Master’s abroad for Indian students: requirements, fees and a 12-month timeline

If you want to start a master’s abroad in September 2027 (fall 2027 in US terms), the first deadlines are about eight weeks away. UBC’s Master of Engineering in electrical and computer engineering closes to international applicants on 12 December 2026, and the University of Toronto’s research master’s in the same field on 7 January 2027. Most UK courses are already open. Students who wait for their final-year results before they start usually find that the dates have decided the shortlist for them.

This guide sets out what universities in six countries popular with Indian students ask for, what applying costs in rupees, and a month-by-month plan from October 2026 to arrival. We took every figure from the university, testing body or government page cited, and say where a rule is our reading rather than theirs. Rules differ by course, so treat the named universities as examples and check your own course page before you rely on any of it.

When should you start applying for a master’s abroad?

About 12 months before the course starts, so October 2026 for a September 2027 start. That leaves time to take an English test (and the GRE if a programme wants it), collect letters, write a statement of purpose and still meet the earliest deadlines. Some of the dates we checked:

The UK works differently. LSE opens its 2027/28 applications in October 2026 and assesses most of them on a rolling basis, and Manchester says many of its master’s courses have no official closing date, so a popular course can fill before you apply. Apply in the autumn even when the published deadline is in the summer. US engineering deadlines for the best-known programmes fall between November and February; our MS after BTech guide lists them. If your list cannot be ready in time, the UK and Australia also take January and February starts; our UK January 2027 guide has the dates.

What are the requirements for a master’s abroad?

Almost every university asks for the same six things:

• A recognised bachelor’s degree with a minimum mark, usually somewhere between 55% and 70%, or first class at the most selective courses.
• An English test score, unless the university accepts your medium of instruction or waives it.
• A statement of purpose or personal statement.
• Letters of recommendation, usually one to three.
• A CV or résumé.
• The GRE or GMAT, only where a programme asks for it, which is now mainly in the US and at some business schools.

The details are where students get caught out: whether a three-year degree counts, whose evaluation of your marks the university uses, and how old your test score can be.

What marks and degree do you need?

Universities set their own minimums, and many accept a three-year degree only under conditions. These are the rules at the universities we checked:

If your degree is a three-year BSc, BCom or BCA, this is the column to check first. Our percentage guide covers more universities, CGPA conversion and backlogs.

Which English test scores do universities ask for?

Most master’s courses ask for an IELTS overall score of 6.5, with a minimum in each part. Computing, law and some business courses ask for more, and the TOEFL figure varies more than the IELTS one.

TOEFL changed its scoring on 21 January 2026, and tests taken since then are reported on a 1 to 6 scale. Universities still list the old 0 to 120 cut-offs for earlier tests: Illinois, for example, accepts 4.0 on the new scale or 79 for scores dated before 21 January 2026. If you book a TOEFL now, the 1 to 6 figure is the one that counts. Other tests are widely accepted too: Illinois takes a Duolingo score of 115 (135 for full status), Northeastern 105, and UCL and Monash accept PTE, at 75 with 67 in each part and 58.

Watch the age of your score. UCL accepts results no more than two years old at enrolment, UBC’s MASc wants tests taken within 24 months of applying, and Manchester asks that the test is valid on your start date. An IELTS taken in mid-2025 may have expired by the time a September 2027 course begins. Many universities waive the test for some Indian degrees taught in English; our guide to studying without IELTS shows where, and our IELTS or PTE guide helps you choose a test.

Do you still need the GRE?

Far less often than you might expect. Northeastern’s College of Engineering is test-optional, UBC’s MASc in electrical and computer engineering says the GRE is not mandatory, and UK, Australian, Irish and German master’s courses rarely ask for it. Many US programmes still want it, though: USC says most of its graduate programmes require the GRE or GMAT, and accepts scores up to five years old. Check each programme on your list before you book the test; our MS after BTech guide lists the GRE rules at the best-known US engineering schools.

Which documents do you need to apply?

• Transcripts. Semester mark sheets or a consolidated transcript. Most universities accept scanned copies at the application stage; Illinois asks for scanned official transcripts, and Northeastern accepts unofficial transcripts until you are admitted.
• Degree certificate, or a provisional certificate if your degree certificate has not been issued. Illinois accepts a provisional certificate. Final-year students apply with the results they have.
• Letters of recommendation. Edinburgh’s MSc AI asks for one reference, Northeastern for two, and Arizona State says many programmes ask for three. Ask your referees in October; a professor writing for ten students will not thank you for a week’s notice in December.
• Statement of purpose. Each university sets its own length and prompts. Our SOP guide shows what admissions tutors look for.
• CV, with internships, projects and any work experience. If you have a gap since graduating, account for it here and in your statement; work, courses and exam preparation all count.
• Test scores, sent officially where the university asks for it.
• Passport, needed for the application at many universities and essential for the visa. If yours expires before the end of the course, renew it now.

One rule surprises families: the University of Melbourne says applicants who completed tertiary studies in India must apply through an authorised education agent so that their documents can be verified. Most other universities take direct applications.

Do you need a WES evaluation?

Only if your university asks for one, and most of those we checked do not. Illinois, Toronto and UBC publish their own requirements for Indian degrees and do not ask for a WES report on the pages we read. Arizona State does its own evaluation free and names ECE, FCSA, ACEI or Scholaro rather than WES where it wants an outside report. UC Santa Cruz is the exception among the universities we checked: once admitted, graduates of Indian institutions must send a WES ICAP course-by-course evaluation. WES charges from US$186 (about ₹17,860) for a course-by-course report and US$239 (about ₹22,940) for the ICAP version, and its current processing times for a course-by-course report add up to about four weeks once it has all your documents, and up to six for complex files, plus however long your university takes to send them. Do not pay for one in advance on the off chance.

How much does it cost to apply for a master’s abroad?

Application fees are the first real cost, and they add up across a shortlist. These are the international fees on each university’s own page:

Illinois and Toronto do not waive the fee for international applicants, Trinity’s is non-refundable, and Monash issues waiver codes only through its staff and listed sponsors. Melbourne’s fee is for direct applicants; if you apply through an agent, as Indian graduates must, ask the agent. Then come the tests, at their prices in India:

A realistic application budget, in our experience: one English test, the GRE if your US programmes want it, and six applications at about ₹10,000 each comes to roughly ₹80,000 without the GRE and ₹1.03 lakh with it. Add WES where it is required, couriers and a second sitting of the English test if the first score is short. Deposits and visa fees come later, once you hold an offer.

How much does the master’s itself cost?

Tuition and living together, for a typical master’s, at the ranges we use across this site:

Our cost of studying abroad guide breaks each figure down, and the best country guide sets cost beside work rights and visa outcomes.

What does a 12-month timeline look like for a September (fall) 2027 start?

This is the plan we would follow for a September 2027 start, with the real dates from the courses above. If the US or Canada is on your list, do the October and November tasks together in the next few weeks, because their deadlines come first.

October 2026: shortlist and book your tests

Pick six to eight courses in one or two countries and write down each deadline, test minimum and number of letters. Book your English test and, only if a programme on the list needs it, the GRE. Ask two or three referees now. Collect your mark sheets, and if you are in your final year, ask your college how it issues transcripts.

November 2026: take the tests and draft the statement

Sit the English test early in the month so a retake still fits. Draft your statement of purpose and CV. Submit UK applications for courses that assess on a rolling basis; an October or November application competes for more places than a March one.

December 2026: the first deadlines

UBC’s MEng in electrical and computer engineering closes on 12 December and Illinois geography on 15 December, along with many other US programmes. Send official scores where they are required, and check that each referee has submitted.

January 2027: Canada’s research master’s and Germany’s paperwork

Toronto’s MASc closes on 7 January and UBC’s on 15 January. If Germany is on your list, register with APS India now: the APS check takes at least two weeks, and some applicants also need the dMAT test, next held in mid-January and mid-March.

February 2027: more applications, first offers

Toronto’s MEng co-op option closes on 8 February and TUM opens its Informatics window on 1 February. Expect the first UK offers. A final-year student’s offer is usually conditional on the final result.

March 2027: German deadlines and the money conversation

German deadlines are set course by course, so check each one; Edinburgh’s MSc AI closes on 30 March. Start talking to lenders this month, not after you accept an offer; our loan documents checklist shows what they will ask for.

April 2027: compare offers

Toronto’s MEng closes on 15 April. Compare the offers you hold on total cost, course length and work rights, not ranking alone, and apply for the loan with an offer letter in hand.

May 2027: accept and pay the deposit

Accept one offer and pay the deposit to secure the place and, in the UK, the CAS. TUM Informatics closes on 31 May; uni-assist advises applying at least eight weeks before a deadline, so German applications through it should already be in. Final-year exams usually fall now.

June 2027: visas for the US, Canada and Germany

Northeastern’s final international deadline is 15 June. With the I-20 in hand, pay the US$350 SEVIS fee and book the F-1 interview; our F-1 interview guide helps you prepare. Canadian study permits from India were taking seven weeks in October 2026, and the German missions warn that visa processing may take several months, so do not leave either later. For the UK, take the TB test at an approved clinic and make sure the maintenance money has sat in the account for 28 days before you apply; our UK bank balance guide explains the rule.

July 2027: the UK, Ireland and Australia

Apply for the UK Student visa once the CAS arrives; it usually takes three weeks from outside the UK. Ireland lets you apply up to three months before you travel and decisions can take about eight weeks, so apply as early as it allows. For Australia, apply as soon as you have your confirmation of enrolment.

August 2027: travel

Book accommodation and flights, and carry your offer, visa papers and original mark sheets in your hand luggage. You may enter the US up to 30 days before the start date on your I-20, and the UK up to a month before a course longer than six months.

September 2027: start the course

Enrol, collect your residence card or permit where the country issues one, and open a local bank account. In Germany, register your address and apply for the residence permit within the visa’s validity; the winter semester there starts in October, a few weeks after most other countries.

When can you apply for the student visa in each country?

Three visa rules trip up Indian applicants. From 1 January 2026, master’s students at a public institution in Canada no longer need a provincial attestation letter, but you must still show that you qualify for the exception. Ireland expects you to have paid at least €6,000 of your fees, or the full fee if it is lower, before you apply. And from 2 October 2026 most new Australian student visa applicants can no longer bring family members, with exemptions for groups such as PhD students and holders of fully funded foreign government scholarships. If you plan to travel with a spouse, check this before you choose Australia. For the money each embassy wants to see, see our proof of funds guide.

What extra steps does Germany add?

Three. First, the APS certificate, which German universities and the visa section require from Indian applicants. Second, for the summer 2027 intake onwards, some master’s applicants need the dMAT, a €150 aptitude test that APS India adds to the file. Which fields it covers is being revised: APS India republished its page on 15 October 2026 without the list of fields and says an updated list will be announced shortly, so check the page before you plan. Third, many universities take applications through uni-assist, which checks your documents before the university sees them. Then the visa needs a blocked account of €11,904 for a year. Our Germany cost guide covers each step and what it costs.

Which scholarships can you still apply for?

Fewer than most students hope, because the big rounds close a year ahead. As of October 2026:

• Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships (UK): the 2027-28 round’s final deadline is 16:00 UK time on 20 October 2026, but Indian applicants go through a national nominating body with an earlier date of its own, so for most readers this round has passed.
• Chevening (UK): the 2027-28 round has closed. If it follows past years, the next round opens around August 2027, for courses starting in 2028.
• Fulbright-Nehru Master’s Fellowships (US): no 2027-28 call had been published when we checked. The fellowship asks for at least three years of work experience, so it is not for fresh graduates.
• DAAD EPOS (Germany): for development-related master’s courses, with deadlines set course by course and at least two years of work experience.
• Inlaks: the 2026 round has closed; it funds up to US$120,000 at selected universities. Watch the site for the 2027 date.

University scholarships, which you are usually considered for when you apply, are where most Indian students find money. Applying early helps here too, because some are awarded in rounds.

How can we help?

Bring your mark sheets, any test scores and the course you have in mind to a free profile evaluation. We will check your marks and degree against the universities you are considering, build a shortlist with its real deadlines, and set out the timeline above for your own dates. Our course selection service takes it from there.