International Students

Language Proficiency and TOEFL/IELTS Scores

Applicants are required to take a TOEFL/IELTS if they attended an undergraduate institution, earning a bachelor’s degree where the sole language of instruction was not English. TOEFL scores are valid for five years and IELTS scores are valid for two years. Score reports must be valid at the time of application submission.

Applicants will not be required to submit an English competency exam if:

• English is not your native language (or in the case of bilingual students, your dominant language is not English)
• AND you hold an undergraduate degree granted by an accredited institution where 1) English is the language of instruction and 2) the accredited institution is located in a country where English is an official language.

Applicants will need the approval from the Office of Admissions to become exempt from submitting an English competency exam if:

• English is not your native language (or in the case of bilingual students, your dominant language is not English)
• AND you hold a graduate degree granted by an accredited institution in a country where 1) English is the language of instruction and 2) the accredited institution is located in a country where English is an official language.

Applicants may request a TOEFL waiver if the attended accredited institution is located in one of the following countries whose official language is English:

Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Cameroon*, Canada*, Cayman Islands, Cook Islands, Dominica, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, India, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Micronesia, Montserrat, Namibia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Philippines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Saint Maarten, South Africa, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Uganda, United Kingdom, Zimbabwe.

Visa Information for In-Person Residencies

The MA in Global Risk (online) program includes two in-person residencies in Washington DC. All international students must obtain an F-1 visa for each residency.

The F-1 status is a non-immigrant classification that permits you to study in the US, provided that you are registered as a full-time student and maintain your F-1 status for the duration it is required.

Important: The visa issued to you will be valid only for the duration of the residency, and not for the entire length of the master’s program.

Applying for Your Visa

Here are three important points in the visa process:

• Program admittance
  • Once you have been admitted to the MA in Global Risk (online) program, the process to obtain the visa begins approximately four months prior to your first residency. You will receive an email from JHU’s Office of International Services (OIS) with information on applying for your visa.
• Form I-20
  • The OIS issues the Form I-20. This form allows you to apply for your F-1 visa at a US consulate in your home country. If you are already in the United States on a different visa, you can use the Form I-20 to request a change of status to F-1.
• Residency dates
  • JHU will provide you with the exact dates for which you are eligible to be in the United States. These dates revolve around the residency dates of your program. You will need to present these dates, along with your Form I-20, at your local US embassy to apply for your visa.

Get Help With Your Visa Questions

We know the visa process is complex, and so we encourage you to reach out to our Office of International Services (OIS) with any questions. The OIS provides immigration, visa, and travel guidance to the entire Johns Hopkins University international community, including students in the MA in Global Risk (online) program.

You can review their information for new students or contact them with any F-1 visa questions by emailing ois@jhu.edu or calling +1 667-208-700.