Admission Information for International Students

For an international student application and complete list of admission requirements, please go to https://www.unr.edu/admissions/international.

The minimum academic requirements for international applicants are:

Official evidence of an educational-level equivalent to graduation from an accredited American high school with a grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
Applicants with advanced standing must submit evidence of above-average achievement (2.5 grade point average on a 4.0 scale) in their college-level courses.
Graduate applicants must submit degree certification indicating equivalency to a U.S. bachelor’s or master’s degree. Minimum undergraduate grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) is 2.75 for a master’s degree and 3.0 for a doctoral degree.

The minimum language requirements for international applicants are:

Undergraduate language score, only one test score is needed: Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL iBT) score of 61; Duolingo score 95; International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score of 6.
Graduate language score, only one test score is needed: Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL iBT) score of 79; Duolingo score 115; Internation English Language Test System (IELTS) score of 6.5; Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic score of 59; and Cambridge English Language Assessment score of 176.
EXEMPTION: Please note that students coming from select English-speaking countries are exempt from the English language testing requirements for admission.

All new international students must report to the Office of International Students and Scholars with current immigration documents. The OISS is located in the Fitzgerald Student Services Building, room 120 and may be reached by phone at (775) 784-6874 or via e-mail at oiss@unr.edu. Undergraduate students must take the online English bridge test at the Writing & Speaking Center if they are not eligible for a waiver. To register for the test, students must send an email with their NSHE ID number, noting that they want to register for the Bridge Test, to writing_speaking_center@unr.edu. There is no charge for the test. Based on the results of the test, the student may be required to take additional English language courses during the first semester on campus. Students will be given additional check-in procedures at the Office of International Students and Scholars.

English as a Second Language (ESL): All new international undergraduate students entering degree programs at the university must take the Bridge English Placement test administered by the University Writing & Speaking Center (UWSC) unless they meet one of the following conditions:

with a TOEFL score of 100 (internet-Based Test), 600 (Paper-Based Test) or higher
with an IELTS score of 8 or higher
with a Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic score of 80.
with a degree from an American university or college
who have completed ENG 101 , ENG 102 or the equivalent from an American institution
from Australia, Bermuda, British Virgin Isle, Canada (except for Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand, and United Kingdom

The TOEFL requirement is waived for university admission for students coming from English speaking countries. All students who do not meet one of these criteria must take the Bridge English Placement Test. If the test results show weaknesses in English language proficiency, students will be placed in one or more sections of ENG 112 (A-D). The UWSC will enroll students in the required courses. Undergraduate students may not waive any required ENG 112 courses; these courses are taken concurrently with courses in the student’s degree program during the first semester at the university. Graduate students may receive a deferral of the requirement if there is a course conflict with other required courses. The deferral would be decided in consultation between the UWSC and the graduate student’s advisor.

Undergraduate students must also complete ENG 113 (equivalent to ENG 101 ) and ENG 114 (equivalent to ENG 102 ) to graduate.

International graduate teaching assistants must achieve an acceptable score on the SPEAK (Speaking Proficiency in English Assessment Kit) test.