International Applicants

Graduate Admission Guide

We welcome international applicants at SMU and into the Meadows School of the Arts! Our campus has a significant international graduate student body and we believe that international students provide diverse perspectives and backgrounds that are invaluable in graduate educations. Below is a list of resources and additional requirements for International Applicants.

LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT

Applicants who do not speak English as their native language are required to supply scores on the TOEFL English language proficiency test or the IELTS English competency test before the application can be considered for admission into a graduate program. The applicant must request their scores be sent directly to Southern Methodist University (DI Code 6660), indicating your degree level and program of study. This requirement is waived for students whose last school attended or that have primary or secondary citizenship in the following countries: American Samoa, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada (except Quebec), Dominica, Ghana, Grenada, Grand Cayman, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Liberia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Singapore, South Africa, Trinidad/Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, United Kingdom, U.S. Pacific Trust, or United States.

The following are a list of minimum score requirements by program:

PROGRAM	TOEFL	IELTS	Duolingo
Advertising	Minimum Overall 100 No section below 22	Minimum Overall 7.5 No section below 7.0
Art	Minimum Overall 80 No section below 20	Minimum Overall 6.5 No section below 6.0
Art History	Minimum Overall 80 No section below 20	Minimum Overall 6.5 No section below 6.0
Arts Management	Minimum Overall 100 No section below 22	Minimum Overall 7.5 No section below 7.0
Music – Masters	Minimum Overall 80 No section below 20	Minimum Overall 6.5 No section below 6.0
Music – Performer’s/Artist Diploma	Minimum Overall 64	Minimum Overall 6.0	Minimum Overall 110
Theatre	Minimum Overall 80 No section below 20	Minimum Overall 6.5 No section below 6.0

Transcripts from Foreign Universities

All foreign transcripts must include an official English translation if it is not already in English. The translation may be issued by the university itself or from an agency of proven reliability.

Applicants for Advertising, Art History, or Music submitting transcripts from foreign universities must also submit a Professional Transcript Evaluation for each with the official transcript. It is the student's responsibility to procure the evaluation(s) and to assume financial responsibility. An exception to this requirement is an exchange agreement between SMU and a foreign institution which is modeled after the U.S. education system. The Professional Transcript Evaluations should include an explanation that the institution is recognized by the ministry of education in the home country and is generally considered to offer at least the equivalent of U.S. higher education credit. In addition, it should include an explanation of the credits, the grading system and course levels, as well as a course-by-course evaluation.

Because of the importance of this information, SMU only accepts evaluations from the following agencies of proven reliability:

World Education Services, Inc.
https://www.wes.org/
International Academic Credential Evaluators, Inc.
https://www.iacei.net/
Josef Silny & Associates, Inc.
https://www.jsilny.org/default.aspx

The expertise and reliability of a Professional Transcript Evaluation report is recognized worldwide and is likely to be accepted by other academic institutions, employers and state licensing boards. However, the report is not binding to SMU and it will be considered a recommendation for SMU's independent decision of the credit to be given. Information and applications from the agencies are available online.

International applicants who hold a bachelor's degree from a foreign university should not assume that these degrees will be automatically accepted in U.S. universities. Decisions will be based on the academic standings of the institutions from which the applicant has graduated. Professional diplomas and higher certificates from technical or vocational schools are normally not considered as equivalent to a bachelor's degree.

Financial Support

All international applicants admitted to a graduate program will be notified separately to submit additional documents to request an I-20. A photocopy of passport page which shows official spelling of student’s name will be required as well as proof of financial support, usually in the form of a certified letter from a bank. This should represent that sufficient money will be available to the applicant to cover tuition and fees (any remaining amount that may not be covered by scholarships or assistantships), estimated cost of living in Dallas, and SMU’s health insurance plan. The document must be notarized or certified from the bank and on file before the visas and passports can proceed.

For additional information on tuition, fees, and other estimated costs to attend, please see Tuition and Fees.

Scholarship Consideration

All admitted international students are automatically considered for scholarships and assistantships at the time of admission. While consideration is automatic, it is not a guarantee that an applicant will receive an award. Also, no additional application materials are necessary for consideration.

For additional information, please see Scholarships and Financial Aid.

Passports and Visas (I-20)

Before the international student may depart for SMU, both a passport and a visa are required. The government of the student's home country is responsible for issuing the passport. If the international student is accepted by SMU Meadows School of the Arts, a letter of acceptance will be sent from the Meadows Graduate Admissions Office. The SMU International Advisors' Office will send an I-20 form (F-1 visa or J-1 visa) once the financial support has been verified. It is important that the name on the application matches exactly the name on the student's passport.

Course Load Requirement

To meet U. S. government regulations, the international graduate student on the F-1 or J-1 visa must must maintain a full course of study for each fall and spring semester as outlined by your program and confirmed by your Academic Advisor/Dean to qualify as a full-time student.

For further assistance, you may email smuvias@smu.edu.

Health Insurance

SMU requires all international students, attending on a visa and taking one (1) or more credit hours, to enroll in the University’s Student Health Insurance Plan. There are two possible exceptions to this requirement: 1) The Embassy purchases and provides the student with comparable US health insurance coverage, 2) A spouse or parent extends U.S. medical insurance benefits through their US employer to the international student, including international medical evacuation and repatriation. Additional information may be reviewed through the SMU Student Health Center website.