A Next Level Adventure

Applying to Boise State University

Finding the right graduate program is challenging. We’re here to help answer your questions so that when you arrive on campus you can focus on your research and academics.

At Boise State, you are considered a graduate applicant if you are applying to a Master’s or Doctoral degree program. Students enrolling in a Boise State graduate program must have completed a Bachelor’s degree prior to enrollment.

Graduate Application Process

At Boise State, you are considered a graduate applicant if you are applying to a Master’s or Doctoral degree program. When applying to the university, you must submit the following items in order to have your application reviewed:

Online application
$95 application fee (non-refundable)
Official transcripts or marksheets from all post-secondary institutions attended, as well as proof of any degrees earned
Proof of English proficiency
Photocopy of your passport name page

Once we have received all required items, the International Admissions Office will forward your application materials to your academic department for review. Please note that many graduate programs require additional application materials such as GRE results, letters of recommendation, and statements of purpose. Please verify your application requirements with your graduate program.

Timelines for application review vary and we are unable to advise on when you should expect to receive your decision. We advise all international graduate students to begin the process as early as possible to allow plenty of time for the visa application process.

If you are accepted to Boise State and plan to study on an F-1 student visa, you will need to submit a Financial Documentation Form and proof of sufficient funds in order to begin the process of applying for your student visa.

If you are currently studying in the U.S. on an F-1 Student Visa, you will also submit copies of your current I-20, visa, and I-94 after being accepted to Boise State. Additionally, you will need to contact your current institution to request transfer of your SEVIS record.

Apply for a Graduate Program

We take your privacy seriously. Prior to applying, please review our Privacy Policy.

Academic courses at Boise State are taught in English and international graduate students must demonstrate appropriate levels of English proficiency in order to be admissible to a degree program.

Graduate Student English Proficiency Test Options

Tests	Graduate College	Geosciences Programs	Early & Special Education Programs
TOEFL iBT and iBT Home Edition	80	89	95
IELTS and IELTS Online	6.5	6.5	6.5

Satisfying English Proficiency Based on Educational Background

Graduate applicants are exempt from submitting additional proof of English proficiency if they have earned or will earn prior to enrollment at Boise State a Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Doctoral degree from an accredited or recognized institution located in one of the approved countries in the table below. The institution’s primary language of instruction must be English.

Antigua and Barbuda	Grenada	Saint Kitts & Nevis
Australia	Guyana	Saint Lucia
Bahamas	Jamaica	Saint Vincent & the Grenadines
Barbados	Kiribati	Sierra Leone
Belize	Liberia	Solomon Islands
Bermuda	Malawi	South Sudan
Botswana	Malta	Trinidad & Tobago
Canada (excluding Quebec)	Marshall Islands	Uganda
Dominica	Micronesia, Federated States of	United Kingdom & UK Overseas Territories
Ireland	Namibia	United States & U.S. Territories (excluding Puerto Rico)
The Gambia	New Zealand	Zambia
Ghana	Nigeria	–

The International Admissions Office reserves may request additional proof of English proficiency on a case-by-case basis.

Extenuating Circumstances

If you feel that your background is not represented by this English proficiency policy or that you have additional substantive experience or qualifications that may be relevant to Boise State’s evaluation of your English proficiency, you may appeal this requirement. To have your appeal request considered, please complete the English Proficiency Policy Appeal Form. Access to the form will require you to log in to your applicant portal. Please note that your application for admission and application fee must be submitted in order to appeal this policy.

In order for your application to be reviewed, you must send official transcripts or marksheets from all post-secondary institutions you’ve attended. You must also send proof of any degrees earned. There are several ways to send your documents to Boise State.

All documents must be issued in English or accompanied by a certified, literal English translation. If you are sending a certified English translation, you must also submit the official transcript in the original language.

Please note that we are unable to accept transcripts sent by email or fax and that we are unable to return official transcripts once we have received them.

Send Your Documents by Mail

Official transcripts must be in an envelope sealed by the issuing institution, with the institution’s official stamp across the seal of the envelope. Attested copies will only be accepted if the copy is attested by the university’s Registrar or Examination Office; in the case of attested transcripts, both the attested copy and the envelope must be stamped with the university’s official mark. Attestations by individual professors, officials at affiliated colleges, or external notaries public will not be accepted.

All transcripts may be sent to this address:

International Admissions Office
Center for Global Education
Boise State University
1910 University Drive
Boise, ID 83725-1145
USA

Send Your Documents by Secure Delivery Service

Electronic transcripts can only be accepted as official if they are delivered through one of the approved transcript service providers in this list. Please reach out to your previous institution(s) to verify whether or not they use an official sending service.

Credentials eScrip-Safe
Credential Solutions TranscriptsNetwork and TranscriptsPlus
Diploma Sender
Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR) (UK)
my eQuals (Australia and New Zealand)
National Student Clearinghouse
Naviance
Parchment Exchange

Please use interntl@boisestate.edu as the recipient when sending your transcripts via a secure sending service.

Country-Specific Requirements

Applicants from some countries must follow additional guidelines when submitting transcripts. If you have studied in China, India, or Russia, please see these sections below for more details.

University Transcripts from China

Boise State University requires that all Chinese university transcripts and degree certificates are verified. Since this can be time consuming, Boise State will provide a preliminary admission recommendation for graduate applicants based on official transcripts without verification. Verification documents must be submitted before official final admission, class registration, and student visa paperwork can be provided. Please submit verification documents to Boise State prior to priority dates to allow sufficient time to process your student visa.

If your degree is in-progress or you did not complete your degree:

Online Verification Report of Student Record (学籍在线验证报告) from CHESICC.
Verification Report of China Higher Education Student’s Academic Transcript (大学成绩认证报告) from CHESICC.

If you have completed your degree:

Verification Report of China Higher Education Qualification Certificate (高等教育学历认证报告) from CHESICC
Verification Report of China Higher Education Student’s Academic Transcript (大学成线认证报告) from CHESICC
Degree Certificate (Chinese). Please obtain the Chinese electronic verification report of your degree certificate from China Academic Degrees and Graduate Education Development Center (CDGDC). You may send a copy of the electronic verification report to Boise State University by postal mail. Please ensure that the electronic verification report is up-to-date and verifiable. Degree certificates must be accompanied by a certified, word-for-word English translation.

University Transcripts from India

Please submit your Annual Statement of Marks or Academic Transcript as well as a certified copy of your final or provisional degree certificate. Boise State University does not accept consolidated marksheets.

The Annual State of Marks or Academic Transcript must be issued by the institution responsible for conducting the examinations (e.g. university, constituent or autonomous college). It should list all subjects taken and marks earned for each year of study. Please submit marksheets that have been issued and or attested by the college you attended unless you studied at an autonomous or constituent college. You can check if your college has autonomous status on the UGC website.

Boise State University only accepts documents attested and sealed by the designated official at the institution that conducted the examination (e.g. Controller of Examinations or Registrar’s Offices). Attestations by officials at affiliated colleges cannot be accepted.

You may arrange for the documents to be sent directly to Boise State University by the university or autonomous college you attended. If your university or college cannot mail directly, then please ask for the documents to be dated, attested and placed into an official sealed envelope that is signed or stamped across the back flap by the appropriate authentication officer at the institution that conducted the examination.

University Transcripts from Russia

Please have all documents certified by apostille through the authorized body of education of the Russian Federation in your region. For more information about the apostille process, please visit the Obrnadzor website. Please contact us in advance of mailing any documents.

How Your Application is Reviewed

Each graduate program at Boise State establishes its own process for reviewing student applications. Your admissions decision will be based upon all of the information you provide in your application and supporting materials.

For questions regarding your admissibility or how certain pieces of your application are considered, your specific academic program will be your best point of contact.

Frequently Asked Questions

Application Process Questions

Who is considered an international student at Boise State University?

You are considered an international applicant if you are a non-U.S. citizen and will require a visa to study legally in the United States. Permanent Residents, Refugees, and Asylum-seekers are not considered international students.

How does Boise State consider applicants with dual citizenship?

If you have dual citizenship, you can indicate this on your application. If you hold U.S. citizenship, Boise State will consider you as a domestic applicant even if you also hold citizenship in another country.

I am still enrolled in my previous institution’s program. Can I still apply to Boise State?

Yes! Boise State will consider you based upon your in-progress transcripts. We require that you submit your final official transcripts prior to enrollment in your second-semester on campus.

Can you waive my application fee?

Unfortunately, we are unable to waive application fees for international graduate applicants at this time.

How long will it be before I receive an admissions decision?

Graduate admissions decisions are typically issued within ten weeks after your application is forwarded to your academic department for review. This timeline can vary depending upon the time of year, your individual application, and the volume of applications your program is receiving.

Transcript and Marksheet Questions

What transcripts or marksheets are considered official? How should I submit my transcripts?

Your transcripts or marksheets will be considered official if they are issued by the school you attended and sent to us directly by the institution. Transcripts should be in a sealed envelope with the issuing school’s official stamp on both the document and across the seal of the envelope.

All official transcripts should be submitted by mail or through an approved secure sending service.

Does Boise State accept emailed transcripts?

We do not accept transcripts by email or fax.

Do I need to have my transcripts translated?

Yes. If your transcripts are issued in a language other than English, you must also send a certified, literal translation for consideration.

Do I need to submit an external credential evaluation (e.g. WES, ECE, etc.)?

No. Credential evaluation for admissions purposes is all done by International Admissions staff. No external credential evaluation is required during the admissions process.

English Proficiency Questions

How do international students demonstrate their English proficiency when applying to Boise State?

You can demonstrate your English proficiency in a number of ways. International graduate applicants must submit either a TOEFL or IELTS score unless they qualify for an exemption. Please review our English proficiency requirements section for the full list of ways that you can prove your English ability.

I don’t have a TOEFL or IELTS score. Can I still apply to Boise State?

Some graduate applicants may qualify for a waiver of their English proficiency requirement depending on their academic backgrounds. Most international graduate students must submit a TOEFL or IELTS result.

My situation is unique and I’m not sure if I need to submit proof of English proficiency. What should I do?

First, review our English proficiency requirements located on this page. If you have already submitted an application to Boise State, you may appeal our English proficiency policy by submitting the English Proficiency Policy Appeal Form. Please allow 7 – 10 business days for review of your policy appeal.

If you’re still unsure, please email us at interntl@boisestate.edu.

Test Score Questions

Are international students required to submit GRE or GMAT results?

Testing requirements vary between graduate programs. Please carefully review the requirements for your specific graduate program in order to determine which tests you will need to submit when applying.

How do I send my test scores to Boise State University?

Test results should be sent as official copies directly from the testing agency. Boise State University’s school code for sending TOEFL scores is 4018.