Admissions

• Application Process
  • Eligibility
  • Application Requirements
  • Disclaimers
• International Applicants
  • Bachelor’s Degree Equivalency
  • English Language Proficiency
  • Visa Information

Application Process

Eligibility

To be eligible for a UMass Boston graduate degree program, applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution of recognized standing or an international equivalent with a cumulative GPA of 2.75/4.0 (or international equivalent) in all undergraduate work.

Application Requirements

In addition to any program-specific requirements, all applicants need to submit:

• Online application and fee.
• Official transcripts for all institutions where you have earned more than six credits.*
• Applicants who completed undergraduate coursework outside of the United States may be required to submit English proficiency test results, even if they are permanent residents or citizen of the U.S.
• Two to three letters of recommendation depending on the program-specific requirements.
• Statement of purpose
• Resume/CV

* If an applicant has completed a study abroad program earning more than 6 credits, and these courses and grades are documented on their U.S. Degree-seeking institution’s transcript, a separate transcript is not required.

Official transcripts sent electronically directly from a digital delivery service such as eScrip, Clearinghouse, or Parchment are preferred; transcript can also be sen via mail in a signed and sealed envelope. Transcript(s) from a non-U.S. institution can be emailed by the institution’s Registrar if it comes from an official verifiable institutional email address. We cannot accept scanned or emailed transcripts from the applicant of a third party. Please review the submission instructions for hard-copy application materials and test scores.

Disclaimers

Admission is granted only for the semester requested and cannot be guaranteed for future semesters. Admission to graduate study does not automatically indicate approval of candidacy for a degree.

All materials submitted to the university become the property of the university and cannot be returned to the applicant or forwarded to any third party.

International Applicants

In addition to UMass Boston’s general and program-specific graduate application requirements, international applicants to graduate programs must satisfy these requirements:

Bachelor’s Degree Equivalency

International applicants must submit evidence that they have completed the equivalent of a regionally accredited, U.S. university-level Bachelor’s degree program. Acceptable documents can include official copies of diplomas, certified final degree certificates, and notation on final transcript of degree and date awarded. Most international 4-year degrees are recognized as being equivalent. Most international 3-year degrees, including the Indian Bachelor of Arts, Sciences and Commerce degrees, are not considered to be equivalent.

If we are unable to determine equivalence, we may require applicants to submit an external evaluation from the Center for Educational Documentation (www.cedevaluations.com). Credential evaluations from other agencies may not be accepted. Please contact the Office of Graduate Admissions at graduate.admissions@umb.edu to verify if a credential evaluation from another agency is acceptable. Credential Evaluation Reports will not be accepted in place of official transcripts.

If your transcript is in a language other than English, each page must be accompanied by an English translation, validated by an official public translator. 

English Language Proficiency

Applicants are required to demonstrate English language proficiency. Applicants that have not completed at least two academic years of full-time study (excluding ESL and test-prep) at an English-language institution in the U.S. or one of the countries listed below must submit official score results. We accept official scores for the following English language proficiency tests:

• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
• International English Language Testing System academic version (IELTS Academic)
• Pearson Test of English (PTE Academic)
• Duolingo English Test

All official test scores should be sent to the Office of Graduate Admissions at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Please be sure to filter by “graduate” programs when searching for University of Massachusetts Boston in order to ensure that you do not send your scores to our Undergraduate Admissions Office.

Applicants may be exempt from submitting these test scores if they have received at least four years of education (including their undergraduate program) at an English-speaking college or university in the United States or:

We can only accept official score reports sent electronically or in hard-copy directly from the testing agency. Please review the minimum scores required for admission:

Visa Information

Once admitted, applicants will be contacted by the International Student & Scholar Office with information on the visa process. Please email isss@umb.edu if you have questions or need assistance.

International students admitted to any American university need an I-20 “Certificate of Eligibility,” issued by the admitting institution, indicating that they have been accepted as full-time degree-seeking students, that they have the required proficiency in the English language, and that there is sufficient financial support for their education. 

Applicants must be prepared to pay their own expenses, and should also anticipate yearly increases in institutional costs (such as tuition and fees) and living expenses. For a complete listing of fees, refer to the Costs, Financial Aid, & Assistantships  section of this catalog. Transportation to and from the U.S. is not included in this estimate. International students are required to pay non-resident tuition and fees.

The UMass Boston International Student & Scholar Office will normally provide the international applicant with the I-20 form to enable them to apply for a visa with which to enter the United States. The University cannot issue the I-20 to part-time or online programs. Visa documents will not be issued until the applicant has been admitted and satisfied the International Student & Scholar Office requirements for issuance.

The I-20 form is valid only for the semester for which it was issued. The Office of Graduate Admissions must be notified of an official decision to defer enrollment before a new I-20 form can be issued.

If the applicant holds an I-20 from another U.S. institution, a Transfer Verification Form must be completed by the International Student Advisor at the institution the student is currently attending, or if not currently enrolled, the institution most recently attended. Please email isss@umb.edu if you need assistance.