All international student applications are processed for academic qualifications by the Swanson School of Engineering. For non-academic qualifications it is processed by the admissions officer, Office of International Services (OIS). The document needed to apply for a non-immigrant visa will be issued only after the applicant has been admitted and has provided evidence of adequate financial support and English language proficiency. The procedure for international applicants is as follows:
The applicant will receive notification from the Engineering Office of Administration concerning the evaluation of academic qualifications. If the academic evaluation by the department is favorable, the international student admissions officer will review non-academic qualifications to determine eligibility for a visa document.
International Graduate Student Supplemental Information
Once the international applicant is accepted, the international student admissions officer will review the applicant's non-academic qualifications to determine eligibility for a visa document. This procedure applies also to international applicants who are already in the United States.
The University reserves the right, even after the arrival and enrollment of a student from another country, to require, at the student's own expense, individual curricular adjustments whenever particular deficiencies or needs are found. This could include enrollment without credit in additional coursework in English as a foreign language or in courses prerequisite to the student's regular plan of study. New students from abroad are encouraged to use the services of OIS to help them in their adjustment to the United States and to facilitate their total educational experience.
English Language Proficiency
Graduate students at the University of Pittsburgh must possess sufficient proficiency in English to understand lectures, participate successfully in class discussion, and study without being hindered by language problems. International applicants must submit valid English language proficiency test scores with their application, except for those who have recently received a degree from a regionally accredited institution in the United States or any other English-speaking country.
Students may submit official results from either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or the Duolingo English Test. Minimum scores are required for admission to graduate study at the University of Pittsburgh. The requirement to take TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo may be waived if the applicant has received a degree from an accredited institution in the United States or has citizenship in a country where English is the official language.
In addition, incoming international students are recommended to enroll in ESL courses when their English Proficiency test scores are above the minimum for admission, but below a certain threshold.
Students who have been appointed as teaching assistants (TAs) or teaching fellows (TFs) and who are not native speakers of English are required to take an English Fluency Test to evaluate their spoken English upon arrival at the University of Pittsburgh. This includes students who have attended universities in the United States, including the University of Pittsburgh, and those who have been TAs/TFs at other U.S. institutions. Individuals who do not achieve a passing score on the test may be given non-teaching assignments and are required to take special course work until they obtain a passing score.