How to Apply

To apply, visit our online application portal and follow the on-screen instructions to sign in.

To help you prepare, please review the following information and our application deadlines.

How-To Videos

Watch our videos on how to apply and how to finance your education. We also include customized instructions for international students.

Application Checklist

Essay

We require one essay highlighting your career objectives and how your background fits with the program and the Institute. To find out the specific question, please start your application.

Résumé or Curriculum Vitae

Your résumé or CV should highlight your educational background and professional experience, including voluntary work and internships, in one or two pages. Most of our graduate programs do not have specific professional experience requirements.

Personal Scholarship Statements

To be considered for merit and need-based scholarships, please include personal scholarship statements with your online application. To find out the details of the scholarship statements, please start your application.

Application Fee

Through our online application, you will be able to pay the $65 application fee with a credit or debit card. We accept Visa, MasterCard, and American Express credit or debit cards. Application fee waivers are available for students affiliated with our partner organizations or schools.

Transfer Credits

Upon matriculating, BA/MA students are required to transfer 60 semester credits. We allow up to 15 of the 60 transferred semester credits to be Pass/Fail, Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory, Credit/No Credit, or Pass/No Pass. The rest need to have grades of B or above. The 60 semester credits should cover the following requirements:

  • Composition (3 credits)

  • Math (3 credits)

  • Four courses (12 credits) from at least two of the following:

    • Social Science

    • Arts/Humanities

    • Physical and Biological Sciences

  • Language Semester 1 (at least 3 semester credits, optional for BAMAIEM and BAMAIEP, required for BAMAIPD, BAMANPTS, and BAMPA)

  • Language Semester 2 (at least 3 semester credits, optional for BAMAIEM and BAMAIEP, required for BAMAIPD, BAMANPTS, and BAMPA)

  • Electives (as needed to reach 60 semester credits total)

Undergraduate Transcripts

Digital copies of your (official or unofficial) transcripts can be uploaded to your online application or emailed to enroll@middlebury.edu to expedite the review of your application. If admitted, you will need to ensure that your official transcripts are mailed directly to our office (address below) or sent via e-transcript to enroll@middlebury.edu.

Middlebury Institute of International Studies 

Attn: Admissions Office 

460 Pierce Street 

Monterey, CA 93940  

If your college or university does not provide original transcripts, we will accept certified copies. Please provide certified English translations for non-English language transcripts.

Letters of Recommendation

Although we only require one letter of recommendation for admission, we strongly encourage you to submit two. We accept recommendations from both academic and professional references, such as university professors, employers, supervisors, or commanding officers. Please provide the contact details for one or two recommenders through your online application. Your references will receive an email requesting that they submit the letter of recommendation through an online form.

Interview

Submit your online application to access our guide on How to Ace Your Admissions Interview. If you have already submitted your application and have not received the guide please contact your enrollment advisor.

TOEFL or IELTS

If English is not your first language, you must provide evidence of English proficiency from either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) examinations. Your scores are valid for two years after the test date.

  • TOEFL preferred minimum for Joint BA/MAIEM: 100 overall
  • TOEFL preferred minimum for other Joint BAMA programs: 80 overall
  • IELTS preferred minimum for Joint BA/MAIEM: 7.0 overall
  • IELTS preferred minimum for other Joint BAMA programs: 6.5 overall

If necessary, you may have the opportunity to improve your English language skills through our English Preparation for Graduate Studies program, for which scholarships are available. 

Based on our review of your scores, English may be required as your language of study. 

TOEFL/IELTS exemptions are automatically granted to applicants who have completed a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in the United States, Australia, Canada (except Quebec), Ireland, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, or Singapore. Please contact your enrollment advisor if you have any questions.

You can submit your online application without your TOEFL or IELTS scores and provide them later via enroll@miis.edu.

Second Language Proficiency

Proficiency in a second language is optional for BAMAIEM and BAMAIEP, and a requirement for BAMANPTS.

  • We recommend that you’ve completed the equivalent of one year of college-level language study before your first semester if second language proficiency is required for your program.

  • Languages regularly offered include Arabic, Chinese, French, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish. Other languages may be available upon inquiry.

While many of our students come to the Institute proficient in a second language, others build their second language skills prior to enrollment. We will work with you to help you meet the minimum proficiency level in your chosen language of study. This may include one of our summer language programs, for which scholarships may be available.