Graduate International Admissions

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, excluding for the exceptions listed below, must submit scores from one of the follow approved English Proficiency Exams. Please note that each academic department reserves the right to require higher scores for admission.

Minimum score requirements:

TOEFL (ETS Code 1479) score of 71 (IBT) or 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
Oxford ELLT Overall 7 (USM Discount code: USM10)
Kaplan Overall 450 (USM Discount code: USMKRS25)
Duolingo English Test Overall 110 (Duolingo will only be accepted for Graduate Admissions)
 

Official scores will be sent to USM by the testing agency. However, you may upload your official score report to your application for test validation. You will be notified if your scores cannot be validated. Applications that do not meet the minimum score requirement will automatically be denied. 

The English proficiency requirement will be waived for applicants who are citizens of or have received degrees from the following countries. The requirement will be waived upon first review of the application.

Australia
Canada
Gambia
Ghana
Guyana
Ireland
Jamaica
Liberia
Namibia
New Zealand
Nigeria
South Africa
United Kingdom
Zimbabwe
English Speaking Caribbean Islands
 

We do not accept MOI (Memorandum/Mode of Instruction) letters from foreign universities in place of English Proficiency Test Scores.

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