1. International Graduate Students Admissions Overview
Brief Policy Refreshers:
Degree equivalency
Institutional recognition
English proficiency
Official documents
Postsecondary Edu and Credentials from India & China
Overview of the CDGDC requirement
It takes time to admit int’l students. Please ensure you work with the international applicants long before the start of the their first semester of intended enrollment. Do not wait till the last minute. Doing so creates unnecessary pressure on us, you, and the applicants! We often see an influx of applications/credentials in our office towards the end of each semester, which causes delays. The sooner you can send over the applications, the better.

2. MSU Graduate Admission Policies Degree Equivalency
Admission to a graduate program requires completion of a level of education comparable/equivalent to a four-year U.S. bachelor’s degree. Normally, Michigan State University does not accept three-year bachelor’s degrees, diplomas or certificates as comparable to a four-year U.S. bachelor’s degree.
Exceptions are made by the Office of Admissions in the case of Indian students who have earned both three-year bachelor’s degrees and two-year master’s degrees.
Note: Applied Sciences bachelor’s degrees are not considered to be equivalent and require a waiver.

3. MSU Graduate Admission Policies Institutional Recognition
Degrees must be earned at an institution (or in some cases, a program) which is recognized by the government of the country in which it is located.
Recognition = MOE or membership in the International Association of Universities (IAU), or - in India – the University Grants Commission (UGC) or Association of Indian Universities (AIU).

4. MSU Graduate Admission Policies English Proficiency
All applicants must submit proof of English proficiency in the form of an acceptable score on one of the following standardized tests:
TOEFL MELAB IELTS
MELAB MSUELT PTE A
Waivers may be automatically granted by the Office of Admissions in cases of degrees earned in English-speaking countries.
In the absence of either of the above, departments must request a waiver approval from the graduate dean.
Details about waivers can be found at
ELP Waivers – see for details. TOEFL US-based while IELTS is international-based. NOTE UPDATED IELTS PROCESS - GRAD DEPTS SHOULD SAVE PHYSICAL DOCS AND ENVELOPES AND FORWARD TO ADMISSIONS. ANY UNUSUAL CASES WILL BE VERIFIED ONLINE BY ADMISSIONS. WE DO NOT ACCEPT TOEFL ITP SCORES IN LIEU OF REGULAR TOEFL SCORES. IT IS NOT A FULLY SECURED/AUTHORIZED TEST IN WAY THAT TOEFL IS. SEEMS TO BE USED AT INSTITUTIONS WHERE ENGLISH IS NOT THE DOMINANT LANGUAGE. Grad dean can check with us if questions about tests and scores.

5. MSU Graduate Admission Policies Official Academic Documents
Transcripts and diplomas must come in sealed, issuing institution’s envelopes.
Sealed envelopes may be mailed directly from the institution to the graduate department or they may be delivered, sealed, to the department by the student.
Records not issued in English must be submitted with a word-for- word English translation. Translations may be issued by the student’s institution or may be prepared by an authorized translator in the student’s home country (or a certified American Translation Agency agent see Also:
Applicants should NOT submit their only copy (or an institution’s only copy) of transcripts and diplomas. Our policy is not return ANY documentation we receive!
MCF: Applications should be sent by 2/15 by final deadline is 2/23. Send as soon as possible to ensure everything is reviewed in a timely manner! Applicants can also use a local, Lansing translation agency – 7C Lingo / (517) / Please make sure that student’s do not submit their only copy (or an institution’s only copy) of a diploma! Our policy is to not return transcripts and diplomas that have been received. Renee discusses this slide. She includes info on department’s responsibilities with documents before sending to admissions (e.g., envelopes, etc.), particularly on handout.

6. India

7. Education in India: Postsecondary Study
Bachelor of Arts, Science, or Commerce programs
Typically 3 years in length
Bachelor of Agriculture, Bachelor of Engineering, Bachelor of Technology programs
Typically 4 years in length
Master of Arts, Science, or Commerce programs
Typically two years in length
Post Graduate Diploma programs
Typically one year in length

8. 3 Year Bachelor of Arts, Provisional Certificate

9. 3 Year Bachelor of Commerce, Diploma
No standard format for bachelor’s degrees from India. Bachelor of commerce degree.

10. 3 Year Bachelor of Commerce, Transcript
We request applicants sent all transcripts, diplomas, mark sheets, etc. Some marks sheets will be detailed, others will be consolidated. Currently a movement towards consolidated marks sheets that also include credits (credits and marks, or just credits). Also, a movement towards a ten point grading system at postsecondary institutions. PLEASE CHECK WITH ME IF YOUR DEPT HAS QUESTIONS ABOUT GRADES SCALES/GRADES. It’s important for departments to keep up to date on grade scales, grading systems, and their US equivalencies. We have access to scales and suggested equivalencies we can share.

11. 4 Year Bachelor of Engineering, Marks Sheet

12. China

13. Education in China: Postsecondary Study
Zhuanke 专科 programs, Short-Cycle study, Junior College study
Typically 2 or 3 year programs
Generally focused on applied study, for employment
Lead to Diplomas
Students have the possibility of continuing on to benke degree programs; duration is typically two additional years
Benke 本科 programs, Long-Cycle study, Degree Program
Duration is typically 4 years for undergraduate study; 5 years for professional study such as Architecture, Medicine, Veterinary Medicine
Master 硕士degree programs typically lasts 2 to 3 years
The first two or three semesters are spent on taking courses and examinations and the rest is spent on research and thesis preparation

14. Benke (Long Cycle) Graduation Certificate
More or less will look like this. Four Chinese characters in red box indicate it’s a graduation certificate.

15. Bachelor’s Degree from China (Pre-2016) 学学
Note the two Chinese characters ( 学学 ) that are underlined on the sample….they will always be found on a bachelor’s degree diploma (indicating that the degree has been conferred). This was the standard format for bachelor’s degree diplomas from China from about 2008 to Some institutions may still issue diplomas like this!

16. Since January 2016…
Bachelor’s diplomas since January 2016 may allow for institutional creativity/design. Note subtle difference between this version and the one on the previous slide. This is a bachelor of management, awarded 2017 from Shandong University of Finance and Economics.

17. Bachelor of management. Awarded 2017
Bachelor of management. Awarded Wuhan University of Science and Technology.

18. Many institutions issue transcripts in English and in Chinese; some may only issue in Chinese; some may issue in English. This transcript example is of transfer student…so not all semesters completed.

20. MSU Graduate Admission Policies CDGDC Process
Chinese applicants should arrange for their official documents to be sent directly to their MSU department.
All ADMITTED students must then verify their undergraduate documents through the China Academic Degrees and Graduate Education Development Center (CDGDC) and should be referred to (English) or (Chinese) for information.
Departments should have received the information sheet “verification of degrees from china” regarding the process for admitting Chinese students! An updated sheet, with more detail, will be provided. No changes, just more detail – including a sample “perfect CDGDC report packet”

21. MSU Graduate Admission Policies – CDGDC Process
Students should have the CDGDC send a verification report packet containing their 1) Institutional recognition and undergraduate program completion information (e.g., 2008 – 2012), 2) copy of final bachelor’s transcript in Chinese and English OR just English and 2) verification of bachelor’s degree (verification page only). The report packet should be mailed directly from the CDGDC to the Office of Admissions. A hold will be placed on students’ accounts until the packet is received.
Deadlines for CDGDC verification: March 1st (Spring); July 1st (Summer); Oct 15 (Fall)
Because the verification process takes time, please be sure your Chinese students are aware of the policy and encourage them to start early!
SHOW EXAMPLE OF CDGDC REPORT. I will be sending out, via the grad school listserv, the process report ALONG WITH a sample perfect CDGDC packet, along with clarification of what specifically needs to be in that packet. Departments need to ensure students are requesting the correct reports in the correct format. As example, reports MUST be in English. Transcript copies included in the packet can be in Chinese/English or just English.

22. Questions?

23. Open Credential Analysis Sessions
Dates: Thursday, February 8, 2018 – 4 to 5 pm
Tuesday, February 27, 2018 – 3:30 to 5 pm
Location: OA Conference Room
No RSVP Necessary.
Rm 255, in the Office of Admissions, Hannah Administration Building

24. Patrick Leahy, PhD International Credential Analyst Office of Admissions Phone: (517)
Please do not distribute my phone number to applicants, students, or other individuals not affiliated with your department or MSU.