International Applicants

Applying as an International Student

International applicants and applicants whose native language is not English will be required to show proof of English proficiency and U.S. degree equivalency.

English Proficiency Exams

Our programs require students to engage in group discussions, class participation and oral presentations. In order to be successful in these programs, students must possess a high proficiency in written and oral English.

Syracuse codes for English proficiency exams are:

• TOEFL: 2823
• IELTS: See instructions below

Applicants who are citizens of the following English-speaking countries are not required to submit test scores: Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Ireland, Jamaica, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United Kingdom.

If you have worked or studied at an institution in the United States or an English-speaking province in Canada for more than four years, you may be eligible to waive the English proficiency exam requirement. Contact an admissions counselor to learn more about test waivers.

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Instructions

Students may demonstrate competency by submitting scores from IELTS as an alternative to the TOEFL. Our institution requires an overall band score be submitted.

Syracuse University only accepts paper scores submitted by the IELTS test center. No electronic Test Report Forms will be accepted. An institutional code is not required. Please contact the test center where you took the IELTS test directly and request that your test scores be mailed to Syracuse University at the address below.

If sending via USPS:

Syracuse University
Graduate Admissions Processing
P.O. Box 35060
Syracuse, NY 13235-5060

If sending via UPS, FedEx or another courier that doesn’t accept P.O. box deliveries:

Syracuse University
Graduate Admissions Processing
716 E. Washington St., Suite 200
Syracuse, NY 13210-1579

All IELTS test centers worldwide are able to send scores to our institution.

U.S. Degree Equivalency

Applicants who studied at colleges and universities outside the U.S. should have a degree or diploma that is the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor's degree or higher. International credentials are assessed in terms of the educational pattern of the country, the type of institution attended and the level of study completed before the expected date of enrollment.

In general, the degree should represent a minimum of four years of college-level study, which follows at least 12 years of schooling at the elementary and secondary levels.

You will need to submit a WES credential evaluation report to verify that your degree is equivalent to a U.S. bachelor's degree. The following are general guidelines for equivalents to a U.S. bachelor's degree:

• Canada: A three-year bachelor's degree from Quebec or a four-year bachelor's degree from the other provinces.
• Latin America: A university degree requiring four years of study.
• United Kingdom and countries following the British pattern: A bachelor's degree with honors.
• France and countries following the French pattern: A license, if earned under the terms of the Bologna Declaration, otherwise a degree or diploma requiring four years of study after the baccalaureate, usually the Maitrise.
• Germany: A Bakkalaureus degree, if earned under the terms of the Bologna Declaration, otherwise completion of the diploma.
• Other European countries: A university degree requiring a minimum of three years of study, if earned under the terms of the Bologna Declaration, otherwise a university degree requiring a minimum of four years of study.
• Australia: A bachelor's degree: Ordinary or Pass.
• India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal: A bachelor's degree of engineering (BE), a bachelor's degree of technology (BT) or a master's degree in any other field.
• India: Three-year bachelor's degree earned in Division or Class I and II at universities accredited by the NAAC with a grade of A will be evaluated as equivalent to a U.S. bachelor's degree (based on WES's new evaluation criteria).
• Other Asian countries: A university degree requiring four years of study.

You can easily return to any of our admissions pages using the links below:

To speak with an admissions counselor about applying to a Syracuse University online graduate program, request more information and our team will reach out.