International Admission

If you already have or are planning to obtain an F-1 or J-1 Visa, this admission section applies to you. If you are currently in the U.S. as a refugee, asylee, or on a temporary visa other than the F-1 student visa (such as F-2, B-2, H-4, etc.), and you wish to change to F-1 status to begin attending UM-Dearborn, please indicate this on your application.

Information on documents required to apply for admission can be found below. Admission applications will not receive a final evaluation until all required materials have been received. Documents required for your I-20 may be submitted as soon as possible, and will not prevent you from receiving an admission decision. All correspondence must be in English, and must contain the full name of the applicant with the family surname underlined.

Academic Requirements for International Admission

Freshman/First-Year Students

Freshmen who have attended secondary school abroad are expected to meet the same general admissions requirements as U.S. students. Admission is competitive. We encourage students to apply as soon as possible, either using the campus application or the Common Application. An application will not be reviewed until all required materials have been received. A completed application includes the following:

  • Official high school academic documents
  • ​Standard college entrance examinations scores (optional)
    • ​Currently, UM-Dearborn is not requiring students to submit the SAT or ACT scores for admissions purposes. You will have the option to indicate on your application if you want your test score factored into the admission decision.
    • If you choose to submit scores, follow these links to request that your SAT and/or ACT results be sent to UM-Dearborn.
      • ​SAT — school code 1861
      • ACT — school code 2074
      • The highest composite test score is used in the Admission decision
      • Newer scores should be sent to the University as they are available
    •  English language proficiency (see more information below).​
Grade-point average (GPA) and course/curriculum requirements
  1. You must have earned a U.S. high school diploma or the equivalent secondary school completion credential in your country, by the time you would enroll at UM-Dearborn. Freshmen usually apply during their last year of secondary school. Any offer of admission is conditional upon successful completion of the secondary school program before enrollment at UM-Dearborn.
  2. You must have pursued a general academic (non-vocational) program of study. Solid preparation in the traditional academic college-preparatory subjects is required (English, mathematics, science, social studies).
  3. You must have maintained above-average grades throughout your secondary school studies. Admission is competitive, and to be a strong candidate for admission, grades received should be equivalent to an overall GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 U.S. scale.
  4. Please review the international records portion of the website for additional details.

Transfer Students

Transfer students are encouraged to apply early in their final semester prior to enrollment at UM-Dearborn and in advance of the deadlines found on the website.  An application will not be reviewed until all required materials have been received. A completed application includes the following:

  • UM-Dearborn online application
  • Official transcripts from ALL colleges and universities you have attended
    • ​See academic records for details regarding requirements
    • If students obtained college credits outside of the US, transcripts will likely have to be sent to Educational Credential Evaluators  (ECE) for a course-by-course evaluation. 
    • Failure to disclose ALL schools you have attended may result in revocation of admission​

  • English language proficiency (see more information below).

If you have completed fewer than 24 credit hours, you must also submit:

  • Final, official high school academic documents
  • ​Standard college entrance examinations scores (optional)
    • ​Currently, UM-Dearborn is not requiring students to submit the SAT or ACT scores for admissions purposes.  You will have the option to indicate on your application if you want your test score factored into the admission decision.
    • If you choose to submit scores, follow these links to request that your SAT and/or ACT results be sent to UM-Dearborn.
      • ​SAT — school code 1861
      • ACT — school code 2074
      • The highest composite test score is used in the Admission decision
      • Newer scores should be sent to the University as they are available

General academic requirements for each unit are listed below. You should contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions as early as possible in your academic career to be certain that you are completing courses that will not only transfer, but also count toward specific admission and/or graduation requirements at UM-Dearborn. All GPA requirements are given using the 4.0 U.S. scale.

All transfer applications are reviewed on an individual basis, and if you do not meet the stated requirements for your desired college, it is suggested that you discuss your situation with an admissions counselor.

  • College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters
    Required GPA: 2.50
  • College of Business
    Required GPA: 2.70
  • College of Engineering and Computer Science
    • Directly into Engineering: Overall GPA 2.75 or higher and completed Calculus II (Math 116 or equivalent) elsewhere with a C grade
    • Pre-Engineering: Overall GPA 2.75 or higher and haven't completed Calculus II (Math 116 or equivalent)
  • College of Education, Health, and Human Services​
    • Teacher Certification Programs: GPA 2.75
    • Non-Teacher Certification Programs: GPA 2.50

English Language Proficiency Requirements

If you are not a native speaker of English, you must prove an adequate level of English language proficiency to enroll in college credit courses, even if you are currently a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and regardless of how long you have resided or been educated in the U.S. You must fulfill the English language proficiency requirement in one of the ways described below before regular admission will be granted.

Freshmen may prove their English Language Proficiency without additional testing by: 

  • completing two full years of general track English courses in a U.S. high school with grades of “C” or better and
  • achieving an acceptable score on the verbal section of the SAT or ACT. There is no specific SAT/ACT verbal score required, but this score will be used in conjunction with other factors to evaluate your academic English skills.

Transfers may prove their English proficiency without additional testing by:

  • presenting acceptable performance as described in the freshmen section above. You must provide records to verify acceptable courses, grades, and SAT/ACT scores  or
  • completing two semesters of regular-track, transferable English composition courses (equivalent to UM-Dearborn’s Composition 105 and 106), with grades of “C” or better in both courses (“C-” or below is not acceptable for transfer). If you are enrolled in the second semester of English composition when applying and earn a “C” or better in the first semester of English Composition, conditional admission may be possible.

If you have not demonstrated English language proficiency in one of the ways described above, you must take an English language proficiency test. The Office of Undergraduate Admissions will accept the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Examination. 

In addition, we are aware that the current coronavirus outbreak has resulted in widespread English test center closures in many regions. In response to this, we will temporarily accept the Duolingo English Test. Applicants may take the Duolingo test online and request scores be sent directly to the University of Michigan-Dearborn. A minimum score of 105 is required.

You should complete an assessment well in advance of your intended starting term.  The TOEFL and IELTS are offered throughout the world.  Test scores may take 2-8 weeks to arrive at UM-Dearborn depending on the location and test-taking method. You must take one of these tests; it is not necessary to take all of them.

You may take the TOEFL, IELTS, or DuoLingo tests more than once, and only your most recent score will be considered. Test scores more than two years old will not be accepted.

The minimum score required for admission is dependent on the test you take.  Achieving the minimum score does not guarantee admission, only consideration.

Minimum Scores

TOEFL: Paper-based 550
TOEFL: Computer-based 213
3 TOEFL: Internet-based 80
IELTS 6.5

TOEFL

P.O. Box 6151, Princeton, NJ 08541, U.S.A.
Telephone: 609-771-7600
toefl.org, toefl@ets.org

IELTS
100 East Corson Street, Suite 200, Pasadena, CA 91103, U.S.A.
Telephone: 626-564-2954
ielts.org, ielts@ieltsintl.org

DuoLingo
5900 Penn Ave, Second FL
Pittsburgh, PA 15206, U.S.A. 
Telephone: 412-567-6602
duolingo.com

How to obtain I-20 or DS-2019

Please reference the Office of International Affairs website at https://umdearborn.edu/offices/office-international-affairs/incoming-international-students-prepare-arrive. All documents received by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions will be shared with the Office of International Affairs for the purpose of creating the I-20 or DS-2019.