Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

    Admission Checklists

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

    Undergraduate

    Graduate

    English Proficiency (Undergraduate Admissions)

    Evidence of English Proficiency

    (If you come from a traditionally English speaking country and believe this should be waived, please contact internationaladmissions@atu.edu after submitting your application)

    Minimum Score RequiredApproved Exam Types
    5.5IELTS Academic (International English Language Testing System)
    61Internet-based TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). Valid MyBest TOEFL scores are accepted.
    3.5Internet-based TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) on 1-6 Scale
    500Written TOEFL
    173Computerized TOEFL
    8TOEFL Essentials
    42PTE (Pearson Test of English)
    2AEIKEN
    For transfer students from US colleges/universities, one of the above mentioned test score documents can be provided or an official college/university transcript showing successful completion of college-level English Composition I and English Composition II with a grade of C or better.
    Submission Instructions
    Submission Instructions
    A copy of the official TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE score may be uploaded to your application portal. We will verify official scores with the testing agency.
    The School Code for Arkansas Tech University is 6010 if you want to have your TOEFL score sent directly from Educational Testing Service (ETS)
    ALL EIKEN scores must be sent directly from STEP, Inc. (Society for Testing English Proficiency)
    💡
    * Scores are only valid for 2 years. Please ONLY submit scores taken within two years of your application.

    Financial Support (Undergraduate Admissions)

    Financial Support Requirements:

    Evidence of Funding Required

    Applicants must provide evidence of the source and amount of funding used to cover their educational expenses in the amount listed below. This can be submitted before or after admission. However, an I-20/ DS-2019 will not be created or transferred if acceptable financial support evidence has not been provided.

    Total estimated undergraduate costs (9 months):$29,055 USD*

    *If you are an exchange student, please contact International Admissions to confirm your required financial support amount.

    Financial Support Evidence Documents Must:

    • Have a date and be issued within 6 months of application.
    • Be in English or accompanied by an English translation.
    • State account balance and type of currency.
    • Be original documents or certified true copies.
    • * If someone else will be financing your educational expenses, they must complete the Financial Sponsor Statement Form. A sponsor can be a family member, friend, company, or government. Financial Sponsor Statement Form
       

    Statement Verification:
    • All financial statements are reviewed for completeness and authenticity in the admissions process.
    • In some cases, the Admissions Office may need to verify a statement directly with the issuing bank.
    • If the bank does not respond, the account holder may be required to have the bank send an official balance statement directly to internationaladmissions@atu.edu. 
       

    Review the table below for what acceptable forms of support may be:
    SourceAccepted Documentation
    Student FundsBank statement, such as: checking or savings accounts and/or other accessible funds.
    Family or Friends FundsSponsor Statement*
    and one of the following:
    • Bank statement for checking, savings, or other accessible account. If the statement is online, it must include sponsor’s name, date, balance, and web link.
    • Certificates of deposit; mutual stock or bond funds; and/or other accessible funds.
    Sponsoring AgencyOfficial letter of sponsorship.
    ATU FundingExamples include: official offer letter of employment from the department, official scholarship offer, or graduate assistantship official request.
    Private Company or Other BusinessSponsor Statement*
    and all of the following:
    • Statement on company letterhead confirming that the business will sponsor the student.
    • Student’s name.
    • Name of responsible party at the company or business.
    • Responsible party’s signature and date.
    • Bank statement or other demonstration of the company’s financial resources.
    Transcripts/ Academic Records (Undergraduate Admissions)

    Academic Record Requirements (Transcripts)

    International FIRST-TIME Undergraduate Students

    Submit grade/mark sheets and certificate/diplomas showing completion of secondary education equivalent to 12 years of US high school.

    All transcripts must be originals or school-certified copies with official English translations.

    Unofficial transcript uploads are accepted for the admission process only.

    If you graduated from a U.S. high school, please upload a copy of your transripts or request your high school send transcript copy to International Admissions.

    Notarized copies are not accepted as official.

    International Undergraduate TRANSFER Applicants

    Submit official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended (US or abroad).
    Please Note: If you have earned fewer than 24 semester hours, you must also submit a high school transcript (or US equivalency) and entrance exam scores (ACT, SAT, or ACCUPLACER).


    U.S. College Transcripts:

    If previously enrolled OR currently enrolled at a U.S. College or University, please follow the directions provided by the sending university to send official transcripts.
     
    Unofficial transcript uploads are accepted for the admission process only.

    Official Copies must be sent to Arkansas Tech University directly from the sending College/University

    Foreign College Transcripts:

    International admissions will perform an in-office credential evaluation for foreign college transcripts after all other application requirements have been met. This is for admission purposes only.*

    *Students seeking transfer credit from an international institution must complete credential evaluation through a company authorized by Arkansas Tech University (    click here for a list of approved providers) and submit course descriptions from transfer institutions.
    Credential Evaluations (Undergraduate Admissions)
    The international admissions office will perform credential evaluations for foreign high school transcripts after all other application checklist items have been submitted, including the $50 application fee payment.
    Individual Program Requirements (Undergraduate Admissions)
    Our undergraduate programs do not have individual program requirements. Students must meet the international admission requirements and have a 2.0 or higher entering GPA.

    If SAT, ACT, or ACCUPLACER scores are available, students are encouraged to send them as soon as possible. Students admitted without scores from one of these entrance exams will be required to take the ACCUPLACER exam upon arrival before being permitted to register for courses.

    Costs (Undergraduate)
    Scholarships/Funding/Assistantships
     International Scholarships & Graduate Assistant Information
     
    Tips for understanding tuition/fees costs:
    1. Tuition is calculated by the credit hour.
    2. Each course is approximately 3 credit hours (with some exceptions). —Most undergraduate students choose to take 12-15 credit hours per semester.
    3. Each undergraduate program averages about 120 credit hours (with some exceptions).

    Please note: cost of living external to tuition and fees may vary by person. A general cost of living estimate for international students can be found on the International Students and Scholars page here: https://www.atu.edu/imsso/costs.php

    How many hours in total is MY chosen program?
     
    1. Find your chosen program in the undergraduate catalog: https://catalog.atu.edu/undergraduate/programs/
    2. Select your program and click the "curriculum" tab to see a list of required courses and hours.
    3. If you have questions about the curriclum, please reach out to your chosen program's departmental contact (noted at the top of the catalog entry)! 

    If you have questions about tuition and fees you can always reach out to student accounts: https://www.atu.edu/stuaccts/

    Helpful Links!
     Review Tuition and Fees
     Use the interactive TUITION CALCULATOR to estimate your cost!
     Undergraduate Catalog Degrees Page

    English Proficiency (Graduate Admissions)

    Evidence of English Proficiency

    (If you come from a traditionally English speaking country and believe this should be waived, please contact internationaladmissions@atu.edu after submitting your application)

    Minimum Score RequiredApproved Exam Types
    6.5IELTS Academic (International English Language Testing System)
    79Internet-based TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). Valid MyBest TOEFL scores are accepted.
    4.0Internet-based TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) on 1-6 Scale
    550Written TOEFL
    213Computerized TOEFL
    9TOEFL Essentials
    58PTE (Pearson Test of English)
    Grade Pre-1EIKEN
    Students who have been awarded a 4-year bachelor's degree from an accredited U.S. institution will be marked English Proficient upon review. Email internationaladmissions@atu.edu if you have questions about other U.S. academic records that may be used to mark you English proficient.
    Submission Instructions
    Submission Instructions
    A copy of the official TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE score may be uploaded to your application portal. We will verify official scores with the testing agency.
    The School Code for Arkansas Tech University is 6010 if you want to have your TOEFL score sent directly from Educational Testing Service (ETS)
    ALL EIKEN scores must be sent directly from STEP, Inc. (Society for Testing English Proficiency)
    💡
    * Scores are only valid for 2 years. Please ONLY submit scores taken within two years of your application.

    Financial Support (Graduate Admissions)

    Financial Support Requirements:

    Evidence of Funding Required

    Applicants must provide evidence of the source and amount of funding used to cover their educational expenses in the amount listed below. This can be submitted before or after admission. However, an I-20/ DS-2019 will not be created or transferred if acceptable financial support evidence has not been provided.

    Total estimated graduate costs (9 months):$21,854 USD*

    *If you are an exchange student, please contact International Admissions to confirm your required financial support amount.

    Financial Support Evidence Documents Must:

    • Have a date and be issued within 6 months of application.
    • Be in English or accompanied by an English translation.
    • State account balance and type of currency.
    • Be original documents or certified true copies.
    • * If someone else will be financing your educational expenses, they must complete the Financial Sponsor Statement Form. A sponsor can be a family member, friend, company, or government. Financial Sponsor Statement Form
       

    Statement Verification:
    • All financial statements are reviewed for completeness and authenticity in the admissions process.
    • In some cases, the Admissions Office may need to verify a statement directly with the issuing bank.
    • If the bank does not respond, the account holder may be required to have the bank send an official balance statement directly to internationaladmissions@atu.edu. 
       

    Review the table below for what acceptable forms of support may be:
    SourceAccepted Documentation
    Student FundsBank statement, such as: checking or savings accounts and/or other accessible funds.
    Family or Friends FundsSponsor Statement*
    and one of the following:
    • Bank statement for checking, savings, or other accessible account. If the statement is online, it must include sponsor’s name, date, balance, and web link.
    • Certificates of deposit; mutual stock or bond funds; and/or other accessible funds.
    Sponsoring AgencyOfficial letter of sponsorship.
    ATU FundingExamples include: official offer letter of employment from the department, official scholarship offer, or graduate assistantship official request.
    Private Company or Other BusinessSponsor Statement*
    and all of the following:
    • Statement on company letterhead confirming that the business will sponsor the student.
    • Student’s name.
    • Name of responsible party at the company or business.
    • Responsible party’s signature and date.
    • Bank statement or other demonstration of the company’s financial resources.
    Transcripts/ Academic Records (Graduate Admissions)

    Academic Record Requirements

    Graduate applicants must hold a bachelor's degree or equivalent from an institutionally accredited college before starting graduate level coursework. Applicants must submit copies of transcripts from all prior colleges where coursework was completed.
     
    Foreign College Transcripts

    • Please submit any transcripts, mark sheets, evidence of degree conferred, and any other country specific documentation showing completion of a U.S. 4-year Bachelor degree or equivalent.

      All academic records MUST be originals or certified copies of originals with official English translations (No copies or scans accepted). Certified true copies must be certified (both signed and with a seal/stamp affixed) by a registrar, headmaster, or other official at the school where the grades were obtained. Notarized copies or those certified by a translator will NOT be accepted as official, because notary publics and translation services do not verify the authenticity of the document. Transcripts received by email are unofficial.

      All international college transcripts will need to be evaluated to determine degree equivalency and U.S. GPA conversion. In-office credential evaluations may be performed if applicants meet all other admission requirements.


    U.S. Transcripts
     
    • If previously enrolled OR currently enrolled at a U.S. College or University, please follow the directions provided by the sending university to send official transcripts.
       
    • UNOFFICIAL transcripts may be used for admission purposes only.OFFICIAL transcripts will be required after admission in order to permit registration and prevent account holds. Transfer credits CANNOT be processed using unofficial documents.
    Credential Evaluations (Graduate Admissions)


    Credential Evaluations (in office)

    Arkansas Tech University's International Admissions office will perform in-office credential evalutaions for applicants.

    Please note: Credentials/transcripts will not be evaluated if there are any other items missing from the application and if application fees have not been paid.


    What do I need to submit?

    • - Detailed grade/mark sheets

    • - Certificate/Diploma providing evidence that a degree was awarded
       
    • - If a consolidated marks sheet is available, please send this documentation as well.
       
    • - Documents must be in English or include official English translations


    Can I use UNOFFICIAL transcripts?

    • - Unofficial transcripts may be used for admission purposes ONLY.
    • - After admission, official transcripts will be required in order to permit registration and prevent account holds.


    Can I submit a third party evaluation instead?

    • - Yes, if you have a third party evaluation from a NACES member evaluator (such as IEE, WES, SpanTran, etc) you may submit it to us.
    • - Your full transcripts must be attached to the evaluation.
    Individual Program Requirements (Graduate Admissions)
    Some of our graduate programs have specific program requirements that must be met IN ADDITION TO international and graduate admission requirements. These requirements can be found in the program catalog entry.

    Graduate Programs

    Master of Science (MS)

    Information TechnologyEmergency Management and Homeland SecurityHigher Education and Student AffairsFisheries and Wildlife


    Master of Arts (MA)

    Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)HistoryEnglish


    Master of Liberal Arts (MLA)

    Liberal Arts


    Master of Education (MED)

    Instructional Technology and Design

    Click on each program button link for more information

    Costs (Graduate)
    Scholarships/Funding/Assistantships
     International Scholarships & Graduate Assistant Information
     
    Tips for understanding tuition/fees costs:
    1. Tuition and fees are calculated by the credit hour.
    2. Each course is approximately 3 credit hours (with some exceptions) —Most international graduate students take at least 9 credit hours per semester.
    3. Each graduate program averages about 30-36 credit hours (with some exceptions).

    *Please note: cost of living external to tuition and fees may vary by person. A general cost of living estimate for international students can be found on the International Students and Scholars page here: https://www.atu.edu/imsso/costs.php

    How many hours is MY chosen program (in total)?
     
    1. Find your program in the graduate catalog here: https://catalog.atu.edu/graduate/programs/
    2. Select your program and click the "curriculum" tab to see a list of required courses and hours.
    3. If you have questions about the curriculum, please reach out to the program advisor (also listed in the catalog)!

      If you have questions about tuition and fees you can always reach out to student accounts: https://www.atu.edu/stuaccts/

    Helpful Links!
     Review Tuition and Fees
     Use the interactive TUITION CALCULATOR to estimate your cost!
     Graduate Catalog Degrees Page