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Admissions

International Students

Students From Other Countries

Students chatting outside the SSA building. Since the requirements for professional employment in Canada and the United States are similar, the requirements for admission are the same for Canadian and United States students. Some adaptations in admission requirements are made for students from other countries as follows:
  1. The student from another country is expected to have an A. B. degree or its equivalent and to have completed whatever social work training is available in the home country and/or to have had work experience in a social agency before applying for admission to the master's program. Exceptions are occasionally made when the individual is currently completing undergraduate education in this country.
  2. The student from another country must have fluency in spoken English. The fieldwork courses demand use of idiomatic English from the beginning of the period of study. Applicants whose mother tongue is not English are required to take an English language proficiency examination. Application for administration of the test should be sent to TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), Educational Testing Service, Box 6151, Princeton, New Jersey 08541-6151, USA (609-771-7500). The results of the test will be sent to the University by the Testing Service. Applications will not be given final consideration until the results of the test have been received. A minimum total TOEFL score of 250 is required.

Special Procedures for Students From Other Countries

Foreign applicants, whether attending a United States undergraduate institution or a college or university in their own country, follow regular application procedures as outlined above, except for the following:

Application Fee. All applicants are required to pay an application fee of seventy United States dollars, by bank draft or postal money order. Personal checks are acceptable only if written on a United States bank.This fee is an official requirement for admission, and foreign governments will approve the release of funds for this purpose.

Transcripts. Academic credentials, including courses taken, grades received, and degrees granted, should be sent directly to the School with the application. If this is not possible, copies in the applicant's possession may be acceptable if they have been certified by the proper school authorities. Applicants may not validate their own documents. The class or division of the degree must be stated if this is the customary method of reporting the quality of academic work.

Financial Plan. Applicants must submit a financial statement, itemizing sources of funds for maintenance and transportation, and must provide documented proof (certification by a bank or subsidizing agency or agent) of resources sufficient for their support during the two years. It is estimated that educational and living expenses, exclusive of travel to and from the student's home country, approximate $33,120 for one year of study. Neither University financial gift aid nor United States bank loans are available to foreign students in the Master's program. Doctoral applicants are eligible to apply only for gift aid.

Applicants who need financial assistance are advised to explore possibilities in their home country and from United States government sources. Information about the latter may often be obtained from a United States consulate or information service office. The Institute of International Education, One East 67th Street, New York, New York 10021, also provides information about scholarship opportunities.

Note to graduates of the University of Puerto Rico: Due to the fact that the language of instruction is not English, graduates of the University of Puerto Rico will be required to take an English examination.