Requirements for international students
- Before the University of Missouri can issue immigration documents, international students must provide evidence of financial support and must show adequate funding for at least one year (12 months) at MU based on current estimated annual expenses. Please note that tuition and fees listed for the estimated expenses assumes enrollment in nine (9) credit hours in Fall and Spring semesters.
- International students whose native language is not English must submit test scores from TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) of 100 or better on the internet-based exam or IELTS (International English Language Testing System) of 7.0 or better, or Duolingo scores of 120 or better.
- All international students are required to carry medical insurance and will be automatically enrolled in the university’s international student insurance plan through Aetna. Premiums for mandatory health insurance are included in the residential tuition and fee tables. International students with an assistantship position will receive either a partial or full subsidy applied automatically to their insurance premium.
Financial aid opportunities
International students are eligible for scholarships and are encouraged to submit their application by March 1, the priority deadline. International students must apply by March 30 so that there is enough time to complete the visa process before they are due to arrive on campus.
International students who hold F or J visas have the option to pursue employment in the United States, but must follow work authorization requirements. Students may work up to 20 hours per week on campus during the Fall and Spring semesters and may work more than 20 hours per week on campus during the summer semester and other designated university breaks.
Graduate Assistantship positions (see further information in Residential student funding options section) and Graduate fellowships are open to international students. To be eligible for Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA) positions, international students must complete an assessment of oral English language proficiency and achieve results required for the GTA position. International students accepting GTA positions must complete the Orientation for New International TAs (ONITA) before the first semester of teaching or assisting at MU. ONITA takes place the week before the start of the Fall and Spring semesters. These requirements do not apply to Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA) positions. To be considered for Graduate fellowships, students should apply by mid-January.
The Curator’s Grant-in-Aid scholarship (GIA) is awarded to international students who have completed at least two regular semesters of study at MU. Students must have completed two regular semesters at MU (Fall and Spring terms) to be eligible to apply. GIA scholarships for graduate students waive from one to nine credit hours of tuition per semester. GIA scholarships are awarded on a semester by semester basis, and students must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 to be eligible. Financial need is also taken into account by the GIA Review Committee in awarding the scholarships.
The MU Alumni Association’s Global Tiger Scholarship is available to returning international students. These awards are for $1,000 and are generally non-renewable.
Other financial aid opportunities are available through external scholarships; see our list of possible external scholarship awards for eligibility criteria.
International student costs
For tuition and fees, see the Residential MHA page
Other scholarship opportunities
Explore other scholarship and financial aid opportunities for MHA students
Application and admission
Find information on the application process, application deadlines and essay requirements on the application and admission page