Students With International Credentials
All applicants with international credentials should file their applications one month prior to the specified deadline. This is necessary to facilitate the special process required for evaluating international documents. Students with F-1 and J-1 visas may apply only for full-time matriculated status.
The international applicant's undergraduate degree must be the equivalent of a U.S. baccalaureate degree, that is, it must encompass the required professional and liberal arts training necessary for that degree in the United States. Official transcripts, degree certifications, and diplomas in their original language must be mailed to the Office of Admissions at Brooklyn College. They must bear the original impression of the institution's seal or the original signature of the registrar or other designated school official. All documents not issued in English by the official institution must be accompanied by certified English translations. In addition, all applicants educated outside of the United States must have their transcripts evaluated by an external agency that does a course-by-course analysis that indicates the type of degree received and graduation date, the equivalency of the diploma or degree, and a cumulative grade point average.
International applicants whose native language is not English or who were educated in a country where English is not the official language must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and arrange to have official score reports sent to the Office of Admissions. The minimum acceptable TOEFL score is 500 (or 173 in the computer-based version, or 61 in the Internet-based version), although some programs require significantly higher scores. Information on applying to take the TOEFL may be found on the ETS website; link there to the TOEFL homepage as well as for information on phone, mail, and e-mail contact with ETS about the TOEFL. The code for reporting TOEFL scores to Brooklyn College is 2046.
Applicants who will require F-1 and J-1 visas to enter the United States for study at Brooklyn College must complete the Confidential Declaration and Certification of Finances. Supporting financial documentation must be submitted in order to obtain the I-20 Certificate of Eligibility from the college. International students admitted to the college are required to subscribe to a health insurance plan and to arrange for their own housing. The college's Office of Personal Counseling, 718.951.5363, provides some assistance for students searching for off-campus housing.
Soon after their arrival in New York, international students should check in with the International Student Services Office, 235 West Quad Center. Immediately following, they should report their local address to the Office of Admissions, 1602 James Hall.
Matriculating students with TOEFL scores close to the minimum required by their academic program on any version of the TOEFL are strongly advised to take English 600, Advanced Writing Workshop for ESL Graduate Students, or other ESL classes available on campus.
Deadlines
Because of the extra time needed to verify credentials for students with an international bachelor's degree, students submitting foreign credentials for any status of graduate study must file applications by February 1 for the fall semester and by October 1 for the spring semester. Students admitted for the fall may take classes in the preceding summer as matriculated students if appropriate classes are scheduled. For program-specific deadlines and requirements, students are advised to consult the Brooklyn College website.
Applications received after these deadlines will be considered if space is available in the program of interest, but students with an international bachelor's degree will not be admitted without a formal review of their credentials, which can take several months.
Applicants whose application and/or official documentation arrives after the application deadline may be accepted in a provisional status, provided their materials arrive in time to be reviewed by the program to which they have applied and they are not students applying with F-1 or J-1 visas. In such cases, an official or unofficial transcript indicating that a baccalaureate degree or its equivalent has been awarded must accompany the application. Applicants whose application materials are incomplete may be placed in provisional status provided that both the department and the applicant indicate this choice to the Office of Admissions. There is no additional fee beyond the basic $125 application fee associated with late or incomplete filing.
Provisionally accepted applicants must sign a declaration in which they:
- state that the information supplied is complete and accurate,
- agree to complete the full application process by the next regular deadline during the first semester of study, and
- acknowledge and accept that if they do not register, fail to complete the application process (including submission of all required official documents) during the first semester of study, or are denied admission following such application, they will be barred from further registration.
Provisionally accepted applicants are classified as nonmatriculated students. For that reason, F-1 and J-1 students may not be admitted as provisional students. Matriculated status, which indicates the intent to earn a master's degree or advanced certificate, is contingent upon a completed application packet and final approval by the academic department and may occur prior to initial registration if the application is completed by that time.
