Graduate Studies

Graduate Students

Graduate Student Admission

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Submit the following to complete your application file:

  1. $50 non-refundable application fee. Most applicants can pay online when the application is submitted. Students who need to mail a check or money order can select “Pay by Check” at the end of the application process, then submit the application. A follow up email will be sent 2-4 business days after the submission of the application prompting payment. This email will contain your WIU ID and an option for credit card or wire transfer via PayMyTuition. The WIU ID number is required to make payments by this option.
  2. A copy of your passport.
  3. Your full academic record is required for an admission decision. A full academic record is defined as your academic record from ALL post-secondary institutions attended. If these documents are not in English, a precise word for word English translation must be submitted with the documents. Most applicants can submit unofficial academic records to international-ed@wiu.edu for application processing. Applicants admitted based on unofficial academic records are required to submit their full official academic record to complete the conditions of acceptance to WIU. Applicants from certain countries are required to request official academic records from all post-secondary institutions to be sent directly from the issuing institution to WIU prior to  application processing. Applicants to which this applies will be notified.
  4. Graduate admission requirements vary by department. See the Department Checklist for specific admission requirements by program.
  5. Proof of English proficiency if required. Some department require higher test scores. See the graduate catalog for program specific English proficiency requirements.
  6. You will be required to provide financial documentation proving your ability to pay for your first year of study at WIU.

Graduate Student Admission Requirements

  • Hold a degree comparable to a recognized U.S. bachelor’s degree.
  • Have a combined GPA of at least 2.75 on a 4.0 scale for all college courses attempted; or have a 3.0 or higher GPA for the last two years of undergraduate work attempted. All marks and scores will be converted to a 4.0 grading scale. Some departments have a higher GPA requirement. You should check the departmental admissions requirements in the Graduate Catalog for your specific program.

Applications are reviewed in the order that they are completed. You should allow at least four to five weeks after we have received all of your supporting documents to process your application file, plus additional time for the department to notify us of their decision. Once we have an admission decision, you will be notified of your next steps at the email address on your application.

Second Bachelor's Degree Candidates

Applicants who have completed a minimum equivalent to a US bachelor's degree can apply for an undergraduate program as a second bachelor's degree candidate. The requirements are as follows:

Applicants can be admitted based on an unofficial academic record. However, the following must occur prior to the issue of an I-20:

  • Upon receipt of the initial email notification of acceptance, students must request their official academic record (i.e. transcript, marksheets, and degree certificate) confirming completion of a degree equivalent to a US bachelor's be sent directly to WIU. The official documents must be received prior to the deadline for application materials for the semester in which you intend to start.
  • Applicants must have an approved second bachelor's degree plan on file in the Office of the Registrar