English Proficiency

Applicants seeking regular admission whose native language is not English must submit minimum satisfactory scores on one of the following standardized tests. No other measures of English proficiency are accepted by the University of Arkansas for the purpose of gaining admission.

English Proficiency Test

The test must have been taken within two years immediately preceding the requested semester of admission and be valid at the time of enrollment. 		Score Information concerning location, dates

TOEFL Internet-Based

79

 

TOEFL website

TOEFL Paper-Based

550

IELTS

6.5

IELTS website

PTE-A Pearson Test of English-Academic

58

Pearson Test of English Academic

iTEP Academic

3.9

iTEP website

C1 Advanced CAE

176

Cambridge Assessment website

Completion of a Master’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. university or recognized university in a  country where English is the native language.

However, if deemed appropriate, individual departments may require a TOEFL, IELTS or PTE-A score or other verification of English proficiency. Students applying to a Ph.D. program in the Sam M. Walton College of Business must submit one of these tests at the time of admission.

Applicants whose  native language is English  are exempt. Native language is defined as the language you grew up speaking in your family, community, and nation.  Receiving your bachelor's degree in a country that lists English as an official language such as India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Nigeria, or Singapore does  not exempt  you from the English language proficiency requirement.

Some graduate programs will offer conditional admission to applicants who meet all requirements for admission except the required English proficiency. Conditionally admitted students will first attend Spring International Language Center (SILC) for intensive English language training prior to beginning academic studies. Intensive English classes at SILC focus on all language skills: grammar, reading, writing, and listening/speaking, in addition to special electives from which students can choose each term, such as TOEFL Preparation, Conversation, Vocabulary Building, Business English, and so on. Five nine-week terms are offered throughout the year to enable students to quickly complete their English study. For further information, you may contact Spring International Language Center (SILC), silc@uark.edu.

If a conditionally admitted graduate student has spent at least one 9-week term enrolled in Spring International Language Center, has reached level 6 with grades of a B or above and has the recommendation of the Director of Spring International, that student can proceed to full-time graduate enrollment upon Graduate School approval.

Conditionally admitted students are not eligible for graduate assistantships.

Upon admission, graduate students who are non-native speakers of English are required to submit an acceptable writing score on one of the following accepted tests:

Students who meet the minimum writing score above will not be required to take additional language instruction.

Students with lower scores will be required to successfully complete one or more writing support courses.

  • Level I students will not be required to take additional language instruction.
  • Level II students will be recommended to take additional language instruction.
  • Level III, IV, and V students will be required to successfully complete one or more of the courses as shown below. English Language Writing Score Requirements for Graduate Students
Level TOEFL iBT Writing IELTS Writing PTE Academic iTEP C1 Advanced GRE Analytical Writing GMAT Analytical Writing ELPT Writing ELAC Requirements
LEVEL I 29-30 7.0 80-84 4.5 185 4.5 5.0 81 No Requirements
LEVEL II 26-28 6.0-6.5 71-77 4.0 169 4.0 4.5 75-80 RECOMMENDED: ELAC 5033 or 5043
LEVEL III 23-25 5.5 62-68 3.5 162 3.5 4.0 70-74 ELAC 5033 Research Writing for Social Sciences and Education OR ELAC 5043 Research Writing in the STEM Fields AND ELAC 0011 Writing Workshop: Grammar through Editing
LEVEL IV 20-22 5.0 53-59 3.0 154 3.0 3.5 65-69

Sem I: ELAC 1023 Academic Writing Across Disciplines & 0011 Writing Workshop: Grammar through Editing

Sem II: ELAC 5033 or 5043
LEVEL V 0-19 0-4.5 0-51 0-2.9 0-150 0-2.5 0-3.0 0-64 IEP Evaluation

This requirement is waived for students who have obtained a bachelor’s or master’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or from a country where English is the native language.

*Graduate students applying for a Teaching Assistantship are required to submit sufficient speaking and writing scores.

There is a $15.00 charge for the ELPT which is given during New Student Orientation.

Non-native speakers of English, regardless of citizenship, even if eligible for a TOEFL waiver, must demonstrate competency in both spoken and written English to be eligible for a graduate assistantship that requires direct contact with students in a teaching or tutorial role, in a traditional classroom setting or via distance education.

Competency in spoken English may be demonstrated by submitting one of the following test scores:

Competency in written English may be demonstrated by submitting one of the following test scores:

  • 6.0 on the IELTS (writing) subtest
  • 26 on the Internet-based TOEFL (writing) subtest
  • 4.0 on the GRE, a 4.5 on the GMAT (analytical writing) subtest
  • 71 on the PTE-A (writing) sub-test
  • 4.0 on the iTEP (writing) sub-test
  • 169 on the C1 Advanced (writing) sub-test
  • 75 on the English Language Proficiency Test (ELPT)

OR

Concurrently enrolling in ELAC 5033 Research Writing for the Social Sciences and Education or ELAC 5043 Research Writing in the STEM fields and ELAC 0011 Writing Workshop: Grammar through Editing via placement by test scores:

  • 5.5 IELTS writing sub-test
  • 23 Internet-based TOEFL writing sub-test
  • 3.5 GRE
  • 4.0 GMAT analytical writing subtest
  • 62 PTE-A writing sub-test
  • 3.5 iTEP writing sub-test
  • 162 C1 Advanced writing sub-test
  • 70 on the ELPT

The Graduate Coordinator or Department Chair must request this option.