The English Department welcomes international students. Students admitted to graduate study in English over the past two decades have come from the U.K., Switzerland, China, Germany, Japan, France, Hungary, Lebanon, Morocco, Italy, South Korea, Croatia, Poland and India. International students must meet all entrance standards and submit TOEFL (or equivalent) scores that meet the minimum specified by the School of Graduate Studies. (Note that the department has higher expectations in its admissions process; expert fluency is normally expected.)

International students will want to acquaint themselves with International Student Services immediately upon notice of admission. This office sends out I-20 and DS-2019s forms, verifies immigration information, can affirm or deny or upgrade visa status, and affirms full/part time status of international students.

In the past, several graduate students in English have found the Steiner House, a student-run cooperative offering housing for graduate students, a congenial place to live while in Cleveland.

The International Students Fellowship offers free airport pickups and short-term housing to newly arrived students from abroad, as part of its non-denominational Christian mission. Students need not be Christian, or religious, to take advantage of its services, including a furniture bank.