English language proficiency
If English is not your first language, you must submit an official, current English-language competency exam score, regardless of your English language studies or academic history. All SPU graduate programs accept Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), and some accept the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Find more information about language proficiency minimum scores.
SPU considers you to be a native speaker of English if your primary and secondary education took place in Australia, Canada (other than Quebec), Great Britain, Ireland, New Zealand, or the United States (other than Puerto Rico).
Contact Graduate Admissions if you have any questions.
Exemption from English language proficiency exams
You may be exempted from the English proficiency testing requirements if:
- You have earned baccalaureate or advanced degrees at Seattle Pacific University or at another regionally accredited college or university in the U.S., or at an accredited university in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, or New Zealand.
Contact Graduate Admissions if you have any questions.
Foreign transcripts
The degree-granting institution must be recognized by the Ministry of Education (or its equivalent) in the country where the degree was granted.
Transcripts and diplomas must be translated into English by the institution, accredited credential service, or Ministry of Education.
You must have earned, or be earning, the equivalent of a four-year U.S. baccalaureate degree prior to starting a graduate program at SPU.
To be considered official, all transcripts must have the official stamp or seal from the issuing institution, and must be received by the Graduate Admissions in sealed envelopes prepared by the university or college.
Transcript evaluations
If you earned an undergraduate degree in a country other than the United States, or your degree is in progress, an official course-by-course credential evaluation must be submitted from a NACES member-recognized credential service. Acceptable credential services include, but are not limited to, World Education Services (WES) and Foundation for International Services (FIS).
In addition to the evaluation report, we also require official transcripts and diplomas to be submitted, in English.
Financial documentation
The U.S. government requires you to show financial evidence that you have sufficient funds to cover tuition and living expenses during your period of intended enrollment. You or your financial sponsor(s) must submit an official copy of your bank statements, verifying that you have adequate U.S. funds available for the first year of study at Seattle Pacific.
Applicants who are not citizens or permanent residents of the United States must provide an official confidential statement of financial support covering each year of intended enrollment. Financial assistance is available only to U.S. citizens and permanent residents.
Contact Graduate Admissions if you have any questions.