English Language Center

The English Language Center (ELC) at William Carey University is designed to assist prospective international students in meeting English language proficiency requirements to attend an American institution of higher learning. This is a highly skilled, noncredit, content-based English language instruction program in the areas of reading/vocabulary, writing/grammar, and listening/speaking at the beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels. Students interested in participating in this program are required to attend three ELC classes daily, for one entire trimester (10 weeks) or more, as ELC instructors deem necessary, for a total of 20 classroom hours per week (four classroom hours per day). In addition to attending mandatory class meetings, students are also required to complete daily homework assignments. ELC courses cannot be used as electives at William Carey University.

William Carey University is authorized by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to enroll non-immigrant alien students on the Hattiesburg campus only. International students may not enroll in online-only programs. International student applicants must meet the requirements listed below. They must also meet the academic requirements listed above in either the first-time freshman or transfer subsections as applicable. A first-time freshman student is one who has attempted less than 12 hours of credit at an institution of higher learning (college or university). A transfer student is one who has attempted 12 or more hours of credit at an institution of higher learning. For additional information about applying as an international student, visit https://www.wmcarey.edu/page/international-student-admissions.

A completed applicant file contains the following:

1. Application & Fee. After reviewing the information below, start the application process here. The application fee allows for a student’s application to be processed and may be paid online using a credit or debit card after the application process is initiated or mailed to the Office of International Admissions at WCU Box 13, 710 William Carey Parkway, Hattiesburg, MS, 39401.

2. Academic Records.

First-Time Freshman Student - Official academic records indicating the level of secondary completion or course work completed at a foreign institution(s) must be provided. Properly certified English translations must accompany each transcript. Transcripts may be mailed to William Carey University, Office of International Admissions, WCU Box 13, 710 William Carey Parkway, Hattiesburg, MS 39401, or hand-delivered in the official manner upon arrival.
Transfer Student - Official academic records indicating course progress from any institution(s) of higher education or official transcript(s) from the U.S. institution(s) attended are required. An official transcript is defined as one mailed directly from one institution to another. All records must be in English before a Form I-20 from William Carey University is issued. Transcripts may be mailed to William Carey University, Office of International Admissions, WCU Box 13, 710 William Carey Parkway, Hattiesburg, MS 39401, or sent via an approved electronic transcript platform.
Official college/university transcript(s) - Academic records from each college/university attended must be provided. Transcripts from institutions of higher learning in countries other than the United States must be evaluated by an approved transcript evaluation service before being transmitted to William Carey University. The four approved services are: World Education Services (WES) http://www.wes.org; SpanTran - The Evaluation Company (TEC) https://spantran.com/; Global Credential Evaluators (GCE) https://www.gceus.com/; and Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) https://www.ece.org/. William Carey University must receive an official transcript that has been evaluated by one of the four services before the admission file can be processed.
Students transferring from any college or university in the United States must coordinate the transfer of their active SEVIS record from their current institution to William Carey University. The requirements for obtaining such transfers are established by each individual institution. Additional documentation for transfer students may be required by WCU before transferring an active SEVIS record.

3. Language Proficiency. Students who are not from nations where English is considered the official or second language are required to take either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). A minimum score of 523 is required on the paper-based TOEFL; a minimum score of 193 on the computer-based TOEFL; or a minimum score of 70 on the internet-based TOEFL. Students who wish to take the IELTS must meet the minimum requirement score of 5.5. Students who do not meet the minimum English proficiency required are invited to apply for admission to the William Carey University English Language Center.

4. Certification of Finances. Proof of financial support for the duration of the international student’s stay in the United States is required. This document is included in the online application packet.

5. Health Requirements. Documented proof of two immunizations for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) is required if born on or after January 1, 1957. Additionally, each student must complete a tuberculosis screening (chest x-ray and Interferon Gamma Release Assay IGRA) performed in the United States and submit the results to the Office of International Admissions prior to starting class. A tuberculosis skin test does NOT meet this requirement.

6. Major Medical Coverage. All international students are required to have a policy with the university; students will be assessed for the policy coverage at the beginning of each trimester. More information on the health insurance policy adopted by William Carey University is available online at https://www.wmcarey.edu/page/medical-insurance-coverage.

7. Advance Tuition Payment. An advance tuition payment of US$500.00 is required before arriving at William Carey University. This advance payment covers the on-campus housing pre-payment (US$150.00) and any other initial or miscellaneous expenses associated with the first academic term at William Carey University. This advance payment is nonrefundable.

Additional Information. To receive an F-1 visa, international students must schedule an appointment with the nearest U.S. consulate or embassy in their country within 90 days of departure. They must take along their documentation, letter of acceptance, and Form I-20 for presentation and review. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recommends the entering student be honest and have copies of all documentation sent to William Carey University available for review by the U.S. custom official at the consulate, embassy, or U.S. port of entry. Custom officials may at any point of the student’s travel to the United States deny him/her entry into the country. WCU cannot act on behalf of students with pending visa appointments or interfere with U.S. government functions to influence or expedite these processes.

International students should refer to the academic and university calendars for dates of trimester breaks and religious and national holidays in preparation for holiday and end-of-year travel.

Questions or concerns should be directed to the director of International Admissions on the Hattiesburg campus, 601-318-6405, 800-962-5991 (toll free), or internationaladmissions@wmcarey.edu.