Office of Admissions Services

International Applicants

The Bloomberg School takes pride in its diverse student population and welcomes the opportunity to work with students from around the world.

This page is dedicated to our international applicants, as well as those who have studied at international institutions. In addition to the application requirements, international applicants may have to submit additional documentation.

English Language Proficiency Test

Most international applicants must submit scores of an English language proficiency test. Unless an applicant meets one of the exemption criteria listed below, official English language proficiency test scores less than 2 years old will be required as part of the application. To fulfill this requirement, the Bloomberg School will accept scores from the following tests. Please contact Admissions Services if you have questions about acceptable test scores. We do not accept the TOEFL Essentials or TOEFL ITP.

International students applying for J-1 status must meet Department of State requirements for documenting English Proficiency.  Please consult the Office of International Services for guidance.

TOEFL

Internet Based Test (iBT) (Includes TOEFL iBT Home Edition)

The ETS institution code for SOPHAS applicants is 5688. SOPHAS Express applicants should use code 5352. Applicants who have tested multiple times should submit all test results.

Minimum Scores iBT: 100

IELTS Academic

 (Includes IELTS Online; IELTS General Test is not accepted)

All SOPHAS applicants submit IELTS scores directly to SOPHAS. SOPHAS Express applicants should email a copy of your score report  to bsph.admissions@jhu.edu.

Minimum Score: 7

 

Duolingo English Test

All applicants submit Duolingo English Test Scores directly to the Bloomberg School. Please select Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health as a recipient.

Minimum Composite Score: 130

Pearson Test for English – PTE Academic

(Includes PTE Academic Online)

All applicants submit PTE Academic Test Scores directly to the Bloomberg School. Please select Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health as a recipient.

Minimum Score: 68

Exemptions

Be sure to complete your test well before your Bloomberg School application is due. Your application will not be reviewed until all materials are received and may be withdrawn if incomplete after the application deadline.

International Applicants are NOT REQUIRED to submit English language proficiency test scores if they meet at least one of the following exemption criteria:

  • U.S. Citizen or U.S. Permanent Resident
  • Graduate of a Johns Hopkins University Degree Program in the last five years
  • Earned or in the process of earning a bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. institution
  • Citizen of one of the countries on the English Speaking Country List
  • Earned, or in the process of earning, a four-year bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in one of the English Speaking Country List
  • Can provide a WES credential evaluation verifying that English was the only language of instruction for a four-year degree or longer
  • Earned an MBBS Degree (in English) from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, or Saudi Arabia
  • Applicants from Canada* who have completed former degrees in English

*Applicants from Canada who have completed former degrees in French must submit English proficiency test scores.

We do NOT accept letters indicating the language of instruction is/was English in lieu of the above exceptions.

Credential Evaluations

ALL coursework earned or expected to earn from outside the U.S. or English Speaking Canada and must reflect that the applicant has the equivalent of a four-year U.S. bachelor’s degree. All degrees listed in your application (CV and Educational History), whether relating to the degree you are applying to or not, must be evaluated. The process can take several months. Study Abroad coursework is exempt from the Credential Evaluation Process and should be entered into SOPHAS following their instructions.

Process

World Education Services, Inc (WES)* is the preferred credentialing agency. We only accept U.S. based WES evaluations and cannot accept Canadian WES evaluations. The following steps lay out the credential evaluation process.

  1. Create an account with World Education Services, Inc (WES). Please note that WES offers SOPHAS users a 10% discount. To qualify, you must have your 10 digit SOPHAS ID number.
  2. Contact your institution and have all documents required by WES sent directly from the school. Copies of documents sent from the applicant are not official and will not be accepted by WES.
  3. Order the WES ICAP Course-by-Course Credential Evaluation. Only course by-course evaluations will be accepted.
  4. Monitor the evaluation process. Sometimes agencies will contact the applicant with additional steps or questions. To speed up the process it is important that applicants stay in communication with the credentialing agency.
  5. When the ICAP course by-course credential evaluation is complete, applicants will need to have WES send an official copy to SOPHAS. 

If you attended university outside of the United States or English-speaking Canada, your application will not be complete without an official credential evaluation.

*While WES is the preferred agency, BSPH will accept credential evaluations from ECE. Applicants should seek permission from the Admissions Office to use an agency other than those listed here before submitting an application. Credential Evaluations from ECE must be completed on official documents (documents sent directly from the university to the agency), must be a course-by-course credential evaluation, and should be sent directly to the BSPH Admissions Office electronically. 

Timing

The time it takes to complete a credential evaluation can often be lengthy. We typically recommend you start this process 4-6 months before your application deadline. Please remember to take into account: 

  • The time it will take your University to process the request and issue the documents
  • How long it may take your documents to reach the agency
  • How long it will take the agency to review and approve the documents

After the credential evaluation agency receives, reviews, and approves the documents from all issuing academic institutions, it will usually take about 7-10  business days to complete the evaluation. 

Undergraduate Degree Length

Special note for applicants with three-year undergraduate degrees from non-U.S. colleges and universities: The Bloomberg School only accepts the equivalent of a four year bachelor’s degree. In some situations, three-year degrees can be considered equivalent to a four-year U.S. bachelor's degree. Applicants can preview how their degree will be evaluated by using a free tool at the World Education Services website.

Credential Evaluations FAQ

I’ve already had my credentials verified by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), will you accept this in lieu of the Credential Evaluation?

BSPH does not accept ECFMG certification in place of a course-by-course credential evaluation from an approved agency. 

I sent BSPH a credential evaluation with a previous application. Do I need to send it again?

If your degree was completed at the time you submitted the evaluation and it was done with official documents, you do not need to send an evaluation again. If your degree was in progress or completed with unofficial documents you will need to send an updated/completed evaluation showing the degree was completed and with official documents.  

Do I need to complete an evaluation if I am currently pursuing a degree?

Yes. Applicants who are currently pursuing a degree from a school outside of the U.S. and will not graduate by the application deadline are required to submit a course-by-course evaluation of completed course work. Students who enroll are required to submit an updated transcript and degree certification directly from the school or university showing the degree was completed.

 

Will you review with uncredentialed international transcripts?

No, all international coursework must be evaluated with a course-by-course evaluation. Credential evaluations are used to assess a student's coursework against the U.S. grading system and is required as a part of the application.

I attended a university outside of the U.S. (non-Study Abroad) but I did not complete my degree. Do I still need to complete a credential evaluation?

Yes, applicants who have studied at a non-U.S. institution (except Study Abroad) will need to undergo a credential evaluation.

Student Visas

All admitted international degree students who plan to attend the Bloomberg School are required to attend in F-1 or J-1 status (unless you are already in possession of an immigration status in which studying is permissible). This process will not begin until you are formally admitted.

The Office of International Services will contact admitted international degree students who have completed their enrollment form in the spring. Additional instructions will be provided then.

Certificate programs do NOT qualify for visa sponsorship. Most international students are advised to consider certificate programs that can be completed online from their country of residence. Legal Permanent Residents and non-immigrants who are otherwise physically present in the US and in a status that allows for study may be eligible to pursue a certificate program in person at the Bloomberg School.