International Graduate Admissions | YSU

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
A bachelor's degree from a college or university certified by a regional accrediting agency
approved by the U.S. Department of Education
Cumulative grade-point average in undergraduate work of at least 2.7 on a 4.0 scale (Some
programs require higher GPAs.)
Satisfactory preparation for the graduate program in which the student wishes to enroll as
specified by the department of the program
A test of written/spoken English, which the University reserves the right to request, of any
entering graduate student whose primary language is not English
Degree-seeking students having an undergraduate GPA below 2.7 must present a satisfactory
score on the general test of the Graduate Record Exam, the Miller Analogies Test, or graduate
level subject-specific exam as specified by the department of the program
The applicant is reminded to check specific admission requirements of the program
(http://www.ysu.edu/academics/#t_graduate-degrees) in which he/she wishes to enroll to
determine whether there are any additional requirements. A graduate admission test may be
required. See Graduate Bulletin (https://catalog.ysu.edu/graduate/) .
Some programs require three letters of recommendation
(https://ysu.edu/sites/default/files/27-Recommendation_Form_in_PDF_ADA.pdf) *.

YSU enrolls students in accordance with the policies of the United States Citizenship and
Immigration Services (USCIS). For international students who hold certain visa types, we may
request additional documentation for immigration verification purposes. 
 

HOW TO APPLY
Please complete an online application for admission.  See detailed application instructions below.

Students are required to pay $90 ($45 application fee and $45 credential evaluation fee) by
credit card or electronic check.
All names provided must be full legal names only. The name used on the application must
appear exactly the same on all materials, and it must be the same as it appears on your
passport.

(https://ysu.elluciancrmrecruit.com/admissions/pages/welcome.aspx)

LAST DAY TO APPLY FOR GRADUATE ADMISSION - INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS

Fall semester - April 15

Spring semester - October 1
PLEASE NOTE: Some programs have earlier deadlines, admit students only once a year, or have a
special application procedure. Please review application program requirements at Graduate
Programs (http://www.ysu.edu/academics#t_graduate-degrees) .

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
 Academic Credentials and Test Scores

Please arrange to have all colleges and universities attended send the following academic
credentials:

Official (or certified copies) of transcripts or mark sheets

An official English translation of the transcript if the transcript is not in English
Certified copy of your graduation certificate/degree stating the degree earned/proof of
degree 

Official academic credentials are required for admission to the College of Graduate Studies and
should be sent whenever possible. However, for application review purposes, scanned copies of
academic credentials from institutions outside of the United States will be accepted.  Please scan
and save all academic credentials as PDFs into one document for each institution attended.
Upload each document to the Unofficial Transcript items within the Supplemental Items listing on
your application account page.  Upon acceptance, the official documents must be sent to the
College of Graduate Studies as soon as possible to avoid delay in your course registration.

If you attended a U.S. college or university, official documents must be submitted for admission
purposes.  Copies will not be accepted.

Please have the testing agency send official test scores directly to YSU if they are required for your
program of interest (GRE, GMAT, MAT, TOEFL, IELTS, etc.). The institution code is 1975. Unofficial
test scores cannot be used for admission purposes.

Official academic credentials and test scores should be sent to:

            Youngstown State University

            College of Graduate Studies
            1 University Plaza
            Youngstown, OH  44555
 

TOEFL score—A minimum score of 550 on the paper-based test, 213 on the computer-based
test, or 79-80 on the Internet-based (IBT) Test of English as a Foreign Language by graduates
of foreign universities who are nonnative English speakers. (Scores over two years old by the
beginning of the term applicants wish to enter are not acceptable.) Arrange with the
Educational Testing Service to have your official TOEFL score sent to our office. 
The College of Graduate Studies will accept the academic version of the IELTS (International
English Language Testing System) as an alternative to the TOEFL exam for international
students (A score of 6.5 on the IELTS test equates to a 550 on the paper-based TOEFL). 
Proficiency may also be demonstrated by a letter of certification from the Youngstown State
University English Language Institute (ELI) stating that the applicant has completed the
program of study and is proficient in English at a level appropriate to pursue a graduate
degree and present an English language thesis if one is necessary as a degree requirement.
Prior to full admission to graduate study, students may be tested and placed in special
English classes, if necessary, to ensure an adequate level of English proficiency. (Note:
 Evidence of proficiency is waived for applicants educated in English-speaking countries as
defined in the YSU Undergraduate Catalog or for applicants holding U.S. Legal Permanent
Residence for one year or for applicants who have successfully completed 24 semester
hours of college-level coursework from an accredited English-medium college in the United
States or another country where English is the official language.)

Other Supplemental Application Materials

Recommendation requests need to be sent to the desired Recommenders from the

Supplemental Items listing within your application account page.
All other supplemental items required for your application (e.g. resume, letter of intent, etc.)
should be uploaded to the Supplemental Items listing within your application account page. 

Other required documents to be submit to the International Programs Office

Copy of your valid passport page showing photo, name and birth date.
Evidence of sufficient financial resources to support the student, at least through the first
year of studies. Applicants must completely fill out, scan and upload the Affidavit of Financial
Support Form (https://ysu.edu/sites/default/files/04-
YSU%20Affidavit%20of%20Support%202018-2019%20GraduateADA-checked.pdf) * as a
part of their application.
Applicants must scan and upload the necessary supporting documents. Bank statements
must be dated within 6 months of the date of application in US dollars. See the Financial
Requirements page (/international-programs-office/apply-now/quick-menu/more-
information/financial-requirements) for detailed information. Please note that NO Certificate
Eligibility /I-20 or DS2019 will be issued without evidence of sufficient financial support
(these documents are required when applying for an F-1 or J-1 student visa from a US
consulate). Students who are admitted on the basis of scanned documents must bring their
original Bank Statements to the International Programs Office for verification within their first
semester of enrollment. 
These documents should be sent to Office of International Admissions at intgrad@ysu.edu
(mailto:intgrad@ysu.edu)

Graduate Assistantship Application

To complete an electronic Graduate Assistantship application, please log onto your YSU Graduate
Application Portal (https://ysu.elluciancrmrecruit.com/admissions/pages/welcome.aspx) and
click the “Apply Online” link towards the top of the page.  On the "Application Listing" screen that
appears click the button that says "Start a new Graduate Admission Application – International
Applicant".  Follow the on screen prompts to complete and submit the application form.  On the
“Academic Plan” tab of the application there is a question about applying for a Graduate
Assistantship.  Check “Yes” for that question.  Upon submitting your Admission Application, you
will receive an email indicating the next steps to complete and submit the Graduate Assistantship
application.  Letter of Recommendation requests are also done electronically from the
Supplemental Items section of your Application Portal.

Please note that paper Graduate Assistantship applications are no longer being accepted.

Deferral of Admission

Students may defer admission one time within one year of acceptance without paying the
application fee again.

Have Questions?
CONTACT THE INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS OFFICE
+1-330-941-2336
intgrad@ysu.edu (mailto:intgrad@ysu.edu)

Graduate Admissions

First Time Admission (https://ysu.edu/academics/college-graduate-

studies/admission/first-time-admission)
Graduate Admission (/international-programs-office/apply-now/quick-
menu/undergraduate-admissions)
Non-Degree Admission (https://ysu.edu/academics/college-graduate-
studies/admission/non-degree-admission)
Transient Admission (https://ysu.edu/academics/college-graduate-
studies/admission/transient-admission)

International Graduate Admissions (/international-programs-office/apply-now/quick-

menu/international-graduate-admissions)