Admissions Requirements for International Applicants & Transfer Students
The Raymond A. Mason School of Business is pleased to welcome students from all nations and academic backgrounds, including those with academic training in the military, and our Admissions Outreach Advisors are always prepared to guide you through our complete application and admissions requirements. While comprehensive details are outlined below, including country-specific record requirements, we encourage you to contact us at 844-234-4075 to verify what materials you may need and address any questions you may have.
More Resources for W&M Applicants
International Students
Academic Credential Requirements for International Applicants
International applicants must have successfully completed the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor's degree to be eligible for admission to the William & Mary online business programs. To apply to either program, you will need to submit copies of both your academic record and either the diploma or other documentation indicating the date and conferral of your degree. If the original language of the academic record and diploma is not English, a certified English translation must accompany the original document, and the translation should be literal rather than interpretive. If a certified copy of the original transcript is submitted, the institution from which the degree was received must certify it. Documents certified by a notary public are not acceptable. Credentials must include the following information:
- Years of attendance
- Courses taken
- Grades achieved
- Degree, diploma or certificate awarded and date of conferral
If you were provided with only one official copy of your transcript, you may submit a photocopy. If you are admitted, you will be required to submit the original to the Online Admissions Office for authentication.
The Evaluation Company (TEC) is our recommended international transcript evaluation service. They have created a custom application for William & Mary Online that will ensure you select the right kind of evaluation at a discounted rate. You can access their application here.
Country-Specific Expectations & Requirements
Please note that you may be required to submit your official academic records to an independent credential evaluator, if necessary.
Australia, New Zealand and South Africa
Bachelor's honours degree or bachelor's degree where standard of completion is four or more years of full-time study.
Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka
All three-year bachelor's degrees are sufficient to apply. Transcripts must be accompanied by a photocopy of the diploma and/or degree conferral. A degree conferral shows the date, location, and institution from which you received an official degree.
Canada
Three-year bachelor's degree from Quebec; four-year bachelor's degree from all other provinces.
France or French-Patterned Education System
Degree or Diplôme requiring four years of post-baccalaureate study from a university or a grand école.
Germany
University Diplom, Magister Artium or Staatsexamen. Graduates of Fachhochschulen and Berufakademien are not eligible. The Vordiplom by itself is not sufficient.
Indonesia
Sarjana (five years) or SI, awarded after four years of university study.
Mexico, Spain, Central and South America
Completion of all courses and thesis or professional exams required for the title or degree of Licenciado/Licenciatura or Bacharel.
Switzerland
Licence, Diplôme or Diplom; four to five years of university study.
United Kingdom and Schools Following British Pattern of Education
Honours bachelor's degree.
TOEFL/IELTS/PTE
TOEFL/IELTS/PTE Requirements
Those applicants who have not completed a degree within the United States, who have not earned a university degree in an English-speaking country (this does NOT include English-speaking institutions in non-English-speaking countries), or who have not lived and worked full-time in an English-speaking country for the past two or more years must submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or the Pearson Test of English (PTE).
The TOEFL/IELTS/PTE requirement is waived for those candidates who earn both of the following:
- A GMAT result in the 60th percentile or better in the Verbal section of the exam
- A GMAT result of 5.0 or better on the AWA section of the exam
On average, incoming students score 100 (internet-based), 250 (computer-based) or 600 (paper-based) on the TOEFL and a 6.5 on the IELTS. TOEFL and IELTS scores are valid for two years. We consider the applicant's TOEFL, IELTS or PTE score along with their GMAT scores in the Verbal and AWA sections, essays, and the admission interview to determine a candidate's language readiness to succeed in and contribute to the William & Mary MBA and MSBA communities.
William & Mary's Institution Code for TOEFL is 6987.
Transfer Credits
Transfer Credit Opportunities
The online business programs are comprised of courses that have been tailored to meet specific learning objectives, courses which support a specific sequential pattern of skills development. Because of these unique program designs and course structures, direct course equivalents may not always exist outside of William & Mary's own programs. However, students may request that an outside course be reviewed as a possible substitute, subject to the following:
- Courses must have been completed within (3) years of the student's matriculation in the selected W&M business program
- Courses may not have been applied to another graduate degree
- Transfer credit review must be requested by the end of the student's first semester
- Transfer credits must have been earned from an AACSB-accredited institution with a grade of B or better
Note about transfer credits: To ensure credit will be granted, students should seek approval for transfer credits prior to enrolling in the course they would like to have waived. To obtain approval for a course, students should contact the Program Director. Transfer credits are not included in the student's cumulative grade point average because only the credit transfers, not the grade. A minimum grade of "B" (a B- is not acceptable) is required for all transfer courses. All transfer credit hours must be posted on the student's record before they are eligible to graduate. If an official transcript is not received in time to process transfer credit in the semester a student intends to graduate, a revised Notice of Candidacy for Graduation form must be submitted for the following semester, at which time the student will graduate.
Credit for Military Training
Students with prior service in the Armed Forces of the United States may present a Joint Services Transcript or other documentation to the Program Office for transfer consideration. Equivalencies to William & Mary courses rarely exist, but where they do, credit may be granted with departmental approval. When reviewing these requests, the Military Guide from the American Council on Education will be consulted, but its recommendations do not automatically apply.