Prerequisite Degrees
An applicant to the Graduate School must hold a baccalaureate degree earned in the United States or a comparable non-U.S. degree/diploma before being allowed to enroll in any graduate program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. International student applicants (non-U.S. citizens who do not hold U.S. Permanent Resident Status) may be considered for admission to master's or doctoral degree programs if they have attained the baccalaureate degree at an American college or university, or possess an equivalent degree. "Equivalent" means four years of University undergraduate work, preceded by at least 12 years of elementary and secondary school studies. Most foreign four-year degrees are recognized as being equivalent; however, the three-year Indian Bachelor of Arts, Science, and Commerce degrees and other three-year Asian degrees are not considered to be equivalent. If a student with three-year degree completes a year of Master's degree coursework, he or she will earn will have the opportunity to earn a B.A. or B.S.
Application Fee
For all applicants, the fee is $75. The fee can be paid by check drawn on a U.S. bank or paid by MasterCard or VISA credit cards. The application fee in non-refundable and cannot be deferred. The fee is waived only for U.S. applicants who qualify to receive a GRE fee waiver or are McNair Scholars and submit appropriate documentation. The fee or waiver documentation must accompany the application; otherwise the application will NOT be processed or considered.
Transcripts
One official transcript from all colleges/universities attended, undergraduate and graduate, where nine (9) or more credits were taken are required. If they are not mailed directly from the college/university, they should be enclosed in sealed envelopes signed by the college/university. If the official transcripts and/or degree certificate(s) are not in English, notarized English translations in duplicate must accompany them. Do not list colleges/universities where eight (8) or fewer credits were taken.
English Language Requirement
In addition to meeting academic and financial requirements, applicants whose native language is not English must prove their ability to speak and understand English by taking the standardized Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The fee for taking TOEFL currently costs between $160 and $250 depending on the test location. Official test results are sent out by TOEFL to those institutions which you name on your test registration form, or to those additional institutions named on the Official Score Report Request Form found on the ETS website. The University of Massachusetts requires an official score report (ETS code 3917). The University of Massachusetts Amherst also accepts the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) and PTE Academic (Pearson Test of English). The official test scores must be mailed to the Graduate Student Service Center.
The minimum TOEFL score as set by the Graduate Council is 80, although many graduate programs expect higher scores for admission, particularly if financial assistance is required. TOEFL scores are valid for two years from anticipated date of entrance.
The University of Massachusetts Amherst also accepts IELTS as a replacement for TOEFL. Official score reports must be received directly from the IELTS testing center with a British Council cover letter. IELTS scores are valid for two years from anticipated date of entrance. The minimum IELTS combined score required for admission is 6.5.
