International Students
To allow ample time for visa and other departure procedures,
international applicants should have their application and all
supporting documents on file in the Office of Admission no less than
four months before a proposed date of entry. The following documents
are necessary before an application can be processed:
- Formal application for admission and statement of goals with
the $40.00 non-refundable application fee (which cannot be waived for
any reason).
- Official transcripts with English translation from each college
or university attended in the United States, home country, or other
country. All transcripts must be sent directly to the PLU Office of
Admission from the institution providing the transcript.
- Two letters of recommendation from school officials or persons
of recognized standing. Applicants transferring from a U.S. college or
university should request their international student advisor to send a
recommendation.
- Demonstrated university level proficiency in the English language. Minimum requirements are as follows:
- For
all graduate programs, except business and nursing, minimum scores of
213 on the Computer-Based Test (CBT) or 80 on the Internet-Based Test
(IBT) are required on the Official Test of English as a Foreign
Language (TOEFL). The PLU TOEFL score request code is 459702.
- Master of Business Administration
- Minimum TOEFL-IBT score of 88 or TOEFL-CBT score of 230
- Minimum IELTS score of 6.5 accepted in place of TOEFL scores
- International
students lacking adequate English proficiency are not officially
admitted. Prospective MBA students who are lacking required English
proficiency may contact the PLU School of Business at 253.535.7330 or
Embassy CES at 253.535.8660 for more information regarding ESL
instruction and conditional admission to the MBA Program.
- Master of Science in Nursing
- Minimum combined TOEFL-IBT
score of 86, with minimum individual scores of 26 in speaking, 20 in
writing, 20 in reading, and 20 in listening.
- The TOEFL requirement is waived for applicants who hold current United States Registered Nurse licensure.
- Official scores from specific tests as required for certain
programs or concentrations. See individual master's programs for
further information.
International students are required to submit a non-refundable $300.00
advance payment following an offer of admission. This payment is the
student's acknowledgment of acceptance and is credited to the student's
account to be applied toward expenses of the first term of enrollment.
An I-20 form (Certificate of Eligibility for Non-Immigrant Student
Status) will be issued only after all documents have been received, the
application has been reviewed, the student has been offered admission
and accepted, a certification of finances has been received, and the
$300.00 advanced payment has been received. Certification from banks or
embassies is permissible. A financial statement form is available
on the Web or from the Office of Admission upon request. The I-20 form
should be taken to the U.S. Consulate when requesting a visa to come to
the United States for a graduate program.
International students are required by immigration regulations to
enroll as full-time students (a minimum of eight credit hours per
semester). They are also required to submit the appropriate medical
forms to the university's Health Service. Students may also be required
to have a physical exam.
Before enrolling for classes, all international students are
required to have health and medical insurance, which is obtained
through the university after arrival on campus.
International students must also report to International
Student Services at 253.535.1794, upon registration for purposes of
immigration and university record-keeping.
Back to Policies and Standards (Graduate Studies)
