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International Applicants: English Proficiency Requirements

More for International Applicants

Please find additional application information tailored especially for applicants to TGS programs who are citizens of countries other than the United States.

Application Fee Waivers

A limited number of fee waivers are available to international student applicants on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Applicants who are not citizens or permanent residents of the United States must demonstrate English language proficiency as part of the application process. For more details on the English proficient requirement see The Graduate School's English Proficiency Requirements.

Who Must Submit Proof

Applicants whose native language is not English and who did not earn a degree from an institution where the official language is English.

Test takers may be asked by ETS to choose the "department" to which they want their scores sent.

Ways to Satisfy the Requirements

Applicants who are not citizens or permanent residents of the United States can certify language proficiency in one of three ways:

  1. TOEFL iBT, International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic, or Michigan English Test (MET) test scores (tests must be taken within two years of the intended quarter of entry)
    1. The TGS school code for TOEFL is 1565.
  2. Earning an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited, four-year institution or equivalent, where English is the official language of instruction.
  3. Earning a graduate degree from a regionally accredited institution where English is the official language of instruction.

We cannot accept DuoLingo or TOEFL Essentials as documentation of English proficiency.

Minimum Test Scores

  • TOEFL: 600 paper, 250 computer, 80 Internet
  • IELTS: 7.0
  • MET: 54

For detailed score reporting policies and institutional exceptions, review The Graduate School's Test Scores page.

Additional Requirements for Teaching Assistants

Non-native MFA applicants wishing to be considered for appointment as a Teaching Assistant must submit a minimum score of 26 on the TOEFL speaking section, taken no more than two years before consideration for appointment.