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International Applicants:

How to Apply for Graduate Study at URI

 

Special information for International Applicants

The Graduate School at the University of Rhode Island welcomes applications from students around the globe. Individual graduate programs have their own entrance requirements, so please be sure to check the website of the Department to which you are applying for information on admissions tests and pre-requisites.

To be considered for admission to master's or doctoral level graduate programs, the Graduate School requires that you have completed a baccalaureate degree at an accredited institution in the United States OR the equivalent of a four-year degree at an international university. Please note that three-year bachelor's degrees from India and some Asian countries are not considered equivalent; applicants with these degrees must undertake additional coursework before becoming eligible for graduate study at URI. Click here for more information.

Using the online application and information management system

The Graduate School at the University of Rhode Island accepts online applications only. First, complete the online application form and submit the application fee. Once your application is complete including uploading unofficial transcripts, recommendations and personal statements, the Department will review your credentials and make a recommendation to the Graduate School.

The Graduate School will communicate the admission decision to you via ApplyYourself, the electronic application management system of the University of Rhode Island Graduate School. It is imperative that you provide a working e-mail address and check it regularly for updates. The Graduate School will NOT mail hard copies of letters of denial; letters of admission will be provided to international addresses only when the applicant makes special arrangements with the Graduate School. If accepted, you will receive instructions for creating your e-campus account and declaring your intention to matriculate in your acceptance notification. If you are accepted, you will be required to provide original official transcripts upon your arrival.

Deadlines for admission and financial aid vary by department; click here for a list of application dates. Applicants should always contact the Graduate Director for their plan of study before applying to ensure that applications are still being accepted for the term in which admission is sought.

Submitting supplemental materials to the department for review

Only complete applications will be reviewed. Please check with your department website regarding deadlines and required admissions tests or course prerequisites. You must upload all supplemental materials as a complete application package. DO NOT send mail to the Graduate School or your department, as this will postpone evaluation of your application. Please note that once documents are received by the university they will not be returned to you. If you have questions about admission requirements, contact the Department. DO NOT submit more than one application for the same degree plan.

A complete International application file includes:

  • Complete, submitted online Application Form
  • Nonrefundable application fee submitted via online application as a credit card payment or as an electronic check
  • Personal statement (submitted via online application)
  • Translated transcripts from all colleges attended, uploadeddirectly to your application
  • Letters of recommendation (2 or 3, depending on program; submitted online)
  • Official test report from the GRE, GMAT or MAT taken within the past five years, if required by the Department to which you are applying (link to new page with table listing admissions tests required by each program) You must arrange for the testing organization to report your scores directly to URI. The ETS institution code for URI is 3919; you do not need to specify a department.
  • Applicants whose native language is not English must submit an official test report from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) taken with the past two years. You must arrange for ETS to report your scores directly to URI. The ETS institution code for URI is 3919 and you do not need to specify a department. Required scores on the Internet-based (iBT) and Computer-based TOEFL are: An overall score of 80 or more AND meet the minimum in each individual area Reading 20, Writing 22, Listening 17, Speaking 17; the suggested minimum speaking score for international teaching assistants is 23. If a prospective student is below the minimum in one area by two points, or in two areas by one point, but has an overall score of 80 or above, it is at the discretion of the department if they wish to consider the student for admission. Please note that the overall score is not determined by adding the minima of individual areas, it is an overall score that gives prospective students the best chance of success in our graduate programs.The minimum score on the Paper-based TOEFL is 550. Individual programs may require a higher score; please check the graduate catalog for details on specific programs. Some departments may accept scores from the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), the Pearson Test of English, or the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) in place of TOEFL scores; please check with the department. The required minimum score on the IELTS is 6.5. The required minimum ranking on the CEFR is B2. The required minimum scores on the Pearson Test of English are: Reading 53, Writing 59, Listening 47, and Speaking 47; the suggested minimum speaking score for international teaching assistants is 62.

TOEFL is not required if an applicant satisfies one or more of these conditions:

a. Citizenship of Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Guyana, Ireland, New Zealand, United States, an Anglophone country of Africa, or an English speaking country of the Caribbean.

b. A college or university degree earned in the United States or in one of the countries listed above.

c. A degree earned from the American University in Beirut, American University in Bulgaria, American College in Greece or from Bogazici University.

Certificate of Financial Responsibility: Please DO NOT send your Certificate of Financial Responsibility to the Graduate School. If you are accepted to URI and choose to enroll, you will need to provide financial documents to the Office of International Students and Scholars along with your application for the I-20. The Graduate School does NOT need this information to process your application.

Please go to www.uri.edu/iss for information on visas and the I-20 form.

  • Individual Departments may require additional materials, including resumes, professional portfolios, and official reports of standardized tests. Please contact the Department directly for more information.


Ready to apply? Click here.

 

NEWS


Congratulation to Dr. Yuhong Liu
winner of the 2013 University of Rhode Island Graduate School Excellence in Doctoral Research Award


Dr. Yuhong Liu
Department - Electrical, Computer, and Biomedical Engineering
Dissertation Title - "Digital Trust and Reputation: Applications and Security Issues"
Major Professor - Dr. Yan Sun



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