Minimum English Proficiency Requirement for Admission to a Graduate Program

Academic programs must verify that all applicants, whether domestic or international, who are not native speakers of English meet the minimum English proficiency requirement to be admitted for graduate study as degree-seeking, non-degree-seeking or certificate program students. Verification may come in any one of the following forms:

• Official transcript showing the applicant graduated with a baccalaureate degree (or higher) earned in residence from an accredited U.S. institution of higher education.
• Official transcript showing the applicant graduated with a baccalaureate degree (or higher) from an institution whose medium of instruction is English. This does not apply to degrees earned online. This verification may be from a catalog or program description brochure or an official letter from a department chair, dean, or other university official stipulating English as the language of instruction. Verification of English instruction from the institution must be included unless the degree is from one of the countries on the Proof of English Proficiency Exemption List. The prospective student also should expect a phone interview from the department considering admission.
• Receipt of an official copy (not student's copy) of applicant's GATEWAY, TOEFL or IELTS scores achieved not more than two years before the semester of admission.

Below are the minimum scores required on the GATEWAY, TOEFL or IELTS to satisfy the minimum English proficiency requirement for admission. Individual programs may opt for a more restrictive policy regarding English proficiency for the students they recommend to Graduate Studies for admission.

GATEWAY is a more affordable online English proficiency test that can be taken anytime and anywhere. You will need a computer with a webcam and speakers and a reliable internet connection.

TAKE THE GATEWAY TEST

TOEFL MyBest Scores may be accepted with an approved petition.  If a student does not meet the minimum requirement for admission, or if the TOEFL MyBest Scores are submitted, the academic program may petition the Associate Vice-Chancellor for Graduate-Postdoctoral Studies and Assessment for an exception. The petition will include a justification for admitting the specific student, including a description of the interview process, and a plan for the student to achieve academic success. The petition should also describe the metrics that the program proposes for evaluating the academic success of the student and the time line that will be followed for the plan.

For direct reporting of TOEFL scores, our institution code is 6895.

Additional Spoken English Proficiency Requirements for Graduate Teaching Assistants, Medical Center Campus

The Kansas Board of Regents requires that in order to be appointed as a Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA), students must first attain a minimum score of 50 on the TSE or SPEAK tests, a minimum iBT speaking score of 24, or a minimum IELTS speaking score of 8.The SPEAK test is administered free of charge by appointment in the Office of International Programs. SPEAK scores from other institutions will not be accepted.

Undergraduate Program admission at KUMC are the following:

If you meet any of these minimum test scores, you may enroll in full-time degree coursework:

Minimum test scores required for full-time degree coursework.

Exceptions

You do not have to prove English proficiency if any of the following is true: 

• You are a native speaker of English.
• You are from a country on the Proof of English Proficiency Exemption List.
• You have earned a B or better in College English Composition 1 and 2 and earned 24 or more credit hours toward a degree at a US institution or country from the Proof of English Proficiency Exemption List
• You have completed the full IB diploma program with an English HL of 5 or higher.
• You have earned an associate's degree with a 2.5+ GPA from a U.S.-accredited post-secondary college.
  
  

The Applied English Center (AEC) offers in-person courses on the KU-Lawrence campus designed to help you strengthen the speaking, pronunciation, vocabulary, and communication skills assessed on the SPEAK Test. If you are interested in improving your English and preparing for a future SPEAK Test, you may contact the AEC at aec@ku.edu to discuss your options.