International Admission Process
To be considered for admission, students must submit an application and the required materials. Due to the length of time it may take to obtain a visa, students are strongly encouraged to apply for admission early.
All students are invited to apply for admission on Detroit Mercy's website. High school students or students with no previous college coursework can also apply using the Common Application.
Applications will be reviewed once the requirements below are fulfilled. Additional, program-specific material requirements may apply.
For Questions or to Mail Documents:
Office of Admissions
University of Detroit Mercy
Student Union 181
4001 W. McNichols Road
Detroit, MI 48221-3038
313-993-1245
admissions@udmercy.edu
To Upload Documents:
For most programs, students can upload documents to their admission portal at udmercy.edu/admission-portal.
Application Deadlines and Requirements
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Undergraduate Freshman
High school students or students who have no previous college coursework are considered freshman applicants.
Application Deadlines
Early Action
November 1Scholarship Priority
December 1Regular Admission
March 1Regular Admission: 5-Year Physician Assistant
January 15Regular Admission: 7-Year Dental
January 15Admission Requirements
- High school transcript
- 250-word essay on any topic
- Letter of recommendation
- Bank statement
- Statement of Financial Support form (if applicable)
- Passport
Bank statement - An official bank statement must reflect the ability to pay for the first year of study, including tuition and living expenses.
Statement of Financial Support form - A Statement of Financial Support form is required if the bank statement is in a sponsor's name.
Passport - A copy of the information pages of the student's passport is required. Students who are currently in the U.S. need to submit a copy of their visa.
Test-Optional Admission
High school students do not need to submit an SAT or ACT score for most undergraduate programs, but may choose to do so. Students may be required to submit an English proficiency test score if English is not their native language.
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Undergraduate Transfer
Undergraduate students who have previous college coursework are considered transfer applicants.
Application Deadlines
Entering Term Deadline
Fall May 1
Winter September 1
Summer March 1Application Requirements
- Transcript evaluation for each college attended
- Bank statement
- Statement of Financial Support form (if applicable)
- Passport
Transcript evaluation - Students with foreign college coursework must submit a transcript evaluation for each college attended. Foreign college transcripts need to be evaluated by a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services or a member of the Association of International Credential Evaluators. Most students choose WES, ECE or Spantran.
*An evaluation is not required if the college coursework was completed in English in the U.S., Australia, England, New Zealand or Ontario, Canada using a 100 grade point scale. Request to have these transcripts sent to University of Detroit Mercy.
Bank statement - An official bank statement must reflect the ability to pay for the first year of study, including tuition and living expenses.
Statement of Financial Support form - A Statement of Financial Support form is required if the bank statement is in a sponsor's name.
Passport - A copy of the information pages of the student's passport is required. Students who are currently in the U.S. need to submit a copy of their visa.
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Graduate
Application Deadlines
Entering Term Deadline
Fall May 1
Winter September 1
Summer March 1Some graduate programs may have earlier deadlines. Applicants should check the department's webpage for more information.
Application Requirements
- Transcript evaluation for each college attended
- CV or resume
- Two letters of recommendation
- Bank statement
- Statement of Financial Support form (if applicable)
- Passport
Transcript evaluation - Students with foreign college coursework must submit a transcript evaluation for each college attended. Foreign college transcripts need to be evaluated by a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services or a member of the Association of International Credential Evaluators. Most students choose WES, ECE or Spantran.
*An evaluation is not required if the college coursework was completed in English in the U.S., Australia, England, New Zealand or Ontario, Canada using a 100 grade point scale. Request to have these transcripts sent to University of Detroit Mercy.
**The following programs do not require a transcript evaluation: Applied Data Analytics, Criminal Justice, Economics, Financial Economics, Information Technology, Religious Studies and all Engineering master's degree and graduate certificate programs.
Two letters of recommendation - If you are applying for a graduate business program, your references must submit the Graduate Business Recommendation Form in lieu of a letter of recommendation.
Bank statement - An official bank statement must reflect the ability to pay for the first year of study, including tuition and living expenses.
Statement of Financial Support form - A Statement of Financial Support form is required if the bank statement is in a sponsor's name.
Passport - A copy of the information pages of the student's passport is required. Students who are currently in the U.S. need to submit a copy of their visa.
Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
Completion of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is not required for admission to the graduate programs at Detroit Mercy, except for the Master of Business Administration degree. See the MBA admission requirements here.
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English Proficiency
Demonstrated English proficiency is not required for admission to most programs; however, students are expected to possess basic English communication skills. If English is not the native language or if the student has not successfully completed a degree program from an approved U.S. school, they are required to take the English as a Second Language (ESL) test upon arriving to campus.
Minimum Required Proficiency Score
- TOEFL (internet-based): minimum score of 81
- TOEFL (paper-based): minimum score of 550
- IELTS Overall Band Score: minimum score of 6.5
- Duolingo: minimum score of 105
- SAT/ACT: High school applicants can submit an SAT or ACT score
Students who are not yet proficient in English, based on their ESL test score, must enroll in the American Language and Culture Program — an academic English as a second language preparation program at Detroit Mercy. Students may need to defer the start of classes for a semester or more until a sufficient level of English proficiency is achieved.
Nursing Requirements
Nursing applicants whose native language is not English, or for whom English is not the primary language spoken in the home, must demonstrate proficiency in English by achieving a minimum score of 83 on the internet-based TOEFL administered by the Educational Testing Service. A proficiency score must be on file at Detroit Mercy before an admission decision is made. Program prerequisites must be completed at an accredited U.S. college or university.
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Immigration Requirements
Students need the following documents to enter the United States in F-1 (student) status:
- Passport
- Form I-20
- Student visa
Passport - A valid passport must be obtained from the student's government. If the student already has a passport, it should be valid for at least one year beyond their expected stay in the United States. International students are required by law to keep their passport valid during their stay.
Form I-20 - Detroit Mercy will issue a Form I-20 after the student submits the required financial documents.
Student visa - Applications for a student visa are made at the student's nearest United States Consulate Office. They will include the student's passport, Form I-20, evidence of adequate financial support for their studies and academic credentials.
U.S. Department of State Website
Current F-1 Visa Holders in the U.S.
Students who would like to transfer their Form I-20 to Detroit Mercy must ask the foreign student advisor at their current institution to complete the Certificate of F-1 Status Form and send it to Detroit Mercy's Office of Admissions.
If the student meets the eligibility criteria to transfer according to immigration regulations, the student's current institution will transfer their F-1 record to Detroit Mercy. Once their I-20 is released to Detroit Mercy, we will issue the student a new I-20.
Students who plan to travel outside the United States must also submit a bank statement and a Statement of Financial Support Form if the bank statement is in a sponsor's name. Refer to the undergraduate transfer section above for more information.