International Applicant Guide

The following requirements must be met by all international students

English Language Proficiency

UMass Amherst does not offer a comprehensive English language study program for international students.

All international applicants, whether planning to study online from abroad or on campus in Massachusetts, must verify their English language proficiency in one of the following ways:

• Be a native speaker of English in a country where English is the primary language.
• English education: Entire secondary education (four years) is at a school where English is the primary language of instruction and the British or American curriculum is followed.
• Submit official scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The minimum score to qualify for admission is 80 (internet-based TOEFL). An IELTS score of 6.5 is also accepted. Please note that student score reports are not considered official. Scores only accepted for 2 years after test date.

NOTE: We are committed to reducing barriers caused by COVID-19 disruptions for students who plan to apply for admission. Therefore, until further notice, the following tests will temporarily be accepted as approved examinations for English proficiency.

-  IELTS Indicator: minimum composite score of 6.5 on the academic test with no subscore lower than 6.0 (We will not accept paper IELTS test report forms)

-  Duolingo English Test (DET): minimum score of 115 is required

• Complete two non-ESL English composition courses at a U.S. college or university with grades of B or better, as well as several humanities and/or social science courses with above-average grades. The determination about whether or not a student’s academic record verifies English language ability is made by the Admissions Office staff.

IMPORTANT: No application is considered complete until English language proficiency requirements have been fulfilled.

International Transcripts

Official transcripts from all post-secondary colleges or universities attended are required whether or not transfer credit is desired.

• Non-English transcripts must be accompanied by an official translation including both the signature and title of the translator. 
• Applicants may not translate their own documents. If needed, the UMass Translation Center offers translations for a fee.
• In cases where an institution does not provide official original transcripts, an official notarized copy may be accepted.
• Transfer applicants from Chinese Universities: In order to be considered for admission and/or transfer credit, please arrange for a verification report of your university transcript with the China Higher Education Student Information and Career Center (CHESICC). The report must be mailed directly to the Admissions office by the CHESICC, rather than by you or any third party. Any transcript not mailed by the CHESICC will not be considered.

A professional evaluation* of international transcripts is also required.

• Evaluations must be completed course-by-course
• Institutional policies will be applied once official documents are submitted.  
• University-approved evaluators are listed below:

*There are no guarantees of transfer credit based on professional evaluations.

Secondary school transcripts are not required for admission, however, it is possible for applicants to receive college credit for certain kinds of secondary programs. The most common credentials awarded college credit are the German Abitur, the International Baccalaureate and the advanced level and advanced subsidiary level exams in the British system.

The UMass Amherst evaluation of previous courses and credits will be conducted only after all required application materials have been received by our Admissions Office.