International applicants

Review the UW international admission requirements that apply to your student type:

• Transfer applicants
• Post-baccalaureate applicants

International applicants include students who hold an F-1 student visa or another temporary, nonimmigrant visa.

Non-native English speakers must demonstrate English language proficiency as required by the UW School of Nursing.

1. Have received a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree from a regionally accredited school in the United States where English is the medium of instruction, or from a school in the following countries where English is the medium of instruction and, while enrolled, were in residence on campus:
   • Australia
   • The Bahamas
   • Canada
   • Ireland
   • Jamaica
   • Kenya
   • New Zealand
   • Singapore
   • South Africa
   • Trinidad and Tobago
   • United Kingdom; or
2. Provide official documentation from your undergraduate degree-granting institution (if the institution is in a country not listed in item 1 above) verifying that all instruction is in English. A minimum of three years of enrollment at the institution is required. Documentation must be presented to the UW Graduate School; credential service reports are not acceptable. Acceptable documentation must be one of the following:
   • Official or attested letter from the undergraduate college, university registrar, or Controller of Examinations office
   • Official transcripts, attested mark sheets, or degree statements if English is stated as the medium of instruction
3. Submit official English language test scores electronically to the UW through the testing center.

If you have questions about whether you qualify for an exemption from this requirement, contact the School of Nursing.

English proficiency scores

PhD, DNP and advanced practice certificate applicants

Submit two qualifying scores from within the past two years:

• One general English proficiency score
• One spoken English score

MS, Advanced Practice Environmental & Occupational Health certificate and Population Health Equity certificate applicants

Submit one general English proficiency score from within the past two years.

If you do not successfully complete the English proficiency requirements, you cannot continue enrollment as a graduate student.

If you attended any college or university outside the United States, you must submit a foreign transcript evaluation through World Education Services (WES) using the International Credential Advantage Package (ICAP). A course-by-course evaluation is required for each institution attended outside the United States unless the coursework was completed as part of a study abroad program and the credit appears on your home university transcript.

Important guidelines

• Request your evaluation early. WES is currently experiencing processing delays. Evaluations may take up to six weeks, so request yours well before the application deadline.
• Evaluation type: Request a course-by-course U.S. equivalency report.

How to submit your evaluation

1. Send your official foreign transcripts directly to WES.
2. Have the completed WES evaluation sent to you. Do not send the evaluation to the UW School of Nursing.
3. Upload the completed WES evaluation to your online School of Nursing application.

Your application will not be considered complete without the required documentation.

If you cannot obtain a WES evaluation

If you are unable to obtain a WES evaluation, contact us as soon as possible at asknursing@uw.edu to discuss alternative evaluation services that may be accepted.

If you attended a college or university outside the United States, you must submit the required foreign transcript documentation and evaluation. To meet UW Graduate School requirements, evaluations must be completed through World Education Services (WES) using the International Credential Advantage Package (ICAP).

Important guidelines

• Request your evaluation early. WES is currently experiencing processing delays, and evaluations may take up to six weeks. Request your evaluation well before the application deadline to allow time to receive and upload it.
• If you are unable to obtain a WES evaluation, contact us at asknursing@uw.edu to discuss alternative evaluations that may be accepted.

The UW Graduate School does not accept WES Basic or other credential evaluation services to fulfill its official transcript requirement. For more information, review the UW Graduate School Official Transcript Requirements page.

How to submit your documents

Send your official foreign transcripts to WES and request a course-by-course U.S. equivalency report. Have the completed evaluation sent to you.

Your application must include:

• Original foreign transcripts with English translations, if applicable. Upload these in the Report Prior Schools section of your UW MyGrad application.
• Transcript evaluation reports. Upload these in the Credential/Transcript Evaluations section of your UW MyGrad application.

You do not need to submit a foreign transcript or evaluation for coursework completed through a study abroad program if the credits appear on your home institution’s transcript.

However, if you are using a course completed outside the United States to meet a prerequisite, you must submit the foreign transcript and evaluation.

Nurses educated outside the United States should review the Washington State Board of Nursing (WABON) licensure requirements for nurses educated outside the United States.

The licensing process determines whether you are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) in Washington state. You must successfully pass the NCLEX-RN to receive RN licensure.

If you live in Washington state, the Puget Sound Welcome Back Center can help internationally educated nurses navigate the credentialing process.

You may also obtain RN licensure in another U.S. state and later apply for Washington state licensure through endorsement.

If you are already licensed as an RN in another U.S. state, you may apply for Washington state RN licensure by endorsement.

DNP applicants must hold a current RN license in a U.S. state to be eligible to apply. If admitted, you must obtain a Washington state RN license before beginning the DNP program.