International Student Admission

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Welcome! With globally focused academic offerings and hundreds of international learning experiences to choose from, the University of Rhode Island educates students to be culturally competent and ready for an interconnected, interdependent world.

Undergraduate admission is competitive, and each candidate receives individual consideration.
 

About

You are considered an international student if you are not a U.S. Citizen or a permanent resident.

If you are an undocumented student living in Rhode Island, and would like to apply for Rhode Island residency, please read our residency policy.

International students applying for admission must meet all admission requirements for their level. First-year students will complete the Common Application and all other first-year and transfer application materials. SAT or ACT test scores are not mandatory but encouraged if seeking merit scholarships.


How to Apply

Step 1:

First-year international students should complete the Common Application. There is a $65 application fee payable online.

International transfer students should complete the URI Transfer Application

Step 2:

Submit secondary school documents including results and certificates of completion from national secondary school examinations (if applicable).

  • Scans/copies of original academic documents are accepted for admission purposes.
  • Official academic documents must be presented to the Office of Undergraduate Admission at the time of enrollment.

Step 3:

Submit certified English translations of all secondary (high school) and post-secondary (if applicable) coursework not written in English.

Step 4:

Submit official TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo scores. Scores must be sent to URI directly by the testing agency.

Applicants who have attended a secondary school or post-secondary school where the language of instruction is English may be exempt from submitting an English proficiency examination depending upon their English grades (AP, IB, O level, A-level, GCSE, American Curriculum) and their SAT and/or ACT scores (if submitted). Such exemptions are determined on a case-by-case basis.

Step 5:

Contact a Foreign Credential Evaluation Service to request a course-by-course evaluation of your academic work and that they calculate a cumulative GPA. A list of NACES-certified organizations for evaluation/grade equivalency can be found at naces.org.

Step 6:

Step 6: If you pursued a “gap year,” please include a brief paragraph explaining your activities during this period.


Additional Requirements For:

First-Year Applicants

Step 5: Submit SAT and/or ACT scores (optional).
Step 6: Submit letter(s) of recommendation. You may submit this online with your Common Application.
Step 7: If you pursued a “gap year,” please include a brief paragraph explaining your activities during this period.

6-year Pharm.D. Program

Minimum TOEFL score is 100, IELTS 7.0, Duolingo English Test (DET) 125

Step 5: Submit SAT and/or ACT scores (optional but recommended).
Step 6: Submit two letters of recommendation. One letter must be from a science or math instructor. You may submit this online with your Common Application.
Step 7: Submit an additional statement explaining your interest in studying pharmacy.
Step 8: If you pursued a “gap year,” please include a brief paragraph explaining your activities during this period.

Transfer

Please note that not all majors are open to transfers, and some majors have special admission requirements.
 
Step 5: Request that ALL official university-level academic records be sent to a NACES certified organization for evaluation/grade equivalency. Please visit naces.org.

  • Request a course-by-course evaluation.
  • Ask the agency to calculate a cumulative GPA.
  • Ask the agency to send official copies of all transcripts to URI.

Reminder: International transfer students should complete the URI Transfer Application (not the Common Application). 

Step 6: Submit letter(s) of recommendation. You may submit this online with your Common Application.
Step 7: If you pursued a “gap year,” please include a brief paragraph explaining your activities during this period.

US Citizens Living Abroad

U.S. citizens living abroad and/or U.S. passport holders should follow the same admission timeline and procedures as students living within the U.S.
 
If you are a U.S. citizen living abroad and English is not your first language, you may be asked to submit the results of a URI approved English language proficiency exam. As a U.S. citizen, you are able to file the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). The priority financial aid filing date is March 1.

Application Deadlines

First-Year International Students Spring Semester (January) December 1 
  Early Action December 1
  Fall Semester (September) June 1
International Transfer Students Spring Semester (January) December 15*
  Fall Semester (September) July 31*
If mid-year grades or other information is requested, applicants may not receive a decision until the end of March.
 

*In some of the University’s more competitive majors, there is a limited capacity for admitting transfer students. The following competitive majors may require additional coursework and/or a higher GPA: business, engineering, pharmacy, kinesiology, landscape architecture, and music. If you are interested in any of these colleges/majors, please review their specific requirements.


English Proficiency Requirements

All international applicants whose first language is not English must provide proof of English language proficiency. English language proficiency may be demonstrated by one of the following:

  • Duolingo English Test (DET): minimum score of 105 (Pharm.D. applicants 125)
  • TOEFL iBT: minimum score of 79 (Pharm.D. applicants 100)
  • IELTS: minimum score of 6.5 (Pharm.D. applicants 7.0)
  • Cambridge English: Advanced: 176-184 (Pharm.D. applicants 185-190)
  • Pearson Test of English: minimum score of 53 (Pharm.D. applicants 68)
  • Eiken Test of English: completion of level Pre-1 (Pharm.D. applicants Completion of Grade 1)

Applicants who have attended a secondary school or post-secondary school where the language of instruction is English may be exempt from submitting an English proficiency examination depending upon their English grades (AP, IB, O level, A-level, GCSE, American Curriculum) and their SAT and/or ACT scores (if submitted). Such exemptions are determined on a case-by-case basis.


Merit Scholarships

Merit scholarships are available for international students with a record of outstanding academic achievement. These partial tuition scholarships range in amount and are renewable each year as long as the student maintains the minimum required grade point average. The scholarships do not cover the costs of room and board or miscellaneous fees.

All applicants are considered for merit scholarships by submitting a completed Common Application. There is no separate scholarship application. Qualified students have historically received scholarships ranging from $8,750 U.S. to $15,000 U.S. per year.


International Transfer Credit Process

Students who have completed college-level (post-secondary) classes at an institution abroad will need to follow the below steps if they wish to have their credits transferred to URI:

  1. Send official transcripts (both in the original language and in English) from your issuing institution directly to URI Office of Admission (Admission@uri.edu)
  2. Contact a Foreign Credential Evaluation Service to request a course-by-course evaluation of your academic work and that they calculate a cumulative GPA
    • A list of NACES-certified organizations for evaluation/grade equivalency can be found at visit naces.org.
  3. To receive transfer credit for your courses, you must submit course descriptions and syllabi (translated into English).
  4. In order to establish course equivalency, your course syllabi and descriptions will be evaluated by faculty evaluators from the department of the course.

The entire process can take 1–2 months from start to finish, so please plan accordingly.


 Additional Information


Contact Us

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at internationaladmission@uri.edu.