University Home • Admission & Financial Aid • Graduate • Applying to Suffolk • The Application Process • Additional Information for International Students

Additional Information for International Students

The University is authorized under federal law to enroll non-immigrant aliens as full-time students. Due to visa processing regulations, the Office of Graduate Admission must produce I-20 forms by July 22 for fall admission and November 1 for spring admission. Therefore, international students who need I-20 forms must submit completed applications and financial information by July 1 or October 1. Also, it currently takes three to four months for applicants in the US on an F2 (dependent) visa to change status to an F1 visa.

International applicants must submit a copy of the photo page of their passports as well as a copy of any current US Visas and EAD cards. In order to protect your personal information, it is strongly recommended that students using the online applications use the secure upload in that application. For students who do not use the online application or who do not upload their passport/visa to their online application, the materials may be submitted in a paper format. We discourage students from emailing image files of the documents directly in an unencrypted format. If you would like to send the documents in an encrypted format to our office, please contact us at grad.admission@suffolk.edu and request encryption directions. Do not send the files in this request.

Required Academic Credentials

International Transcripts and Evaluation

Effective for Spring 2014 Applicants and Beyond: Students who have attended an institution of higher education outside of the United States are required to submit an official “Course-by-Course Evaluation” of their academic credentials. You may use any NACES-member organization to complete the evaluation. Our preferred providers are World Education Services (WES) and Center for Educational Documentation (CED). If the evaluation organization does not provide us with certified, official copies of your academic transcripts, you will be required to have them submitted to us separately.

NOTE: International applicants for Summer and Fall 2013 are strongly encouraged to submit an official course-by-course evaluation, but may choose to submit official transcripts (documenting coursework and grades received) and a certified English translation directly to the Office of Graduate Admission.

It is recognized that educational systems in other countries differ from that of the United States. Generally, a first university degree can be considered as comparable to its US counterpart, provided that the degree was earned at an institution that is officially recognized by its country's Ministry of Education. The comparability of international course work and degrees will be determined exclusively by Suffolk University's Office of Graduate Admission.

English Proficiency Requirement

Proficiency in English is required of all international applicants. Applicants whose native language is not English must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The TOEFL examination is given in both a computer-based and paper-based format. A minimum TOEFL score of 80 in the IBT scoring system with no subscore lower than 17, or 213 computer-based (550 paper-based) in the old scoring system is required of applicants whose native language is not English. Suffolk University's code for TOEFL test scores is 3771.

We also accept the International English Language Testing System test (IELTS), and a minimum score of 6.5 is required, with no subscores below 6.0. International applicants must have an official copy of the test result sent directly from the testing service. English-proficiency test scores are also a consideration in the awarding of merit fellowships. Scores are valid for two (2) years from the date the exam is taken.

Applicants are exempt from submitting the TOEFL/IELTS if:

They have received a degree from a college or university in the US within the last two (2) years or they are permanent residents of the US (and must submit a copy of the Permanent Resident card, front and back, in lieu of test for verification of status or they are from countries and attended universities in countries whose native language is English:

American Samoa
Australia
Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Bermuda
British West Indies
Canada
England
Guam
Ireland
Mauritius
New Zealand
Scotland
South Africa
Virgin Islands
Wales

Statement of Financial Resources

International students must file a Statement of Financial Resources certifying availability of sufficient funds to cover all academic and living expenses for full-time graduate study at Suffolk University. If there is sponsorship for the student through family, friends, organization, work, or a government agency, the sponsor must inform our office, in writing, of the terms of this support. Upon admission to a graduate degree program, submission of the required tuition deposit and the statement of financial resources, the Office of Graduate Admission will issue the I-20 form.

International students who want to receive any work-study, assistantship, or fellowship funds from the University must hold an F-1 immigration status. International students are ineligible for all forms of U.S. Federal and State financial aid.