The increasing number of international graduate students has been a sizeable segment of the student body in the U.S. higher educational system. However, this is an understudied population in the educational literature. The majority of the research either focused solely on international undergraduate students or did not distinguish between international undergraduate students and international graduate students. Research has been limited on international graduate students as an isolated population. Therefore, this student population has not completely been understood by higher education administrators and faculty, and their diverse needs have not been met by existing services on campuses.

International graduate students were studied as an isolated population in this study, which was conducted at a large southeastern four-year public university. This study examined reasons for international graduate students’ choice of academic majors, factors associated with their academic performance, differences in teaching and learning methods in their home countries and in the United States, and learning and study strategies they used in the United States. Used in this study was the researcher’s model of international graduate students’ choice of academic majors and academic performance. The findings of the study may assist higher education administrators and faculty to better understand this population, and to provide appropriate and supportive services for them. This study also suggests policies, services, and programs to meet this population’s unique needs and to assist their academic success in the United States.