Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

The Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) is responsible for the general welfare of international students at Yale University and will assist you with any questions or concerns that you may have. OISS serves as a resource on immigration matters for the Yale community and as Yale’s liaison to federal immigration agencies. In addition to resources and programming offered to international students by the Graduate School, the staff of OISS can also assist you with problems concerning your social adjustment to life in the United States and other personal matters. You should plan to bring your passport and immigration documents to OISS and introduce yourself when you arrive in New Haven.

In addition to providing services, programs, and facilities for all graduate students, the McDougal Graduate Student Center has developed resources that are particularly helpful to international students in their adjustment to life in New Haven. The Center’s staff and graduate fellows provide special programs for international students throughout the year, including foreign language films; social events and outings; workshops on issues such as domestic violence, safety and tax preparation; and professional development seminars on writing, communicating with advisors and preparing the dissertation.

The Center co-sponsors and partially funds the activities of several graduate student nationality groups and an international choral group. Incoming international students are offered the opportunity to participate in an informal buddy system called the “international host student program,” which pairs them with current students for friendship and informal advising prior to and upon arrival. The Center provides several orientation sessions for international students in cooperation with the Office of International Students and Scholars during the Graduate School’s extensive, week-long orientation program for all new students.

All applicants to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences must complete and submit an application for admission. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is a required part of the application for all international applicants whose native language is not English. This requirement is waived only for international applicants who have successfully attended for at least two years a university where English is the primary language of instruction. Official score reports must be submitted for all required examinations from Educational Testing Service (ETS) to the Yale University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (code 3987). While not required, Test of Spoken English (TSE) scores are strongly encouraged prior to enrollment from all international applicants who accept offers of admission to Ph.D. programs and whose native language is not English.

All students who are admitted to a doctoral program at Yale are guaranteed a minimum level of stipend support and provided with full tuition fellowships and comprehensive health care coverage. The majority of students enrolled in terminal master's programs and the Division of Special Registration are self-supported. Please follow these links for additional information about the standard aid package, loans and other sources of financial aid and resources for identifying additional funding opportunities offered by both Yale and external funding agencies.

Entering graduate students have a variety of housing options available to them both on-campus (dormitory and apartment units) and off-campus residences. Space in these facilities is limited, however, so if you are interested, please apply as soon as possible once you are certain that you will be coming to New Haven. On-campus housing is not guaranteed to graduate students.

An integral part of the preparation Yale provides to graduate students for their professional lives in academe is the opportunity to become effective teachers in the classroom and to evaluate student work under the guidance of experienced faculty. Available in most departments, teaching fellowships typically provide two years of support (most often the third and fourth) within the standard aid package. The Graduate Teaching Center is an effective resource for international graduate students who wish to improve their performance as teachers.

Because a high level of proficiency in English is required for graduate students to serve as teaching fellows, students whose native language in not English will be asked to demonstrate sufficient proficiency in English through either the TSE or the SPEAK test. The English Language Institute currently offers a six-week intensive summer language program in English as a Second Language (ESL). The School has also expanded the total number of ESL courses available throughout the academic year, including a conversation partners program and an advanced writing program, as well as the number of language fellowships available to graduate students interested in this program.

Since the region's major international airports are one to two hours away from New Haven, taxi service is an extremely expensive option. Please click here for recommended ground transportation options when planning your trip to New Haven, as the Graduate School does not provide transportation to campus from the airport. International students are advised to bring sufficient U.S. funds to cover transportation and unforeseen circumstances, such as delayed flights, and to accept rides only from reputable companies and service providers.