International Student Applicants

International Student Applicants must meet the minimum academic requirements for admission as set by the College of Graduate Studies and the academic program department. Applicants must provide credentials to satisfy U.S. immigration regulations. Applications for international students should be submitted one year prior to the date of expected attendance. International students must also provide the following:

1. Completed Graduate Admissions Application.
2. A $50 application fee through bank draft, money order or credit card made payable in U.S. funds.
3. Official, original transcripts from all colleges or universities attended. These documents must be sent directly from the issuing institution to the College of Graduate Studies. Certified translations are required for any documentation not originally in English.
4. Education Credential Evaluation-Graduate students must submit all non-U.S. post-secondary academic records for evaluation and have the results sent to the College of Graduate Studies. Below is a list of the different credential evaluators that you may use. Please select one of the following institutions. You must supply required transcripts and pay the processing fees.
   • SpanTran (SpanTran) - use this NMU evaluation application.
   • Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) - Please read the instructions on the ECE form carefully. A “Course-by-Course” report –or equivalent– must be selected. ($140) (NMU will notify you if a subject analysis report is needed to determine transfer credit.)
   • World Education Services (WES) - Select the “Course by Course” report ($160)  The WES ICAP service ($205) allows applicants to submit their official educational documents only once–to WES. NMU would then receive the verified documents from WES.
   • North American Educational Group (NAEG) - Select the “Course by Course” report ($135)
5. Non-native speakers of English must prove an adequate level of English language proficiency for admission into an academic program. English language proficiency for admission can be demonstrated in one of the following ways:
   • English proficiency tests:
   • TOEFL Score - minimum score of 79 iBT/213 CBT/550 PBT
   • IELTS - minimum overall band score of 6.5
   • MELAB - minimum score of 79
   • Bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited U.S. institution of higher education
   • Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) or higher from an institution of higher education in a country where English is the official language (listed below).  Transcript must show English (composition and literature-based, ESL not acceptable) credits with B or better grades. English speaking countries List includes:   Antigua & Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada (except Quebec), Dominica, Fiji, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Liberia, Micronesia, Namibia, Nigeria, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, St. Lucia, St. Vincent Grenadines, St. Kitts & Nevis, Trinidad & Tobago, United Kingdom, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe
   • Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on 24 or more earned undergraduate level credit hours from a U.S. institution of higher education.  Credits must include college level English composition and/or speech.
   • Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on 12 or more earned graduate level credit hours from a U.S. institution of higher education.
   • Successful completion of Level 112 in the ELS Language School.
6. Submit official scores in a standardized test (GRE, GMAT) if required for admission to the selected degree programs.
7. Three letters of recommendation from persons knowledgeable about the academic abilities of the student.

Applications from international students whose qualifications meet the minimum standards of the College of Graduate Studies and who have met all the requirements for admission listed above will be referred to the academic department in which they wish to study for further review.

Once a student is admitted

• Per immigration policy, all international applicants must provide documentation that they have the ability to finance their education at Northern Michigan University. This is accomplished by completing the Certificate of Finances form and providing required documentation as indicated on the form.
• NMU’s International Programs Office will issue a Form I-20 once the Certificate of Finances has been accepted. If there is an unforeseen delay in obtaining a visa from the U.S. Embassy, and the student does not have a visa by the end of the second week of the semester, they will need to defer their admission to a future semester.
• Per immigration policy, all F-1 and J-1 students must be covered by an approved health insurance policy. The International Programs Office will provide more information about the current insurance policy and cost on a yearly basis. The cost is added to the EBill.
• Once an international student is admitted, they must work closely with the International Programs Office to ensure all immigration documents are in order prior to arrival. All new international students are required to participate in an International Orientation prior to the start of their first semester. Additional information can be found on the International Programs Office webpage.