Apply

Welcome to Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota! We are excited that you are considering applying to our university. To ensure a smooth application process, please follow the steps outlined.

If you have questions about the I-20 and Visa process, please see our eligibility requirements, which you will navigate once you have been accepted into your program of study.

Visit our programs page to determine the program that will best fit your educational and career goals.

• Complete the online application.
• Complete the additional international student admission requirements:
  • English language proficiency exam (see below)
  • Academic credential evaluation (see below)

Students with transcripts from universities located outside of the United States, or a waiver country listed below are required to take and pass English Proficiency testing. Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota accepts the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a minimum score of 72, the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) with a minimum score of 6.0 the Michigan Language Assessment Battery (MELAB) with a minimum score of 74%, the International Test of English Proficiency (ITEP) with a minimum score of 4.0 or Pearson Test of English with a score of 51.

Additionally, students that have completed 30 undergraduate or 12 graduate credits from an accredited U.S. institution or the equivalent of these credits from an institution in a waiver country listed below will be exempt from English Language Proficiency test.

Approved waiver countries: the United States (including all territories), the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia and Canada (except for the Quebec Province), Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Cook Islands, Dominica, Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), Fiji, The Gambia, Ghana, Gibraltar, Grenada, Guernsey, Guyana, Isle of Man, Jamaica, Jersey, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Federated States of Micronesia, Montserrat, Namibia, Nauru, Nigeria, Norfolk Island, Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha, Saint Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and The Grenadines, Sint Maarten, Trinidad and Tobago, Tonga, Turks and Caicos Islands, Virgin Islands.

Those who do not successfully pass the English Proficiency test as outlined above but score higher than 58 in TOEFL, 5.5 in IELTS 63% in the MELAB, 3.5 in ITEP or Pearson Test of English with a score of 45 are eligible for conditional acceptance into graduate programs with the following conditions. During the first semester, students may take up to 6 graduate credits in predetermined courses as approved by the program director or dean in their selected program in addition to the English language courses. Students are required to take a language assessment at the end of their first semester and if not at the full acceptance level, then during their second semester students would be required to take only English language courses.  No additional graduate program courses could be taken until the full language acceptance requirements is met an institutional TOEFL exam or approved equivalent English Language Proficiency exam will be issued at the end of each semester. Students have one year to meet the English Language Proficiency requirement for regular admission.

WES/ECE and TOEFL/IELTS must be sent officially to Saint Mary’s through the respective testing organizations, along with the Saint Mary’s school code*: 6632

Transcripts from countries other than the United States must be evaluated on a course-by-course basis and be deemed equivalent to accredited U.S. university standards. Students may choose one of the following to do the evaluation: World Education Services, Educational Perspectives, the Education Credential Evaluators, or One Earth. Evaluations from an approved member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES.org) will also be accepted. Students are responsible for having their transcripts evaluated as well as for the associated costs.

Official results must be sent to Saint Mary’s Twin Cities Office of Admission through the respective testing organizations using the Winona school code: 6632. Saint Mary’s has one school code registered to the Winona Campus, but students at all Saint Mary’s locations must use this same code for mailing purposes. International transcripts should not be sent directly to Saint Mary’s University.