International Applicant Information
An international applicant is anyone who is not a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident at the time of application to the GSB.
You must submit official academic records (transcripts or mark sheets) with grading scales for each year of college or university education completed or in progress, as well as official copies of degrees awarded. Photocopies and facsimiles of the documents are not acceptable. Records must provide information on the content and quality of your performance, courses taken each year, and grades received. Class rank should be noted whenever possible. Official credentials must bear the official seals and signatures of the registrar or a university official. Have the official sign across the back flap of the envelope.
You must submit both original language records and official English translations. All translations must be literal and complete versions of the original records, and must be prepared or verified by someone whose position requires a knowledge of both English and the original language. All supporting materials must also be in English.
Eligibility
Not all international degrees are comparable to the U.S. four-year bachelor’s degree. The University of Chicago Graduate School of Business reserves the right to review the academic records of all international applicants and to determine whether the academic credentials presented from a non-U.S. institution are comparable to the U.S. bachelor’s degree. Applicants holding only professional diplomas or higher certificates or members of professional associations such as the Institute of Chartered Accountants are not qualified to apply for admission unless they also hold recognized university degrees or titles as mentioned below. Minimum academic requirements are described below for countries requiring clarification in some specific areas.
Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka:
A four or five year bachelor's degree or a three year bachelor's degree and a master's degree (one year of a two-year master’s program is not sufficient).
British-patterned Educational Systems (including Anglophone Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom):
Honor’s bachelor’s degree.
Canada:
Three-year bachelor’s degree from Quebec; four-year bachelor’s degree from all other provinces. Honors degrees required if offered by the university.
France (or French-patterned educational systems):
A maîtrise or a diplôme requiring four years of postbaccalaureate study from a university or a grand école.
Germany:
A university Diplom, Magister Artium or Staatsexamen. Graduates of Fachhochschulen are not eligible.
Indonesia:
Sarjana or sarjana lengkap - awarded after five years of university study.
Mexico, Spain, Central and South America:
Completion of all courses and thesis or professional exams required for the titulo or degree of licenciatura or bacharel.
The Netherlands:
Doctorandus, ingenieur, or meester.
People’s Republic of China:
A bachelor’s degree representing four years of university study. Official academic records, including a graduation certificate in Chinese, must be accompanied by a complete English translation listing all courses and grades. All records must be certified by the issuing institution.
Philippines:
A program that is a minimum of five years in length or a master’s degree.
Scandinavia:
A university diploma awarded after four or more years of study.
Switzerland:
Licence or diplome or diplom - four to five years of university study.
Fluency in English
International applicants for admission to the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business PhD Program must meet the English language requirements outlined below. The University of Chicago accepts either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) for the purpose of meeting the English language requirement.
The TOEFL uses different scoring scales depending upon which version of the test is used. For applicants who take the internet based TOEFL (iBT), the minimum required score on the TOEFL is 104 overall, with sub scores of 26 each. For those who take the computerized exam, applicants must score a minimum of 25 in each section, with a total score of at least 250. For the paper-based version, the minimum score is 60 in each section, with a total of at least 600. Applicants who score below these minimums cannot be considered for admission and should retake the test before submitting an application. The PhD Program institution code for the TOEFL is 1819-02
Minimum required scores in the IELTS are an overall score of 7, with sub scores of 7 each. Applicants who score below these minimums cannot be considered for admission and should retake the test before submitting an application.
Please note: TOEFL or IELTS Score Reports are valid for two years and scores will be considered expired if the test was taken more than two years prior to the GSB PhD Program’s application deadline. For admission for Autumn 2009, scores from tests taken prior to January 1, 2007 are considered expired. If your score has expired, you must retake the examination and submit the official scores before the application deadline. We will not accept photocopies of expired scores while awaiting the official results of a recent examination. Scores must be sent directly from TOEFL or IELTS.
TOEFL/IELTS Waiver Policies
The English language requirement may be waived if, within the last five years prior to the deadline for this application, the applicant completed a degree or at least one year of full-time, non-ESL study in the U.S., the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand or English medium universities in Canada or South Africa. Students who studied in English in other countries, for example, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Singapore, etc., are not exempt from the English language requirement.
Visas
Visa eligibility forms will only be issued to admitted students. Depending on an admitted applicant’s nationality and particular circumstances, the University of Chicago issues either the I-20 or the DS-2019 visa eligibility forms. When presented to a U.S. consul, these forms enable a student to obtain an F-1 or J-1 visa, respectively. Verification of financial support is required before a visa eligibility form is issued. A financial resource statement will be sent upon admittance.
