International Students

If you are currently living outside of the United States and considering UNK for your graduate coursework, you are not alone. UNK is a leader in international education with a significant international student population.

The basic application process is the same no matter where you’re from whether it is Nebraska or Nepal. However applicants from outside the U.S. do have a few additional requirements. These requirements are to ensure your success at UNK while making your transition to the U.S. as easy as possible.

Here is the admissions process for students who are not U.S. citizens or who have been educated outside of the U.S.

1. Apply online: The application is the same for all students. Students admitted for the first time through the Graduate Office at UNK or have not taken courses as a graduate-level student within the last two years, are required to pay an application fee.

2. Submit an official credential evaluation of all transcripts or mark sheets from all previously attended colleges and universities outside of the U.S.: This ensures that your degree is equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree.  Graduate Studies would prefer evaluations from either World Education Services (WES), Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) or Educational Perspectives (EP) although any approved NACES (www.naces.org/members) evaluation firm may be used for credential evaluations. It is extremely important that your transcript evaluation is a COURSE BY COURSE evaluation and NOT a document by document basis.

3. Submit a completed Financial Affidavit: This will ensure that you have enough money to support yourself while in the U.S. Original Financial Affidavit and official bank documents must be mailed to Graduate Admissions, 1910 University Drive, CMCT 210, University of Nebraska at Kearney, Kearney, NE 68849.

4. English Proficiency Requirement: Official scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or Duolingo are accepted for English proficiency.  Applicants whose native language is English or that have a baccalaureate or other advanced degree from a U.S. college or university are exempt from the English proficiency requirement. Minimum scores for admission to graduate studies for the TOEFL paper-based (pBT) is 550, the TOEFL internet based (iBT) is 79, IELTS is 6.5, and Duolingo is 110. Language proficiency scores are valid for two (2) years from the test date.

5. Comply with departmental admission requirements: Each program may have different admissions requirements. For example, some require GRE scores. These requirements will be found within the online application when you apply. They can also be found with the graduate catalog. The online application allows students to upload required documents except for the Credential Evaluation and official score reports.

6. Students may monitor their application status through their MyBLUE account.

7. Once all the above documentation is received, the student’s application will be forward to the specific department for review. (Departments vary in how often they meet to review applications, so contact the department for more information.) The department will notify the Graduate Office of the admission decision.

8. If admitted, the Graduate office will verify funding requirements have been met, print the admit letter and notify International Education for the issuance of the I-20 or DS-2019. Questions regarding the immigration process should be directed to International Education.

9. Upon arrival students are required to check in with the International Education Office.

We recommended that international students begin the admission process six months prior to their anticipated arrival to allow enough time for the credential evaluation process, department decision and if admitted, for documents to arrive in time to set visa appointments.

If you are an international student seeking to live in the United States while completing a graduate degree, bear in mind that you must be pursuing a program with in-person class requirements. Programs that offer 100% online courses will not satisfy visa requirements. The following degree programs require substantial on-campus class attendance and are therefore acceptable options for international students who are seeking a student visa:

  • Master of Athletic Training
  • Biology M.S. (Thesis option)
  • General Kinesiology & Sports Science M.A.Ed. (Sports Administration or Recreation & Leisure emphases)
  • Exercise Science M.A.Ed.
  • School Psychology Ed.S.
  • Speech-Language Pathology M.S.Ed.