Information for International Students

English Language Proficiency Policy

Johns Hopkins University requires graduate students to have adequate English proficiency for their course of study and be able to read, speak, and write English fluently upon their arrival at the university. International applicants for whom English is not the primary language in the country where they hold citizenship are required to submit English Language Proficiency test scores or, if eligible, apply for the English Language Proficiency Waiver before they can be offered admissions and before a visa certificate can be issued.

View English Proficiency Policy and Test Waiver Eligibility to read the full policy, see list of accepted exams with preferred minimum test scores, learn if you qualify for the waiver, and how to apply for the waiver directly in the application.

Transcripts and Translations

Applicants are required to provide unofficial transcripts for application review. Visit General Application Requirements for detailed information on transcript requirements for all applicants. If a university-provided unofficial transcript is not available, contact our office for assistance by email: [email protected].

Certified Translations

The Office of Engineering Graduate Admissions requires literal, certified translations for all documents issued in a language other than English. If your school provides unofficial transcripts in both the original language and an English translation, you are not required to obtain a third-party translation.

 If translations are not officially provided by your university, the Whiting School will accept translations from the following:

• ATA certified translators
• Translation agencies
• Court-appointed translators
• The Consulate

All translations submitted with your application must be literal (not an interpretation or a paraphrasing) and complete versions of the original records. Plain translations, notarized translations, and/or translations done by someone other than a certified translator are not acceptable. All translations should be on a translator’s letterhead. Evaluations performed by agencies such as WES will not be used in place of certified translations.

Official copies of translations are not required for application review purposes. Applicants can submit copies of the certified translation if the translation meets the requirements listed above. If admitted and choose to enroll, students will be required to submit official translations sent directly from the translator/agency. Visit Submitting Final Documents for more information.

Credential Evaluation

International applicants may provide an optional credential evaluation(s) in addition to unofficial transcripts. An unofficial copy of the credential evaluation may be submitted directly in the application on the “Supporting Materials” tab. These evaluations do not replace the transcript, and you are still required to upload unofficial transcripts as instructed.

We strongly recommend professional credential evaluation services for all foreign academic work, which allow our graduate programs to better assess academic records during application review. If you choose to submit a credential evaluation, we recommend World Education Services (WES) or SpanTran.

World Educational Services

If you choose to submit an optional World Education Services (WES) report, we require the ICAP course by course evaluation. Official WES reports are not required for application review but can be sent electronically to Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering ([email protected]) and your credential evaluation populates automatically to your application.

SpanTran

If you choose to submit an optional SpanTran report, we recommend utilizing the custom application available to applicants of the Whiting School of Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. This custom application is available at a discounted rate, will select the required course-by-course with GPA evaluation, and provide a verified copy that populates automatically to your application.

Visa and I-20 Questions

All inquiries regarding Visa and I-20 status can be directed to our Office of International Services (OIS). Read the OIS COVID-19 Immigration FAQ for important and updated information. If you still have questions, contact OIS directly by email: [email protected].