International Graduate Admissions

We will assume responsibility for an evaluation of required academic records for applications for completed coursework outside of the United States. The evaluation is not an English translation of the academic records, but a separate document determining if the degree received outside the U.S. is equivalent to a U.S. degree, and a GPA is calculated.  

An official original set of transcripts, degree certificates and/or graduation certificates must be submitted to Seattle University upon admission. Documents are considered official only when they arrive in the original envelope from the issuing institution or sent electronically via a secured institution to institution system. 

Mailing Address for Transcripts & Materials 

Seattle University
Office of Graduate Admission
901 12th Avenue 
P.O. Box 222000
Seattle, WA 98122-1090

Applicants seeking an F-1 student visa must also submit the 2025-2026 International Student Declaration of Finances form.

Applicants for whom English is a non-native language must demonstrate English proficiency regardless of English language studies, academic history, residence in the United States or an English-speaking country or immigration status. Seattle University maintains the right to require English proficiency testing when deemed necessary.

Exam Options

You can meet the English proficiency requirement with the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS – Academic Test only), the Pearson Test of English (PTE) or Duolingo Score.

The chart below outlines the English proficiency requirements for general admission as well as admission to the English Language and Culture Bridge (ELCB) courses. We show both General Admission and ELCB score thresholds below. (Note that some graduate programs are not able to accommodate ELCB students in the curriculum as designed, so admitted students would need to complete ELCB prior to starting their graduate studies.)

Alternate Ways to Meet the English Proficiency Requirement

1. Applicants who received a baccalaureate degree or higher from Seattle University or a recognized college or university in the United States or the countries listed below will not be required to submit English proficiency test scores.
   • Anguilla
   • Antiqua and Barbuda
   • Australia
   • Bahamas
   • Barbados
   • Belize
   • Bermuda
   • British Virgin Islands
   • Canada (English-speaking)
   • Cayman Islands
   • Dominica
   • Ghana
   • Grenada
   • Guyana
   • Ireland
   • Jamaica
   • Kenya
   • Liberia
   • Montserrat
   • New Zealand
   • Nigeria
   • Sierra Leone
   • St. Kitts and Nevis
   • St. Lucia
   • St. Vincent and the Grenadines
   • The Gambia
   • Trinidad and Tobago
   • Turks and Caicos
   • United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales)
   • U.S. Virgin Islands
   • Zimbabwe
2. Medium of Instruction in English: Students earning a degree in a country other than those listed above may provide official documentation from the degree-granting institution verifying that all instruction was in English. A minimum of three years of full-time undergraduate study or two years of full-time graduate study at the university is required.
3. Applicants who complete ELS Level 112 with a 3.0 GPA.

English Language and Culture Bridge Program (ELCB)

The courses offered in the English Language and Culture Bridge (ELCB) are highly advanced, with a specific focus on university-level reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. In addition, the coursework concentrates on the American academic culture and the specific preparation for requirements at Seattle University. For more information, consult the English Language Learning Center website or email ellc@seattleu.edu.

Students with English proficiency scores in the ELCB range (see chart above) will take Diagnostic Tests in each ELCB course on the first day of classes at Seattle University. Some students may have their ELCB requirement waived based upon the results of the Diagnostic Tests.