English Proficiency Requirements for Admission to Graduate Study

Graduate applicants who are non-native speakers of English must demonstrate proficiency in reading, writing, and listening to English. The following are acceptable means for verifying English proficiency for purposes of graduate admission:

• Graduation with a baccalaureate degree (or higher) earned in residence from an accredited English-medium U.S. college or university or a college or university in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, English-speaking province of Canada, or an English-speaking Caribbean country, with instruction conducted in English. Degrees earned online may not be used to verify English proficiency.
   
• Official scores from an English proficiency standardized test (e.g. TOEFL, IELTS-Academic, or PTE), sent by the testing agency to the University of Kansas. Official scores must be less than two years old.
   
• In exceptional cases, a department, with written support from the appropriate School or College, may petition the Dean of Graduate studies to consider alternative documentation of English proficiency. In consultation with the Director of the Applied English Center, the Dean of Graduate Studies will determine whether the alternative documentation demonstrates English proficiency at the level expected for regular admission to graduate study at KU. 

Regular Admission Minima for Campus-Based Programs*

AEC Waiver-Level Admission Minima for Campus-Based Programs and
Regular Admission Minima for Online and Distance Learning Programs

Provisional Admission Minima for Campus-Based Programs

(see also exclusions/special circumstances section of this policy)

Deny Admission & Recommend Applying to Applied English Center (AEC)

* The Applied English Center (AEC) maintains a check-in process for non-native speakers of English. This process serves to confirm each student's level of English proficiency and determine whether English courses will be included as a requirement of the student’s academic program. In order to graduate, students who are required to complete AEC courses must meet KU’s English proficiency standards as demonstrated by their performance in AEC coursework and evaluations.

• Students who demonstrate English proficiency at the waiver level or who have earned a degree from one of the specified English-speaking countries listed above are not required to check in at the AEC.
• All other non-native speakers of English who gain admission to campus-based programs are required to check in at the AEC upon arrival on campus.

For information on the spoken English requirements for GTAs, please see the policy on Spoken English Language Competency of Faculty and Graduate Teaching Assistants.

Any U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents who have declared that their native language is not English must report to the AEC for verification of English proficiency before enrolling.