International Students

American University's College of Arts & Sciences receives many applications each year from all over the world, and we understand the difficulties students may have in communicating with universities in a different country. Our goal is to make the admissions process as smooth as possible. A listing of special requirements for international students is below.

Bachelor’s Degree or Equivalent

Our minimum standards of admission dictate that international students applying for a graduate degree must have earned the equivalent of a Bachelor’s degree. A listing of international equivalents degrees is available here.

English language proficiency

Course work at AU's College of Arts and Sciences requires strong skills in the English language. We strongly recommend that all students whose first language is not English take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Registration materials for the TOEFL exam can be obtained from U.S. consulates, embassies, binational centers, or the Educational Testing Service. The College of Arts and Sciences measures your English proficiency by either (a) your performance on the TOEFL and/or IELTS exams, or (b) your educational background.

The TOEFL
Acceptable scores are 600-paper or 250-computer or higher on the TOEFL exam. American University offers English assessments to new students who meet the minimum TOEFL requirements, to find out if we can better support them in their first semester.

The IELTS
Acceptable scores on the IELTS exam are 7 or higher. American University offers English assessments to new students who meet the minimum IELTS requirements, to find out if we can better support them in their first semester.

Educational Background
Students who have completed a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree from an accredited institution in the United States will be considered for exemption from our English Placement Exam

Financial Requirements

Visit http://www.american.edu/cas/admissions/inancial_aid.cfm.

Immigration process, procedures, and requirements

For F-1 Student Visa

Documents needed for all international students:
- PIIRF form, financial requirements, and bank statement need to be admitted.
- After admission we will send you an I-20 form which is needed to apply for a visa from your embassy.
- Courseload requirements
Documents needed for J-1 exchange visitor visa
- Visit http://www.american.edu/ocl/iss/insresponsib_f1.html
Documents needed for other visas
- Visit http://www.american.edu/ocl/iss/immigresponsib_j1.html

Financial Aid for international students

Financial assistance for international students is available at American University in the form of merit-based financial awards only. Most of these merit awards do not cover the full cost of attendance at American University. Therefore, students are encouraged to have supplementary funding to cover books, living expenses, and other miscellaneous expenses that may arise. Since funding for merit awards is extremely limited, competition for these awards is very high. American University does not award its merit scholarships based on financial need. The cost of study per year at American University, including necessary living expenses, is approximately 43,162 (including summer sessions).

International students who are dependent upon merit awards are encouraged to submit a complete application for admission by the appropriate deadline in order to receive consideration for a merit award. At the same time, because the competition for merit awards is very rigorous, an award can not be guaranteed. Therefore, the College of Arts and Sciences encourages all of its prospective applicants to seek out other sources of financial assistance from organizations or sponsors. Some reputable organizations are listed below.