MSIRHR International Admissions

Thank you for your interest in West Virginia University’s full-time (on-campus) MSIRHR program! We welcome applicants from all nations of origin and are proud of our history serving students from diverse backgrounds. In our program, students receive a comprehensive business education in approximately 12 months, hands-on experience executing projects for industry partners, and professional development to help accelerate their careers. If this sounds like what you are looking for, we will be excited to review your application to join our next cohort.

International applicants often have questions about the practical aspects of joining our program, and some face obstacles to completing the program and transitioning smoothly into a career following graduation. To help you decide if our program is a good fit, we wish to highlight some of the most common issues international applicants face and discuss how we address them within our program.

Will you thrive in our courses?

One of our program’s main selling points is our accelerated 12-month timeline. However, this compressed schedule means our curriculum is very fast-paced and intensive. So, students must find their footing quickly in each course, and there is limited opportunity to catch up if a student struggles early. This feature of our program can be a challenge for anyone, but it is especially significant for students who must overcome obstacles associated with moving to a new country and transitioning into a new type of education system.

If you can succeed in our fast-paced program, it will signal powerfully to employers and colleagues that you have what it takes to perform on a global stage. However, it will not benefit anyone for you to travel across the world for your graduate program, only to struggle and fail. We do not admit applicants unless we believe they can succeed in our program. But before joining us, you should consider whether the rigorous curriculum we offer is a good fit for your learning style and abilities.

Will you be able to afford the cost of attendance?

Details on our program’s tuition and fees can be found at https://tuition.wvu.edu/graduate-and-professional/morgantown-oncampus#table-1. Only a few MSIRHR students each year obtain university funding to defray these costs (e.g., through scholarships or graduate assistantships). The limited number of scholarships we offer directly through the MSIRHR program cover only a small fraction of the cost of participation, and these are limited to the very strongest applicants in each cohort.

For most MSIRHR students, the best opportunity to secure university funding is through a graduate assistantship. These positions are highly competitive. In the John Chambers College of Business & Economics, students are eligible for assistantships primarily within our own college, since the college must bear the costs of any tuition waivers attached to these positions. These graduate assistantships are typically advertised in the spring through WVU’s Handshake platform. You will receive information about how to set up your login to this platform if you are accepted into our program, and we will do our best to communicate with you about graduate assistantship opportunities as they are advertised. If you have questions about whether you are eligible to apply for a specific graduate assistantship, please reach out to us in advance to discuss it, since requests to take unapproved assistantships are usually denied in our college.

Graduate assistantship opportunities notwithstanding, most MSIRHR students (whether international or domestic) receive no university funding to offset the cost of participation in our program. Additionally, many students who eventually secure funding do so only after our program has begun. Because of the timelines for the determination of funding for MSIRHR students, international students virtually never receive firm commitments of university funding that they can use as evidence of financial ability for visa purposes. You should consider whether you can make the investments required to participate in our program given the likelihood you will have to bear the full cost yourself—and whether you will be able to demonstrate this ability to secure your student visa.

Will you complete all course requirements in the U.S.?

An inspection of the MSIRHR curriculum indicates that all students must complete an internship and an online course during the fourth semester, which takes place in the summer. While these requirements do not prevent international students from completing the program, we acknowledge that they may present unique challenges, particularly for those who aspire to transition to permanent residency.

One of the primary challenges international students face is securing a summer internship in the United States. Although students can apply for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) to participate in an internship, many U.S. employers are unfamiliar with or hesitant to offer internship opportunities to international students. As a result, international students often need to independently secure an internship that aligns with their program of study, which frequently leads them to complete this requirement in their home country.

Additionally, CPT regulations are subject to federal and university policies that may change with little notice. Specific requirements related to full-time enrollment and physical presence must also be carefully followed, as they may impact the ability to complete certain program components within the U.S. Given these factors, we encourage prospective international students to thoughtfully consider the likelihood that they may need to return to their home country to fulfill program requirements.

Where will you work after graduation?

International students who complete our program rarely secure employer sponsorship to live and work in the United States after graduation. Because our full-time MSIRHR is not a STEM-designated program, graduates are eligible to apply only for 12 months of Optional Practical Training (OPT), and approval for these applications is dependent on governmental policies and procedures that are outside the purview of our program. Historically, most international graduates who are not already employed domestically have ended up building careers outside the United States. Meanwhile, those who enter our program hoping to establish permanent residency in the United States are often frustrated and disappointed when this turns out to be impossible. Before joining our program, you should consider whether you will view your participation as worthwhile even if it does not translate into an opportunity to relocate to the United States on a long-term basis.

If you decide to join our program, we strongly advise you to be proactive in exploring options for channeling your efforts into a successful post-MSIRHR career. Because our program faculty and staff are most experienced with assisting students with job placement within the United States, international students must be resourceful in identifying other channels for securing a job or gaining guidance tailored to their specific circumstances. To this end, international students should familiarize themselves with the resources available through WVU International Student & Scholar Services and the Office of Global Affairs.

Do you have any other questions?

We hope this document has addressed some of your most pressing questions about joining the full-time MSIRHR program at West Virginia University. However, every student’s needs and circumstances are unique, and we will be eager to work with you to answer any further questions you may have. For general questions about our program, the admissions process, or the graduate student experience at West Virginia University, feel free to reach out to our program’s lead recruiter, Aaron Rose, at aaron.rose1@mail.wvu.edu. You can connect with International Student & Scholar Services at isss-students@mail.wvu.edu. For detailed questions about the MSIRHR program curriculum, feel free to email the MSIRHR Program Director, Jamie Field, at james.field2@mail.wvu.edu. Thank you again for your interest in our program—we look forward to working with you!