International Student Checklist
COVID-19 UPDATE:The Graduate Admission office will continue to accept and process applications for all graduate programs. To accommodate for the global circumstances surrounding COVID-19, we have temporarily adapted our application requirements and policies as indicated in each section below. For updates to our standard application requirements please visit our Application Materials page. Please note: Physical offices are now closed, but we will continue to serve applicants remotely. Graduate Admission can be reached at 209.946.3929 or gradadmission@pacific.edu. For the latest updates on university-wide policies regarding the COVID-19 coronavirus, please visit our COVID-19 webpage. |
In addition to the application materials listed on the Application Materials page, international applicants must also supply the following information to be considered for admission:
English Proficiency Examination
COVID-19 UPDATE:Both ETS and IELTS are temporarily offering at-home online English proficiency exams. Please select either the TOEFL iBT At Home or the IELTS Indicator exam, and have your scores sent to the correct code found on this page. If the IELTS Indicator and TOEFL At Home exams are not offered in your area, the Graduate Admission office will temporarily allow students to submit Duolingo English Test (DET) scores. The DET is administered online 24/7 and can be found at englishtest.duolingo.com. |
Applicants whose native language is not English must arrange for official results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the Academic International English Language Testing System (IELTS) examination to be sent directly to Graduate Admission. For a listing of TOEFL codes please see our Graduate Admission Requirements page.
Please note: We are not able to accept results for the IELTS General Training examination. If you choose to submit for the IELTS exam, please be sure to select the Academic test.
- Minimum score for admission
On the TOEFL iBT a minimum score of 80 is required to be considered for admission to a Graduate program. On the IELTS a minimum score of 6.5 is required. (Some programs require a higher scores, please contact specific departments for further information.) - Minimum score for graduate assistants
A score of at least 90 on the TOEFL is required to be considered for an award of a teaching assistantship. Applicants not obtaining the required score for an assistantship may be asked by a unit's admissions committee to submit scores from the Test of Spoken English (TSE), also administered by ETS.
Don't meet our minimum English proficiency requirements? Visit our UOP International Graduate Programs website to learn more about English Language Pathway programs.
Official Foreign Transcripts
Official copies of international transcripts are NOT required for admission. A course-by-course foreign transcript evaluation from an approved transcript evaluation service is required of all international applicants (see Transcript Evaluation below).
In-Progress Transcripts
If you have not completed your bachelor's degree (or master's degree if applicable) at the time of your application to University of the Pacific, please request transcripts from your university showing the work you have completed to date. These are called IN PROGRESS transcripts and will be marked as No Degree Indicated. These documents are acceptable for admissions evaluating purposes and an admissions decision will be rendered.
Please note that you will receive communication from the Office of Graduate Admission indicating that your transcript requirement has not yet been satisfied. Once you complete your degree, you will need to submit official transcripts showing that the degree has been granted/conferred/completed.
Transcript Evaluation
COVID-19 UPDATE:If you are unable to obtain official transcripts to submit for evaluation, our approved vendor Foundation for International Services (FIS) will evaluate transcripts based on unofficial copies. Other obstacles regarding Foreign Transcript Evaluations will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Please contact Graduate Admission for more details. |
International students who attended schools outside of the United States must submit an evaluation of academic records to Liaison. The University of the Pacific currently accepts evaluations from the following agencies:
- World Education Services, Inc. (WES)
- Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (ECE)
- Foundation for International Services, Inc. (FIS)
- Note: We will only allow evaluations done on photocopied transcripts on a case-by-case basis.
- International Education Research Foundation, Inc. (IERF)
- Transcript Research
- Joseph Silny & Associates
Please request a course-by-course evaluation including a grade point average (GPA). Official evaluation copies should be sent directly to the application system. If your transcripts are not in English they must be accompanied by an official English translation to the evaluation agency before an evaluation can be processed.
*Note: A final evaluation transcript must show an awarded degree equivalent to a bachelor's degree or higher.
Translating official transcripts
Many schools will be able to accommodate your request to have your transcripts issued in English. If your school is unable to issue official transcripts in English, you have a few options:
- You may take your transcripts and diploma/proof of degree to the appropriate verifying institution (i.e. Educational Ministry) to have them translated and notarized. The institution can then send those documents directly to the evaluation service in a sealed, preferably signed envelope. If the institution will only release the verification to you, please request that they put it in a sealed envelope so that you can forward that envelope directly to the evaluation provider; DO NOT open the envelope as that will void the verification. The documents must be received in their original sealed envelope to be considered official.
- You can submit your transcripts to a translation service. The translation service can then send those documents directly to the evaluation provider in a sealed, preferably signed envelope. If they send the translation to you, it must be forwarded to the evaluation service in its original sealed state. Again, DO NOT open the envelope as that will void the translation; the documents must be sealed to be considered official. You should also request that an official copy (in your native language) accompany the translation so they can compare the original to the translation.
Certification of Finances
COVID-19 UPDATE:University of the Pacific will continue to process I-20 forms and mail these documents to applicants. For questions, please contact International Programs and Services (IPS) at 209.946.2246 or ips@pacific.edu. |
Government regulations require that international students provide evidence that they are able to meet the financial requirements of their education, living expenses, and miscellaneous costs. This requires the submission of the Certification of Finances form in the amount to cover all of the aforementioned costs for one year.
The Certificate of Finances may be submitted after the applicant has been admitted to the graduate program. The accompanying bank statement must be in English, and dated no more than 6 months prior to submission.
Please Note: International applicants must submit a complete application packet six (6) weeks prior to posted deadlines. The Certificate of Finances may be submitted once the applicant has been admitted.