International Students Admissions Information

English Proficiency

If English is not your native language, you are required to submit proof of English language proficiency, regardless of citizenship.  English may be considered your native language if it is the ONLY official language of your home country and the primary language spoken in your home.   Applicants who have completed a Bachelors or Masters degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university are considered to have met the English proficiency requirement.  

All other applicants must provide one of the following:

• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL): A minimum score of 88 or higher with a minimum of 20 on each subsection on the internet-based exam, 230 or higher on the computer-based exam, and 570 or higher on the paper-based exam.  Scores must be sent directly to GMU from the agency and can not be more than two years old.  Our testing code is 5827. 
• International English Language Testing System (IELTS):  A minimum score 6.5 on the academic exam.  Scores must be sent to GMU directly from the testing agency.  
• Pearson Academic Test of English: A minimum score of 59. 

Please carefully read the entire official university English Proficiency Policy.

International Student Applicants (F1/J1)


We are excited that you are applying to George Mason University! To make the admission process as efficient as possible, we would like to provide you with a few helpful hints on how to successfully complete the application process. Submitting an accurate and complete application will accelerate the admissions and immigration processes.

There is an application for students seeking F1/J1 status within the admissions application online. There are details on the Office of International Programs and Services at GMU on their web site at http://oips.gmu.edu.

International Student Health Insurance

Health insurance is required for all F-1 and J-1 visa holders. Students are required to purchase the policy arranged by the university, unless exempted by the Student Health Insurance Office. Health insurance fees are deducted from all payments received by the university before funds are applied to tuition or other charges. For exemption criteria see the University Catalog or contact the Student Health Insurance office in SUB I, Room 219, or call 703-993-28

International Student Financial Aid

While international students are generally not eligible for federal loan money from the United States government, they are certainly eligible for other funds. Financial aid is merit-based and all applicants are eligible to compete for available funds.

Merit-based scholarships are available to students registered in most doctoral and master's programs and these funding sources pay part or all of tuition. Assistantships and fellowships normally include a stipend and a full tuition scholarship. S-CAR has a small number of graduate research assistantships. These are granted each fall and you are asked to fill out an application after you submit your application for admission at S-CAR. Funding decisions are usually made by April. Assistantships are usually granted to PhD students. The amount of funding S-CAR has for student support is very limited and we encourage all applicants to explore other outside funding opportunities.

To research other scholarship and fellowship opportunities, go to http://www.gmu.edu/student/fellowships/.

For questions on financial aid, please go to: http://financialaid.gmu.edu/.

 Application Deadline for Applicants with International Credentials 

•                November 15^th (for Fall Semester: Ph.D and Certificate Programs)

•                January 1^st (for Fall Semester: M.S., and Certificate Programs)

•                September 15^th (for Spring Semester: M.S. and Certificate Programs)

This is a guide to help applicants who submit international transcripts to determine what needs to be submitted with the graduate application. Please Note: George Mason reserves the right to withhold making a decision on your application until all requested documents have been received.

George Mason University requires graduate applicants to hold a credential that we evaluate to be comparable to a four­year bachelor’s degree. Comparability is determined by a review of your grades, the rigor and content of your curriculum, and other factors as required by your graduate program or department.All applicants must submit a complete credential package by the appropriate deadline. Failure to do so may result in a late review of your application or denial of admission due to insufficient academic credentials. Complete credentials include course transcripts for each semester completed in your degree program, and the degree certificate or diploma if a graduation date, with the name of your degree, is not listed on the transcript. 

You must submit all credentials in both the original language and English. The English translation must be literal, or word­for­word. For information on qualified translators in your area, please contact the American Translators Association (www.atanet.org) or another recognized translation service. Self­translated copies are not acceptable. All transcripts and diplomas must be issued by the degree­granting university. If your university issues official documents in English an additional English translation is not required.

Notice to students from India Students who attended university in India must submit transcripts from the university that awards the degree. Transcripts and degree certificates that are issued by the affiliated college cannot be accepted. If you are still enrolled and have not graduated, you must submit semester marks statements for all semesters completed to­date. You must provide final university transcripts and the university degree certificate or diploma as soon as they are available.

Notice to students from China Students who hold degrees from Chinese institutions must submit copies of both the Graduation Diploma and Degree Certificate along with their transcripts. Students who have not yet graduated should submit a transcript for courses completed to­date, and then provide a final transcript as well as the Graduation Diploma and Degree Certificate as soon as they are available.

Credentials We Require

1. Official transcripts are expected. These are documents that are sent directly to George Mason University from your home university. You should follow your home university’s policies for such requests. Usually, universities charge a small fee for this service. The George Mason University application has a form you can use to request a transcript from your university.

2. Transcripts you may already have in your possession are also considered official if they are still in their original, sealed and signed university envelopes. We will accept these sealed transcripts as official documents.

3. Transcripts submitted by any other method (even if they are on original paper) are considered unofficial and must be verified (attested) either by the issuing university, your Embassy or Consulate, or by another official body such as EducationUSA, Fulbright, Amideast. We will accept only copies that bear the original attestation stamp and signature.

Credentials We Will Not Accept

1. George Mason University cannot accept unattested photocopies or re­copied documents. Please note that we cannot accept transcripts attested by local notaries public.

2. English translations prepared by a non­recognized translator.

Please note that all official credentials, such as transcripts, marks statements or degree certificates become the property of George Mason University once you submit them with your application.

For a PDF of this information, click HERE.

George Mason University requires all applicants who have completed degrees outside the United States to submit their transcripts for degree validation before they may be considered for admission to a graduate degree program. Applicants may send their credentials to an approved evaluation agency or organization. Each evaluation agency has its own procedures, but you should authorize those to forward completed evaluations directly to George Mason University. We will accept only original evaluations sent directly from the evaluation agency. Agencies charge fees for their services and may have document requirements that are different from Mason’s. You are responsible for payment of all fees charged by external evaluation agencies. For a list of approved evaluators, please click here.

You may choose to have your credentials evaluated at Mason. This is a free service. Due to high volume, you should submit all required documents at least four to six weeks before the stated deadline to ensure a timely evaluation of your application.

**Please note that if you have an evaluation conducted by an outside agency, we still require official transcripts and translations (if applicable) to be submitted along with the official evaluation.