International Graduate Students

Immigration Regulations

International applicants include students who hold U.S. visas, such as: F-1, J-1 Exchange Visa, H-1, F-2 Dependent Visa or any other non-immigrant classifications. You must have a visa status that allows academic study at UW-Green Bay unless you are enrolling in an online program and do not plan to live in the U.S.

Please note that for the following programs, we are unable to provide visas through our online or MBA programs.

The dependents (F-2) of international students are permitted to study at SEVP-certified schools in the U.S. as long as they are enrolled part-time. Please confirm the program of interest for the F-2 applicant allows part-time study. Although dependents can only study part-time, they can still attain a degree. However, they are not eligible for any employment, including on-campus, CPT or OPT. If a dependent with F-2 status wants to enroll at UW-Green Bay as a full-time graduate student, they must apply for and obtain approval to change their non-immigrant classification to F-1 or J-1.

Admission Requirements

In addition to general admission requirements, you'll need to complete the following steps.

1 Provide a Course-by-Course Evaluation 

You'll need to provide a course-by-course transcript Evaluation of Foreign Educational Credentials from a professional evaluation service currently recognized by NACES. UW-Green Bay recommends one of the following evaluation services:

• World Education Services (WES)
• Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE)

You must send these professional evaluations directly to UW-Green Bay's Office of Graduate Studies. If your degree was granted from an institution within the U.S., you can send official transcripts instead of an evaluation.

Is Your Degree Recognized at UW-Green Bay?

Your degree is recognized at UW-Green Bay if:

• You have completed at least six semesters of work in a four-year program prior to the evaluation (or the equivalent).
• You received a three-year degree awarded through the Bologna process in Europe.
• You received a three-year Bachelor of Commerce or Bachelor of Business Administration in India. The degree must be from an institution that is accredited by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council with a grade of A or better at the time of the award.

2 Submit English Proficiency Test Scores 

Every applicant whose native language is not English or whose undergraduate instruction was not provided in English must submit an English proficiency test score. Your score will not be accepted if it is more than two years old. Full admission to the graduate school requires one of the following test scores:

• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) - minimum score of 79 iBT (for exams taken before January 21, 2026).  TOEFL tests taken on or after January 21, 2026 need a minimum score of 4.5 iBT.  All TOEFL scores should be sent directly to the Office of Graduate Studies from the testing service. The institution code for the TOEFL is 1859.
• International English Language Testing System (IELTS): minimum composite score of 6.5. IELTS unofficial test scores can be emailed to gradstu@uwgb.edu. The Office of Graduate Studies will verify official scores through the IELTS website.
• Duolingo English Test: minimum score of 110. All Duolingo English Test scores should be sent directly to the Office of Graduate Studies from Duolingo. Instructions on sharing your score can be found on the Duolingo website.

Exemptions

You do not need to submit English language exam scores if you meet either of the following conditions:

1. Post-secondary Degree from a U.S. Institution: If you have completed a post-secondary degree from an accredited institution in the United States within the past five years, the English proficiency requirement is waived.
2. Citizenship from Select Countries: if you hold citizenship from one of the countries listed below are exempt from providing English language exam scores:
   • Antigua
   • Antigua and Barbuda
   • Australia
   • Bahamas
   • Barbados
   • Belize
   • Canada: all provinces except Quebec
   • Fiji
   • Ghana
   • Grenada
   • Guyana

   • Ireland
   • Jamaica
   • Kenya
   • Liberia
   • New Zealand
   • Nigeria
   • Saint Kitts and Nevis
   • Saint Lucia
   • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
   • Sierra Leone
   • Singapore

   • Solomon Islands
   • South Africa
   • Trinidad and Tobago
   • Uganda
   • United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales)
   • Zambia
   • Zimbabwe

Conditional Admissions

If you don't meet the minimum English proficiency requirement but meet all other requirements, you may be recommended for conditional admission. For conditional admission, you must apply to UW-Green Bay and to one of the ESL programs below (at the same time). The initial I-20 will be issued by the partner ESL program. A conditional admission letter will be issued by UW-Green Bay and will be included with the partner program's I-20 for the student to use during the visa interview. Use only one of the listed English language training programs:

• Fox Valley Technical College ESL Institute
• WESLI

3 Meet Application Deadlines

Deadlines for each program are determined by the faculty of that graduate program. If you're requesting a student visa, you need to complete your application and have an official admission letter by November 1 for the Spring semester, or July 1 for the Fall semester. UW-Green Bay does not offer admission to international students during the summer session with the exception of the Masters of Athletic Training program. Students who wish to transfer their I20 within the US may follow the standard application deadlines.

See Program Deadlines