International Student Admission

UC International Services supports the needs of international students at the University of Cincinnati. The office assists international students in understanding the rules, regulations, and procedures that must be followed during their stay in the United States and provides support services and cultural information to students. UC International Services is located in Suite 7148, One Edwards Center (1-513-556-4278). Information about admission to the University of Cincinnati for international students is available on their website. International students with F-1 visas can only be granted admission as matriculated graduate status in a degree-seeking program. (Most international students with J-1 visas can be granted admission with matriculated graduate status only, with some exceptions.) Students with J-1 visas should inquire with UC International Services to determine the regulations that apply to them. Students with green cards (U.S. resident aliens/permanent residents) are not defined as international students and, therefore, are not governed by the university’s international student policies. However, the English proficiency requirement does apply to green card holders (see The English Proficiency Requirement, below).

In instances where an international student holds a degree for which the U.S. equivalent is not known, or if it is determined by the program or the Graduate College that the applicant does not have the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree, the program must submit a petition for admission without the bachelor’s degree, with supporting documentation and rationale, to the Associate Dean of the Graduate College.

All international students are required to carry University of Cincinnati student health insurance unless they qualify for a waiver. Semester insurance fees are automatically assessed each registration period. Please visit the Graduate College website for more information on the Graduate Assistant/Fellow Health Insurance Award.

English proficiency is required of all applicants whose native language is not English. Students can demonstrate proficiency in a number of ways at the graduate level. PLEASE NOTE, many colleges and programs have higher requirements than those listed below. Applicants should contact the programs to which they are applying for details. For more information, please refer to the English Proficiency Requirement web page.