International Graduate Application

Graduate application materials for international applicants are collected by the International Admissions office.  Admission to a graduate program must first be approved by the chair of the department in which the student plans to study. After approval by the department, admission decisions are approved by the college dean and The Graduate School.

Prospective international students must provide proof of English proficiency through a TOEFL, IELTS, PTE or iTEP exam. Some departments may require GRE, GMAT, or MAT. You should check your particular department to find out which exam is required for admission to your proposed program. 

Applications will be forwarded to the academic department for review when all required application materials have been submitted. These items should be received before the deadline date of the semester for which the student is applying.

Admission is competitive and based on a holistic review of the applicant’s credentials by departments.  The University sets minimum requirements for regular admission into graduate school, including:

• Online Application
• $60 non-refundable application fee
• Minimum GPA of 2.75/4.00 on the last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework
• Good standing at last university attended
• Official transcripts and degree certificates or diplomas from all previous colleges or universities attended. Applicants with 3 year degrees completed outside the EU will also need to submit a transcript showing one additional year of undergraduate or post-graduate coursework OR a foreign credential evaluation from a current NACES member service provider indicating a full Bachelor's degree equivalency. 
• Official TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge English, PTE, or iTEP scores (The ETS code used for test reporting to The University of Southern Mississippi is 1479)
• Official copy of GRE, GMAT, or MAT score from testing service (not required for all programs, Graduate School also maintains a list under the Test Requirements dropdown. It is best to check with your academic department for the most up to date information.)
• Three letters of recommendation (upload to application file)
• Statement of Purpose or writing sample (according to departmental requirements)
• Immunization records (required prior to enrolling in classes if admitted)

Individual graduate programs may have additional or more stringent requirements. Departmental websites should be consulted for more details about program-specific expectations for admission.

Please mail official transcripts to:

If using a courier service such as FedEx, UPS, or DHL (FedEx and UPS are preferred):

Kacey Cole
The University of Southern Mississippi
International Admissions #5135
2609 West 4th Street
Hattiesburg MS 39401-5876

If mailing from within the United States:

The University of Southern Mississippi

Office of International Admissions
118 College Drive # 5135
Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001 
USA

Institutions may send electronic transcripts via a transcript service or via EMAIL from an official university email address to:

intladmissions@usm.edu

Standardized tests are required for most applicants to any academic program at the graduate and undergraduate level. All applicants who are from countries other than the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, and certain Caribbean Islands, must submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), The International English Language Testing System (Academic) (IELTS), Cambridge English, International Test of English Proficiency Exam (Academic) (iTEP), or Pearson Test of English (PTE), or meet one of the qualifying exceptions (see below).

Minimum score requirements:

• TOEFL score of 71 (IBT), 525 (PBT)
• IELTS (Academic) Overall 6.0
• Cambridge English B2 First, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency
• iTEP (Academic) Overall 4.0
• PTE (Academic) Overall 54

Official scores are accepted directly from the testing agency. TOEFL ETS code: 1479, IELTS scores should be sent to the address below, iTEP will be sent directly to us upon request.

The University of Southern Mississippi

Office of International Admissions
118 College Drive # 5135
Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001 
USA

The English proficiency requirement may be waived if the applicant has completed a post-secondary degree at an accredited university in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, Nigeria, Ghana, or certain Caribbean islands. 

The deadlines for filing international applications are as follows:

• Fall admission (August start date) – May 1
• Spring admission (January start date) – October 1

Applications must be received in International Admissions on or before the deadline date to be considered. Some departments have different deadlines for graduate applications. Graduate applicants should contact their major department for more information.

Graduate assistantships are awarded by the academic department to which you apply. Assistantships are limited and are granted on a competitive basis. If you are interested in applying for an assistantship it is recommended you submit a letter of interest and a resume with your application materials. Assistantships cover the cost of tuition and non-resident fees, however, stipends awarded with assistantships usually are not enough to cover all living expenses. Many times funds from an outside source are necessary to supplement living expenses and to meet the estimated expenses necessary to be issued an I-20.

Students who have previously attended the university and have a break in attendance of one or more terms must file an application for readmission.

Readmission documents required include the following:

• Application for Readmission
• $60 readmission fee
• Official transcript from each institution attended since leaving Southern Miss
• Updated financial support information for issuance of the I-20 form