MSU requires proof of degree award to be fully admitted to graduate programs. In the United States, most institutions include this information on final, official, copies of the transcripts. However, internationally, many institutions do not. Instead, a final diploma is often issued which MSU accepts as proof of degree award. The final diploma must include the name of the degree, the fact it was awarded, and the date of award in the original language (if applicable) and English.

To expedite the admissions process, to ensure our credential policies are met, and to minimize confusion, we ask MSU international graduate applicants to request ALL their postsecondary transcripts, marks sheets, certificates, and diplomas. These should be mailed as hardcopies in official, sealed, issuing-institution envelopes, directly to MSU. Guidance on which international transcripts students should request, based on country or region, can be found here.

All academic records not issued in English must be accompanied by a word-for-word, line-by-line, official, English translation. Translations may be done by ONE of the following, and arrive to MSU as hardcopies in an official, sealed envelope:

The institution that issued the academic records.
An official, certified translator in the country of study.
If done in the US, an official, certified, American Translators Association translator or translation agency. See atanet.org for lists of individuals and agencies are who affiliated to them. Often applicants and departments use 7clingo.com in Lansing.

Keep in mind MSU requires international graduate applicants hold the equivalent of four-year, US bachelor’s degrees. Applicants who attended postsecondary study in Europe (under the Bologna Process) or India, and earned three-year undergraduate degrees, will need to hold two-year master’s degrees as well. Both degrees must be earned from recognized higher education institutions.

In many instances, international graduate applicants will not have yet completed their programs during the admissions cycle. They should arrange to have their latest available academic records directly to MSU. If admitted, a hold will be placed on their accounts for final, official copies of their degree-granting, academic records - meaning final transcripts and diplomas. Once this requirement is satisfied, the hold will be removed. Please note that the due date for the final academic records is early in their first semester of enrollment. Holds that remain in place will impact their ability to register for their second semester courses. Flexibility with academic records and holds will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

In challenging situations, if an applicant or admitted student is struggling to request an official, hardcopy of the diploma to be mailed to MSU in an official/sealed envelope, the department should be sure the individual (or friends/relatives) has recently called or gone in-person to the university to see if arrangements can be made. If this doesn’t work, the following may be backup options:

If the student graduated and was previously awarded a diploma, they might contact their university’s registrar/records/examinations office to request an official, hardcopy letter, clearly indicating the name of the degree, the fact it was awarded, and the date of award, in the original language (if applicable) and English. This should be mailed to us in an official/sealed envelope.
If the student is already in the US, they might contact the nearest embassy or consulate of the country of study and see if they can provide them with a scan or photocopy of the original diploma, that embassy staff can confirm, stamp official, place in an official/sealed embassy envelope and mail to MSU.
If the student has a personal copy of the original diploma, they might email a PDF of it to the Senior International Credential Analyst and the name and email address of an appropriate contact in the Registrar/Records/Examinations Office of the issuing university who could confirm the diploma is official, via email. The applicant/student might call the university to explain our diploma requirement, see if this form of verification is acceptable, and to find out the best contact to use. Once they provide the credential analyst with the PDF and contact information, he will research to determine legitimacy. If all okay, he will try to verify this way. THIS IS A LAST RESORT BACKUP OPTION IF A STUDENT CANNOT REQUEST AN OFFICIAL COPY OF THE DIPLOMA USING THE METHODS DESCRIBED ABOVE.

If none of these methods work, please work with the international credential analyst to determine if flexibility is warranted, and what options may be pursued, such as allowing for additional time to submit the final diploma.

Required Documentation