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International applicants

We welcome applicants from all countries. International students are an important part of the University of Michigan community and make valuable contributions to our academic programs. If you are an international applicant who has matriculated into the MHI program, please review the following information.

Certificate of Eligibility (I-20)

Non-U.S. citizens who are accepted into the Master of Health Informatics program are admitted with the understanding that they have sufficient funding to cover their program of study. If you are a non-U.S. citizen, you must certify that sufficient funds are available for your first year of study at the University of Michigan. United States federal law requires that the University of Michigan obtain proof of financial resources (exclusive of travel expenses) to cover university fees, books and supplies, living expenses, and health insurance for yourself and for your dependents, if applicable, for the first year of study, including non-enrolled vacation periods.

If your financial support is being provided by a sponsor, ask the sponsoring agency to provide a letter indicating the amount and duration of sponsorship. If you obtain an offer for a Graduate Student Instructor (GSI) or Graduate Student Research Assistant (GSRA) position, you must provide a copy of the offer of employment letter from the academic unit in which you will be working.

Before an I-20 can be processed, you are required to complete and submit the following:

  • Affidavit of Financial Resources for Issuance of Form I-20

  • Financial Resources Statement for Issuance of Form I-20

  • Copy of passport

If you currently reside in the U.S., also submit the following:

  • I-94 card

  • Copy of current I-20

Once an international student has been admitted to the Master of Health Informatics program, the UMSI I-20 processing staff will contact them with additional instructions. If you have been admitted and have not yet been contacted, or if you have any question about your I-20, email [email protected] and use the subject line "your name, UMID, I-20."

You may view the processing of your immigration paperwork by going to "New and Prospective Student Business" section in Wolverine Access and selecting "View the I-20 or DS-2019 status" link. Please read the information on these pages carefully, as they contain important SEVIS information. Once SEVIS has approved your immigration document, the SEVIS ID number will appear and you can begin the visa application process.

For information on F1 visa, SEVIS fee or other international student services, go to https://internationalcenter.umich.edu.

TOEFL requirements

Applicants whose native language is not English must demonstrate satisfactory proficiency in English as measured by the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Tests must be taken within two years of the term requested for admission. The admissions team reserves the right to contact applicants to request additional proficiency support if needed (e.g., interviews, writing samples, test for exempt non-resident applicants). The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) may be accepted on a case-by-case basis.

Applicants must submit an official TOEFL score to the University of Michigan institution code 1839.

In the following cases, you do NOT need to submit TOEFL scores:

  • You have completed a degree from an accredited U.S. institution.
  • English is the sole official language of your native country.
  • You have an in-person (not online) bachelor’s or master’s degree from an institution located in an English-speaking country, and that institution provided all instruction in English*.

* Countries that qualify for this exception are: Anguilla, Antigua, Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Canada (except Quebec), Cayman Islands, Dominica, England, Federated States of Micronesia, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Montserrat, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Seychelles, Shetland Islands, St. Kitts-Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, United States (other than Puerto Rico), US Virgin Islands, Wales.

However, applicants may still be required to have their English proficiency evaluated prior to registration. Being a U.S. citizen or a U.S. permanent resident does not automatically exempt an applicant from taking an English proficiency exam; if the applicant’s first language is not English, the applicant must meet an exception above or submit English proficiency exam scores (TOEFL or IELTS).

The Master of Health Informatics at the University of Michigan is a joined degree, featuring courses and faculty from the School of Information, School of Public Health and the School of Medicine Department of Learning Health Sciences.