International Undergraduate Students

International students who wish to be admitted to William Carey University must meet the requirements listed below. They must also meet additional requirements listed in either the freshmen or transfer subsections of this sheet. Freshmen are considered those students who have attempted less than 12 hours of credit at an institution of higher learning (college or university), and transfers are students who have attempted 12 or more hours of credit at an institution of higher learning.

William Carey University is authorized by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to enroll non-immigrant alien students.

  1. Application:  Applications for admission must be downloaded from the WCU website, completed, and returned by email to internationaladmissions@wmcarey.edu 
  2. Academic Records:  The following information is required for consideration for undergraduate admissions:
    • Freshmen Students (first-time university/college students):
      Academic records (transcripts) indicating the level of secondary completion or course work completed at a foreign institution(s) must be provided. 
    • Transfer Students:
      Academic records indicating course progress from any institution(s) of higher education or official transcript(s) from U.S. institution(s) attended are required. An official transcript is defined as one issued directly from one institution to another. All records must be in English before a Form I-20 from William Carey University is issued.
    • Academic records from each college/university attended must be provided for consideration for admission to WCU. As a student with coursework from an institution outside the U.S., transcripts from each institution attended outside the U.S. must undergo a course-by-course credential evaluation from a WCU approved credential evaluator. The credential evaluation process provides the equivalency to the U.S. education system. All transcripts from all institutions of higher learning in countries other than the United States must be evaluated by an approved transcript evaluation service before being transmitted to William Carey University. The four approved services are: World Education Services (WES) http://www.wes.org; SpanTran (The Evaluation Company) SpanTran Application (salesforce-sites.com); GCE (Global Credential Evaluators) https://www.gceus.com/; and ECE (Educational Credential Evaluators) https://www.ece.org/. Students must choose one of these approved services to complete the credential evaluation for his/her official transcripts and are responsible for the service fee. William Carey University must receive an official transcript that has been evaluated by one of the four approved services before the admission file can be processed.
    • Students transferring from any American college or university must coordinate the transfer of his/her SEVIS record from their current institution to William Carey University. The requirements for obtaining a SEVIS record transfer are established by each individual institution. To initiate a SEVIS record transfer, students should contact their Designated School Official (DSO).
  3. Language Proficiency:  Students who are not from nations where English is considered the official language are required to take one of the following exams: Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or Duolingo English Test (DET). A minimum score of 523 is required on the paper- based TOEFL; a minimum score of 193 on the computer-based TOEFL; or a minimum score of 70 on the internet-based TOEFL. Students who wish to take the IELTS must meet the minimum requirement score of 5.5. Students who take the DET must score at least 130 to be eligible for undergraduate studies. Students transferring from U.S. institutions with at least 12 hours of earned coursework are not required to submit an English proficiency exam score.
  4. Proof of Finances:  An Affidavit of Support and letter(s) from a bank or financial institution are required to show a student's ability to pay for his/her educational expenses for the duration of the international student's stay in the United States. Students may have family or sponsor support to cover the remaining cost of attendance not covered by a scholarship or other financial aid. This financial documentation is required before admission and the issuance of the Form I-20 to begin the visa application process. Currently the cost of attendance for William Carey University as an undergraduate student is US $26,350 per academic year. Students who receive scholarships are responsible for the balance of their cost of attendance once all scholarship amounts are posted.
  5. Proof of Immunizations: Proof of Immunization: William Carey University requires proof of two (2) measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccinations prior to arrival to the United States. Additionally, each students must have a chest x-ray and Interferon Gamma Release Assay (IGRA) performed in the United States and submit the results to the Office of International Student Affairs prior to starting class.
  6. Major Medical Insurance:  Medical coverage while attending WCU is required with no exceptions.  All international students must be enrolled in the major medical insurance policy with the university. Students will be charged for the policy coverage each academic term.
  7. Additional Information:  If the international student resides on campus, he/she should consult the Campus Housing plan for campus closures and breaks. Housing and some meals may be provided during campus closures and breaks for an additional charge per week. 
    In order to receive an F-1 visa, international students are to schedule an appointment with the nearest U.S. consulate or embassy in their home country within 90 days of departure. They must take along their financial documents, letter of acceptance, and I-20 for presentation and review. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recommends the entering student be honest and have copies of all documents sent to William Carey University available for review by the U.S. Customs official at the consulate, embassy, or U.S. port of entry. U.S. Customs officials may at any point of a student's travel to the United States deny him/her entry into the country.

Questions or concerns should be directed to the Director of International Student Affairs at our toll free number +1 (800) 962‑5991, or you can email them to InternationalAdmissions@wmcarey.edu

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