Graduate Studies

Admission Requirements

Please refer to the appropriate section below for details on admission requirements based on your student level:

New Freshman

  • Hold a credential that is comparable to a U.S. high school diploma.
  • Have a grade point average of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale. All marks and scores will be converted to a 4.0 grading scale.
  • Non-native English speaking applicants must submit satisfactory English proficiency scores on one of the following exams: TOEFL, IELTS, ITEP, or PTE Academic. (Use school code 1900 for WIU.) Learn more about English proficiency requirements and countries exempt from this requirement.

Transfer Student

  • Have a combined grade point average of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 grading scale for all college level coursework attempted and good standing at the last institution attended. All marks and scores will be converted to a 4.0 grading scale.
  • Applicants who have earned less than the equivalent of 24 semester hours must also meet freshman admission standards.
  • Non-native English speaking applicants must submit satisfactory English proficiency scores on one of the following exams: TOEFL, IELTS, ITEP, or PTE Academic. (Use school code 1900 for WIU.) Learn more about English proficiency requirements and countries exempt from this requirement.
  • See our Transfer Credits page for information about transferring your undergraduate college credits at WIU.

Graduate Students

  • Hold a degree comparable to a recognized U.S. bachelor's degree.
  • Have a combined GPA of at least 2.75 on a 4.0 scale for all college courses attempted; or have a 3.0 or higher GPA for the last two years of undergraduate work attempted. All marks and scores will be converted to a 4.0 grading scale. Some departments have a higher GPA requirement so please refer to the Departmental Admission Requirements.
  • Non-native English speaking applicants must submit satisfactory English proficiency scores on one of the following exams: TOEFL, IELTS, ITEP, or PTE Academic. (Use school code 1900 for WIU.) Learn more about English proficiency requirements and countries exempt from this requirements. Some academic programs may require higher scores for admission.

Additional Information

  • All applicants from Nigeria, Benin and Cameroon are required to submit official paper academic records prior to being considered for admission.
  • All applicants who attended a private University in Benin are required to submit a WES ICAP document by document evaluation.
  • WIU reserves the right to request an official transcript or WES ICAP document by document evaluation from any applicant prior to being considered for admission. Applicants will be notified by email should this be required.