International Applicants

Infectious diseases of global significance affect people in every part of the world.

Part of the M.S. in Global Infectious Disease program’s mission is to coalesce as many voices and perspectives as possible, to solve the world’s biggest infectious disease challenges.

In seeking a diversity of individuals representing different places and cultures of the program, we enhance and enrich the collective education and experiences that our candidates acquire in their time with us. 

Consequently, the program is committed to admitting international students who bring enormous value to the classroom and form an integral part of our community. 

Our location in the nation’s capital is home to hundreds of diplomatic offices and international organizations where foreign citizens are part of the fabric of Washington, DC!

Application Requirements

As applying for a graduate program abroad can be time- and resource-intensive, our department works with university admissions to simplify the process and make it as straightforward as possible.

Enrollment Requirement

International students pursuing the M.S. in Global Infectious Disease degree on a student visa are required to complete the degree on a full-time track.

Merit Aid for International Applicants

All admitted applicants – regardless of citizenship status – will be automatically considered for merit-based scholarships. There is no separate application for merit-based scholarships.

English Proficiency Test:  TOEFL / IELTS

All applicants are required to demonstrate English language proficiency that meets the admission requirement of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

Proficiency can be demonstrated with a bachelor’s or advanced degree from an accredited institution of higher education in the United States or from a university where English is the primary language of instruction (please note that applicants receiving degrees at universities in U.S. territories, such as Puerto Rico, are required to submit the TOEFL or IELTS unless the primary language of instruction at the institution is English).

All other applicants must achieve at least a minimum score on either the TOEFL or IELTS test. Test scores must be received by the application deadline date. Applicants should allow six to eight weeks from the test date for the reporting of scores to the institution. Applications will not be considered without TOEFL/IELTS scores. Self-Reported test scores will not be accepted.

TOEFL: A minimum score of 600 (paper-based test) or 100 (iBT test) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).  Georgetown University’s reporting code is 5244. TOEFL information: http://www.ets.org/toefl/

IELTS: A minimum score of 7.0 from the International English Language Testing System. IELTS Information: http://www.ielts.org.

Transcript Evaluation (WES or NACES) – Recommended

For applicants who earned their bachelor’s degree outside of the United States, a transcript evaluation ensures U.S. accreditation standards for degree, course, and credit equivalencies are met. The transcript evaluation can be done by World Education Services (WES) or any credential evaluation services that are members of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES).

Transcript Evaluations will not be required during the Fall 2026 application cycle, but are highly recommended.

Transcript evaluations can take up to several weeks to complete, so please allot sufficient time for it.  The transcript evaluation must be completed and submitted to Georgetown by the specific application deadline – either Priority (15 January) or Final (1 April).