Undergraduate International Admissions

Strong Freshman applicants will present a 2.5 minimum GPA in core academic subjects. It is understood that most foreign education systems do not follow the same core curriculum as taught in U.S. high schools. Therefore, each applicant will be evaluated on criteria particular to the educational system of the country in which they completed their studies. However, it is expected that a college preparatory curriculum include courses in English, Math, Science, and Social Science.

Freshman applicants should submit the following:

• USM Application or Common Application
• $45 application fee
• Copies of high school transcripts and/or school leaving examination results
• Proof of English proficiency (see English Proficiency section for acceptable tests and waiver options)
• Optional: SAT or ACT (required for Freshman Merit Scholarship consideration) 

Transfer applicants must complete a required core curriculum of courses during their previous college or university studies to be admitted to the university. The basic core requirements are

6 semester hours of English composition
3 semester hours of college algebra or higher mathematics
6 semester hours of science (must be laboratory-based)
9 semester hours of transferable electives

If you have not completed the curriculum requirements for transfer admission, you must also submit an official high school transcript showing the date of graduation.  It may also be necessary for you to submit an ACT or SAT score.  Each application will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Applicants transferring from a school outside the US should be aware that credentials cannot be evaluated for transfer credit without an official foreign credential evaluation and course descriptions (in English) detailing course content. Due to variations in credit hour systems and course content, it is not guaranteed that coursework will fulfill course progress towards your  degree program at USM. 

Applicants who have previously attended a college or university in the United States or abroad will apply using the International Student Application. Transfer applicants should submit the following:

• USM Application or Common Application
• $45 application fee
• Proof of English proficiency through TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge English, PTE, or iTEP scores (see English Proficiency section for acceptable tests and waiver options)
• Official high school transcript and/or school leaving examination results
• Official transcript(s) from all previous colleges or universities attended
• Official course by course foreign credential evaluation for transcripts issued outside the United States.*
• Course descriptions or course syllabi in English for all courses taken at a foreign institution (credit may not be posted without providing this information)
• Optional: SAT or ACT (required for scholarship consideration if transferring from a university)

* A list of approved credential evaluation service providers and websites can be found at NACES. Most commonly used providers are WES, ECE, GCE, JS&A, and SpanTran. SpanTran and JS&A (scroll to School Specific Applications and search "Mississippi") offer USM applicants a discount, using institution specific applications. Access the SpanTran application using the link provided and the JS&A application (scroll to School Specific Applications and search "Mississippi"). Both services also provide translation services for an additional fee.

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, Pearson Test of English (PTE), or International Test of English Proficiency Exam (Academic) (iTEP), or meet one of the qualifying exceptions (see below).

Minimum score requirements:

The University of Southern Mississippi
Office of International Admissions
118 College Drive, Box 5135
Hattiesburg, MS 39406
USA 

The English proficiency requirement may also be met if the student satisfies one of the following:

• Student has an SAT verbal score of 500 or an ACT English score of 20.
• Student has graduated from a high school in the U.S. with attendance in the 10th, 11th and 12th grades with a minimum grade of C in all of their English courses.
• Student has completed a secondary school in which English is the language of instruction, in a country where English is the primary native language (such as U.K., Canada, Australia), with a minimum grade equivalent to a C in all of their English courses and with attendance in the final three years offered.
• Student has completed a secondary international school curriculum (such as the International Baccalaureate, Cambridge IGCSE/A-Level, e.g., or an American high school abroad) in which English is the language of instruction, with a minimum grade equivalent to a C in all of their English courses and with attendance in the final three years offered.

The deadlines for filing international applications are as follows:

• Fall admission (August start date) – June 1
• Spring admission (January start date) – November 1

Applications must be received in the International Student and Scholar Services 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.

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