Graduate Admissions for International Students

Table of Contents

• Apply Now
• Admission Requirements
• English Proficiency
• English Language Proficiency Testing - TOEFL or IELTS
• Application Process
• Graduate Program Admissions Deadline
• Submission Requirements
• Admission Test Information - GRE, GMAT
• Once your Application is Complete
• Types of Admission Status
• Essential Information for Admitted Students
  

What are the admission requirements?

To be eligible for consideration for admission to the School of Graduate Studies, a candidate must meet at a minimum one of the following criteria:

1. Possess at least an overall 2.75 GPA in your previous undergraduate and graduate records.
2. Possess a GPA of at least 2.75 in the last half of your undergraduate work.
3. Achieve a 480 or higher verbal score on the GRE examination.
4. Achieve a 520 or higher quantitative score on the GRE examination.
5. Achieve a 470 or higher on the GMAT examination. (The GMAT is required of all MBA applicants.)
   

The GRE is required of all applicants, except for those applying to the MBA program.

The GMAT is required of all MBA applicants.

Some programs have additional admission requirements that are detailed at the beginning of each program description in this bulletin.

English Proficiency Requirements for Admission

An English proficiency test is required of international applicants whose native language is not English. There are two exceptions:

• Students who hold a baccalaureate degree with a 2.75 cumulative GPA or higher, from a university in the United States will be exempt from having to submit an English proficiency test score.
• International students who have completed SCSU's Intensive English Center Level 5 program will be exempt.

For all other international applicants, SCSU requires that one of the following language admission requirements be met:

• A Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score of 550 paper-based, 213 computer-based or 79 Internet-based with no subscore below 17.
• A score of 6.5 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
• Graduation from a university in the United States with a 2.75 cumulative GPA or higher.
• Successful completion of the Intensive English Center Level 5 program at SCSU. Access the Intensive English Center at www.stcloudstate.edu/iec.
  
  

English Placement Examination Requirements upon Arrival

As per University regulations, the English placement exam is a condition of each international student's enrollment, unless one of the following nine exemption criteria are met:

1. You submitted an official TOEFL score for admission of at least 600 (paper and pencil) or 250 (computer), or 100 (internet Based Test – iBT) with subscores of no less than 25 in reading, writing, and listening.
2. An official IELTS score for admission of at least 7.5;
3. Graduation from the Intensive English Center at SCSU (Level 5 for graduate students);
4. Successful completion of English 191 (Introduction to Rhetorical and Analytical Writing) or an equivalent course with a grade of C or better;
5. Graduation from an associate arts degree program at an accredited U.S. college or university;
6. Graduation from a bachelor's degree program at an accredited U.S. college or university;
7. Graduation from a master's degree program at an accredited U.S. university; or
8. Exchange students from an institution which has an official exchange agreement with SCSU.

If your answer was "Yes" to any of the above nine questions, then you are not required to take the English placement exam (and you are not required to take any of the ESL courses associated with the exam either). If your answer was "No" to all of the above nine questions, then you are required to take the English placement exam prior to your first semester at SCSU (during the week before classes begin).

TOEFL

The majority of international students seeking admission to SCSU will take the TOEFL examination.

What is the TOEFL?

The Test of English as a Foreign Language is an English proficiency testing service for international students planning to study in the United States, Canada, or other countries where English is the language of instruction.

• Section	Time Limit	No. of Questions
  Tutorials	no time limit
  Listening	40-60 minutes	30-50
  Structure	15-20 minutes	20-25
  Break	5 minutes
  Reading	70-90 minutes	44-55
  Writing	30 minutes	1 topic

  
  

What Skills Does the TOEFL Measure?

• Listening: measures ability to comprehend spoken North American English.
• Structure: measures ability to recognize language appropriate for standard written English.
• Reading: measures ability to read and understand short passages.
• Writing: measures ability to write in English. You are given 30 minutes to compose one required essay on an assigned topic. Writing focuses on the command of English vocabulary, grammar, spelling, and syntax, all fundamental writing skills.

Most of the questions are multiple-choice. However, there are questions that require selecting a visual (or part of a visual), answering questions with more than one response, ordering items, and matching objects or text to categories.

How is the TOEFL Scored?

For the computer-based test, you will receive three section scaled scores:

• Listening (0 to 30)
• Structure/Writing (0 to 30)
• Reading (0 to 30)
• Total score (0 to 300)

The highest possible total score (300) is ten times the highest possible score for each of the test's three section scores (30).

• Composition (0 to 6): this is a separate score.

How Can I Prepare?

Visit: www.scoreitnow.org
ScoreItNow! – Online writing practice.

Visit: www.toefl.org/testprep/cbtutprq.html
Free! View tutorials and questions.

• Respond to authentic retired essay topics.
• Get immediate score feedback within seconds from e-rater™, ETS's patented automated scoring technology.
• Receive general suggestions for improving essay writing skills.

Schedule an Appointment

The computer-based TOEFL test is offered at test centers and institutional testing sites throughout the world. For a site near you, visit www.toefl.org. Appointments are available throughout the year but centers fill quickly, so it is best to schedule your appointment early. You may take the TOEFL test more than once per calendar month.

Cost: $130 U.S. dollars

For testing in the United States, Canada, and U.S. territories

• Call 1.800.468.6335 and use a credit card for payment.
• SCSU hosts a test center on our campus. Call 320.308.5456, or email cbttesting@stcloudstate.edu.
• Mail a Voucher Request Form from the TOEFL Bulletin to Educational Testing Service.

For testing elsewhere

• Call the Regional Registration Center (RRC) for your area or country.
• Mail or fax a request for an appointment to the RRC for your area by using the International Test Scheduling Form from the TOEFL Bulletin.
• Mail a Voucher Request Form from the TOEFL Bulletin to Educational Testing Service.

What Identification Do I Need When I Take the Test?

Bring one of the following photo IDs:

• Passport
• Driver’s license
• National identification card
• Military identification card

To assure your TOEFL scores are sent to SCSU, list the SCSU code: 6679.

As an alternative to the TOEFL, students have the option of taking the IELTS or Michigan Placement Test to fulfill the University’s language admission requirements. The SCSU Testing Center does not offer either of these tests. Please visit the Web links associated with each test for more information.

IELTS

Visit www.ielts.org
General information, practice questions, and testing site information will provide preparation for the test.

When do I apply?

If you intend to start classes in September, you should begin the application process in the fall or early winter of the preceding year. Spring semester begins in mid-January and the application process should begin in the preceding spring.  You should apply at least two semesters before you plan to begin at SCSU.

Make sure to check the international admission deadlines established by your program, detailed in the chart below. A substantial number, but not all of SCSU's graduate programs, will start new students both fall and spring.

Time is needed to carefully complete the many steps of the application process — to collect letters of recommendation, to complete the application, to request all previous transcripts, to complete program interviews if required, to take competency examinations (GRE, GMAT, TOEFL), and in some cases to correspond with faculty of your intended department.

Back to Table of Contents

Graduate Program Admission Deadlines

International Students: Postmark Deadlines for Application Materials

To apply

Prospective students may apply online or may download all application materials from our Web site and mail them to the School of Graduate Studies. If you would like materials mailed to you, please contact the School of Graduate Studies at graduatestudies@stcloudstate.edu.

• Click here to apply online
• Download application materials
• If you would like materials mailed to you, please E-mail graduatestudies@stcloudstate.edu. Include your mailing address and program(s) of interest.

What do I need to submit?

To consider your application file complete, the School of Graduate Studies requires the following materials:

• Graduate admission application and a $35.00 non-refundable application fee payable to SCSU.
• Three recommendation forms from individuals who are able to address your academic qualifications and ability to succeed in your chosen program and profession.
• One copy of all official undergraduate and graduate transcripts. Transcripts must be submitted directly by each institution to the School of Graduate Studies. Transcripts submitted by students cannot be accepted.  Applicants who apply before receiving their baccalaureate degree will be required to submit an additional transcript once their degree is conferred.
• Official GRE scores are required for all degree programs but the MBA.
• Official GMAT scores are required for the MBA program.
• A test of English proficiency is required of all applicants whose first language is other than English.
• Additional admission materials required by the program to which you are applying. See program descriptions to determine if additional materials or interviews are needed.
• Financial form
• Financial documentation

NOTE: The School of Graduate Studies and the individual programs within it reserve the right to request additional information when they believe it is necessary.

Admission Test Information

All applicants for admission to a graduate degree program are required to take the appropriate admission examination. The GRE and GMAT examinations are primarily available through a computerized testing format.

The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is required for admission to the Master of Business Administration program. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general test is required for the specialist degree, master of arts, master of engineering management, master of music, master of science degree, sixth-year programs, and the GIS certificate.

Acceptance of GRE and GMAT scores more than five years old requires a review by the graduate dean and the department chairperson. Substitution of any graduate entrance examination for the GRE is subject to approval of the graduate dean and department. Substitutions may be given for applicants who hold an advanced degree from an accredited graduate institution.

GRE and GMAT

The GRE and GMAT is offered at the SCSU Testing Center
SCSU enjoys a Testing Center located on the SCSU campus in Atwood Memorial Center. The Testing Center administers the GRE and TOFEL examinations. A student may schedule a date to take the computerized examinations.  At SCSU telephone: 320.308.5456 or E-mail: cbttesting@stcloudstate.edu. 

The following contact information will assist international students living outside of Minnesota:

GRE P.O. Box 6000, Princeton, NJ, USA 08541-6000
Phone : 609.771.7675	Fax: 609.771.7906
Toll free: 1.800.GRE.CALL	E-mail: gre-info@ets.org
Web: www.gre.org

GMAT PO Box 6103, Princeton, NJ, USA 08541-6103
Phone: 609.771.7330	Fax: 609.883.4349
Toll free: 1.800.462.8669	E-mail: gmat@ets.org
Web: www.mba.com

 

Once your application is complete

When all application materials are received, the School of Graduate Studies conducts the initial evaluation. Applicants who satisfy the requirements of the graduate school will have their application file sent to the appropriate graduate department for their recommendation.

• A student’s application file is reviewed by three to four faculty members within the department to which the student is applying.
• Following receipt of the departmental recommendation, the School of Graduate Studies notifies the Center for International Studies of the decision on the graduate application.  Documentation of a student’s financial eligibility must be on file.  Only when complete financial eligibility is documented will the I-20 form be mailed along with a letter of admission.
• The acceptance letter and I-20 documentation is sent standard air mail to the student.  A student may elect to have these documents sent via Fed Ex for an additional $100.00 (U.S. dollar) fee.
• When an applicant is accepted for graduate study, a faculty adviser is assigned by the department.  Adviser contact information is provided to the student in their acceptance letter. The adviser helps the student formulate a plan of study leading to the accomplishment of the student's objectives in pursuing graduate work.
• International students should establish E-mail contact with their faculty adviser upon admission.  They should seek a listing of courses in which to enroll for their first semester.
• It is also important for the student to inform her/his adviser and the School of Graduate Studies of the semester the student is able to attend.
• Students should respond immediately to all departmental correspondence regarding their admission to graduate school.
• Complete information is available at http://www.stcloudstate.edu/internationalstudents/comingtoscsu/prearrival/default.asp

Issuing I-20s to International Students
Documentation of financial eligibility and all application materials must be received and a departmental admission decision made before SCSU can issue an I-20 form along with your letter of admission.

Types of Admission Status

Students are admitted based on the strength of their undergraduate record and admission materials. An international applicant may be unconditionally admitted, provisionally admitted, or receive a language admission.

Unconditional Admission — This status is granted to applicants who have fully satisfied the admission requirements of the School of Graduate Studies. The unconditional admission status does not guarantee approval of a student's admission to candidacy for a degree program.

Provisional — This status is granted, at a department's request, to academically strong applicants whose application files are missing an item. A provisional admission status allows the applicant to start classes, but within the first semester the applicant must submit the missing materials. Applicants will not be allowed to continue as a provisionally admitted student beyond one term.

Language Admission — A language admission provides an admission opportunity for international students who present a strong academic record, but have obtained computerized TOEFL scores just below SCSU's minimums. Students may be considered for a language admission if they post the following TOEFL scores:

• Computer based: 207 to 212, rather than the required 213.
• Internet based: 76 to 78, rather than the required 79.
• Paper based: 540 to 549, rather than the required 550.
  

The challenge of SCSU's graduate curriculum necessitates the need for firm adherence to these standards. Students with computerized scores below 207, Internet-based scores below 76 and paper scores less than 540 will not be considered. Students who have been evaluated and meet this profile will be offered a language admission. This concurrent acceptance includes the following conditions:

Successful completion of the Intensive English Center (IEC) Level 5 program at St. Cloud State University. Most graduate students are able to complete the Level 5 program in one to two semesters. Students may access information about the Intensive English Center on the Web at www.stcloudstate.edu/iec. When students have completed the Level 5 program, they will be eligible to start their master's program during the next available semester. The IEC director will send a letter indicating a student's IEC completion readiness to their master's program. When the student starts a master's program, he or she will be eligible to apply and compete for a graduate assistantship.

Denial of Admission
This determination means that a student has been denied admission to a degree program and may not earn a master's degree from St. Cloud State University even if he or she has successfully completed advanced courses. Reapplication does not guarantee admission to the School of Graduate Studies.

Readmission
SCSU recognizes the need of students who, because of family obligations, health concerns, employment or other concerns, must "stop out" from their graduate education plans. Please provide written notification to your adviser and the School of Graduate Studies if you need to "stop out" from your program and include a date when we may anticipate your return.

However slowly or rapidly a student may be able to return to SCSU, the maximum time limit for valid course work is seven years. If you are returning to SCSU we encourage you to immediately contact your graduate adviser to review changes in curriculum, licensure requirements, and departmental updates. Your graduate plan will need to be updated and may need new approval.

An extended absence from SCSU may require readmission. This circumstance varies greatly by department as licensing rules and curricula may progress with industry needs. Most application files are maintained for five years. If your application or departmental file no longer exists, it may be necessary to submit new admission materials, to be reconsidered for admission.

MnSCU Board Policy — 3.4 Admissions, Part 5, Subpart G
Students who have been suspended or expelled for disciplinary reasons from any post-secondary institution may be denied admission to a MnSCU college or university.

Additional Information
The School of Graduate Studies and the individual programs within it reserve the right to request additional information when they believe it is necessary.

Go to Essential Information for Admitted International Graduate Students