International Applicants

Some academic departments recommend that international applicants planning on pursuing a research-based degree, submit our extended inquiry form before submitting a full application. The extended inquiry form will be reviewed by the academic faculty and a department representative will reach out if your background and qualifications are a good fit for the program. 

The full application is required for all applicants to complete. Here is some helpful information for international applicants:

• The application fee is $65 for a degree program and $25 for a graduate certificate.
  • Application fee waivers are not available for most programs in most circumstances. Applicants are expected to pay the fee.
• Refer to the application requirements section of each program of study page to understand deadlines and application requirements.
  • To better understand your cost of attendance, please refer to the OISS Estimate of Costs and Tuition and Fees.
• Applicants will be required to provide the names and emails of 2 or 3 recommenders.
• Once submitted, applicants must monitor their application portal for updates on required checklist items.
  • An email notification will be sent when checklist items are complete.
  • Processing of documents and requests can take 5-7 business days.

You must have official test scores sent from the testing agency. The following tests are accepted, along with the minimum scores:

• TOEFL iBT: 80
• TOEFL Essentials: 8.5
• IELTS (International English Language Testing System): 6.5
• Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic: 59
• Duolingo English Test (English Proficiency Test): 120

All international applicants will be required to provide English Proficiency Test Scores. If your first language is English, your medium of instruction is English, or you have earned a degree within the United States, you may request a test score waiver. Approval of the test score waiver is at the discretion of the academic department.

• Transcript evaluation by a third party is not required as long as an application is in English. However, if transcripts are in a language other than English, certificate translations are required. Additionally, translation and evaluation services may be requested at the discretion of the academic department.
• Transcripts from all previous post-secondary institutions must be submitted and applicants must disclose any previous academic or disciplinary sanctions that resulted in their temporary or permanent separation from a previous post-secondary institution. If it is found that previous academic or disciplinary separations were not disclosed, applicants may face denial and admitted students may face dismissal from their academic program.
• International applicants may submit copies of official transcripts by emailing grad.school@unh.edu. We will upload those transcripts to your application checklist. 
• Official transcripts will be required if admitted. These can be hand-delivered in a sealed envelope upon arrival, emailed to grad.school@unh.edu, or mailed hardcopy to UNH Graduate School, Thompson Hall, 105 Main Street, Durham, NH 03824.

• Admitted international students requiring an F-1 student-visa to study will be notified by the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) of the requirements and procedure for issuing an I-20 immigration document.
• Mandatory International Student Orientations will be held before the start of the semester.
• Students on assistantships must attend Graduate Assistant Orientation and any required trainings before beginning their employment.

All international students are responsible for following all Graduate School registration policies and requirements. In addition, all international students on F-1 and J-1 visas are required to register full-time each semester of the academic year until the completion of their programs. There are no registration requirements during the summer. Please see below for policies related to "special" registrations.

• GRAD 800: Permissible only for Master’s students who have completed all requirements for the degree and will be engaged in full-time OPT (immigration regulations do not require enrollment in a full course of study in this case) and both employment and residence will be off-campus.
• GRAD 900: Appropriate for Master’s students who have completed coursework, will be engaged in full-time OPT and will be employed on campus or living in UNH residential facilities.
• Doctoral Research (GRAD 999): Required of all doctoral students at candidacy.
• Fee Waivers: Students enrolled in Doctoral Research (GRAD 999) who have left the immediate geographic area while completing their doctoral research may petition for a waiver of the mandatory fees.
• UNH Graduate program admissions allows a maximum of 5 backlogs from international colleges/universities: We will make an exception to applicants that receive more than 5 backlogs but less than 10 because they were unable to attend a semester of schooling due to unforeseen circumstances.

Masters’ students in their final term who are not on assistantships may register for less than 9 credits, but no less than 5 credits with approval of the Office of International Students and Scholars, prior to the first day of classes of the student's final term. Students must file their Intent to Graduate with the Graduate School prior to or concurrent with their request to register for a reduced course load.

• International students on assistantships must maintain a work-eligible visa, this is typically an F-1 visa. 
  • Students who have been offered an assistantship, but do not have an eligible visa status to allow them to begin their assistantship duties at the beginning of the semester, have until the last day to register without having their degree and assistantship status discontinued for that semester. The start date for the assistantship would then be the date allowed by the visa status and the student's stipend would be pro-rated. The appropriate tuition waiver associated with the assistantship would be valid and not prorated.
  • Students who have not resolved their visa status by the last day to register without having their degree status discontinued are not eligible to hold an assistantship. Such students may be eligible for a non-status appointment during the semester in question once their visa status is resolved. In such cases, the stipend would be prorated. Programs could award scholarships to cover the tuition cost to such students. Under no circumstances should students who do not have a visa that make them eligible to work begin any assistantship-related duties.