CIA International Student Application Requirements

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International Student Admission Requirements—Get Started with Your CIA Education!

We’re here to make the admissions process as fast and easy as possible for you. Admission requirements for international students are:

1. Completed Application Form

CIA’s application has several required documents: school transcripts, recommendations, personal statements and in some cases, a résumé. All documentation provided with your application must be in English (or be accompanied by a notarized translation of the documents into English). Watch our video for step-by-step instructions to use our online application. You may also read application instructions for the CIA degree you are interested in:

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For applicants with foreign (non-U.S.) transcripts: All non-English documents must be accompanied by certified word-for-word English translations, including secondary and post-secondary transcripts. SpanTran is our recommended translation service. If you need to have your transcript translated into English, you can request their service here: SpanTran Translations Application. Or you are free to use another translation company.

Candidates with postsecondary coursework from an institution outside the United States who wish to be reviewed for transfer credits or who are eligible for one of our bachelor’s degree completion programs must request a course-by-course evaluation from World Education Services Inc. (WES), The Evaluation Company (TEC), or another NACES approved international credential evaluation agency. In certain circumstances we may also require course descriptions and/or syllabi. Those with coursework in progress must submit final updated official documentation as soon as it becomes available.

For more details on our credit transfer policy, please visit our transfer credit policies page.

2. Proof of Funding

As part of the CIA application, non-U.S. citizen applicants must show Proof of Financial Support, as is required for the F1 student visa process.

This means that you or your sponsor must show a minimum of $62,000 USD for undergraduate or $55,000 USD for ACAP (or the equivalents in another currency). These are the estimates of tuition, fees, meals, and housing for one academic year (two semesters) at the CIA for each of those programs. Applications cannot be reviewed for admission without it, as we are not permitted to issue the Form I-20 for the F1 or M1 visa without verifying financial support; this is a U.S. SEVP requirement.

Proof of Financial Support can be demonstrated with a bank statement, certificate of deposit, money market account, or any other financial account that shows liquid (easily accessible) funds in that minimum amount. You can also download this official bank certification form (PDF) for your (or your sponsor’s) financial institution to fill out. The account holder could be you as a self-sponsor, or anyone else who is willing to be your financial sponsor. More than one sponsor is also allowed, as long as the total amount of funds equals the minimum requirement. The financial documentation must also be in English, list the bank and account holder names, the account type(s), and must be dated within the past 12 months of your application.

3. Declaration of Financial Support

A declaration letter of financial support from you or your sponsor is also required to go along with the Proof of Funding, stating that you or they intend to cover all tuition and living expenses while you study at CIA.

Students must submit this form even if supporting themselves, and the name of the sponsor must match the name on the proof of financial support documents.

2. Proof of English Proficiency

If English is not your native language, you will be required to demonstrate proficiency. Learn about the proficiency exams we accept with their required scores, conditional admission as an option, and our exam waiver policy.

That’s it! You’re on your way to enrolling at CIA. Once our admissions staff has reviewed your application and supporting materials, we’ll contact you if anything else is needed.

Student Visa

If you are not a U.S. Citizen, you will need to obtain the F1 student visa to study in the United States (unless you are on another visa type that allows for full time study with work authorization.) Accepted international students therefore will also need to submit the following documents before CIA can issue the Form I-20 for your F1 Student Visa process:

Proof of Financial Support
Declaration of Financial Support
Copy of your valid Passport

For more information about these documents, please visit our student visas page or connect with your admissions counselor via [email protected] with any questions.

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