How to Navigate howard.edu to Apply or Explore Academic Programs

Howard University's homepage at howard.edu puts two primary actions front and center: Apply and Explore Programs. If you are a prospective student, those two links are your fastest route into the admissions and academics sections. If you are a general visitor, the same page also surfaces current news, student and alumni features, and institutional announcements such as the search for Howard's 19th president.

Start With the Two Main Calls to Action

The homepage is built around a simple entry point. The visible calls to action are:

• Apply — the starting point for prospective students who want to begin or review the application process.
• Explore Programs — the path for browsing Howard's academic offerings before or alongside applying.

Because these appear prominently on the main page, you do not need to hunt through menus to find them. Treat them as the two doors: one for admission, one for academics.

If your goal is to apply

1. Open howard.edu.
2. Select Apply.
3. Follow the admissions flow from there.

The homepage itself does not spell out deadlines, requirements, or fees, so expect those details to live inside the admissions section rather than on the landing page.

If your goal is to explore academic programs

1. Open howard.edu.
2. Select Explore Programs.
3. Browse the program listings to identify fields of interest.

This is the better first step if you are still deciding what to study, since it lets you see options before committing to an application track.

What Else You Will Find on the Homepage

Beyond the two main actions, the homepage functions as a live window into the university. Useful sections include:

The student features are worth noting because they show the range of paths Howard highlights — for example, a College of Medicine graduate who previously worked as a hospital janitor, a College of Dentistry graduate heading to a U.S. Navy oral surgery residency, and an engineering major graduating with a 4.0 GPA alongside dance championships. These are useful signals if you are trying to understand the university's culture, not just its program list.

A Practical Navigation Strategy

If you are short on time, use this order:

1. Decide your purpose first. Applying and exploring are different tasks, and the homepage gives each its own entry point.
2. Use Explore Programs before Apply if you are undecided about a field.
3. Check the News section for time-sensitive items, such as the presidential search survey, which the site notes is open through Friday, October 30, 2026, along with in-person and virtual listening sessions for faculty, staff, students, and alumni.
4. Read student and alumni stories if you want a sense of outcomes and community before committing.

Common Sticking Points

• Expecting application details on the homepage. The homepage provides the entry point, not the full requirements. Deadlines, documents, and fees will be inside the admissions area.
• Confusing news with admissions information. Rankings and presidential search updates are institutional news; they are not application instructions.
• Skipping program exploration. Going straight to Apply without reviewing programs can mean choosing a track before you have compared options.

The homepage is a launchpad, not an encyclopedia. Use Apply and Explore Programs as your primary routes, and treat the news and feature sections as context that helps you decide whether Howard is the right fit.