International Students
Academic Preparation
Verification of Degrees
English Proficiency Requirements
Documentation of Financial Support
Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS)
Applicants Seeking Graduate Assistantships
Academic Preparation
International applicants must complete the equivalent of a US four-year degree, including all state and external/internal examinations required for the degree/diploma. Although a degree in another country may have a name similar to a US degree, this does not necessarily indicate the degree can be accepted as equivalent. For example: three-year general degrees (from Canada, India/Pakistan, France, etc.) are not accepted for graduate admission to Wayne State University. In all cases, applicants must have completed a four-year Honours degree, or have completed additional undergraduate requirements, to be considered for admission to graduate school at Wayne State University. Three-year degree-holding applicants who wish to pursue graduate studies at Wayne State University should contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions for information on our "Bridge Program".
Verification of Degrees
Official documents must show the degree title and the date of award. If the applicant is currently a candidate for a degree, admission can be made on a provisional basis. The provisional status of the admission can only be satisfied when the appropriate transcript with a degree statement is received by the Office of Graduate Admissions. It is expected that all graduate level students will have earned the Bachelor's degree prior to beginning graduate study at Wayne State, and will provide evidence of such no later than their first term of academic enrollment. Failure to do so may result in discontinuation of enrollment.
Transcripts or mark sheets of ALL university-level grades must be sent to the Office of Graduate Admissions. The transcript must show a record of subjects taken, grades and degrees earned. The units or credits earned for each course should be listed. It is not necessary to submit secondary school records. All documents should be submitted in English and in the native language (if applicable).
Photocopies of original overseas international documents must bear the signature of the registrar and the seal of the issuing institution - the signature and seal must be original and separate from the photographic image. Attested or "true" copies are acceptable only if certified by signature and seal of an administrative official of the school in which the studies were completed. Alternatively, copies of such documents may be attested by the embassy, consulate or Ministry of Education located in the country from which the student is applying.
English Proficiency Requirements
All applicants are required to provide evidence of proficiency in English to the Office of Graduate Admissions. A minimum score of 550 (paper based), 213 (computer based) or 79 (Internet based) is required on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), 6.5 is required on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or 85 is required on the Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB). Please report your TOEFL score to Wayne State University using institution code 1898.
The following applicants are exempt from taking one of the English Proficiency tests:
- International students whose native language is English.
- Applicants who have completed a bachelor's degree or higher in the United States, Canada (except Province of Quebec), or other countries where English is the native language, such as the United Kingdom, the West Indies, and other countries specified by the Wayne State University Office of Graduate Admissions.
- Applicants whose native language is not English, but who have been instructed in the English language (ex. India, Nigeria), are not exempt from the test requirement.
Documentation of Financial Support
International students must provide official financial support statements documenting the sponsor's willingness to pay for tuition, registration fees, books and supplies, and living expenses (if applicable) for the duration of the anticipated study period at Wayne State. You may use the Financial Statement of Support form or a similar document as an affidavit of support.
You or your sponsor's ability to provide the needed funds must be verified by a third party, such as a bank. You may use the Bank Statement form, or you may request a letter from your sponsor's bank indicating the name of the bank, the account number, account holder's signature, and bank official's signature. For funding support minimums, please see the Graduate I-20 Amount Requirements
Bank documents must be originals, not photocopies. Statements from chartered accountants, and those listing property and other non-liquid assets cannot be accepted.
These documents are required for the student F-1 or J-1 visa petition at the American embassy or consulate in the home country; students should request two original copies of financial documents: one for the visa application and one for Wayne State University.
Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS)
After a student has been admitted, the Office of International Students and Scholars will send a Certificate of Eligibility (I-20 or DS-2019) to the student, along with the official letter of admission. This certificate is required to apply for a student visa from the U.S. embassy or consulate.
Inquiries pertaining to the Certificate of Eligibility, United States Immigration and Naturalization Services, U.S. Border Crossing restrictions, health insurance, or employment on campus should be addressed to the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS).
Applicants Seeking Graduate Assistantships
Generally, international students are not eligible for financial aid. However, they may apply for some scholarships and fellowships and for Graduate Assistantships. Contact the department to which you are applying for information and applications. Please note that the Office of Graduate Admissions does not handle financial assistance requests.
International Graduate Teaching Assistants must also demonstrate proficiency in spoken English prior to assuming classroom duties. Students offered Graduate Teaching Assistantships must satisfactorily complete the Test of Spoken English (TSE) (taken in the U.S.) or the SPEAK (taken at WSU). Students should contact their departments for testing dates. Please visit the English Language Institute to find out about English language classes and more.