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International Applicants

Temple values and welcomes international students who enrich the campus culturally and intellectually. More than 1,700 students from over 127 countries have chosen to receive their education at Temple. The University warmly welcomes students from around the globe.

Many of the services designed specifically for international students originate in the Office of International Services. This is where the planning takes place for international students' orientation, and where you will find a lounge stocked with periodicals from around the world. The office also organizes social events and trips for international students, and provides a team of peer and professional advisors to help with immigration and personal issues. To learn about the services and support available to international students, visit International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) at Temple University.

Undergraduate International Applicants

Undergraduate international students must complete the International Student Application. An individual is considered an international student if he/she holds (or will need to obtain) a non-immigrant visa, including a student visa, visitor visa, or exchange visa. International students are required to complete a Financial Support Statement as part of the International Student Application.

An applicant not born in the U.S., but who is a permanent resident, naturalized citizen, or refugee, may use the regular application. Below are the minimum required test scores for most Boyer programs. Programs with different minimum required scores can be found in the Bulletin for each program under the Admissions tab.

TOEFL Minimum Scores

Paper-based    550
Computer-based    213
Internet-based    79

IELTS Minimum Scores

Academic    6.0

Graduate International Applicants

Select policies regarding the reporting of English proficiency exams, and the official submission of transcripts are listed below. For all policies for International Applicants, please visit the Graduate School's website.

Score Reporting for Tests of Academic English

Prospective students for master's programs are required to report official scores from a test of academic English if they have not earned a bachelor's degree from a U.S. institution. Doctoral applicants are required to report official scores from a test of academic English if they have not earned a bachelor's AND a master's degree from a U.S. institution. These scores are required of:

  1. Individuals not born on American soil who were educated at an institution outside the United States, and
  2. U.S. citizens who earned a degree abroad from an institution where the language of instruction was other than English.

The requirement of a test of academic English is satisfied when the applicant produces official scores from either the TOEFL® or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test. This is an additional requirement for applicants educated at an institution of higher learning outside the United States.

Scores for the TOEFL® and IELTS™ must be submitted to Temple University within two years of the applicant's test administration date. Scores for the TOEFL® should be forwarded electronically by Educational Testing Service. Scores for the IELTS™ should be forwarded in an official score report by IELTS™. No photocopies of score reports for a test of academic English will be accepted from applicants.

For reporting purposes, the institution code for the TOEFL® is 2906. IELTS™ reports should be sent to the Temple University Graduate School, not the department of application.

For your program's minimum TOEFL® scores, please see the Admissions tab under the appropriate Degree Program in the Temple University Graduate School Bulletin.

If preparing for the TOEFL® or IELTS™, note that free practice tests are available at https://www.ets.org/toefl/ibt/prepare/free_practice_test and https://www.ielts.org/en-us/usa/ielts-for-test-takers/ielts-practice-test.

Official Educational Documents

International applicants who have completed a post-secondary program must:
1. Submit an official copy of the degree, diploma, or certificate awarded whereby the academic institution validates completion and conferral. The transcript should be sent directly from the academic institution.
2. Request that official post-secondary academic records be forwarded to the Temple University department or program to which application is being made.

Transcripts from all post-secondary institutions must be submitted for the applicant by the university, even if only one course was taken. Applications that do not include all post-secondary academic records are incomplete and will not be reviewed. Unsealed post-secondary school academic records in the student’s possession are not official and, therefore, are not acceptable for admissions purposes. Temple University reserves the right to verify the authenticity of academic records, test scores, and letters of reference.

Applicants who attended institutions that do not issue complete academic records in English must submit official copies of native language records and literal translations prepared by an appropriate university or government official.

Academic documents may be submitted to a credential evaluation organization approved by Temple University and then reported directly to the Boyer College.