International Graduate Applicants

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Graduate Application Process

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First, review our program-specific application requirements. Because the application requirements differ from graduate program to graduate program, you will want to become familiar with the requirements for your graduate program.

Next, review our Center for International Education webpage or check the program's "Apply Now" page to verify that the program you intend to pursue is suitable for an international student in F or J status.

Finally, note that Salem State does not offer conditional admission for international graduate applicants, so all required application documents (such as evaluated transcripts or standardized tests) must be submitted in order for your application to be considered.

Transcript Evaluation for Degrees Completed Outside of the U.S.

If your degree was completed outside of the U.S., you must submit a transcript evaluation, even if your transcript is in English. Please request a detailed, course-by-course evaluation, that will show courses, grades, academic degrees, and grade point average.

Graduate admissions accepts transcript evaluations from these approved agencies:

World Education Services, Inc.
Center for Educational Documentation
The Evaluation Company (formerly SpanTran)
Educational Credential Evaluators
North American Educational Group

English Proficiency Requirements

There are three ways that applicants can demonstrate English proficiency:

Obtaining a minimum required score on an approved English Proficiency examination
Successfully completing an approved intensive English language program
Received a high school, bachelor's, master's, or doctorate degree from an institution in the U.S. or one of the countries listed.

Learn more about the English Proficiency requirements for admission.

Financial Documents and Passport

After international graduate students are admitted, our Center for International Education will need other documents, such as financial documents or a copy of their passport, to process their I-20. Please visit our Center for International Education for more information.

Applications are accepted for three enrollment terms: spring, summer and fall. Often referred to as "rolling admissions," you can apply for your desired semester anytime prior to the deadline, and once the application is completed, it is reviewed. Some programs may have a unique deadline or accept for select semesters; see below for additional details.

The earlier you apply, the sooner you receive an admission decision, often as soon as 3-4 weeks after submitting a complete application. Our online application closes one month prior to the upcoming semester.