Graduate Admission for International Students

Loyola University Maryland is authorized under federal law to enroll non-immigrant students who are the citizens of countries other than the United States. International applicants should review the following information carefully to understand some of the additional requirements to apply for admission to a graduate program as an international student.

International Graduate Application Deadlines

Graduate programs at Loyola University Maryland may have specific application deadlines for international applicants. This is done to ensure that there is sufficient time to issue visa paperwork for international students who are offered admission to the university.. 

Loyola University Maryland graduate programs admit international students for the Fall Semester* only.  International applicants are not eligible to be admitted for the Spring Semester.   

Please note that not all Loyola graduate programs are eligible to issue visa documentation which would allow international students to enter the United States (for example, part-time or online graduate degree programs).

For more information about application deadlines, visit the Graduate Programs at Loyola webpage, click on your program of interest, and go to the “Apply” section of their page.

*Note: The Master of Arts in Teaching program is the sole exception since their full-time program begins during the Summer term.

English Language Examination Requirements

Applicants are required to submit official English language examination scores unless they have earned or will be earning a bachelor's (or higher) degree from either:

• A U.S. college or university*, or
• A foreign college or university where English is the sole language of instruction listed in the school's profile in the IAU World Higher Education Database (WHED).**

*Applicants who attended a college or university in Puerto Rico are still required to take the exam.

**If English is not the sole language of instruction listed, or if no language of instruction is listed, or if your college/university is not included in WHED, you will be required to submit English language examination scores.

Note: Applicants to either of the M.Ed. in Literacy graduate programs are exempted from the English language examination requirements due to other admission requirements of the programs demonstrating English language fluency. 

English Language Examination Options

Loyola University Maryland accepts any of the following English language exams. All English examination scores are considered valid for up to two years after the testing date.

Note: Although the minimum eligibility scores for each exam are listed below, graduate programs expect competitive applicants to have scores that exceed the university's minimum eligibility requirements. Please check the graduate program application instructions to see if the program has higher minimum or recommended scores.

International Academic Records

Loyola University Maryland requires that all international (non-U.S.) academic records be evaluated by an academic record evaluation service and submitted to the Office of Graduate Admission and Financial Aid for review. The evaluation must be sent to our office directly and must be from one of the following evaluation services:

• Education Credential Evaluators (ECE) - A Course-by-Course level evaluation is required.
• International Education Research Foundation (IERF) - A Detail Report is required.
• SpanTran - A Course Analysis Evaluation is required.
• World Education Services (WES) - A Course-by-Course evaluation is required (either the WES Basic or the WES ICAP* are acceptable).

In addition to the international evaluation, applicants must also send scanned copies of all of their original international academic records (including diplomas, degree documents, and university verifications, etc.) to graduate@loyola.edu. Each college/university record must be scanned as a single PDF document - do not send separate attachments for each page. Be sure to include "International Academic Records" in the subject line of the email.

STEP 1: Documentation Required for Admission Application Review for International Applicants Requesting F-1 Student Visa Status

• After you have submitted your online application:
  • log in to your Applicant Status Portal and view the Application Checklist. You will find a link to the International Student Supplement form in the checklist - click on that link and complete the form.
  • In the "Upload Materials" section of the Applicant Status Portal, select "Passport" from the drop-down menu and upload a copy of the biographical page of your passport.
• Submit official English language exam scores if required (see the English Language Examination Requirements section above). 
• All foreign transcripts must be translated and evaluated by an approved evaluation service (see the International Academic Records section above).

STEP 2: Required Materials to Finalize Admission

After admission acceptance, the following documents are required for students requesting a Form I-20 from Loyola for F-1 student visa status (also see Step 3 requirements):

Dates to submit all documents:

Summer start:  April 15

Fall start: June 1 

• International Graduate Student Checklist: Please include this form when you submit your application.
• Declaration of Finances Form: This must be accompanied by a current bank statement issued within one month of applying (in U.S. dollars). The bank statement must be an original document. Photo copies and scanned documents will NOT be accepted
• Current Bank Statement: Provide a current, original bank letter showing funds (in U.S. dollars) available to cover the full cost of attendance (tuition, fees, housing, board, books, medical and all other expenses) for one year at Loyola University Maryland.  The bank letter must be on bank stationery, in English, and signed by a bank official with contact information.  
• Affidavit of Financial Support: You are required to submit the affidavit for financial support signed by a sponsor or benefactor affirming that all expenses will be meet during your period of enrollment at Loyola.  Expense must include tuition, fees, housing, board, books, medical and all other expenses. (in U.S. dollars).
• An Affidavit of Self Support is required if you plan to support yourself.

Where to Send Your Application Materials

Declaration of finances form, current bank statement, affidavit of financial support, and affidavit of self-support should be sent directly to:

Office of International Student Services
ATTN: Ms. Sunanda K. Bhatia, Director
Loyola University Maryland
4501 North Charles Street, HU 141
Baltimore, MD 21210
USA

All other application materials should be sent directly to:

The Graduate Programs
Office of Graduate Admission
Loyola University Maryland
2034 Greenspring Drive
Timonium, MD 21093
USA

STEP 3: Documentation Required to Finalize Enrollment

After you receive your acceptance letter and have submitted all the above documentation, the following must be provided before a Form I-20 can be issued to you for F-1 student visa purposes. 

• Enrollment Deposit: Tuition payment for the first semester. Please use Flywire - Loyola to make the payment.  
• Proof of Health Insurance: Proof of sufficient health insurance coverage for the first year of study at Loyola (must be renewed each academic year). You are required to either enroll online in the Loyola-sponsored Student Health Insurance plan, or submit an online request to waive coverage. Students are encouraged to purchase Loyola's student health insurance, the United Health Insurance Plan. To waive coverage, your plan must have comparable coverage based on Loyola's waiver criteria.  Please review your current plan to be sure that your benefits extend to the United States and Maryland area.  To enroll in or waive coverage, visit www.firststudent.com.  For more information, visit the Student Health and Education Services website. 
• Please send this documentation required to finalize enrollment to:
             Office of Graduate Admission
             Loyola University Maryland
             2034 Greenspring Drive
             Timonium, MD 21093

Non F-1 Student Visa Requirements

An international applicant who has a visa type allowing them to study in the United States (i.e.A-2, G-4) must complete the following requirements as part of the admission process:

• International Student Supplemental Application:
  Required for United States Immigration Purposes.
• Passport and Visa Copy-Student:
  Submit a copy of the biographical page of your passport and copy of your U.S. visa.
• Current copy of electronic Form I-94 or most current U.S. entry stamp in passport.
• Passport and Visa Copy-Principle Visa Holder (if applicable):
  If you are on a dependent visa, submit a copy of the biographical page of the principle visa holder’s passport, U.S. visa, electronic I-94, and most current U.S. entry stamp.

International forms include:

• International Student Supplemental Form (available in the Applicant Status Portal)
• International Applicant Declaration of Finances
• Affidavit of Financial Self Support 
• Affidavit of Financial Support
• International Applicant Checklist

Contact Us

For admission-related questions:

Office of Graduate Admission
+1(410) 617-5020
graduate@loyola.edu

For information regarding immigration or visa-related questions:

Office of International Student Services
+1(410)617-5245
OISS@loyola.edu