Eligibility
International applicants and students are defined as those who live and have citizenship outside of the United States. International applicants from countries where English is not the native language must provide evidence of their ability to effectively communicate verbally and in writing in English.
Non-native English-speaking international applicants interested in applying for an undergraduate and graduate degree or certificate program will be eligible for admission if they provide acceptable scores from either the iBT TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), IELTS (International English Language Testing System), or provide documentation of having earned at least 9 semester credit hours (not including ESL or developmental courses) with a C or better at an accredited/approved college or university in a country where English is the medium of instruction.
Applicants to a graduate degree or certificate program must also have earned an institutionally accredited bachelor’s degree or its international equivalent as outlined in the Graduate Admissions Requirements. An international equivalent to a US accredited bachelor’s degree may also be considered. This is documented by an official transcript from a non-U.S. college or university as well as an international credential review from an international credential evaluation service indicating the earned equivalent of an institutionally accredited bachelor’s degree.
At both the undergraduate and graduate levels, TOEFL scores must be 79 on the internet-based test (iBT) and/or the IELTS score must be 6.5 at a minimum.
Students are responsible for taking either the TOEFL or IELTS and having the official scores sent to the Office of the Registrar at Thomas Edison State University. Transcripts from an English language college or university documenting at least 9 semester hours of coursework should also be sent to the Office of the Registrar.
For information on TOEFL, visit https://www.ets.org/toefl.html or write to:
TOEFL
Box 2877
Princeton, NJ 08541-2877, USA
For information on IELTS, visit https://ielts.org/
Both undergraduate and graduate applicants wishing to have international-earned transfer credit reviewed for acceptance toward degree requirements or program specific admissions requirements must provide a course by course international credential evaluation from an agency approved by Thomas Edison State University.
Thomas Edison State University recognizes the discipline necessary to complete a self-directed program of study. An external degree institution for adults, the University issues no visas and has no residential campus facilities. Therefore, it is suggested that international applicants without a strong command of the English language consider their higher education options before applying to the University. Thomas Edison State University does not offer English as a Second Language (ESL) coursework.
Applicants and students who are residing outside the United States should be aware of the limitations and restrictions on services available to students, such as potential additional costs for course materials as well as possible restrictions on the material that can be accessed via the internet.