International Graduate Requirements
Graduate Requirements
We’re happy you’re considering St. Thomas! Here’s what you need to know to apply.
International graduate applicants must first complete the online application for the program they wish to be admitted to. The submission requirements for individual programs can be found on their respective websites. See Graduate Admissions and Aid for a complete list of graduate programs, with links to departmental websites and online applications.
International students (i.e. students studying in a non-immigrant visa status) must submit additional documentation to the Office of International Students & Scholars after they are admitted to the St. Thomas in order to be eligible to receive a I-20 or DS-1029 certificate of eligibility for F-1 or J-1 status.
International Graduate Requirements
All post-high school or post-secondary academic transcripts from institutions originating outside of the United States must be evaluated by a transcript evaluation service that is a current member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). Two recommended services are WES and ECE.
Evaluations must meet the following requirements:
- A statement that the evaluation report was based on original and/or authenticated educational documents
- A statement of U.S. equivalence of a baccalaureate degree from an instituting institution that has institutional (formerly called "regional") academic accreditation
- A course-by-course analysis that includes grades and GPA
All international students must submit the following documents:
- All applicants must provide a copy of the picture page from their passport
- Applicants who will be studying on an F-1 of J-1 visa must submit an I-20 Request Form (see below)
- Applicants who will be studying on an F-1 or J-1 visa are required to submit supporting bank statements no more than three months old, that show at least the total cost of attendance for one academic year as listed on page two of the I-20 request form.
- Applicants with dependents that will be accompanying them on F-2 or J-2 visas must also provide copies of the picture pages from their dependents' passports
- Applicants who are already inside the U.S. must submit a copy of their current visa
- Applicants already in the U.S. in active F-1 visa status must submit a copy of their I-20 from their current school
All international applicants and non-native speakers of English must meet one of the English proficiency requirements listed below before qualifying for an I-20/DS-2019 or being allowed to register for classes. Score reports can be no more than two years old.
Native English-speaking applicants from the following countries are not required to submit proof of English proficiency for most graduate programs: English speaking Canada, Ireland, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand.
- TOEFL iBT overall score of 80 (school code: 6110)
- IELTS (Academic) overall score of 6.5
- Duolingo English Test overall score of 105
- Pearson PTE Academic overall score of 53 or higher
- ELS level 112. (Only available in the following programs: Education, Engineering, Theology, Software, Law, Social Work)
- Completion of an undergraduate or graduate degree at an accredited college or university in the U.S., English-speaking Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, or New Zealand
Program-Specific Requirements:
Department of English
- TOEFL: a composite score of 80 on the Internet Based TOEFL (iBT), with a minimum sub-score of 22 on writing and 20 on speaking (The St. Thomas TOEFL code is 6110)
- IELTS (International Language Testing System) score report of 6.5, with a minimum sub-score of 7.0 on writing
Opus College of Business
If you have completed an undergraduate or graduate degree at an accredited college or university in the U.S., English speaking Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia or New Zealand, you are exempt from taking an English proficiency test.
- IELTS: minimum overall band score of 7.0, with a minimum score of 6.5 on each of the four sections
- TOEFL iBT (Internet-based test): minimum total score of 90, with a minimum score of 20 on each of the four sections
- Duolingo English Test: overall score of 110
School of Law
School of Law applicants should have their score reports sent directly to LSAC.
Shortly after you are admitted, you will be able to access your international student profile at https://oiss.stthomas.edu. Within that system, you will complete your profile and upload copies of your English proficiency, passport, and supporting financial documents. Once the documents have been reviewed and approved, your I-20 will be generated.
An invitation to your international student profile account will be send to your University of St. Thomas email account once your profile has been generated.
Where to Send Your Documentation
Physical copies of official college transcripts or transcript evaluations should be sent to the following address:
Graduate Admissions
University of St. Thomas
1000 LaSalle Ave, Box 5
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55403
Electronic copies of official college transcripts or transcript evaluations should be sent to the following address: