What are the Requirements to pursue MS in USA?

USA is one of the most sought after country for master’s programme by International students. Every year a lot of students apply for master’s program in the country. Students are attracted to study in USA because of the strong learning foundation that the country has. Students wish to research and to have practical experience of the field and USA is a country which provides the best platform for such students. The country provides master’s program in various domains like Accounting, Finance, Management, Economics, Information Technology, Engineering, and Law, etc. But the admission to the colleges and Universities in the country is not so easy, there are certain requirements that a candidate needs to fulfill in order to Study in USA. Following are the requirements to pursue MS in USA-

16 years of Education- The basic requirement which a candidate needs to fulfill in order to study in USA is having 16 years of education. It means a candidate should have his 12 years of schooling plus a four year degree program to be eligible for a master’s program in USA. 10+3 year diploma + 3 year degree; 10+2+ 3 year bachelor’s degree + 2 year masters is also accepted by the universities in USA.

However, now some of the Universities in the country have started to accept 15 years of education but that strongly depends on your academic performance throughout your schooling, work experience, etc.

Test Scores- A candidate needs to qualify some of the standardized exams in order to apply for a master’s program in USA.  A student can give GRE or GMAT exam; score cards of both the exams are accepted by the universities in USA.

GRE- Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is a test that is globally accepted for admission in graduate programs. A candidate is evaluated on his analytical writing skills, quantitative ability, and verbal reasoning skills through this test. A candidate can give the test anytime and the score card is valid for 5 years.

GMAT- Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is a test conducted for admission in management programs like MBA. The test can be taken 5 times in a year.

Language Requirements- Other than qualifying the standardized exams, a candidate needs to fulfill some English language requirements in order to study in USA. A candidate needs to qualify any of the following English language proficiency tests –

IELTS- IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is one of the popular English language proficiency tests for non-native English speaking countries. The minimum IELTS score required by most of the universities in USA is 6.5 band.

TOEFL- TOEFL (Test of English as Foreign Language) is also an English language proficiency test for non-native English speaking countries. The minimum TOEFL score required by most of the universities in USA is 79.

PTE- PTE (Pearson Test of English) is another English language proficiency test. The minimum PTE score required by most of the universities in USA is 60.

Other Requirements- Other than the above requirements, a candidate is needed to present his application in a proper way. He should attach the transcripts of all his educational qualifications. A candidate is also required to submit Letter of Recommendation, Essays, resume and Statement of Purpose at the time of application.

A Statement of Purpose is a document in which a candidate is required to describe his aim or goal behind applying for a particular course in a particular college or university.

A letter of Recommendation is the assessment of a candidate provided by his employers, professors. Generally a University demands 2 to 3 Letters of Recommendations from a candidate.

Many universities require a candidate to write an essay to check your writing skills.

Here, is a checklist of documents you must have before applying for MS in USA.

• Transcripts of all the Academic Qualifications
• GRE/GMAT score card
• IELTS/ TOEFL/PTE Score card
• Recommendation letters
• Work experience certificates, if applicable
• Photocopies of passport
• Certificates for extra-curricular activities mentioned in the application form.
• WES Evaluation documents, if required by the university.
• Statement of Purpose (SOP)
• Resume
• Essays (If demanded by the university)