Admission of International Students
An applicant who has completed undergraduate degree requirements outside the U.S. must present the following:
- A complete and accurate chronological outline of all previous college-level education;
- Authorized school or university records—transcripts, mark sheets, certificates of degrees—showing all courses taken and all grades received with certified translations if the records are in a language other than English;
- A bachelor’s degree or its equivalent, with a grade-point average equivalent to a "B" or better (3.00 out of a possible 4.0) on all previous graduate and undergraduate work from an accredited college or university;
- Certification of the availability of sufficient funds to meet all costs while studying at LSU (if an assistantship with a stipend of at least $7,700 is not awarded). This must be received before the letter of admission and Form I-20 are mailed;
- GRE General (Aptitude) Test scores averaging 500 each on the verbal and quantitative portions;
- Satisfactory scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), except for applicants from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, certain Caribbean islands, or the United Kingdom. International students who have received a degree from an accredited institution in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, certain Caribbean islands, or the United Kingdom are also exempt from taking the TOEFL. A TOEFL score of at least 550 must be received before a student’s application is evaluated for admission. Application forms and information about the TOEFL may be obtained from American embassies and consulates, offices of the U.S. Information Service, or Educational Testing Service, P.O. Box 955, Princeton, New Jersey, USA, 08540;
- Application deadline for international students is February 15 for the fall semester. Because transcripts from foreign universities require special evaluation, prospective international students should begin the application process at least six months before the semester in which they plan to enroll.
Upon arrival on campus and before registration, international students whose native language is not English and who have been admitted to Graduate School must take the LSU Comprehensive English Language Test consisting of the Michigan Test and a writing sample. If the test indicates a deficiency in English, the student will be required to register for the appropriate English composition courses with a reduced load of graduate courses. In the case of a major deficiency in English, the Graduate School may require postponement of enrollment in graduate courses until proficiency is demonstrated.
The Graduate School will not consider for admission any person who has entered the U.S. on an I-20 issued by another institution until that person has been enrolled at the institution issuing the I-20.
An international applicant who has completed undergraduate requirements at an accredited U.S. institution should follow regular admission procedures. The TOEFL requirement may be waived if the applicant has completed an undergraduate degree in an English-speaking country.
