Language Proficiency

English Proficiency Requirements

In order to be eligible for admission all international applicants, regardless of citizenship, must demonstrate proficiency in English at a level necessary to be successful in the MSA. This requirement can be met for most applicants in one of the following four ways:

  1. Be a citizen of a country where English is an official language and the language of instruction in higher education. (Applicants educated in India take special note: India is not on the list of countries exempt from the English proficiency requirement—you must take the TOEFL, IELTS, or DuoLingo English Test with no exception, and regardless of whether English was the language of instruction for your undergraduate degree.)
  2. Have successfully completed at least one year of full-time study in a degree program at a four-year college or university in the U.S.
  3. Provide Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a total score of at least 80 on the Internet-based Test (iBT). Minimum test scores for each section is 18 points. (Note: the current computer- and paper-based versions of the TOEFL test will be given until the iBT version is implemented in a particular location. Computer-based TOEFL scores must be 213 or higher, with at least 17 on three sections and no section score below 13. The paper-based test requires a score of 550 or higher, with scores of 50 on at least two of the three sections and no section score below 45.)
  4. Provide International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores with an overall band score of at least 6.5. Minimum test scores for each section is 6.5.
  5. Provide Duolingo English Test results with a minimum score of 110.

International applicants living or working in the U.S., no matter how long, are not exempt from the English language proficiency requirement.

If you must take the TOEFL or IELTS, the test date must be no older than 24 months prior to the beginning of the entry term of enrollment.

NC State’s institution code for reporting scores is 5496 – Graduate Organization. Select department code 99.

Official copies of TOEFL or IELTS scores may be sent to:

The Graduate School
North Carolina State University
1020 Main Campus Drive, Room 2300A
Campus Box 7102
Raleigh, NC 27695-7102

For more on requirements and other information, please visit NC State’s Graduate School website.