Graduate Studies

Admission Process

Please carefully read all information below BEFORE applying. 

All international applicants are required to submit a non-refundable $50 application fee. This can be paid online when you submit your  application . Students who need to mail a check or money order drawn from a U.S. bank may select "Pay by Check" at the end of the application process and then submit the application.  Please note, we do not offer a waiver of the application fee.

Non-native English speaking applicants must submit satisfactory English proficiency scores on one of the following exams: TOEFL, IELTS, ITEP, or PTE Academic. Release your English proficiency exam scores to school code 1900 for WIU. Learn more about English proficiency requirements and countries exempt from this requirement. Some academic programs may require higher scores for admission. Scores must be less than two years old from the test date at the time of matriculation at WIU.

Admitted students will need to provide evidence that you can pay for the first year of study by submitting a bank statement or scholarship letter.  An Affidavit of Support must also be submitted; view specific requirements before submitting your financial documents. Financial documents should be emailed to International-Financials@wiu.edu.

Applications are reviewed in the order in which they are completed. Once an admission decision has been made, you will be notified of your next steps at the email address on your application.

 

Freshman

This section is for students who have not taken college classes after completing high school and would like to pursue an undergraduate degree.

  • A copy of your passport.
  • Non-native English speaking applicants must submit satisfactory English proficiency scores on one of the following exams: TOEFL, IELTS, ITEP, or PTE Academic. Release your English proficiency exam scores to school code 1900 for WIU. Learn more about English proficiency requirements and countries exempt from this requirement. Some academic programs may require higher scores for admission. Scores must be less than two years old from the test date at the time of matriculation at WIU.
  • High school (secondary school) exams, transcripts, or individual mark sheets must be submitted. If these documents are not issued in English, an official word for word English translation must be submitted for these documents. 
  • An unofficial academic record will be used for application processing only and clear, full sized scanned copies can be emailed to international-ed@wiu.edu.  Any applicant admitted on an unofficial academic record will be conditionally admitted pending receipt of the complete official academic record. The complete official academic record must be on file at WIU before an I-20 will be issued.  Upon notification of your acceptance, request the official documents be sent from all institutions as described below.  
    • West African applicants: Provide a copy of your scratch card or the pin and serial number for online verification of your WAEC or WASSCE.  
    • South Asian applicants: If your secondary institution has a system for online verification, provide the information to our office for that purpose. Otherwise, obtain official or attested secondary school records (10+2) in an envelope sealed by the Exam Board and mail or courier the unopened envelope to WIU.
    • International General Secondary School Exam (IGSCE) or other Secondary School Exams : Request official or attested exam results be sent directly to WIU.

WIU reserves the right to request official or attested academic records or an evaluation (providers below) for any applicant prior to application processing.

Transfer Student

This section is for students who have taken college classes after high school but have not earned the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor's degree. Learn about earning undergraduate transfer credits.

  • A copy of your passport.
  • Your complete post-secondary academic record is required. This includes transcripts or mark sheets from all universities (post-secondary schools), CAPE and A Level Exams. A precise word for word English translation must be submitted for any document not issued in English. 
  • Applicants who have earned less than the equivalent of 24 semester hours of college credit will be required to submit secondary school transcripts. 
  • An unofficial academic record will be used for application processing only and clear, full sized scanned copies can be emailed to international-ed@wiu.edu. Any applicant admitted on an unofficial academic record will be conditionally admitted pending receipt of the complete official academic record. The complete official academic record must be on file at WIU before an I-20 will be issued.  Upon notification of your acceptance, request the official documents be sent from all institutions as described below.  
    • Applicants including West Africa, South Asia : Request the Records Office of each post-secondary institution to send an official or attested paper transcript in an envelope sealed by the issuing institution directly to WIU. Emailed transcripts sent by the institution will not be accepted as official.
    • Caribbean : Please request the Registrar of your college or university to send your official transcript to  international-ed@wiu.edu . Certified true copies of your CAPE Certificate must be sent to WIU by the college attended or directly from the Ministry of Education Exam Unit.
    • US institutions :  Request the Registrar of each institution to send an official transcript directly to WIU. Electronic delivery from the Registrar of each institution attended or a third party provider is acceptable as is a paper transcript.

WIU reserves the right to request official or attested academic records or an evaluation (providers below) for any applicant prior to application processing.

Graduate Students

This section is for students who have earned the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor's degree and would like to apply for a graduate or second bachelor's degree.

  • Application
  • All international applicants are required to submit a n on-refundable $50 application fee. This can be paid online when you submit your  application .  Students who need to mail a check or money order drawn from a U.S. bank may select "Pay by Check" at the end of the application process and then submit the application.  Please note, we do not offer a waiver of the application fee.
  • Non-native English speaking applicants must submit satisfactory English proficiency scores on one of the following exams: TOEFL, IELTS, ITEP, or PTE Academic. Release your English proficiency exam scores to school code 1900 for WIU. Learn more about English proficiency requirements and countries exempt from this requirement. Some academic programs may require higher scores for admission. Scores must be less than two years old from the test date at the time of matriculation at WIU.
  • A copy of your passport.
  • Additional admission requirements may be required by the graduate program to which you are applying to such as GRE/GMAT scores, letters of recommendation, etc. Refer to the Departmental Admissions Requirements to determine what, if any, additional documents are required for your specific program.
  • An evaluation of your full post-secondary academic record from World Education Services (WES),  The Evaluation Company or International Education Evaluations is required before your application will be considered for admission. If you have an existing evaluation from one of these providers, and it includes verified copies of your complete academic record, request the evaluation be released to WIU (School code 1900). Otherwise, use the links below to access WIU specific sites to initiate the evaluation process.
    •  NOTE the following regarding the academic record and evaluation requirements:
      • Your full or complete academic record from each institution attended includes, but is not limited to, transcripts,  individual semester by semester or year by year mark sheets AND a consolidated mark sheet or consolidated transcript , degree and/or diploma certificates, and diploma supplements. 
      •  An official academic record is issued from the institution at which the credit was earned directly to another institution or a credential evaluation service.   
      • A precise word for word English translation is required for any academic record not issued in English. The evaluation service may require you to submit a separate translation or may provide a translation service at an additional cost to the evaluation.

Evaluation Providers

World Education Services (WES)  WES logo

Follow the steps below to secure your credential evaluation:

      1. Applicants can create a WES account by visiting: https://applications.wes.org/createaccount/login/login
      2. Select the Course-by-Course International Credential Advantage Package (ICAP) option to ensure that your evaluation meets our requirements for admission review.
      3. To ensure that Western Illinois University receives an official copy of your evaluation, select it from the drop-down box and add it as a recipient.

If you provided a WES transcript reflecting in-progress study, a follow-up WES course-by-course evaluation showing the complete academic record and degree conferral could be required. Applicants are responsible for paying all fees for such evaluations, upgrades, as well as making arrangements with WES to send and receive their documents.

The WES application will provide specific instructions regarding the required official transcripts to be sent from your former institution(s). Over 10,000 institutions are currently sending WES documents digitally. WES also requires photocopies of translations of all diplomas/degree certificates and transcripts issued in a language other than English which you will upload into your account (WES is not a translation service, so cannot prepare these for you).  WES will share copies of your academic records with WIU along with your completed evaluation.

For more information, WES applicants can visit:  https://www.wes.org/contact-us/ for assistance.

The Evaluation Company (TEC) tec

      1. TEC offers this  WIU specific site  for your convenience and offers a discounted rate if the evaluation is  requested via this specific site.  
      2. Instructions are provided within the application.
      3. TEC offers translation services for an additional fee. 
 
 
 
International Education Evaluation (IEE) IIE
      1. IEE offers this WIU specific site for your convenience and applicants using this site will receive a discounted rate of $145 USD
      2. There is a three day turnaround time for evaluations.
      3. Translation services are available at an additional cost.

Online-Only Students

  • Students who would like to register for online courses from their home countries should communicate with their graduate advisor to determine if appropriate online courses are available. Refer to FAQS for further details.