Undergraduate Admission

Applicants must submit official transcripts from each institution attended.

• Freshman must submit official transcripts from all secondary or middle schools attended. If secondary school in your country includes standardized graduation exams and certificates, official copies of these should be submitted.
  
• Transfers must submit official transcripts from every post-secondary institution attended, including colleges, universities, professional and technical schools.

If your transcript is issued by your school in a language other than English, we require the official, original language document as well as an official, or certified, English translation.

No college transfer credit is awarded for secondary school work through the 12^th year of education. However, it is possible to earn college credit by achieving satisfactory grades on advanced standing exams conducted by the University.

International Transfer Credit Process
The Office of Admissions & Recruitment evaluates and verifies all academic credentials to determine whether transfer credit will be awarded. All college level coursework completed at an international institution accredited and recognized by the Ministry of Education in that country will be awarded. You must provide official syllabi or course descriptions for all coursework in order for courses to be equated to OU coursework. Upon admission to OU, grades for courses completed at international institutions are converted to neutral S (satisfactory) or U (unsatisfactory) grades.

Recognition of Ministry Education
We will first determine the following whenever you have attended a post-secondary college or university:

1. Is the institution recognized by the Ministry of Education or other recognized educational authorities?

•     Yes - transfer credit will be awarded.
•     No - transfer credit will not be awarded.
•     If we cannot find information verifying its recognition, you are responsible for providing documentation. No credit will be awarded if recognition cannot be confirmed.

2. Is the program technical or vocational?

• The University of Oklahoma does not recognize technical or vocational institutions. Transfer credit will not be awarded.

Course Syllabi
If you are transferring from an international college or university, Admissions and Recruitment encourages you to obtain course syllabi or course descriptions of the post-secondary courses for subjects that you have taken previously. Syllabi are preferred.

Students who do not provide syllabi or course descriptions may only expect to receive general elective credit for the courses they have taken. If you receive general credit for these courses, please make note that such courses may not apply to your degree program. Students should know that even if they provide course syllabi or course descriptions to the Office of Admissions and Recruitment, the courses may not be deemed to be the equivalent of a course at The University of Oklahoma and may instead be given general elective credit.

Completed International Transfer Credit Evaluations
The transfer credit evaluations of foreign credentials are completed only after an applicant has been formally admitted to OU. Transfer applicants should submit their official transcripts and course syllabi or descriptions when applying to OU. This will ensure the most accurate evaluation of credit and will eliminate delays in the evaluation process. Upon admission to OU, grades for courses completed at international institutions are converted to neutral S (satisfactory) or U (unsatisfactory) grades.

Transfer Equivalency Guides
The University of Oklahoma has developed a transfer equivalency database with courses from some U.S. institutions. This list changes frequently as more courses are evaluated.

Questions?
If you have specific questions regarding our transfer credit policies, please email us at intladmissions@ou.edu or call the Office of Admissions and Recruitment at : 1-405-325-2151.

Applications must be submitted online (freshman, transfer, readmit, or non-degree). Freshman may apply to OU using the Common Application or the Coalition Application if applying to multiple universities in the United States that are part of the Common Application or Coalition Application.

Please make sure to enter your name as it appears on your passport or national identity card. If there are variations of your name on your credentials, please list these alternatives as well.

Freshmen applicants are encouraged to submit a letter of recommendation, but they are optional. Up to three letters may be submitted. 

• Any high school official, including a counselor, teacher, principal, etc. Preferably someone who knows the student well.
• Students will need to know the name and email address of their preferred recommender so he/she can be contacted about composing the letter of recommendation.
  

A non-refundable $90 processing fee must be paid for the international application. Your application cannot be reviewed for an admission decision until the fee is received.

Please submit a clear photocopy of the biographic page of your passport. If dependents will accompany you to OU, provide copies of their passport biographic pages, along with marriage and birth certificates, as applicable, to verify your family relationship.

If you currently hold a visa in the U.S., please provide a clear copy of that as well.

All applicants for whom English is a second language must present evidence of proficiency in the English Language in one of these ways:

1. 79 on the Internet-based TOEFL. Consistency across subsections will be considered for English proficiency. For example, for the TOEFL IBT, generally, a minimum score of 20 is expected in each section of Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing. Scores over two years old by the beginning of the term you wish to enter are not acceptable unless you have been attending school in the U.S. since the test date.
   
2. 6.5 on the IELTS. Consistency across subsections will be considered for English proficiency. Scores over two years old by the beginning of the term you wish to enter are not acceptable unless you have been attending school in the U.S. since the test date.
   
3. 100 on the Duolingo English Test (DET).
4. 53 on Pearson Test of English (PTE Academic).
5. Secondary school work in the United States, including achievement of the high school curricular requirements required for freshman admission, or attainment of the recognized certificate of completion required for entrance into a university in any other country in which English is the native language and the language of instruction in the high school.
6. Satisfactory completion of 24 or more semester hours of college-level coursework from a regionally or nationally accredited university in the United States, or in any other country in which English is the native language.
   Note: Simple instruction in English, completion of 24 hours of university coursework, or completion of a degree in a country in which English is the official, but not native, language will not satisfy this requirement. See the list of OU Approved Native English Speaking Countries.
   
7. Completion of a Bachelor’s degree, or higher, at an accredited university in the United States, or in any other country in which English is the native language.
8. Successful completion of the University of Oklahoma CESL program.

In order for our International Student Services Office to start processing your I-20, or DS-2029, you must provide the required financial documentation.

Under U.S. immigration law, you must verify sufficient financial documentation of funds available for study in the U.S. for you and your dependents, as applicable. Note: If a financial document is under someone else's name, the account holder must fill out a Financial Support Letter to be submitted with the financial document.

Financial documents must clearly state bank name and logo, account number (partial is acceptable), account holder's name, date of statement, and account balance. Date on financial document cannot be more than 90 days ago. Please refer to our list of Acceptable Financial Documents for more information.

All non-US citizens applying to study in the U.S. are required to demonstrate financial support equivalent to annual academic and living expenses. View our estimated costs.

Once you have been admitted by OU and you have submitted sufficient financial documentation, then OU International Student Services will initiate the creation of your I-20 or DS-2019, the process of transferring your SEVIS record (I-20 or DS-2019) from another U.S. university, or will advise you on how to proceed with changing your status from another visa type to an F-1.

If you have any additional questions about the process of obtaining an I-20 or DS-2019, or about immigration-related documents in general, please contact:

International Student Services (OU ISS)
Farzaneh Hall,
729 Elm Avenue, Room 144
Norman, OK 73019

405-325-3337
iss@ou.edu
ou.edu/cis/iss

Timeline for receiving the I-20 or DS-2019 varies*:

1. Office of Admissions processes your admission and you are admitted to University or CESL. 

2. OU ISS starts the process of issuing your I-20 or DS-2019, then it may take up to:

• 3-10 business days*: Your I-20 or DS-2019 is issued by International Student Services.

3. Once issued, your I-20 or DS-2019 form will be delivered to you by email.

*These time-frames are valid only when OU has received all requested documents and you have accepted the offer of admission.