International Graduate Admissions

The Graduate School does not provide application fee waivers. All applicants are required to pay the fee in order to have their application processed and reviewed.

When reviewing academic records from institutions outside the U.S., the university will determine whether an applicant's education is equivalent to a U.S. bachelor's degree. View a list of diplomas and certificates from various countries that may be considered equivalent.

You can check the status of your application in your application portal. We cannot give you an estimated time of when a final decision will be made, however when there is an update to your status, your portal will reflect that.

Admission requirements are listed on the website for each graduate program. We ask that applicants not submit materials that are not required as it can hold up the application / review process.

Some programs are unable to meet the enrollment requirements necessary for F1 Visa eligibility. International students who wish to study on an F1 Visa at Wichita State University should apply to one of our other programs. To see if a program is eligible, refer to the list below:

• Arts Leadership & Management*
• Health Administration*
• Human Resource Management*
• Nursing
• School Psychology
• Special Education*
• Sport Management
• Teaching

*These programs may be completed online. 

Depending on the program you apply for and the volume of applicants, decisions can take a few days to a few months. It's important to check your application portal for missing materials. When a decision is made on your application, you will receive an email to check your portal for the decision.

At the graduate level, you cannot simply notify us that you want to change your major. In order to get into a new program, you have to apply, submit the app fee, and be re-evaluated based on that programs admission requirements. Please be aware that the app fee amount is based on date and cannot be changed and certain programs have deadlines for application submission.

If you have certain conditions or pre-requisite courses listed in our admission letter, the expectation is that you clear those within your first semester to first year as a graduate student. These were assigned to you based on the review the program did of your transcripts / marksheets. They are to help prepare you for the rigor of the graduate program and make sure you are successful in higher level coursework.

If you think you should not have been assigned certain pre-requisite courses, please reach out to your academic advisor listed in your admission letter.

It is mandatory for international applicants to provide an acceptable TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, or Duolingo score report for admission. We understand that many countries have English as an official language along with other languages that are native to that country. Many, if not most, of our foreign students are educated (at least at the college level) in English. However, we find that the experience of being educated in English vs. living in a country where the native language is English, to be very different.

To ensure the success of our graduate students, we require demonstration of high level of proficiency in English.

The only time the TOEFL/IELTS/PTE/Duolingo requirement is waived is when the applicant has graduated from a university located in the US/UK/Canadian/New Zealand, or Australia within the last 2 years. Testing English proficiency is not only to our benefit, but yours as well. It will help you measure your preparedness for reading, writing, and comprehending English at a level sufficient for a higher education setting. We want all of our students to be successful, and excellent English language skills are a key to that success.

Financial assistance for graduate students usually comes in the form of an assistantship with the department. Assistantships provide a wage and, if you work enough hours, may entitle you to a lower in-state tuition rate.

Each department does its own hiring. You should contact the graduate coordinator of the department regarding assistantship opportunities, however Shocker Central is a great place to start looking. You can search and apply for on-campus employment via the Shocker Central website.

Keep in mind that most departments will not consider a student for an assistantship until they have completed at least one semester of study at WSU. Assistantships are very competitive, so there is no guarantee you will be given an assistantship.

Pay Tuition and Fees

Students are not required to pay their tuition and fees before coming to Wichita. Tuition, fees, and housing payments are charged on a semester-by-semester basis. Deadline for payment is usually two weeks after school starts. There are several options to make payment to the university:

• Direct Deposit from U.S. Bank Account: After you open a bank account in the U.S., you can setup direct deposit from your U.S. bank account to your student account at WSU.
• Electronic Bank Transfer: Wichita State University uses a payment platform called Flywire to process international payments via wire transfers. Learn more about Flywire.
• Check, Bank Draft, Money Order, or Traveler's Checks: If you bring a check or bank draft with you to Wichita, it is very important that the check be made payable to "Wichita State University" (and not to you). Your check should include the address of the bank in the U.S. for collections. If the check is made payable to you, you may not be able to use the money for 1-2 weeks after the check is deposited to your bank in the U.S. If your check is for an amount that exceeds what you owe, any extra amount will be applied to your next semester's tuition and will not be refunded to you.
  • NOTE: For any student who does not have an existing bank account or has been restricted to pay by personal check, for your convenience you can take your cash and get a cashier's check at the Campus Credit Union (located at 21st & Oliver). Let them know that the cashier's check is for payment of your tuition, fees, or housing so that you will not be charged a fee.
• Credit Card: If you use a credit card to pay for your tuition, fees, medical insurance, or housing, a nonrefundable 2.85% service fee will be added.
• Debit Card - VISA, MasterCard: Payment is made online only by going to the Student Account Suite. To avoid the 2.85% fee (min $3) associated with credit card payments, we encourage you to pay using electronic check process by entering the bank routing and account number attached to the debit card. Debit card payments cannot be made to a cashier in the Accounts Receivable office.
• Installment Payment Plan: This allows you to pay for your tuition and fees in smaller installments each semester. With this plan, you can make a nonrefundable payment of US$130 (which includes a US$30 administrative fee) before the payment deadline in each semester. After the initial payment of US$130, the balance will be split into three equal installments due on the 15th of each month. You can arrange the Payment Plan by logging into your WSU student account.
• International Payments Through Flywire: WSU accepts international payments through Flywire. This allows payers to make payments in local currency or in US dollars by credit card, bank transfer (wire transfer), and other payment options from over 100 countries.

Know the cost of your education

The cost listed on your I-20 is an estimate. Actual cost of tuition and fees will depend on your major and the number of classes you take. The amount you owe will be posted in your WSU student account.

Buy an airline ticket

The Wichita airport is called Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (airport code ICT). If you are coming from a country outside of the U.S., you will have at least one connecting flight before arriving in Wichita. We suggest you allow for at least a 3-hour layover in your first arrival city in the U.S. so that you have sufficient time for immigration processing, customs inspection, and a required security check before your connecting flight leaves for Wichita.

Please refer to dates in the pre-departure information when you book your air tickets. You must arrive to the United States by the start date on the I-20 or you risk being barred entry. The Graduate School does not permit late arrival entry after that date.

* Note: If starting classes in January, the University is typically closed between December 24 through January 2. You should not plan to arrive on these dates.

Our free airport pickup service is available from Wichita D. Eisenhower National Airport (ICT). Fall 2025 free airport pick up is available from August 4 to 13, 2025. Please note: you will need to submit your pick up request at least 48 hours before arrival.

If you arrive before the listed dates, there are many options of ground transportation at the Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport. You may choose to take a taxi or Uber/Lyft to the University, taxi fare is approximately US$30. For details of airport amenities and ground transportation options, please visit www.flywichita.com.

Off-campus housing

Most graduate students are choose to stay in off-campus housing because of the significant cost savings that comes with sharing a rented home.

The university is happy to provide a centralized place to start your search for an off-campus apartment or house. Please visit https://offcampushousing.wichita.edu/listing.

Many communities which are located within a radius of 1 mile around the campus:

• 3 Community apartments on N Oliver Avenue.
• 1 Community apartment on the 21^st Street
• 2 Community apartments on 17^th Street beside the Garvey International Center.

There is a free shuttle service for all the Wichita state university students from Monday to Saturday in the timings that are being provided in the mobile application. Communities further out may require other modes of transportation.