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Higher Education.
For Adults with Higher Expectations.

Apply as an International Student

These application instructions are for international students (non-U.S. citizens) interested in pursuing a degree.

All costs associated with the international credit evaluation are the responsibility of the student. The University reserves the right to make its own determination on the amount and type of credit to be awarded based on the evaluations provided by these agencies. An enrolled student may transfer a maximum of 90 credits from international institutions. Thomas Edison State University does not participate in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), therefore the University does not sponsor foreign national students for F-1 or J-1 visa status. Course-by-course credit recommendations will be reviewed by Thomas Edison State University based upon existing transfer and degree policies in place at the time of application.

Steps to start a regular application as an international student

  1. Explore our programs
  2. Review our International tuition plan
  3. Complete the application. Submit your application with the $50 nonrefundable application fee.

After completing the online application for admission, the Office of Admissions will send information to the applicant, via email, to complete the International Applicant Form, which allows applicants to attach the required documentation to the form via email for review.

International Applicants who are a citizen of a country where English is not the native language must either:

  • Submit official results from an examination showing English language competency. Applicants may take one of the following three exams with the corresponding score requirements:
    • The iBT Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a minimum score of 79 on the Internet-based test (iBT).
    • The International English Language Testing System (IELTS – Academic or General Training exams) with a minimum score of 6.0.
    • The Duolingo English test (DET) with a minimum score of 110.
    -OR-
  • Provide documentation of 9 semester credit hours (excluding ESL or developmental courses) with a C or better from an accredited US institution, or specifically from programs where English is the medium (method) of instruction.

Please note: Certain academic programs have additional admissions requirements, including nursing programs and graduate programs.

Visit our transfer credit page to determine how to send transcripts, college-level examinations and other transfer credit for review.

Please note: TESU will not evaluate transcripts from other countries. We will accept the credit recommendations from one of these agencies when the recommendations are based on a course by course evaluation and sent on an official transcript to TESU.

You will be notified via email of your acceptance decision. Questions, contact admissions@tesu.edu for assistance!