International students

Van Andel Institute Graduate School provides international students with the rigorous study of a world-class research institute and the support of a small, close-knit community. International applicants admitted to the Graduate School will be sponsored in the J-1 visa category. Van Andel Institute is not currently designated to sponsor F-1 visas.

“When you’re a scientist working in a lab, sometimes you can forget why you’re doing what you’re doing. In our lab, the work might directly impact patients, and I think when you’re constantly reminded that your work impacts real people, you’ll never lose the passion for what you’re doing.” – Menusha Arumugam

International admission requirements

International applicants should follow the same application process as non-international students with the following additions:

International applications must provide proof of English proficiency by one of the following methods:
- Graduation with a baccalaureate degree (or higher) earned from an accredited United States college or university, or an international college or university with instruction conducted in English. Degrees earned online may not be used to verify English proficiency.
- Official scores from an English proficiency standardized test (e.g. TOEFL, IELTS) sent by the testing agency to Van Andel Institute Graduate School. Official scores must be less than two years old. Minimum required scores are as follows: TOEFL PBT: 580, TOEFL iBT: 90, IELTS: 6.5.
All applicants with transcripts from institutions where instruction was conducted in ANY LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH must provide an official transcript evaluation with course by course evaluation and a U.S. GPA conversion at your own expense completed by World Education Services (WES).

Visit our Admissions page for more information.

Exchange Visitor Program

Van Andel Institute’s Exchange Visitor Program provides courses of study, lectures, and research opportunities in the various fields of research conducted by Van Andel Research Institute for qualified foreign research scholars, short-term scholars, and specialists. The classification of each individual’s status depends on the purpose of the exchange visit, how the stay will be funded, and the anticipated duration of the stay. International applicants admitted to the Graduate School will be sponsored with a J1 visa through this program.

The Exchange Visitor Program is administered by the Office of Exchange Coordination and Designation of the U.S. Department of State. Additional information about and regulations of the Exchange Visitor Program may be found here.

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