Admission Requirements

You are a graduate student if you have completed or will complete a four-year bachelor’s degree program or its equivalent at a college or university prior to attending MSU Denver. International students must complete the same admission requirements as domestic students in addition to the International Student requirements. At this time we only issue I-20s for the following graduate programs; Master of Business Administration, Master of Professional Accountancy, Master of Arts in Teaching, Master of Science in Cybersecurity, and Master of Social Work. International students must be full-time students, taking a minimum of 6 credit hours per semester. International students pay the same tuition and fee rates as Nonresidents.

Watch here for an overview of official university document requirements.

International Graduate Admission Checklist (1-6)

1. Visas: International students will need to obtain a I-20 Form from our Registrar’s Office to apply for the F-1 visa to enter the United States and study within our approved programs.

• New international students (still in their home country) will need about 90-days after they have the I-20 to apply for the visa, go to the interview, obtain the visa and enter the country in enough time to complete their next steps before the program begin date. This timeline can vary by country due to suspended visa services during Covid-19.
• Transfer international students (in the U.S., attending another institution) will have already gone through the visa process. They will need approximately 4-weeks to transition from their current institution and work on their next steps before starting classes.
• Students who stay in their home country and never seek to enter the U.S. on an F-1 visa may attend any program regardless of their structure or status in SEVP. They are not considered international students and therefore do not need to follow any of the restrictions within this email.

Timeline & Restrictions for Accepted International Students

• New international students cannot enter the country more than 30-days before the start of classes.
• Once international students have arrived in the U.S., they must attend an international Orientation and 1:1 check-in with the Registrar’s Office.
• Students must pursue an authorized degree program by registering full-time within the Fall and Spring semesters (some exceptions – examples: last semester requires less than full time enrollment). OF enrollment, 51% must be on-campus. Some exceptions are currently in place due to COVID-19. Contact [email protected] if you have specific questions.
• Students must contact a Designated School Official (DSO) within 10-days of any changes to their contact information (email, physical address, phone). There are currently three DSOs in the Office of the Registrar.
• Students are not permitted to work off-campus unless otherwise approved via an employment authorization but may work on-campus up to 20 hours per week, with written approval from the Office of the Registrar. Students can contact [email protected] to obtain approval.
• If your program requires to engage in an internship, you will need authorization from the Classroom to Career Hub and the Registrar’s Office.
• Traveling beyond country borders will need prior authorization from a DSO.

2. Apply: Create an account and submit your online graduate admissions application. The $50.00 application fee is due at the time of application.

3. Complete Additional Program Requirements: It is important that you review the admissions requirements for your academic program.

4. Submit Official Transcripts via a NACES Servicer: (Do NOT send us PDF copies) Applicants whose credentials include studies or coursework at a College or University outside the USA must have their transcripts evaluated and/or translated by a NACES member prior to review by an admissions committee. The provider will then send the official evaluation directly to us via email, portal access, or postal mail. We suggest that you choose a service that can send us a copy of your verified transcript(s) together with the evaluation report, such as WES ICAP  or ECE.

1. • The recommended evaluation and translation services are WES, ECE, and SpanTran
   • Request a course-by-course evaluation that includes courses, the cumulative GPA, and credits obtained
   • Digital submissions are preferred
   • Servicers can send digital copies of their evaluation directly to [email protected]
   • Servicers can send hard copies to the following address: Metropolitan State University of Denver, Academic Affairs/Office of Graduate Studies, 1201 5th Street, Campus Box 48, Denver, CO 80217

If the evaluation service does not send us your verified academic documents, the issuing institution must directly send us your official academic records.

5. Official Proof of English Proficiency – MSU Denver school code is 4505

• A minimum score of 76 on the internet-based (iBT) TOEFL
• A minimum score of 6.0 on the IELTS (Prefer E-Delivery system)

*Proof of English Proficiency is not required for applicants who: Are lifetime residents of Australia, Belize, Great Britain, Botswana, Canada (except Quebec), Commonwealth Caribbean, Ghana, Great Britain, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Nigeria, Scotland, Singapore, South Africa, and Zimbabwe

6. Financial Support Documents:

• Complete the Affidavit for Financial Support OGS form
• Current official bank statement: affidavit or letter from your financial sponsor/s. Financial documents must be dated within six months of the first day of class for the semester you are starting at MSU Denver. They must be uploaded as a document through the application system. The bank statement must be equal or greater to the following amounts based on your degree program:
  • $32,895 Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)
  • $32,795 Master of Business Administration (MBA)
  • $33,110 Master of Professional Accountancy (MPAcc)
  • $34,230 Master of Science in Clinical Behavioral Health Addictions Counseling
  • $38,670 Master of Science in Cybersecurity
  • $34,470 Master of Science in Nutrition
  • $43,305 Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology
  • $43,650 Master of Social Work

• An additional $12,000 will be required for each Dependent
• If the bank statement is in a foreign currency the amount will be based upon the day the currency conversion is made by our office

7. Current Passport and Visa: If available at the time of application. If not available, your visa and passport must be provided at the new student orientation. *Current I-20: (International transfer students actively studying in the U.S. only) A SEVIS transfer form will be required by all transfer students after being accepted. The PDSO/DSO at your current school can complete this request. MSU Denver cannot issue you a new I-20 until this has been completed. MSU Denver I-20 Transfer Form. If you require a change of status, please contact International Student Support at [email protected].

*International students must submit an official transcript to be admitted. 

Next Steps: After all admissions requirements have been received by the academic program. The admissions committee will review your file and make an admissions decision. If an acceptance decision is made, the I-20 will be processed and sent to the address we have on record. You will receive a letter in the mail stating your admissions status. Mandatory international student orientation will be held the first week prior to the start of classes.

Helpful Links:

English as a Second Language (ESL) – support only

Immigrant Services

Immigration FAQ’s

Admitted International Student Resources