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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, 250 on the computer-based 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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