International Graduate Admissions

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

  • A bachelor's degree from a college or university certified by a regional accrediting agency approved by the U.S. Department of Education. A bachelor's degree from non-regionally accredited institutions may be considered acceptable for admission. These are reviewed by the Admission and Appeals Committee.
  • Cumulative grade-point average in undergraduate work of at least 2.7 on a 4.0 scale (Some programs require higher GPAs.)
  • Satisfactory preparation for the graduate program in which the student wishes to enroll as specified by the department of the program
  • A test of written/spoken English, which the University reserves the right to request, of any entering graduate student whose primary language is not English
  • Degree-seeking students having an undergraduate GPA below 2.7 must present a satisfactory score on the general test of the Graduate Record Exam, the Miller Analogies Test, or graduate level subject-specific exam as specified by the department of the program
  • The applicant is reminded to check specific admission requirements of the program in which he/she wishes to enroll to determine whether there are any additional requirements. A graduate admission test may be required. See Graduate Bulletin.
  • Some programs require three letters of recommendation*.
YSU enrolls students in accordance with the policies of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). For international students who hold certain visa types, we may request additional documentation for immigration verification purposes.

 

HOW TO APPLY

 

Please complete an online application for admission.  See detailed application instructions below.

  • Applicants are required to pay $120 ($75 application fee and $45 credential evaluation fee) by credit card or electronic check.
  • All names provided must be full legal names only. The name used on the application must appear exactly the same on all materials, and it must be the same as it appears on your passport.

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LAST DAY TO APPLY FOR GRADUATE ADMISSION - INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS

  • Fall semester - April 15
  • Spring semester - October 1

PLEASE NOTE: Some programs have earlier deadlines, admit students only once a year, or have a special application procedure. Please review application program requirements at Graduate Programs.

 

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

 Academic Credentials and Test Scores

Please arrange to have all colleges and universities attended send the following academic credentials:

 

  • Official (or certified copies) of transcripts or mark sheets

You only need to submit transcript that fall under the below categories:

  1. Where a degree was earned, or is expected to be earned
  2. Where post‐baccalaureate credit was earned (any undergraduate coursework taken after conferral of your bachelor's degree)
  3. Where any graduate level courses were attempted, or completed
  • An official English translation of the transcript if the transcript is not in English
  • Certified copy of your graduation certificate/degree stating the degree earned/proof of degree

Official academic credentials are required for admission to the College of Graduate Studies and should be sent whenever possible. However, for application review purposes, scanned copies of academic credentials from institutions outside of the United States will be accepted.  Please scan and save all academic credentials as PDFs into one document for each institution attended. Upload each document to the Unofficial Transcript items within the Supplemental Items listing on your application account page.  Upon acceptance, the official documents must be sent to the College of Graduate Studies as soon as possible to avoid delay in your course registration.

If you attended a U.S. college or university, official documents must be submitted for admission purposes.  Copies will not be accepted.

Please have the testing agency send official test scores directly to YSU if they are required for your program of interest (GRE, GMAT, MAT, TOEFL, IELTS, etc.). The institution code is 1975. Unofficial test scores cannot be used for admission purposes.

Official academic credentials and test scores should be sent to:

            Youngstown State University
            College of Graduate Studies
            1 University Plaza
            Youngstown, OH  44555
 
  • TOEFL score—A minimum score of 550 on the paper-based test, 213 on the computer-based test, or 79-80 on the Internet-based (IBT) Test of English as a Foreign Language by graduates of foreign universities who are nonnative English speakers. (Scores over two years old by the beginning of the term applicants wish to enter are not acceptable.) Arrange with the Educational Testing Service to have your official TOEFL score sent to our office.
  • The College of Graduate Studies will accept the academic version of the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) as an alternative to the TOEFL exam for international students (A score of 6.5 on the IELTS test equates to a 550 on the paper-based TOEFL).
  • DUOLINGO score—for Master’s programs, A minimum score of 105 on the  Internet-based test by graduates of foreign universities who are nonnative English speakers. For Doctoral programs, a minimum score of 115 is required. Scores over two years old by the beginning of the term applicants wish to enter are not acceptable. This test is taken online from your home computer and is proctored. Arrange with Duolingo to have your official Duolingo English Test (DET) score sent to our office. This is sent electronically to our office, and we will receive results within 2-3 days after testing.
  • Proficiency may also be demonstrated by a letter of certification from the Youngstown State University English Language Institute (ELI) stating that the applicant has completed the program of study and is proficient in English at a level appropriate to pursue a graduate degree and present an English language thesis if one is necessary as a degree requirement.
  • Prior to full admission to graduate study, students may be tested and placed in special English classes, if necessary, to ensure an adequate level of English proficiency. (Note: Evidence of proficiency is waived for applicants educated in English-speaking countries as defined in the YSU Undergraduate Catalog or for applicants holding U.S. Legal Permanent Residence for one year or for applicants who have successfully completed 24 semester hours of college-level coursework from an accredited English-medium college in the United States or another country where English is the official language.)

Other Supplemental Application Materials

  • Recommendation requests need to be sent to the desired Recommenders from the Supplemental Items listing within your application account page.
  • All other supplemental items required for your application (e.g. resume, letter of intent, etc.) should be uploaded to the Supplemental Items listing within your application account page. 

Other required documents to be submit to the International Programs Office

  • Copy of your valid passport page showing photo, name and birth date.
  • Evidence of sufficient financial resources to support the student, at least through the first year of studies. Applicants must completely fill out, scan and upload the Affidavit of Financial Support Form* as a part of their application.
  • Applicants must scan and upload the necessary supporting documents. Bank statements must be dated within 6 months of the date of application in US dollars. See the Financial Requirements page for detailed information. Please note that NO Certificate Eligibility /I-20 or DS2019 will be issued without evidence of sufficient financial support (these documents are required when applying for an F-1 or J-1 student visa from a US consulate). Students who are admitted on the basis of scanned documents must bring their original Bank Statements to the International Programs Office for verification within their first semester of enrollment. 

Graduate Assistantship Application

To complete an electronic Graduate Assistantship application, please log onto your YSU Graduate Application Portal and click the “Apply Online” link towards the top of the page.  On the "Application Listing" screen that appears click the button that says "Start a new Graduate Admission Application – International Applicant".  Follow the on screen prompts to complete and submit the application form.  On the “Academic Plan” tab of the application there is a question about applying for a Graduate Assistantship.  Check “Yes” for that question.  Upon submitting your Admission Application, you will receive an email indicating the next steps to complete and submit the Graduate Assistantship application.  Letter of Recommendation requests are also done electronically from the Supplemental Items section of your Application Portal.

Please note that paper Graduate Assistantship applications are no longer being accepted.

Deferral of Admission

Students may defer admission one time within one year of acceptance without paying the application fee again.