GSAS International Students

You are welcome here

Fordham University welcomes applications from international students from around the world.

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Applicant Requirements | English Proficiency Requirements | Immigration and Visas | Important Contact Information

Applicant Requirements

Fordham University welcomes applications from international students from around the world. We strongly encourage international applicants currently residing outside the U.S. to submit their complete applications by the program's earliest application deadline to ensure ample time for the visa application process.

Eligibility to Apply

We welcome applicants from all academic and professional backgrounds who have completed or will be completing an undergraduate degree before enrollment in GSAS.

To be eligible for admission consideration, applicants must hold an undergraduate degree (U.S. baccalaureate or equivalent) from an accredited institution before enrollment. For international students, if you have a three-year bachelor's degree from a member institution within the Bologna Process, you are eligible to apply to GSAS programs. If your institution is not part of this organization, you will need to provide GSAS Admissions with an official course-by-course evaluation of your higher education history by an international credential evaluation company that is a member of NACES (National Association of Credential Evaluation Services) or AICE (Association of International Credential Evaluators).

Academic Transcripts

Official transcripts from previously attended post-secondary institutions must be submitted in English or with a certified English translation. For academic transcripts from institutions outside the United States, applicants are strongly encouraged to obtain a course-by-course credential evaluation. Exceptions are made for institutions in Canada, Australia, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. For expedited service in obtaining a course-by-course credential evaluation at a discounted rate from The Evaluation Company (TEC) (formerly Spantran), please complete the TEC Evaluation Request Form. Other options for credential evaluations include World Education Services and Educational Credential Evaluators, but you may use any service that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). Evaluations should be uploaded directly to the application along with the original transcript from the issuing institution.

Official evaluations must be sent directly to the GSAS Office of Admissions via secure electronic delivery at [email protected]. If electronic delivery is not available, please request that the evaluation be sent via mail in a sealed envelope to:

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Office of Admissions
Keating Hall Room 216
Fordham University
441 E. Fordham Rd.
Bronx, NY 10458

Exceptions to the Transcript Evaluation Requirement

Waivers of credential evaluations are considered on a case-by-case basis and are not guaranteed. Credential evaluations may be waived provided your transcript meets the following criteria:

  1. Bachelor's degree from a four-year program
  2. Written in English
  3. Includes a comprehensive list of completed courses and credits with grades received for each course
  4. Contains an explanatory key that clearly describes the grading and credit system used. 

Ultimately, whether or not your transcript evaluation requirement is waived will be at the discretion of the Office of Admissions.

English Proficiency Requirements

International applicants whose native language is not English must submit official test score results from one of the following accepted English language competency exams:

Exemptions to the English Language Requirement

Exemptions are considered on a case-by-case basis and are generally permitted for international applicants who:

  1. are native English speakers from countries where English is an official language (click here to view the list of countries accepted); and/or
  2. have completed, within the past five years, at least two years of study at an undergraduate or graduate institution in the United States or in a country where English is the official language of instruction.
  3. you received an undergraduate or graduate degree from a university in India. (In some cases, we may request language proficiency test scores.)

GSAS retains the right to request language evaluation from any applicant. Exemptions from this requirement can be requested by the applicant in her/his application, or can be made in writing by the applicant to [email protected].

Minimum Exam Score Requirements

Exam Score
TOEFL iBT 100
IELTS 7.0 band score
DET 130
PTE Academic 68
Cambridge English Qualifications 185 Overall Score on the B2, C1 Advanced, or C2 Proficiency exam

*The Ph.D. in Computer Science, M.S. in Computer Science, M.S. in Cybersecurity, and M.S. in Data Science, and Advanced Certificate in Data Science for Cybersecurity programs will consider applicants with the following scores:

Exam Score
TOEFL iBT minimum 85
IELTS minimum 6.5 band score
DET minimum score of 115
PTE Academic 59
Cambridge English Qualifications 176 Overall Score on the B2, C1 Advanced, or C2 Proficiency exam

Official TOEFL, IELTS, DET, PTE Academic, or Cambridge English Qualifications scores should be sent directly by the testing service to the Office of Graduate Admissions, Fordham University, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (our ETS TOEFL score is #2259). Some applicants may qualify for an exemption of this requirement. 

Students admitted with Fordham English Language Test (FELT) condition

The Fordham English Language Test (FELT), administered by Fordham’s Institute of American Language and Culture (IALC), may be required for those students whose English proficiency scores do not meet GSAS program requirements. Additional coursework may also be recommended by the IALC.

If you were admitted with a condition that you must take the Fordham English Language Test (FELT), the test is given at the Institute of American Language and Culture (IALC) located at 45 Columbus Ave, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10023. For more information or to schedule a time to take the exam you may email [email protected] or call their office at 212-636-6353. 

Students are permitted to register for two GSAS courses during the academic term in which they are completing any IALC-recommended coursework, which generally occurs during their first semester of study.

Please note: Tuition costs associated with the learning of English as a second language are the responsibility of the student and will not be covered by a GSAS tuition scholarship. GSAS merit-based tuition scholarships are not applicable to the costs of additional coursework recommended by the IALC.

Additional Application Information

International applicants need to follow the same Admissions Guidelines as all other applicants to GSAS programs. Please see the Admission FAQ page for answers to most common questions about the application process and visit our Graduate Degree Program pages for specific program admissions information and requirements.

For assistance with any questions about the application process, please contact the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Admissions Office at [email protected].

Immigration and Visas

Visit the Office of International Services webpages for detailed information about: 

  • Immigration and Visa Information
  • Housing
  • Transportation
  • Health Services
  • Social Security Numbers
  • Banking
  • Driving

Visa Requirements

International students must obtain a form I-20 or form DS-2019 from the Fordham Office of International Services in order to apply for an F-1 Student Visa or a J-1 Exchange Visa from a U.S. Embassy or Consulate. The I-20 is the U.S. immigration document certifying that an F-1 Visa Student has met admission requirements and verified the necessary financial resources to support their studies. The DS-2019 is the equivalent document for J-1 Exchange Visa students. See the Study and Exchange section of the U.S. Department of State website for information about visas for study and exchange programs.

Please note, GSAS Admission does not issue the I-20 and DS-2019 forms. These forms can only be issued by the Designated School Official (DSO) in the Fordham Office of International Services.

International applicants who accept an offer of admission will be instructed to upload the completed and signed Affidavit of Support (AFCOE), accompanied by original documentation that supports the information on the affidavit, directly to their application to GSAS. This will include a copy of the applicant’s passport identification and supporting financial documentation (bank statement, bank letter, scholarship award letter, etc.). Financial documentation must verify the applicant has adequate financial resources to meet the tuition, fees, and living expenses of the full-time program. (Note: International applicants accepting an offer of admission as J-1 Exchange Students with an official institutional exchange agreement can obtain an AFCOE specific to the exchange program by contacting GSAS Admissions at [email protected].) Any document not in English must be accompanied by a certified translation. Admissions will transfer all uploaded documents to the Office of International Services for processing to issue the SEVIS I-20 or DS-2019.

Avoiding Visa Delays

It is vital to submit the completed AFCOE and supporting documents for the I-20 or DS-2019 as soon as possible after accepting an offer of admission to avoid visa delays.

In order to expedite the Visa process and avoid delays, we recommend that admitted international applicants accepting offers of admission submit their completed AFCOE and documents by the following dates:

  • Spring Admission: Submit no later than December 1, 2024
  • Fall Admission: Submit no later than July 1, 2025

The travel.state.gov website is the primary source of information for travel delays, alerts, and warnings. Please use these key web pages:

Important Contact Information

For questions relating to visas and immigration:

For questions about course registration and matters relating to payroll forms and obtaining a social security number for GSAS merit-based financial aid awards:

For questions regarding your application and the admissions process: