Foreign Students (I-20)
(HGU is authorized under Federal law to enroll non-immigrant alien students.)

The Herguan University welcomes foreign–student applications and is very fortunate to have many students from around the world joining our Master's degree Programs. We are committed to expanding our international student-body population and to providing full support to all students in order to ensure a smooth and rewarding academic journey for all.

Foreign students must submit the following to verify that they have adequate resources to pay for their living expenses (tuition, food, lodging, books, travel, and incidentals) for the length of the program:

1. A Certificate of Account Balance from their (or, if applicable, their parents' or their spouse's) bank account, showing a minimum of $15,000 on deposit in U.S.-dollar equivalents, or a notarized I-134 form (Affidavit of Support issued by the U.S. Immigration Office).
2. A transfer student (from a U.S. institution) is required to submit a photocopy of his/her previous I-20 form and request the other school’s international student advisor to complete the International Student Transfer Record form for HGU and conduct the required SEVIS transfer process. Upon the receipt of their acceptance letter and other required legal documents, a student’s I-20 visa can be issued.
3. Upon arrival at HGU, international students must provide the Designated School Official (DSO) with a copy of the I-20 form, I-94, visa, and passport. The United States Immigration and Naturalization Service requires that all international students maintain a full-time program of study at HGU (at least 9 units), attend classes regularly, and maintain satisfactory progress towards completion of the degree or diploma objective.
4. Documentation verifying English proficiency to qualify the student for taking degree courses. Non-English speaking students without proof of English proficiency will be required to take an on-campus English assessment examination. The exam results determine whether the student is required to take English as A Second language (ESL) classes and at what level. ESL classes are offered at HGU.
5. Entrance assessment tests for the MBA program. The scores are for reference purpose and will not affect the admission evaluation for the applicants. Those who are required to enroll in ESL classes will be allowed to take the entrance assessment tests after they have passed the advanced ESL classes. Applicants are also encouraged to submit their resumes.

English Proficiency Requirement
Applicants who have completed an undergraduate degree program in an English speaking country or school are considered meeting the entrance English requirement for enrolling in degree courses at HGU. Those who have taken college English courses without earning a degree in an English speaking country or school will be assessed for their English proficiencies, in writing and conversation, based on the official transcripts they submit to HGU’s Admissions office. International students who have earned a graduate degree (not an undergraduate degree) in an English speaking country or school will also be assessed for their English proficiencies in both writing and conversation when they report to HGU.

English Placement Examination
All other applicants must be assessed for their English proficiencies by either taking a standardized test, such as TOEFL or IELTS, or HGU’s on-campus English Placement Examination (EPE) before or upon reporting to HGU. The exam results indicate the student’s English proficiency level in several categories. HGU also accepts the English assessment reports from several English Language Institutions in the U.S. Applicants whose standardized test scores do not include writing or conversation assessment will be assessed in these areas at HGU. EPE assesses the student’s proficiency in listening, grammar, reading, conversation, and writing.

TOEFL has been administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) in various forms – a TOEFL score of 550 on the paper based, 213, on the computer based and 79 on the internet-based test is required. For more details on the TOEFL exam visit www.toefl.org.

English as A Second Language Classes (ESL)
English as A Second Language classes (ESL) are offered to those students whose English assessment results require them to take the classes to improve their English proficiencies. The classes are offered at the following levels: high-beginner, intermediate, and advanced. The students are placed into these classes based on their placement examination results.

The ESL classes are offered at HGU with the same trimester schedule as the degree courses. The subjects cover listening comprehension, grammar, pronunciation and accent reduction, vocabulary development, reading, conversation, writing, and presentation skills. The instructor for each class assesses each student’s performance in the class and at the end of each semester, the instructor determines whether to promote the student to the next higher level of ESL courses or not. Students placed in the highest levels of ESL classes may be allowed to concurrently take a limited number of degree classes at HGU, provided that this optimizes their learning objectives. Students passing the English placement exam or the highest ESL classes are considered meeting the entrance English requirement for degree programs.