International Graduate School Applicants
For pursuit of an advanced degree or certificate, students must be admitted to a graduate program. A completed application must be submitted to Graduate and International Admissions. Students who are not pursuing an advanced degree but wishing to enroll in graduate coursework should apply as a nondegree seeking student by completing a nondegree seeking application prior to the start of the semester.
Application Materials
To be considered for admission, a student must submit the following documents by the application deadline:
- Completed admissions application
- Official or unofficial academic transcripts from all postsecondary institutions attended
- Application fee of U.S. $40
- Graduate Record Exam (GRE) (if applicable and required by the program)
- Resume (if applicable and required by the program)
- Statement of Purpose (if applicable and required by the program)
- Letters of Recommendation (if applicable and required by the program)
- Additionally, international applicants must submit:
- Copy of Passport photo page
- Proof of English language proficiency
International Enrollment Deposit
All admitted international students must submit a $400 international student enrollment deposit by the deposit deadline noted to enroll at the university. For a fall semester enrollment, the international enrollment deposit deadline is May 1. For a spring semester enrollment, the international enrollment deposit deadline is Dec. 1.
The international student enrollment deposit will be used as a deposit on a student’s enrollment for the first two terms of enrollment and split and applied to a student’s university account for the first two terms. This is not an additional fee but rather a prepayment of part of your university expenses. Students should note that this is nonrefundable if you choose not to enroll, so please only pay the deposit once your visa has been issued and are ready to confirm your attendance at SDSU.
Steps to Admission
Submit the online application for the appropriate term and pay the application fee.
*If you are a prospective master's or Ph.D. applicant and interested in applying for an engineering degree, please use the EngineeringCAS application. The general application is not needed.
Submit a professional academic transcript evaluation. This is a mandatory requirement if you attended a university outside the United States. This requirement cannot be waived unless you've earned a higher degree in the United States. If your highest degree was earned or will be earned in the United States prior to enrolling at SDSU, then you are only required to submit official transcripts of any previously earned degrees.
- Evaluations must include transcript authenticity, GPA calculation and U.S. degree equivalency and be sent directly from the evaluation service.
- Transcript evaluations must be performed by a National Association of Credential Evaluation Services- or Association of International Credential Evaluators Inc.-accredited evaluation service member.
- Educational Perspectives, The Evaluation Company, Educational Credential Evaluators and International Education Evaluations Inc. provide an SDSU-specific site for your convenience. All except Educational Perspectives have reduced rates if the SDSU-specific link is used.
- Do not send your official transcripts to SDSU if you are completing an evaluation for those transcripts. Your evaluation replaces the requirement for official transcripts.
Submit U.S. transcripts.
- Request official transcripts from each higher education institution where a degree or graduate level credits were earned in the U.S.
English Proficiency Scores
To demonstrate English language proficiency, international applicants must meet the minimum scores on one of the following exams.
Exam Minimum Score or Grade
- TOEFL 4.0
- IELTS 6.0
- Duolingo English Test 100
Some programs may require higher test scores for admission and are listed within each program section in this catalog. Also, programs may require additional testing upon arrival.
Waiver of English Language Proficiency Test based on Country of Citizenship:
Citizens of Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, British Overseas Territories, Cameroon, Canada, Cayman Islands, Christmas Island, Cook Islands, Dominica, Eswatini, Falkland Islands, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Kenya, Kiribati, Ireland, Jamaica, Jersey, Liberia, Malawi, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Montserrat, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norfolk Island, Philippines, Pitcairn Islands, Puerto Rico, Rwanda, St. Helena, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Sierra Leone, Sint Maarten, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Uganda, United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales) and Northern Ireland , Virgin Islands, Zambia and Zimbabwe do not need to submit English Language proficiency test score to meet the English Language Proficiency requirement for admission to the university.
Waiver of English Language Proficiency Test based on U.S. accredited Degree
Applicants that have completed a baccalaureate or graduate degree from an U.S. accredited institution of higher learning do not need to submit an English Language Proficiency Test.
Waiver of English Language Proficiency Test based on U.S. Education
Applicants that have completed two full semesters in a degree program within the United States may not need to submit an English Language Proficiency Test. Determination will be made on a case-by-case basis, dependent on overall GPA of completed coursework – work with the Graduate and International Admissions office for details.
Submit financial support documents.
- Evidence of available financial support for one year must be provided.
- An outline of tuition, fees and estimated living expenses with assistantship and without assistantship and the required financial form is available at International Student and Scholar Engagement.
Submit proof of immunity.
- Medically signed proof of two properly administered measles, mumps and rubella immunizations or immune titers for measles, mumps and rubella. A tuberculosis test is required for students from certain countries of origin and must be performed upon arriving on campus; TB tests done outside the U.S. will not be accepted. Find more information about immunization and health requirements.
- For additional information, contact Student Health Services at 605-688-4157.
Submit all program-required documents.
Individual programs may ask for additional documents above what South Dakota State University requires.
- If submitting Graduate Record Examination scores, send directly to SDSU from ETS.
- The SDSU GRE code is 6653.
- For a program within the Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering, use GRE code 2862.
- Contact ETS for more information about the Graduate Record Examination.
Departmental review.
When all required documents have been received, your application file will be sent to the appropriate department for review. Allow for a minimum of three to four weeks for departmental review. You will receive an email notification of the admission decision.
International office.
If offered acceptance, International Student and Scholar Engagement will be the main point of contact for any questions or concerns regarding your visa, travel arrangements and other issues. Please note, SDSU is not authorized to issue I-20s for certificate-level programs. International students must be in an on-campus, master's- or doctoral-level program to be issued an I-20.
