Graduate school deadlines and additional requirements

The Graduate School requires the following items to complete an application:

  • Admission application (online only).
  • A non-refundable application processing fee (payable by credit card).
  • Official transcripts are required from all non-WSU colleges or universities you have previously attended. These must be sent directly from the Registrar of the college or university you are attending/have attended to WSU Graduate School Admissions.
    • Applicants who attended school outside the United States or Canada must submit:
      Transcripts, mark sheets, grade reports, or examination results, along with degree certificates from all higher education institutions attended outside the United States or Canada. When sending official transcripts from schools located in non-English-speaking countries, have each institution submit both the English translation plus an original language record.
    • Unofficial transcripts may be accepted by the Graduate School at the time of application submittal, for initial consideration purposes only.
  • TOEFL scores (international students): These must be sent directly from ETS to WSU. The Washington State University school code is 4705; there is no department code.
  • Certificate of Financial Responsibility (international applicants).
    • This is not required with the initial application, but will be necessary for applicants who are offered admission without a graduate assistantship.
  • Letters of Recommendation will be requested on-line from your references.
  • The online application will also ask you to submit electronically your Resume and a Statement of Purpose.

Application deadlines

All applicants, both domestic and international, should submit their application materials according to the following schedule:

Priority graduate application deadlines:

  • Fall semester — Jan. 10
  • Spring semester — July 1

International applications and students applying for support in the form of Assistantships are strongly recommended to apply by Jan. 10, since assistantships are typically available for fall enrollment only.

Graduate applications will still be accepted and considered after Jan. 10 for admissions into the ENCS graduate program. However, the availability of support in the form of Assistantships may be limited.

Frequently asked questions:

  • The application processing fee cannot be waived or deferred for any reason. The Graduate School will not process an application without this fee.
  • The School of Engineering and Computer Science at Vancouver does not require Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) for admission to any master’s degree program.
  • The minimum acceptable TOEFL scores for the School of ENCS are: 540 on the paper-based test (PBT) and 75 on the internet-based test (iBT). Since it normally takes 4 to 6 weeks (or more) for TOEFL computer scores to be received by the Graduate School from ETS, it is highly recommended that you send a paper copy to both the Graduate School and the School of ENCS to be used as an unofficial copy until the official copy arrives.
  • Questions regarding the Certificate of Financial Responsibility and/or the I-20 should be directed to the Graduate School (gradsch@wsu.edu, 509-335-1446) who handles the processing of these. Be sure to include your full name and WSU identification number (if available) on any correspondence with them.

English proficiency requirements for international students:

All international applicants must demonstrate a basic proficiency in English by submitting official Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or Duolingo scores. Applicants from Australia, the United Kingdom (including England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland), Bahamas, Barbados, Botswana, Canada, Ghana, Guyana, Kenya, Jamaica, New Zealand, Nigeria, Republic of Ireland, and Trinidad and Tobago whose first language is English are exempt from the English proficiency requirement.

Scores must be less than two years old by the date you would enter the program and sent directly to the Graduate School from the Educational Testing Service. The Educational Testing Service reporting code for Washington State University is 4705 (for the TOEFL only). Student copies of scores, or photocopies, are not official and will not be used in the admission evaluation process. The minimum acceptable English proficiency scores are as follows: IELTS: 6.5, Duolingo: 105, TOEFL (PBT): 540, TOEFL (iBT): 75, TOEFL Essentials: 8.

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