1. Home
  2. Prospective Students
  3. International Applicant Info

International Applicant Info

Quick Links

Pursuing a graduate education can be consuming. Navigating a new country? Well, that can be a greater challenge. The Office of International Student Resources & Engagement in the Center for International Affairs provides resources for new students to make your move to Cleveland seamless. See our Application FAQs for more application information. 

Submitting Transcripts & Degree Certification

Note: All applicants must have the equivalent of a four-year, US bachelor's degree conferred prior to the start of the term of admission.

Transcripts or degree certifications in languages other than English, must be accompanied by an English translation. If accepted, the School of Graduate Studies will need official copies of both the English and original language version submitted, not just the English version. Scanned copies sent by email or PDF are not considered official; official copies must be in a sealed envelope from the university or come via encrypted email directly from the university. 

All transcripts, degree certifications and translations will become the property of the School of Graduate Studies. Do not send official transcripts until you have been formally accepted. 

Transcript Evaluations

On occasion, applicants may need to have their transcripts evaluated. Common reasons to have your transcripts evaluated include GPA or degree equivalency (such as a 3-year degree or National Diploma/Higher National Diploma), English translation, or authentication of the documents. We suggest a course-by-course evaluation by a organization such as  (WES) or . Evaluations range from $170 to $220, and their highly trained experts will work with you to create an evaluation that you can later submit to jobs or colleges.

Language Scores (TOEFL, IELTS and PTE)

*Note that the School of Graduate Studies does not offer conditional admission without official language scores meeting the minimum requirements outlined below. 

Minimum scores (all of these scores are valid for 2 years from the date of testing):

  • internet-based: 90 (80 if applying to a Course Focused Engineering master's program). Some programs require higher scores, see note below. (We are currently accepting the TOEFL Home Edition due to Covid.)
  •  paper-based: 577. If you are submitting a paper-based score, you must also take a spoken English test with a short writing assessment prior to admission. Please contact gradadmit@case.edu.
  • : 7.0 (6.5 if applying to a Course Focused Engineering master's program). (We do not accept the IELTS Indicator exam.)
  • : 61

* Note: The following departments require higher language scores: Art History, Art History & Museum Studies, Biomedical Engineering, Chemistry Entrepreneurship, Organizational Behavior, and Pathology. Those higher scores are 100 on the TOEFL or 600 on the TOEFL paper-based test, 7.0 on the IELTS, and 68 on the PTE Academic.

* The School of Graduate Studies does not accept the Duolingo exam, the IELTS Indicator, TOEFL Essentials exam, or TOEFL MyBest Scores. Applicants must achieve a minimum of 90 on one exam date; exams will not be superscored.  

* The language test requirement will be waived if you have completed a bachelors or masters degree from an institution where English is the primary language of instruction. See FAQ section below for more information. There are no language score waivers for Organizational Behavior.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Below is a list of frequently asked questions by our international students. Find additional FAQs about the admissions process. 

During the application process, applicants should use their legal name in the First Name and Last Name section. However, there is also room to enter a Preferred Name, as well as a Previous/Maiden Name. This helps us to better match incoming transcripts or documents sent to us. If accepted to the university, you can officially change your Preferred Name in the Student Information System to reflect differently on class rosters. 

No, the School of Graduate Studies does not offer conditional admission if you do not have the passing language scores outlined above. However, you can still apply to your degree program and continue to attempt to acquire a passing score. If you do pass a language exam during the application process, please inform us via gradadmit@case.edu and we will verify your score. 

Possibly. There are a few ways to qualify for a waiver of the language score requirement:

  • If you graduated with a bachelors or higher from a U.S. institution where English was the main method of instruction, the score requirement will be waived upon receipt of the transcripts with degree verification.
  • If you graduated from a university outside of the U.S. that the instruction was in English, the score requirement will be waived upon receipt of the transcripts with degree verification. You must be able to provide a transcript stating that English was the method of instruction or a letter from the school.
  • If your home country's primary spoken language is English.
  • If you are a U.S. permanent resident.

* Please note there is no waiver for MEM, the PhD in Organizational Behavior or Pathology. 

You do not have to take any extra steps to receive the language score waiver. The application will ask if your degree was taught primarily in English; if English was in fact the main method of instruction, you can answer Yes. Only if you are accepted, you will be required to submit your official transcripts stating that the degree was taught in English or provide a letter from your school. You will be unable to register for courses unless we have one of those documents. 

TOEFL (minimum score of 90, some programs require 100, Course Focused Engineering programs require 80): 

IELTS (minimum score of 7.0): 

PTE - Academic (minimum score of 61): 

No, The School of Graduate Studies does not accept the TOEFL MyBest Scores. Applicants must achieve the required minimum score on one exam date; exams will not be superscored.

Congratulations! You will need to Accept or Decline our offer of admission by logging back into the  - this sets the process in motion with the  and International Student Services to begin working on your visa and I-20 paperwork. Note that the second page of your admissions offer letter contains step by step information on starting your visa process in .

 will process all paperwork related to your travel and stay in the U.S. You will hear from ISS after you receive your official acceptance letter (via email) from the School of Graduate Studies and Accept our offer of admission. Note that the second page of your admissions offer letter contains step by step information on starting your visa process in . ISS will not start your visa unless you have accepted the offer from Graduate Studies in the . ISS will communicate with students via  for processing your paperwork.