• Recommended deadlines for international students are as follows:
  • January 15 for Fall and Summer semesters
  • June 15 for Spring semesters
• International applicants may apply after these preferred deadlines. However, the Office of Graduate Admissions cannot guarantee there will be sufficient time for late applications to be evaluated and make any necessary visa/travel arrangements if admitted.
• Certain departments have more specific and strict deadlines for applications to be considered for admission and funding. We recommend that you contact the department that houses your intended program and confirm the deadline to ensure you submit your application on time.
• Submitting incorrect information on your application or failing to include important details can delay the admissions process.

• $75 initial application fee (non-refundable)
  • $100 after January 15 for Summer applications 
  • $100 after April 15 for Fall applications
  • $100 after September 15 for Spring applications
• $25 for each subsequent application for the same term (non-refundable)
• The fee will be paid online with a credit card as part of the application process.
• Full-time and at least half-time employees (staff or faculty) of TTU/TTUHSC may qualify for an application fee waiver. Please complete this form and email it to graduate.admissions@ttu.edu before submitting your application.

• All applicants must provide transcripts for each degree-awarding post-secondary college or university attended.
  • Transcripts must contain a record of all courses taken and all grades received - This includes mark sheets, examination results, etc. 
  • All applicants must have earned a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited post-secondary institution in the United States or its equivalent from a foreign institution. Non-US institutions must be recognized by their government/government ministry or department to award undergraduate and/or post-graduate degrees. 
  • For more specified information on required transcripts, see the "Country-Specific Document Information" section below.
• If the transcripts are NOT provided in English or the institution does NOT issue transcripts in English, an official word for word English translation of all transcripts and/or all mark sheets is required. The Office of Graduate Admissions will not accept a public notary certification.
  • All English translations must be done by the issuing institution, government certified translator, or an ATA certified translator.
    
    • For a list of translation companies we accept, visit the Translation Information page on our FAQ site.
    • A list of ATA-certified translators is available online at www.atanet.org/onlinedirectories.
• All documents submitted with the application are unofficial. If admitted, the applicant will be required to submit official transcripts, diplomas/degree certificates, English translations, and test scores by the 12th class day of the term to which the applicant is admitted. If official documents are not submitted 12 days after the first day of class, an admissions hold will be placed on the admitted students’ academic record preventing future registration.
  
  What is the difference between offical and unnofficial documents?
  
  "Official" academic documents (transcripts and diplomas) reflect the final graduation status and are sent directly to Texas Tech University Graduate Admissions from the issuing institution.
  
  "Unofficial" academic documents (transcripts and diplomas) include the following:
  
  
  • Transcripts that have been opened by the student.
  • Transcripts printed from an institution’s student portal.
  • Transcripts that do not yet reflect graduation status.
  • Any document uploaded as part of the application process.
• All international applicants must be in good academic standing at any school they are currently attending. All international applicants must have been in good standing in all schools they previously attended at their final matriculation. If the degree is not complete when the application is made, six semesters or three years of course work are required.

Country-Specific Application Information

• Academic credentials from India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan
• Academic credentials from Nigeria
• Academic credentials from China
• Academic credentials from Iran

• All international applicants must provide proof of English proficiency before their applications can be considered for admission. Only your most recent measure of English proficiency is considered for admission purposes. This test is waived only for graduates of U.S. universities or universities in English proficiency-exempt countries. Applicants who are in good standing for at least two consecutive years or completed a degree at a college or university in the U.S. or in an English proficiency-exempt country, are also exempt from the English proficiency requirement.
• Applicants may submit one of the following English proficiency measures:
• Duolingo English Test (Online examination) - The minimum required Duolingo score is 100. There is no institutional code for Duolingo, but applicants will need to select "Texas Tech Graduate School" as the institution to send scores to. Duolingo scores are reported within 48 hours and are valid for two years. Coupon codes for the DET may be available. Email graduate.admissions@ttu.edu for for more information.
• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) – We accept the TOEFL iBT test or the TOEFL Essentials test. The minimum TOEFL iBT score required is 79. The minimum TOEFL Essentials score required is 8.5. The TOEFL score must be received directly from the Educational Testing Service. Texas Tech University's institutional code is 6827. TOEFL scores are valid for only two years. 
• International English Language Testing Service (IELTS) – The minimum IELTS required score is an overall band score of 6.5 on the Academic version. IELTS General Training results are not acceptable. There is no IELTS institution code for Texas Tech University. IELTS scores are valid for only two years.
• Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) – The minimum required PTE Academic score is 60. PTE General and PTE Young Learners results are not acceptable. There is no PTE Academic institution code for Texas Tech University. PTE Academic scores are valid for only two years.
• Cambridge C2 Proficiency Test (Cambridge CPE) – The minimum required Cambridge CPE grade is a score of 180 or above  There is no institutional code for the Cambridge CPE. The Cambridge CPE is valid for life.
• Cambridge C1 Advanced Proficiency Test (Cambridge CAE) – The minimum required Cambridge CAE grade is a score of 175 or above. There is no institutional code for the Cambridge CAE. The Cambridge CAE is valid for life.
• ELS Level 112 (English Language Services-Centers for Intensive English) - Must complete level 112 of the ELS Intensive English program. Must provide both the Transcript and Certificate of Completion when providing English proficiency proof.

Applicants may provide proof of financial support as part of their application materials, or they may provide proof upon learning of their admission decision. This document is not necessary for application evaluation purposes. The Graduate School offers a limited number of fellowships. However, most financial assistance for new students is awarded by departments and not by the Graduate School. All correspondence regarding financial assistance should be conducted with the department to which the applicant is applying.

International Students seeking funding opportunities offered outside of Texas Tech may visit https://www.depts.ttu.edu/gradschool/financial/specialized_searches/international_student_specialized_searches.php for a list of resources. Information on General Fellowships provided by Texas Tech can be found at https://www.depts.ttu.edu/gradschool/financial/GeneralFellowships.php.

International applicants do not complete the core residency questions as part of the admissions application because there are few visa categories eligible to establish a domicile for residency for tuition purposes. You may view a list of visas eligible to establish a domicile for residency for tuition purposes here. If your visa category allows you to establish a domicile for residency for tuition purposes, please submit the Residency Questionnaire to graduate.admissions@ttu.edu, in-person in Administration Building Room 328, or by mail.

Requests for reclassification must be submitted by the tenth class day (the second class day for summer terms) of the semester for the term for which you are trying to establish residency. This is because your residency status must be updated by the twelfth class day (the fourth class day for summer terms) in order for the change to take effect for that term, and we must have time to review each set of questions. Questionnaires received after that date will still be reviewed, but any updates to your residency status will not take effect until the following term.

All submitted documents become the property of Texas Tech University and will not be returned. Questions? Comments? Contact us at graduate.admissions@ttu.edu.

If you have been studying at another institution in the United States in F-1 status and plan to enroll at Texas Tech University, you will need to complete an F-1 school transfer with the Graduate School Office. After receiving admission to Texas Tech, you will complete the Incoming F-1 Transfer Form with your previous school. The school you are currently attending must release your SEVIS record to Texas Tech. Only then can we issue a transfer I-20 to you. Students can access all necessary transfer-in forms on their application portal. 

Students who will travel outside the United States for a short period of time before reporting to Texas Tech should discuss their plans with an International Student Counselor before making arrangements to leave the United States. If you do leave the country, you must re-enter using your Texas Tech I-20.

Students who have completed a degree program at another school and have been authorized for Optional Practical Training (OPT) will need to provide a copy of their EAD card showing maintenance of continuous F-1 status. Keep in mind that your OPT employment authorization will end as of the SEVIS transfer release date.

Once a student accepts their admission offer, they will receive an email with instructions on how to access the required documents needed for transferring and their I-20.

Questions about the transfer process should be directed to the following email: graduate.admissions.international@ttu.edu

For New Students Who Have Not Enrolled at TTU

• Our office requires a formal letter of admission/acceptance letter from your new school as proof of your admission
• Only one school at a time can access your F-1 SEVIS record.
• On your SEVIS I-20 transfer/release date, your SEVIS record will be transferred to your new institution, and TTU will no longer have access.
• The SEVIS transfer impacts your F-1 benefits, including employment eligibility, travel, and I-20 validity.

Transfer Out

For Current TTU Students

• If you are a current TTU student seeking SEVIS transfer information:

Visit International Student Services