Liaison’s Centralized Application Service (CAS) is fundamentally a common application for graduate and professional schools, often focused on a specific discipline such as pharmacy, business, or engineering. CAS streamlines the application process for students and simplifies the application review process for staff.

CAS enables students to fill out a single core application with standard questions alongside a customizable section for program-specific questions. CAS seamlessly accepts required documents such as test scores, TOEFL and IELTS results, international transcript evaluations, and official electronic transcripts. When applying to multiple schools, students will only need to submit these documents once.

CAS also collects and verifies all applicant materials, allowing admissions teams to conduct candidate evaluations efficiently and effectively. Further, CAS provides member schools with another prospective student pipeline by providing program visibility while students are still in the school-choice phase of their graduate school search.

Liaison provides comprehensive support services for CAS including:

Technical & Training Resources

Liaison offers a full range of support for integrating CAS into each school’s IT framework and enrollment process:

• Technical and Integration Services
• Onboarding User Training
• Ongoing User Training and On-Demand User Resources via Liaison Academy

Application & Enrollment Services

Once a program is listed in a CAS, there’s an extensive ecosystem of optional services available including:

• Application Materials Processing
• Applicant Technical Support
• Tools to Streamline the Application Review Process
• Pipeline and Application Insights With Analytics

Support for the CAS Community of Practice

This community of experts using CAS platforms drives enhancements to the tools and best practices in process, innovation, and overcoming common challenges. Benefits include:

• Access to Industry Research
• Professional Development Opportunities
• Conferences and Networking

CAS integrates with most systems, including student information systems (SIS), document management systems, payment gateways, and authentication services. As one example, Liaison is designated as a Slate Preferred Partner, demonstrating a commitment to collaboration with other higher education technology partners to support CAS member institutions. By integrating with these platforms, CAS ensures a smooth and efficient application experience for applicants and institutions, streamlining processes and enhancing data accuracy throughout the admissions lifecycle.

Even as a centralized application, CAS is highly customizable. Liaison allows full autonomy for partner institutions to tailor the Program Requirements section of the CAS application, including application forms, branding elements, document management, letters of recommendation requirements, and more, ensuring seamless alignment with their institution’s unique admissions processes and requirements.

NAGAP will only share data and information with Liaison related to this partnership and will ensure that it is utilized in strict accordance with the limitations established within the partnership agreement. Liaison is committed to safely managing the data, responsibly communicating with association members, and adhering to NAGAP's expectations related to this partnership. Liaison will never disclose data externally without NAGAP's explicit approval. Moreover, any data sharing will strictly occur in aggregate form, ensuring the utmost protection of the privacy of individuals and their respective institutions.

NAGAP members stand to gain from this partnership in several ways. NAGAP’s leadership expects to be able to enhance existing education and professional development resources, such as the website and The Exchange. In addition, the association will continue to evaluate its members' needs and expectations to identify additional areas for potential investment including advanced technologies, increased research offerings, and professional development programs.

Not every staff person in your office needs to be a NAGAP member to leverage the advantages of joining a centralized application service (CAS). However, Liaison encourages widespread participation in NAGAP, recognizing the value it brings to individuals and the broader graduate education community. To that end, Liaison will pay for one individual NAGAP membership for any adopter of GradCAS.

A list of NAGAP members currently using the platform is available upon request from either NAGAP or Liaison. Submit the inquiry form on this webpage to request more information.

GradCAS serves as a comprehensive platform for a diverse range of graduate programs spanning various disciplines, much like The Common App does at the undergraduate level. It centralizes applications for master's, doctoral, and graduate certificate programs in fields such as arts and sciences, education, public affairs, and interdisciplinary studies. GradCAS offers a centralized application service that spans multiple graduate disciplines, offering a standardized process, while allowing flexibility and customization for each program.

Discipline-Specific CAS applications are designed to target distinct academic or professional disciplines, such as Athletic Training (ATCAS), Nursing (NursingCAS), or Business (BusinessCAS). Each discipline-specific CAS aligns with unique accreditation requirements and industry standards that characterize that field, engaging applicants with relevant questions and prerequisites designed for admission into a particular program of study. The requirements may include discipline-specific exams, portfolios, or other criteria, and can be more rigidly set for participating programs.

Liaison welcomes all inquiries and requests for CAS demonstrations. Submit the inquiry form on this webpage to request a demo.