International Students

The fall semester begins in August and is considered the beginning of the academic year. We strongly recommend you plan to begin your studies then. Some programs consider applications for the spring semester, but fewer opportunities are available.

If you intend to seek assistance through an international agency, we recommend you review our preferred agents before applying.

Applicants

Admission Requirements

To apply to The University of Alabama Graduate School, you must hold the equivalent of a U.S. four-year bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. You must also meet all Graduate School requirements and program-specific requirements.

We consider many three-year degrees to be equivalent to a U.S. four-year degree.

English Language Proficiency Score Requirements

You must submit a copy of your English language proficiency score report at the time of application unless you meet at least one of the following criteria:

1. You hold a degree from an institution in a recognized English-speaking country.

2. You have been enrolled in coursework for at least two years in a recognized English-speaking country.

3. You are a citizen or legal resident of a recognized English-speaking country.

Scores must be fewer than two years old at the time of application. Some programs have higher English language proficiency score requirements. Please refer to the program portal for your academic program’s specific requirements. The University of Alabama Graduate School does accept super-scores (such as a TOEFL MyBest™ score). Official English language proficiency scores, which must be sent directly from the testing agency to The Graduate School, will not be required until after admission.

Minimum Scores for Regular Admission

• TOEFL ≥ 79.
• IELTS ≥ 6.5.
• PTE ≥ 59.
• Duolingo English Test ≥ 110.

Recognized English-speaking Countries

---

Conditional Language Admission

If your language test score does not meet the minimum requirements, you may still be considered for conditional language admission.

Conditionally admitted students must complete the UA English Language Institute’s (ELI) Intensive English Program with a 3.0 GPA in levels four, five and six, or meet the English language proficiency test score requirements listed above, before becoming eligible for UA-based financial support.

Contact your academic program for more information on conditional admission.

Transcripts

You must upload a legible transcript or mark sheet for each college/university attended (including community colleges) at which you earned at least 15 semester hours of coursework. Your application will be evaluated based on these documents. University of Alabama transcripts do not need to be uploaded.

Final official transcripts with all degrees and certifications earned, which must be sent directly from the institution to The Graduate School (grad.transcripts@ua.edu), will not be required until after admission. If your institutions cannot send electronic transcripts, please request that they send paper transcripts to the address in your letter of admission.

Transcript Requirements

• If you upload a digital transcript obtained directly from your registrar’s office, make sure the file does not expire on a particular date.
• Please provide a key if your institution uses a grading scheme other than letter grades.
• Evaluations from credentialing services are not necessary.
• If your transcript or mark sheet is in a language other than English, please submit an official word-for-word translation in the application portal. To identify a translator, we recommend the American Translators Association (ATA) as a resource. This is an association of recognized worldwide translators and translation companies.
• Transcripts from The University of Alabama do not need to be submitted.

International Application Deadlines

Please see the program portal for your program’s deadline. We strongly encourage you to apply well before the deadline, especially if you are seeking financial support.

To allow time for visa processing, international applicants should complete their application at least six months before the beginning of their first semester.

New Students

New students will receive information regarding orientation, health insurance, and visa documents via email.

Upon arrival in Tuscaloosa, you should report to UA’s Office of International Student and Scholar Services.

Student Expenses

For an overview of the anticipated cost of attendance, visit The University of Alabama’s estimated expenses page.

For information on financial support, visit our Paying for Graduate School page.

International Teaching Assistantship Program (ITAP)

All international students who will be serving as teaching assistants are required to take an ITAP placement examination. Placement examination results determine if you will need to take a Teaching Methods class (for those who do not need English language training), or a combination of an Oral Skills and Teaching Methods class. Exemptions to this requirement are available. Your academic department will enroll you in this program.