Graduate admission requirements for international students
Need help or more information? Call us at (775) 784-6869 or email gradadmissions@unr.edu.
Jump to countries exempt from English language testing.
Who qualifies as an international applicant?
An international applicant is a person who is not a U.S. citizen nor holds a permanent residency visa. Any student who would need the University to issue a student visa is considered an international applicant. To read additional information about what types of visas may be considered for domestic status, please visit the Office of International Students and Scholars.
What are the application requirements?
Below are the requirements for international applicants:
- Bachelor’s degree or recognized equivalent from an accredited institution
- Eligibility for admission with a 3-year bachelor's degree are determined on a case-by-case basis
- Minimum undergraduate grade point average (on a 4.0 scale):
- 2.75 for a master’s degree
- 3.0 for a doctoral degree
- Online application specific to your program and desired semester of admission
- Official transcripts from all institutions where the applicant earned the 60 most recent undergraduate credits required for the Bachelor’s degree. If the applicant completed any graduate credits, applicants must submit official graduate transcripts from all institutions of higher education where they earned graduate credits.
Transcripts must be requested from the issuing institution, in the country of origin, in a sealed envelope by the graduating institution. This is important – applicants cannot be responsible for sealing the envelopes themselves.
Certified English translations of all transcripts must be submitted. Credentials not in English must be accompanied by a word-for-word English translation certified as true by a university official, an official representative of a United States embassy or consulate, the United States Information Service, the United States Education Foundation, or an approved professional translating service. Translations must bear the signature of the translator and be accompanied by original language documents. The applicant will be required to provide the grading scale of the foreign institution they attended. In the event the student cannot provide a grading scale, they must contact gradadmissions@unr.edu
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Official GRE or GMAT test scores from an exam taken within the past 5 years (exam requirement and recommended scores are determined by individual programs)
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Official , , , , or English exam scores taken within the past 2 years if your educational history is from a non-English speaking country.*
Minimum score requirements. (Please note: Your program may require higher scores than the Graduate School minimums.)- : 115
- (Test Date Prior to Jan. 21, 2026): 79 (iBT/Home Edition) or 8.5 (Essentials)
- (Test Date After Jan. 21, 2026): 4.5 iBT
- : 6.5 (academic version)
- (PTE): 59
- : 176
- Your resume or curriculum vitae
- Statement of purpose
- Letters of recommendation, per program-specific requirements (your recommenders will be notified by email after you complete your online application.)
After your admittance, the Office of International Students & Scholars will require information on your financial data and visa before you can register for classes, so get started early!
What English language test scores are required?
Official TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo, Pearson or Cambridge test scores will be required unless you are a U.S. citizen or have earned a degree, or are a citizen, in one of the following pre-approved English-speaking countries exempt from testing:
- Antigua
- Australia
- Bahamas, The
- Barbados
- Belize
- Botswana
- British Guyana
- Canada (except for Quebec)
- Dominica
- Eswatini
- Ghana
- Grenada
- Ireland
- Jamaica
- Kenya
- Liberia
- Namibia
- New Zealand
- Nigeria
- St. Kitts and Nevis
- St. Lucia
- St. Vincent
- South Africa
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Uganda
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Virgin Islands (British, U.S.)
- U.S. Territories
- Zimbabwe
English language test or GRE scores can be submitted to the Graduate School using school institution code 4844.
University-wide minimum English-language test scores*
- : 115
- : (Test Date Prior to Jan. 21, 2026): 79 (iBT/Home Edition) or 8.5 (Essentials)
- : (Test Date After Jan. 21, 2026): 4.5 iBT
- : 6.5 (academic version)
- (PTE): 59
- : 176
*Some programs require higher scores. Check with your program director or potential adviser.
Additional frequently asked questions
Eligibility for admission of students applying with a three-year bachelor's degree is determined on a case-by-case basis. Transcripts (statement of marks) will need to be provided to determine eligibility for admission along with the application.
Yes, you will need to submit official transcripts before an offer of admission can be made. The process of requesting official transcripts that can be accepted by the Graduate School is very specific. Failure to comply with the requirements below will result in a delay in processing your application and could result in missing program deadlines.
- Transcripts must be requested from the graduating institution, mailed from the country of origin, in a marked (stamped and sealed) enclosed envelope.
- Applicants cannot seal transcript envelopes themselves. If transcripts are issued in the country's original language, English translations must be provided.
- The 91ԭƬ provides in-house credential evaluations of academic coursework. However, we will accept a course-by-course evaluation from any in replacement of or in lieu of our in-house evaluation.
- If the international student is currently in their home country, they may pick up the transcript from the institution and take it directly to a mail office and express mail it to the Graduate School office.
- If the international student is currently in the United States attending a U.S. institution, the student must request the registrar to send their official transcript directly to the Graduate School office, or the student may ask a friend or relative to pick up the transcript and express mail it directly to the Graduate School office.
- The Graduate School can not accept international transcripts that have been previously sent to another U.S. institution.
- The Graduate School cannot accept copies of transcripts, emailed transcripts, or transcripts that are delivered by a third party to the Graduate School office.
- Transcripts must include a degree certificate if the transcript is final.
- Transcripts that are in progress can be evaluated for admission purposes, however, a final transcript with a degree is required before a student will be admitted.
- Credentials from China: Students who have completed a degree in China must provide copies of the original language transcripts and a copy of their Degree Certificate and Graduation Certificate. Documents verified by the Center for Student Services and Development (CSSD) or the China Academic Degree and Graduate information Center (CDGDC) are also accepted.
- Credentials from India: Consolidated marks sheets are acceptable if yearly mark sheets are not available. Mark sheets must also be issued by the degree-granting institution. Mark sheets from affiliated colleges are not acceptable or considered official. Students who have completed a degree in India must also provide a copy of their Provisional Certificate.
The application will ask if you wish to be considered for a graduate assistantship. Graduate assistantships are awarded by the applicant’s graduate program or academic department, not by the Graduate School. For information regarding the availability of graduate assistantships, please contact the appropriate graduate program director. Also, please review the Graduate School's information on graduate assistantships.
The cost of your degree program varies based on many factors, such as the cost per credit and how many credits are required by your program. Review the cost of with our tuition and fees page.
The duration of a program varies by program and its requirements. Contact the program director to determine an accurate timeline.
Once we receive all transcripts, TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo/PTE/Cambridge test scores and GRE/GMAT test scores (if required by program), the Graduate School will complete a credential evaluation of your education history and forward your application package to the department for review. Unofficial transcripts can be submitted for this part of the process. Depending on the number of applications received, the timeline can vary for review. We recommend that you contact the department to verify the status of your application or log into your to view your status.
At this time, we also recommend you request for your official transcripts with degree confirmation, as this can take time in some countries to obtain. Official GRE and TOEFL/IELTS scores can take up to four weeks to be received at the University, depending on the time of year submitted. The sooner you request for documents, the faster we can send an official admission letter, if approved by the department for acceptance.
Log into your , and click on the notification that shows your admission decision notification. The official acceptance letter will be sent within two business days to the mailing address on file. You will also receive a letter in the mail that will provide instructions to log into your MyNevada portal. This portal will allow you to register for courses, pay fees and tuition, etc. Please be sure we have your correct mailing address on file.
For issuance of I-20 or other Visa-related processes, please visit the Office of International Students and Scholars.