International Students

MU is authorized under Federal Law to enroll non-immigrant alien students and to issue Certificates of Eligibility (Form I-20) enabling students to enter the U.S. with a student visa (F-1).  Every effort is made by the MU faculty to help students adjust to academic life in the U.S., particularly if English is the student’s second language.

The application and financial statement required of international students must be submitted on forms available from the Admissions Office. The issuance of an I-20 requires the submission of an official transcript.  Transcripts from international institutions of higher education may require course credit evaluation by a recognized evaluation service selected by MU. 

Once an application and all supporting documents have been received by the Admissions Office, approximately three to four (3-4) weeks should be allowed for processing.

To receive the earliest consideration, an applicant should submit an application and supporting documents according to the following schedule:

MU will not issue a Certificate of Eligibility (Form I-20) until the student has been admitted and has been financially certified by the University.

The Admissions Office will issue letters of acceptance to successful applicants who have completed satisfactorily all requirements.  Form I-20 A-B will be sent to international students.

Students must report to school within seven (7) days after arriving in the U.S. or the I-20 will be void.  An F-1 student must remain in attendance at the university that issued the I-20 form a minimum of one quarter before transferring to another school.  A student wishing to transfer at the end of a quarter must apply during that quarter since the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) requires sixty (60) days approval before the transfer.

Note: A “continuous full-time” status is required by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for F-1 students, which means three (3) consecutive quarters per year.

Since all instruction will occur in English, applicants for master’s degree programs whose native language is other than English must have a score of 477 (paper-based), or 153 (computer-based), or 53 (internet-based) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), 80 on Duolingo English Test, or 5.0 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), and must send their scores to MU’s Admissions Office. 

Students who have earned a secondary education diploma or degrees from higher education institutions in the U.S. in which English was the major language of instruction do not have to present a TOEFL or IELTS score and may be excused from the equivalent test.