• Graduate School Admissions Guidelines for U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents
• Graduate School Admission Guidelines for International Students
• Graduate School Catalog
• Geography & Environmental Resources Master of Science Application Guide (pdf)

The applicant must:

• Complete the online Application for Admission to Graduate Study. The form is automatically sent to Graduate School. Please print and send along with the departmental forms listed below.  Line 6 must be completed or the Graduate School will not process the application.  All applicants are evaluated for department assistantships. 
• Request the registrar of each junior college, university, graduate and professional school you have attended to send an official transcript directly to the department. Unofficial or personal transcripts are not acceptable. For international students, photocopies are accepted only if they bear an original official school seal and are received by the department in an officially-sealed envelope. (See transcript guidelines.)
• Although it is not required for admission, it is strongly advised that you provide a Graduate Record Exam (GRE) or other comparable standardized test score. The test date should be within the 24 month period immediately preceding the proposed term of admission. The GRE is required if applying for a Graduate School Fellowship.
• Arrange to have three faculty members, who are acquainted with your educational capabilities and potentials (not merely personal characteristics) complete Reference Evaluation Forms (see Application Forms section). Letters written in addition to the forms will be accepted.
• Complete and return two Personal and Professional Data forms. The applicant’s signature is required on the reverse side. 
• As part of the above online application process, the $50.00 application fee may be paid online by credit card.  The system will accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express.  Or, mail the application fee of $50.00 U.S. Applications will not be processed until this fee payment is received. This fee cannot be waived. Payment must be made in U.S. funds cleared through a U.S. bank and made payable to SIUC. An international money order, cashier’s check, certified check, or other check drawn on a U.S. bank is acceptable.
• Complete a Statement of Goals. Note: this form is very important in departmental evaluation of applicants.

In addition, the international students must also:

• Provide the department with a photocopy of your Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score. Request ETS to send your official TOEFL score directly to the Graduate School. A TOEFL is required of all international students whose native language is not English. A minimum TOEFL score of 550 (paper-based), 213 (computer-based), and 79-80 (Internet-based) is required and the test date must be within the 24 month period immediately preceding the proposed term of admission. The IELTS exam is also acceptable. A minimum IELTS score of 6 is required for Graduate School admission.  The Graduate School will not process an application without a score.
• Complete a Financial Statement for Graduate International Students (page 2). The Graduate School will not process an application without a completed Financial Statement.
• Send a copy of the page in your passport that lists your name and date of birth.  This must be received before an I-20 can be issued.

International students currently in the US:

• Photocopies of the original transcript/diploma documents submitted to the applicant’s current school will be acceptable if:
  • The applicant is currently in a school in the US.
  • The photocopies are certified as copies of originals which the school has in their files.
  • The certified copies are sent by the Registrar’s Office, an International Student Advisor, or a Record’s Officer.
• English Language Requirement for International Students in the US:
  • An applicant who has recently completed at least 100 semester hours of graded course work in the US before enrolling as a graduate student at SIUC has met the language requirement.
  • An applicant with less than 100 semester hours of graded course work in the US before enrolling as a graduate student at SIUC needs a TOEFL score of at least 550 (paper-based), 213 (computer-based), and 79-80 (Internet-based). The current school you are attending must send a copy of the TOEFL score with a certification that it is a copy of an original which they have in their files. As long as enrollment in the US has been continuous, this will meet the language requirement.

• Application for Admission to Graduate Study (online form)
• Reference Evaluation Form (MS Word) / Reference Evaluation Form (PDF)
• Statement of Goals /  Statement of Goals (fillable PDF)
• Personal and Professional Data
• Financial Statement for Graduate International Students
• Graduate Fellowship Application Note that nominations by the Geography Department for fellowships begin in early February each year. If you wish to be considered for a fellowship, please make sure that all your application materials are submitted by January 15.

• Geography & Environmental Resources Graduate Program contact jabsher@siu.edu
• Graduate School contact gradschl@siu.edu
• Graduate Assistantships/Fellowships contact gaoffice@siu.edu
• Environmental Resources & Policy PhD Program contact dwise@siu.edu