International Student Admission

The School of Information Studies (SOIS) welcomes international students to our Chicago-area campus, just 12 miles from downtown. Our students and faculty hail from not only the United States, but also such countries as China, Turkey, Nigeria, Trinidad and Saudi Arabia. We value the global perspective such scholars bring to campus and we're proud to publish World Libraries, a free, online, peer-reviewed journal dedicated to all aspects of librarianship throughout the world.

Admission Requirements

In addition to meeting the general requirements for admission, applicants who were educated outside of the United States and/or students requiring a student visa:

  • Must demonstrate English language proficiency if English is not the applicant's primary language by scoring 83 or better on the Internet-based TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language; Dominican's code for submitting scores is 1667), or 6 or higher on the IELTS (International English Language Testing System), or the completion of ELS Level 112. There is an English Language Service Center on campus; however ELS is suspending operations until fall 2020 with a plan to reopen if the campus reopens to live classes and the embassies are open.
  • Must have official credential evaluations completed by ECE (Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc.) or other approved agency at the applicant's expense.

Only complete application files will be reviewed by the admission committee. Providing incomplete or inaccurate information regarding a previous academic record on an admission application is grounds for denial of admission.

  • No credentials will be returned to the applicant.
  • All application materials become the property of Dominican University.
  • Admitted students may defer their enrollment for a maximum of one year. After that, he/she must reapply.
  • Applicants who have withdrawn their application after it has been submitted must reapply for further consideration.
Visa Requirements

Following admission Dominican can assist with immigration requirements. We are authorized by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to issue SEVIS I-20s for students living abroad or those wishing to transfer their SEVIS records. International students requiring an I-20 form for the F-1 student visa must show evidence of sufficient funds to cover a full year of tuition, fees and living expenses including:

  • Housing costs, whether room and board in university residence halls or off-campus housing. These costs are the student's responsibility. Learn more about housing options for international students.
  • Medical insurance (international students are automatically enrolled in the Student Health Insurance Plan via the Dominican University Wellness Center unless they can document existing coverage that is equal to or better than the student plan offered; visit www.dominicaninsurance.com for full details)
  • Books and personal items
  • Support during such times when the university is not in session

For more information on immigration and visa matters, visit Dominican's International Student Services page.

ELS Partnership with the School of Information Studies

Dominican University is proud to partner with the ELS Chicago center located on the Priory Campus at 7200 W. Division Street, River Forest, IL 60305.

SOIS encourages ELS students to apply to a master’s degree program for a Conditional Letter of Acceptance (CLA), which allows an ELS student to gain pre-admission commitment based on a specific set of admission criteria that must be met before the student is able to enroll. This allows for greater planning and foresight for an individual preparing for a student visa. Please be aware that neither a DU I-20 nor SEVIS transfer documents will be issued based upon the CLA, but only after all admission requirements have been met.

For information on studying English as a Second Language, at the ELS Chicago Center, please contact Center Director Gretchen Dee at gdee@els.edu or (708) 488-5011. For information on studying at the ELS Center in conjunction with one of Dominican’s master’s programs, please contact graduate admission.