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Judgments concerning equivalency of international
baccalaureate degrees are made by the Graduate School. In general, only those
international students who (a) have the equivalent of the U.S. baccalaureate
degree with a superior examination record and (b) can understand rapid idiomatic
English and can speak, write and read English with a high degree of facility are
eligible for admission.
All international students whose native language is not
English and who have received an undergraduate degree from an institution in a
country whose official language is not English must submit official scores of
the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), administered in foreign
countries by the Educational Testing Service. Applicants who have received an
undergraduate degree from a non-English speaking country and are now studying at
the graduate level in the U.S. or an English-speaking country, must take the
TOEFL. The Graduate School normally requires a score of 600 on the
paper-and-pencil test or 100 on the
internet-based test. Applicants are strongly urged to make arrangements to take
the examination in early fall. Inquiries about this test should be addressed to
TOEFL, Educational Testing Service, Princeton, NJ 08540, U.S.A.; telephone:
609-771-7100; http://www.ets.org.
Scores over two years old will not be accepted. Unofficial or student copies of
the score report will not be accepted.
International Students may, instead of TOEFL, submit results
of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) administered in
foreign countries by the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate
(UCLES), the British Council and IDP Education Australia: IELTS Australia. The
Graduate School normally requires a score of 7.5 or higher on IELTS. For
information about IELTS, please go to: http://www.ielts.org.
Applicants who are in the New York area may take the English
Placement Test (EPT) administered by the Columbia University American Language
Program (ALP) in place of either TOEFL or IELTS. The test is graded on a scale
from 1 (low) to 10 (high). Applicants are expected to score at level 10. To make
arrangements to take this, applicants should contact the ALP at (212)
854-3585.
Exceptions: International students who have earned a
bachelor’s degree after at least (2) years of study from a U.S. institution or from an
institution in an English-speaking country are not required to take the TOEFL or
IELTS.
All non-native English speakers are required to sit for the
English Placement Test administered by the American Language Program of Columbia
University in their first semester if admitted to the Graduate School. Should
the results warrant, students may be required to take English language courses
in addition to ordinary degree course work. All non-native English speakers who
will be teaching fellows must also sit for the SPEAK test of spoken English,
also administered by the American Language Program.
It is essential that
all international students to apply as early as possible to allow enough time to
process their applications for admission.
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