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If you are interested in coming to UNH be sure to follow all the pre-application instructions.

Be sure to start your application process as early as possible.  Processing international applications can be very time consuming so you want to allow as much time as possible.

When you are ready to submit an official application make sure you provide all the required documents.

If you have any questions take some time to look through our website and try our FAQ under the international section.

Should you be unable to find an answer there then please feel free to email our office with any questions.

International Help & Information

Greetings

We welcome your interest in the University of New Hampshire Graduate School and our many outstanding master’s and doctoral programs. We hope that you will find programs and faculty here who can meet your particular needs for post-baccalaureate education. To learn more about specific graduate degree opportunities available at UNH, just check on our programs of study list. You will find detailed information about our master’s degree programs and doctoral programs, and you can locate the names of specific faculty members who are conducting research related to your fields of interest. You may also find information regarding visas and campus services by going to the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS). Also OISS has a lot of information for new and prospective international students on their website, along with a pre-arrival newsletter for new international students.  If you become a student at UNH be sure to visit their webpage as the semester approaches as they will also provide a Fall and Spring International Orientation.  In addition, you might be interested in finding out about our English as a Second Language program.

For more information about applying and information for all prospective students, please visit our prospective students main page.  We also offer a "Frequently Asked Questions" page with sections dedicated to International's.  If you still have questions you can also email us with your questions at and be sure to use a subject line of "Other: International Question".

To help you figure out the various time zones you should check out the World Clock - Time Zones website.

Applying to UNH

The University of New Hampshire requires a detailed application for admission which must be accompanied by records and documents that may be expensive or difficult for you to obtain or duplicate. To protect yourself from wasting time and money applying to a program at the University which cannot receive you--because we do not offer the course you desire, because the enrollment is already full, because deadline for applications has passed, or because your academic preparation, financial resources or other qualifications are not suitable for the program of study you have indicated--you should fill out our on-line pre-application form (also available for printing) or email us with a request to have the paper form mailed to you.

Preapplication Process

If you are an international applicant, who is currently living outside of the United States, you are required to complete a Graduate School Preapplication Form. If you are an international applicant but are currently residing inside the United States (have a U.S. mailing address) then you do NOT have to use the preapplication form. You can just request to have material sent to you from this link or you can just apply online.

The quickest and most efficient way to do the preapplication is to use our online form.  The online form will be immediately submitted to the department for review and you will get your response via email.

If you do not have an email address you can you can print off the form in Adobe PDF format from our forms page and mail it in to us.  Please be aware that the processing of paper preapplication forms is significantly slower than the online forms.

We try to do 100% of our preapplication processing and approvals online and through email. You must have a valid email account to use the online process. If you do not have a stable email account then please print off the form in PDF format and mail it to our office. 

This form will assist us in making a preliminary review of your credentials. Please note that you must hold a 4-year baccalaureate degree or its equivalent as a precondition for applying to any of our graduate programs. In some cases, you will also need a master’s degree or its equivalent. Please be aware that most departments will only review your preapplication if you have provided the following test scores - TOEFL, GRE and/or GMAT.

After reviewing your completed preapplication, we will notify you of suitability of your credentials for the next stage of the application process. At that point, you will be asked to complete our standard full application form and submit official transcripts, recommendations, an International Applicant Financial Declaration form, and any other related documents. Please note that the latest deadline for applying to our graduate programs is April 1 each year. Some programs require an earlier submission of applications (check the program for specific deadlines). This means that you will need to begin the application process well in advance of the April deadline to be sure that all of your material is submitted on time. No decision can be made about your application until it is complete and has been received by the Graduate School.

Please Note: If your preapplication is approved it is NOT a guarantee of getting accepted into the program.  Approval of a preapplication only indicates that you have a CHANCE of getting admitted and therefore it might be worth your time and money to apply as a full applicant.

Full Application Process

The official application process is a little more involved. OFFICIAL college transcripts, college degree/diploma certificates, letters of recommendation and a $60.00 (USD) non-refundable application fee must be paid to process your application when it is received at the Graduate School. (Please refer to the application instructions page for detailed instructions on submitting your application) Note that IF you are approved to apply online you can pay your fee, at the exact same time you submit your application, by credit card.  You can also use our Online Application Fee Payment Form (go to the Pay Application Fee: Help Sheet for more information on paying your fee online), at any time, to pay your fee by credit card online.  If you can not pay online then you can pay either by a money order, or by a check that is from a United States bank and drawn on US funds.  At this time we can NOT accept money sent through Western Union.  Please note that only University transcripts are required, secondary/high school transcripts are NOT required. Any test scores must be sent directly to the Graduate School by Educational Testing Service (ETS).

Do NOT, under any circumstances, file multiple applications for the same term and program.  In other words, do not file an online application and then send a paper application as well (or vice versa).  If you need to make a change to your application please email our office.  Do NOT send in another application.  This greatly slows down the application process and may prevent your application from being reviewed.

Please send all of your materials to the following address:

UNH Graduate School
Thompson Hall, Room 109
105 Main Street
Durham, NH 03824

You will receive notification from the Graduate School once your application is received. This notification does not imply that your application is complete. Depending on the time of year, it may take up to two weeks before your application is forwarded to the designated department. The procedure could take longer if the required material is not received with your application. When all required material (application, $60.00 fee, official college transcripts, college degree/diploma certificates, letters of recommendation, etc.) is received, you will be notified by the Graduate School that your application is complete. If additional material is required by the department, i.e., writing samples, essays, etc., your file will not be considered complete until these are also received.

The International Applicant Financial Declaration form, included in the application, must be completed whether or not funds have been requested from the University.

Ordinarily, admission committees evaluate credentials within one month of receiving COMPLETED applications. However, programs occasionally find it impossible to make a clear recommendation to the Graduate School until a somewhat later date, and some programs hold all applications for one general meeting.

You will receive an official notification from the Graduate School once a decision has been made.

International Students

Arrival of new International Students (F-1 and J-1 visa holders)

• New international students are expected to arrive prior to the beginning of the fall or spring terms in time to participate in International Student Orientation.

• New international students on assistantships or fellowships are expected to arrive prior to the beginning of the fall or spring terms in time to participate in the mandatory orientation program for new assistants and fellows run by the Graduate School.

• New international students who are unable to arrive for either of these orientations due to issues with immigration, may with the prior approval of the Office of International Students and Scholars and the Graduate School arrive late.

• Under no circumstances may a new student arrive later than the last day to register for that term, usually the third Friday of classes.
   

Registration Requirements for International Students (F-1 and J-1 visa holders)

International students on F-1 and J-1 visas are required to register full time each semester of the academic year until the completion of their programs. There are no registration requirements during the summer.

Graduate students registered for nine or more credits, Master’s Continuing Research (GRAD 900), or Doctoral Research (999) are classified as full-time students. Students holding an assistantship appointment must register for a minimum of six course/thesis credits, Master’s Continuing Research (GRAD 900), or Doctoral Research (999).

Masters’ students in their final term who are not on assistantships, may register for less than 9 credits, but no less than 5 credits with approval of the Office of International Students and Scholars, prior to the first day of classes of the final term. Students must file an Intent-to-Graduate card with the Graduate School prior to or concurrent with their request to register for a reduced load.

Doctoral candidates must register for Doctoral Research (999) each semester after candidacy until their degree is conferred.

Students who fulfill all requirements for their degree program (including submission of their thesis or dissertation) after the Graduate School deadline for completion but prior to the end of registration for the next term (last day to register without having degree status discontinued), may enroll for GRAD 800 only if they do not have to maintain full time status under immigration regulations.

Students in Optional Practical Training:

GRAD 800: permissible only for Master’s students who have completed all requirements for the degree and will be engaged in full-time OPT (immigration regulations do not require enrollment in a full course of study in this case) and both employment and residence will be off-campus.

GRAD 900: appropriate for Master’s level students who have completed coursework and will be engaged in full-time OPT, and will be employed on campus or living in UNH residential facilities.

Doctoral Research (999): Required of all doctoral students at candidacy.

Fee waivers: Students enrolled in doctoral research (999), who have left the immediate geographic area while completing their doctoral research may petition for a waiver of the mandatory fees.

Visas and Eligibility for Assistantships

Students who have been offered an assistantship but do not have an eligible visa status to allow them to begin their assistantship duties at the beginning of the semester have until the last day to register without having their degree status discontinued (usually the end of the third week of classes) to have their visa status resolved in order to hold an assistantship for that semester. The start date for the assistantship would be the date allowed by the visa status and the stipend would be pro-rated. The appropriate tuition waiver associated with the assistantship would be valid and not prorated. Students who have not resolved their visa status by the last day to register without having their degree status discontinued would NOT be eligible to hold an assistantship. Such students may be eligible to hold a non-status appointment during the semester in question once their visa status is resolved. In such cases, the stipend would be prorated. Programs could award scholarships to cover the tuition cost to such students. Under NO circumstance should students who do not have a visa that make them eligible to work begin any assistantship related duties.
 

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University of New Hampshire Graduate School
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Durham, New Hampshire 03824
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