Generally, applicants whose native language is not English are required to submit official scores of the TOEFL or IELTS as evidence of English proficiency. Official scores are required to be submitted directly from TOEFL/ETS or IELTS (please see instructions below for Submitting Official Scores regarding our institution code and program number).

Graduate applicants may be exempt from providing a TOEFL or IELTS score if one of the following criteria is met:

• Completion of at least two years of full-time study, as defined by the home institution, in a country where English is the primary language and at an institution where English is the primary medium of instruction, within five years of the proposed initial enrollment at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
  OR
• Completion of a graduate degree in a country where English is the primary language and at an institution where English is the primary language of instruction, within five years of the proposed initial enrollment at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

IMPORTANT: Please note that this exemption is for admission purposes only. This may not necessarily provide an exemption for international teaching assistants. For more information, please see the English Proficiency Requirement for International Teaching Assistants.

Please visit the Grad College for a list of countries that qualify for an exemption from the admissions requirement.

Minimum Score Requirements for Admission:*

The following chart provides minimum score requirements for admission*:

* Please note: TOEFL or IELTS scores must be less than two years old from the first day of class at the proposed term of entry in order to be valid.
** If the scores on the TOEFL or IELTS are acceptable, but indicate the need for further English study (scores of 550-610 Paper or 79-102 iBT, inclusive), an English as a Second Language Placement Test (EPT) will be required upon arrival at the University. On the basis of the ESL EPT results, applicants are generally required to enroll in non-credit "English as a Second Language" courses and take a reduced academic load beginning the first semester at the University.

The English Department's primary form of financial aid is Teaching Assistantships.  If a non-native speaking applicant is admitted without a score and does not take the Oral English Assessment Interview (OEAI) upon arrival, the applicant will not receive a Teaching Assistantship or the tuition waiver and stipend it supplies. The English Department may not be able to offer financial assistance to a student who is not eligible for a Teaching Assistantship.  It is in a non-native speaking applicant's best interest to take the test as soon as possible and before the application deadline.  A passing score will only help an applicant's chance of admission.

Illinois policy requires the following:

Graduate students who wish to be considered for teaching assistantships – which include TA appointments for face-to-face classes, blended and online instruction, accompanying/coaching, and office hours -- must provide evidence of spoken English language proficiency.

Additional information can be obtained from the Department of Linguistics.

Minimum Score Requirements for Non-Native English Speaking Teaching Assistantship Consideration*

*Please note: TOEFL iBT and IELTS scores must be less than two years old from the first day of class at the proposed term of entry in order to be valid.

International students who have not taken or passed one of the required proficiency tests specified above, may take the Oral English Assessment Interview (OEAI). The Oral English Assessment Interview (OEAI) is an interview-based assessment for graduate teaching assistants. It is one of the means by which prospective international teaching assistants (ITAs) can demonstrate oral proficiency in English and fulfill campus policy and Illinois state law. Additional information regarding the OEAI is available on the Department of Linguistics website.

All international applicants requesting visa eligibility documents (I-20 or DS-2019) are required to demonstrate that they have adequate financial resources to cover the cost of their education while in the United States. Read more here.

All international students requesting a VISA must upload a passport. A passport must be uploaded for each dependent VISA Request also.