International Student Admission

​​ We welcome applicants from around the world. As an international applicant, you must take additional steps to ensure review of your application.

Apply

First, submit your application online. You must pay a non-refundable $75 application fee before your application can be reviewed.

Credential Evaluation​

​As part of the application review process, DePaul University conducts a free course-by-course transcript evaluation for coursework completed outside of the U.S. These evaluations can be used for DePaul admission purposes only. If you would like to take advantage of this service, you will need to upload complete academic documents for all post-secondary levels of study at the time of application. These should be in original language with English translation (as needed).

If you choose to "opt out" of DePaul's credential evaluation, you will need to provide your own course-by-course credential evaluation from one of DePaul's preferred outside agencies including Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE), One Earth, Educational Perspectives​​, World ​​Edu​cation Services​ (WES), or from another provider who is a current member of NACES​, as part of your application for admission.

If you choose to use one of these external credential evaluation companies, please direct any questions about required credentials to the evaluation company you have selected and not to our admission office.

Your application will not be reviewed until we receive the completed evaluation from the agency you select.

*If you already have a credential evaluation from an outside evaluation provider who is a member of NACES​, and you submit an official copy required for admissions purposes, we will offer you the opportunity to apply to have your $75 application fee waived. Otherwise there are no other waivers available.

Admission Documents

To determine the specific materials required for admission to your chosen program, please review the College of Communication's admission procedures.

All supplementary appl​ication materials can be sent as .doc or .pdf attachments to gradcom@depaul.edu or mailed to the graduate admission office. Please remember that we cannot guarantee books, DVDs or bound materials will be reviewed by the college.

Proof of English Language Proficiency

All students educated outside of the United States must submit proof of their English proficiency in order to be reviewed for admission. International applicants holding a bachelor’s, master’s, or PhD from a regionally accredited United States institution will have the TOEFL requirement waived upon receipt of their U.S. transcripts.

DePaul University requires that all students earn at least 80 (ibt) with no section lower than 17 on the TOEFL exam to be considered proficient. However, most graduate programs require a higher TOEFL score to be considered for admission. Please visit your chosen program’s website for their specific TOEFL score requirements and for information regarding conditional admission. We will also accept an official Duolingo or IELTS score report in lieu of a TOEFL exam.

Note: The English language proficiency scores listed below apply to all master's programs in the College of Communication except for the Digital Communication and Media Arts (DCMA) program. Refer to the DCMA Admission page for the English language proficiency scores required by the program.

Please request your score report be sent to:

DePaul University
Office of Graduate Admission
College of Communication
1 E. Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60604-2287

The DePaul University institution code for the TOEFL exam is 1165.

Requesting a Student Visa

Individuals who come to the United States to study must apply for a student visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate in their home country. To apply for a student visa, you must first obtain a Certificate of Eligibility for Non-Immigrant (F-1) Student Status (also known as a SEVIS I-20 form.)

You will be required to submit documentation to our office before DePaul will issue an I-20 to you, including the following:

• Bank statements (must show proof of adequate financial support for your first year of study at DePaul)
• Financial Affidavit of Support form (lists annual tuition and living expenses)
• Copy of your passport identification page

If you plan to bring dependents (a spouse and/or children) to the U.S. with you, you will need to also submit passport identification pages for each dependent, as well as a marriage certificate for your spouse and birth certificates for your children. In addition, you will need to show a higher amount of financial support, as outlined in the Financial Affidavit of Support form.

Full instructions for requesting a student visa and detailed information about enrolling at DePaul as an international student are available through International Admission.

Application Deadlines

Application deadlines vary by program. Please review the College of Communication's admission procedures for more details.

International students should submit their applications at least one month prior to the standard application deadline.

Upon Admission

Once you have been admitted to a graduate program, you will receive an email with additional information needed for the I-20 request process.

Further instructions on how to proceed with your application to DePaul University can be found at the International Student and Scholar Services (ISS) website.

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