admissions Adviser, or request more information online.

Federal Loans and Federal Work-Study

Graduate students enrolled at least half time in a Master’s or PhD program may be eligible for federal loans and/or federal work-study. Graduate students enrolled in online programs are ineligible for federal work-study.

To apply, students must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). There is no deadline, and the FAFSA will be reviewed on a rolling basis as it is received. It is recommended that the FAFSA be completed by May 1 each academic year. FAFSAs should be submitted no later than 30 days prior to the end of the academic semester in which you are enrolled.

You must also register with the U.S. Department of Education for a Personal Identification Number (PIN), which you can obtain at studentaid.ed.gov.

**New for 2019–2020: the FAFSA is already available. You can log in to the FAFSA website now to submit the FAFSA for the 2019–2020 academic year. The FAFSA will continue to be available from now until October for the following academic year.

Merit scholarships are awarded by the academic departments.
The Financial Aid Office does not administer these awards. Please visit your school’s merit scholarship webpage or contact their admissions office for further information.

School of National Service
American University (AU) is proud to be a School of National Service. AU’s select online degree programs are committed to match the Americorp Segal awards of admitted students at the level of the award, up to $6,400 per student (that is a 100 percent match for one award per student). American University will require that Segal award recipients show the award amount for matching purposes. If a student has multiple Segal awards, the University agrees to match at least one of those awards.

The following online programs qualify for the Segal awards match: Master of Arts in Economics, Master of Public Administration and Policy, Master of Science in Counter-Terrorism and Homeland Security, Master of Science in Health Promotion Management, and Master of Science in Nutrition Education.

Please contact an admissions adviser for program specific information.

Complete your FAFSA online.
Be sure to list the American University (AU) FAFSA code, 001434, in the college release section. (A limited supply of paper FAFSA forms is available from the AU Financial Aid Office, if you prefer.)

Awarding Timeline
Continuing students will receive their notification letters via the student portal in late June after spring grades have been received and reviewed. Missing grades may delay the arrival of your award letter.

Additional Forms
You may be asked to download and complete a Verification Worksheet or other documentation as needed to complete your aid application. Do not complete these forms unless asked to do so by the Office of Financial Aid.

Loan Eligibility
Graduate students are ineligible for the subsidized Stafford loan as well as any federal or institutional grant funding. Typically, graduate students are eligible for $10,250 per semester in Unsubsidized Stafford loans as long as they are enrolled at least half time. Half time is defined as 5 credits for fall and 5 credits for spring. If your program has a summer semester, 2 credits is considered half time. Eligibility for the unsubsidized loan is determined based on information on the FAFSA as well as loan history found in the National Student Loan Database System (NSLDS). Please note that graduate students may not borrow more than $138,500 in Stafford loans throughout the entirety of their academic careers. You may view your Stafford loan history at https://nslds.ed.gov/nslds/nslds_SA/.

Loan Requirements
In order for your loan to pay, you must accept the loan through the myAU portal. The Master Promissory Note (MPN) and Entrance Counseling must be completed at www.studentloans.gov after accepting the loan. Please use your FSA ID and password to access the site and complete the required paperwork.

Grad PLUS Loan
Graduate students may be eligible for the Graduate PLUS loan to assist in defraying additional educational expenses not covered by the Stafford loans. The Grad PLUS loan is a credit-based loan from Direct Loans and requires an additional Master Promissory Note (MPN), if approved. For more information about this loan or to apply, please go to www.studentloans.gov. If approved by the lender, graduate students are eligible for up to the total cost of attendance minus all other aid received. In order for the PLUS loan to pay, you must complete both the Master Promissory Note (MPN) and Entrance Counseling for this loan. Be sure to complete the correct documents on the lender website as there will be options for both the Unsubsidized loan and the Graduate PLUS loan.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
SAP is run at the end of your program’s spring semester. For most students, this will occur at the end of April or early May after all spring grades are reported. Our office will conduct a review and awards for the following academic year will reflect a student’s SAP standing. Graduate students must maintain a cumulative GPA of a 3.0, complete 2/3 of attempted cumulative coursework, and complete the degree program within the maximum time frame as defined in the AU Academic regulations. Please carefully read our complete SAP policy for additional information and questions.

Online graduate students enrolled at least half time in an online Master’s program may be eligible for federal loans. However, graduate students enrolled in online programs are ineligible for federal work-study.

To apply, students must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). There is no deadline, and the FAFSA will be reviewed on a rolling basis as it is received. It is recommended that the FAFSA be completed by May 1 each academic year. FAFSAs should be submitted no later than 30 days prior to the end of the academic semester in which you are enrolled.

**New for 2019–2020: the FAFSA is already available. You can log in to the FAFSA website now to submit the FAFSA for the 2019–2020 academic year. The FAFSA will continue to be available from this point on in October for the following academic year.

Tuition and Program Information

Listed below is information regarding the various online programs as well the as the Cost of Attendance for each specific program.

COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES

MA in Economics

  • There are three semesters for the online Master’s in Economics program (summer, fall, and spring), broken into 2 modules per semester. Dropping below half time status will result in a loss of aid. To be considered for summer aid, please be sure to have a valid FAFSA on file.
  • MA in Economics Cost of Attendance

MS in Health Promotion Management

  • There are three semesters for the online Masters in Health Promotion Management (summer, fall, and spring), broken into 2 modules per semester. Dropping below half time status will result in a loss of aid. To be considered for summer aid, please be sure to have a valid FAFSA on file.
  • MS in Health Promotion Management Cost of Attendance

MS in Nutrition Education

  • There are three semesters for the online MS in Nutrition Education program (summer, fall, and spring), broken into 2 modules per semester. Dropping below half time status will result in a loss of aid. To be considered for summer aid, please be sure to have a valid FAFSA on file.
  • MS in Nutrition Education Cost of Attendance

SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION

MA in Strategic Communication

  • There are three semesters for the online Master’s in Strategic Communication program (summer, fall, and spring), broken into 2 modules per semester. Dropping below half time status will result in a loss of aid. To be considered for summer aid, please be sure to have a valid FAFSA on file.
  • MA in Strategic Communication Cost of Attendance

SCHOOL OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

MS in Counter-Terorrism and Homeland Security

  • There are three semesters for the online Master’s in Counter-Terrorism and Homeland Security (summer, fall, and spring), broken into 2 modules per semester. Dropping below half time status will result in a loss of aid. To be considered for summer aid, please be sure to have a valid FAFSA on file.
  • MS in Counter-Terrorism and Homeland Security Cost of Attendance

Master of Public Administration and Policy

  • There are three semesters for the online Master of Public Administration and Policy program (summer, fall, and spring), broken into 2 modules per semester. Dropping below half time status will result in a loss of aid. To be considered for summer aid, please be sure to have a valid FAFSA on file.
  • Master of Public Administration and Policy Cost of Attendance

SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL & EXTENDED STUDIES

MS in Measurement and Evaluation

  • There are three semesters for the online Masters in Measurement and Evaluation (summer, fall, and spring), broken into 2 modules per semester. Dropping below half time status will result in a loss of aid. To be considered for summer aid, please be sure to have a valid FAFSA on file.
  • MS in Measurement and Evaluation Cost of Attendance

MS in Healthcare Management

  • There are three semesters for the online Masters in Healthcare Management (summer, fall, and spring), broken into 2 modules per semester. Dropping below half time status will result in a loss of aid. To be considered for summer aid, please be sure to have a valid FAFSA on file.
  • MS in Healthcare Management Cost of Attendance

MS in Human Resource Analytics and Management

  • There are three semesters for the online Masters in Human Resource Analytics and Management (summer, fall, and spring), broken into 2 modules per semester. Dropping below half time status will result in a loss of aid. To be considered for summer aid, please be sure to have a valid FAFSA on file.
  • MS in Human Resource Analytics and Management Cost of Attendance

MS in Sports Analytics and Management

  • There are three semesters for the online Masters in Sports Analytics and Management (summer, fall, and spring), broken into 2 modules per semester. Dropping below half time status will result in a loss of aid. To be considered for summer aid, please be sure to have a valid FAFSA on file.
  • MS in Sports Analytics and Management Cost of Attendance

At American University, all admitted students are considered for scholarships for which they are eligible. Scholarships are awarded to students who have excellent academic credentials and exhibit exceptional leadership skills. We are pleased to offer the following scholarships to honor our students who continue on to online graduate studies.

Online Merit Scholarship

Online Master of Arts in Economics, Applied Economics Specialization

Online Master of Arts in Strategic Communication

Online Master of Public Administration and Policy

Online Master of Science in Health Promotion Management

Online Master of Science in Counter-Terrorism and Homeland Security

Online Master of Science in Nutrition Education

American University welcomes students from around the world. On campus, we are home to more than 1,300 international students representing diverse cultures and viewpoints from more than 130 countries. This diversity is also reflected in our faculty, academic programs and exchanges.

Our online degree programs make it easier than ever for international students to earn a degree from a prestigious American institution. We invite all students with a thirst for knowledge, a commitment to active leadership and a passion for creating meaningful change to explore our online offerings.

In addition to the standard application materials, students who completed degrees at institutions outside the United States are required to submit:

  • A transcript evaluation (and a translation, if applicable) in addition to original transcripts. Please contact your Admissions Adviser for specific information about acceptable transcript evaluation services.
  • Official and current GRE test scores (may be waived for applicants with a master’s degree or higher)
  • TOEFL or IELTS score, if applicable
  • Letters of recommendation

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