International Student Admission

International students interested in graduate study at Ball State University should visit the Office of International Admissions website at https://www.bsu.edu/admissions/international. 

International students must meet all the university’s regular admission requirements. Graduate and International Admissions determines the transcript submissions procedures, as well as application deadlines, for international students. 

Physical Examination Requirement for International Students

After arrival at Ball State University, during the registration process, all international students are required to appear at the University Health Center for a physical examination.

English Proficiency for Non-native Speakers of English

Students who have academic experiences outside of the United States and are applying for admission to the Graduate School may be required to submit the results of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), or Pearson English Language Test (PTE) taken no more than 24 months prior to the date of application. A student intending to enroll at Ball State University may be required to retake the IELTS, TOEFL, or PTE before being admitted, regardless of the extent of previous training in English. Any exceptions to these rules must be approved by Graduate and International Admissions and the dean of the Graduate School.  International graduate school applicants who do not submit a test score may be considered for conditional admission for English proficiency into our Intensive English Institute if approved by the graduate program of interest.

Any student admitted on conditional admission for English proficiency or with a score lower than 6.5 on the IELTS, 79 on the TOEFL, or 53 on the PTE will be required to take ENEF courses offered by the Intensive English Institute. Exceptions to this rule must be approved by Graduate and International Admissions, the dean of the Graduate School, the chairperson of the department in which the student is majoring, and the director of the Intensive English Institute. Any department may set a higher score requirement than a IELTS score of 6.5, TOEFL score of 79, or PTE of 53 for its majors.

Any student with an IELTS score between 6.0 - 6.5, a TOEFL score between 75 – 78, or a PTE score between 51 – 52 may be approved to enroll in academic classes while studying part time in the final level of the Intensive English Institute.  A department may have different English proficiency requirements.

Conditional Admission for International Students

An international applicant who meets all Graduate School academic requirements except for the minimum English proficiency requirement may be granted conditional admission. Programs are not required to consider applicants for conditional admission. Conditional admission requires a prospective student to complete the requirements of the Intensive English Institute (IEI) or provide proof of English proficiency via an acceptable score on a required English placement test before regular admission and enrollment in graduate academic courses. Graduate students enrolled in Level 6 of the IEI may be allowed to take one graduate level course while completing this level.

The initial I-20 will be generated by RCIP. Once RCIP certifies that the student has achieved English proficiency, he/she will be eligible for regular admission. Regular admission is determined by the student’s major department. When a student’s admission status changes from Conditional to Regular status, a new I-20 will be issued.

An applicant granted conditional admission status will not normally be approved for an assistantship until regular admission is earned.

Any exception to the above policy must be approved by RCIP and the dean of the Graduate School.