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All graduate programs have program specific admission requirements. Before you begin your graduate program application, please visit the website of your selected graduate program and review the specific admissions requirements for your selected program.

For the application process, students can provide an unofficial transcript from the institution where they earned their BS or BA degrees. Official transcripts are required AFTER a student receives an offer of admission.

Some but not all programs require:

• A personal statement describing why the program would be a good fit for you
• Academic/Professional References

Students are welcome to submit additional transcripts from other institutions, especially if the credits earned at those institutions have not been included in the baccalaureate degree. Individual graduate programs might require additional credential documentation.

PLEASE NOTE: Students who earned their undergraduate degree at MSU Denver do not have to submit their transcripts.

Unofficial vs. Official Documents and Transcripts. What’s the difference?

Admission to a graduate program requires that you have earned an undergraduate degree. Currently, MSU Denver issues I-20s only for the following graduate programs; Master of Business Administration, Master of Professional Accountancy, Master of Arts in Teaching, Master of Social Work, and Master of Speech-Language Pathology. International students must enroll full-time for at least 6 credits per semester.

Watch here for an overview of official university document requirements.

International Graduate Admission Checklist (1-6)

1. Visa: 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 enroll in one of our approved programs.

• After new international students have obtained their I-20 and are still residing in their home countries, they will have to plan for at least 3 months (90-days) in order to obtain the visa, including receiving an interview appointment.
• International students already residing in the U.S. and attending another university already hold a visa. However, approximately 4-weeks will be needed to transfer this visa from their current institution to MSU Denver before classes can be started.
• Students who stay in their home country and never seek to enter the U.S. on an F-1 visa may attend any online MSU Denver Graduate program (provided they hold an undergraduate degree). Such students are not considered international students and therefore do not need to follow any of the visa restrictions.

Timeline & Restrictions for International Students who have received an offer of admission for an MSU Denver Graduate Program

• New international students must not enter the country earlier than 30-days before the start of classes.
• Once international students have arrived in the U.S., they must attend an international orientation and an in-person check-in at 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). International students must attend at least 51% in-person on-campus. Contact [email protected] for any questions you may have.
• Within 10-days of any changes to their contact information (email, physical address, phone), students must contact a Designated School Official (DSO) in the Office of the Registrar.
• International students are not permitted to work off-campus/outside the university unless otherwise approved via an employment authorization. However, they may work on-campus for 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 you 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 Designated School Official (DSO) in the Office of the Registrar.

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: Again, it is important that you review the admissions requirements for your academic program.

4. Submit Official Transcripts via a NACES Servicer: (Do NOT mail or email PDF copies!) Transcripts that are not in English must be translated and all transcripts must also be evaluated by a NACES member prior to review by an admissions committee. The NACES provider will then send the official transcript evaluation directly to MSU Denver. We suggest that you choose a service such as WES ICAP, Spantran, or ECE, that can send us a copy of your verified transcript(s) together with the evaluation report.

• • Request a course-by-course evaluation that includes courses, the cumulative GPA, and credits obtained
  • Digital submissions from the servicer are preferred
  • Servicers can send digital copies of their evaluation directly to [email protected]
  • Only servicers can send hard copies to the following address: Metropolitan State University of Denver, Academic Affairs/Graduate Studies, 1201 5th Street, Campus Box 48, Denver, CO 80217
  • Contact MSU Denver Graduate Studies for any questions you may have [email protected]

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

• A minimum score of 76 on the internet-based (iBT) TOEFL or 4.0 on new TOEFL scale (2026)
• A minimum score of 6.0 on the IELTS (Prefer E-Delivery system)

*Proof of English Proficiency is not required from applications from students 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 GS form
• Provide a 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 classes for the semester in which you plan on starting at MSU Denver. These documents must be uploaded through the application system. Based on your degree program, the bank statement must be equal or greater to the annual estimated cost of attendance.
• An additional $10,000 will be required for each dependent.
• If the bank statement is written in a foreign currency, the amount will be based upon the day that the currency conversion is made by our office.

7. If available at the time of application, please submit a current copy of your passport and visa. If these documents are not yet available, your visa and passport must be presented at the new student orientation.

Current I-20 Holders (International transfer students already actively studying in the U.S. only): After having been accepted to their graduate program, international students who started their education in the U.S. have to submit a SEVIS transfer form to MSU Denver. The PDSO/Designated School Official (DSO) at your current school can complete this request. MSU Denver cannot issue you a new I-20 until this form has been submitted to MSU Denver. MSU Denver I-20 Transfer Form. If you require a change of status, please contact International Student Support at [email protected].

Next Steps: After all admissions requirements have been fulfilled by the selected academic graduate program, the admissions committee will review your file and make an admissions decision. If an offer of admission is issued, an I-20 will be processed and sent to the students address on record (Please make sure your contact information is up to date). Admitted students will receive a letter in the mail confirming their admission. An international student orientation with mandatory attendance will be hosted the first week prior to the start of classes in the specific semester.

Helpful Links:

English as a Second Language (ESL) – support only

Immigrant Services

Immigration FAQ’s

Admitted International Student Resources

Once you have gathered the necessary information to begin your application, use the link below to access the university application system.

A few tips to help you get started:

• As a first time user, select “Create an Account”. If you have already an account, choose “Log In”
• Once you create and/or log in to your application account, choose “Graduate Level” as your application type.
• Then select Master’s or Non-degree Program
• Once you reach the “Basic Information” step in the application, select the graduate program to which you would like to apply.
• If you need to pause, SAVE your progress and return to the application later. However, be aware of the program application deadlines!

Due to program specific differences such as equipment needs, all graduate programs charge different program tuition. In addition, the university requests various student semester fees. The most up-to-date information on these payment requirements and related issues can be found on the Bursar’s tuition and fees website.

MSU Denver’s Graduate Programs are members of the Western Regional Graduate Programs (WRGP) that allow US residents from outside Colorado to study at MSU Denver with in-state tuition. For more information please see WRGP.