Information for International Applicants

The Graduate School welcomes applications for admission from international students.

Applicants who have earned or will be earning a Bachelor's Degree or international equivalent from an accredited university are eligible to apply to any program offered at Columbia GSAS. The Graduate School accepts applications from students who have earned or will earn 3-year bachelor's degrees in Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Jamaica, India, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, and any country which is a participant in the Bologna Process.

We encourage all international applicants to submit their admissions application as early as possible to allow enough time to process their applications.

English Proficiency Requirement

The English proficiency requirement is based on the official language of the country in which the undergraduate (or bachelor's) degree was earned, regardless of an applicant's citizenship. Applicants whose undergraduate degree was awarded by an institution in a country where English is not the sole official language must complete the requirement.

The English proficiency requirement can be fulfilled through the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or the Duolingo English Test (DET).

The Graduate School requires the following minimum scores: 

  • 100 TOEFL iBT test (test dates pre-January 21, 2026)
  • 5.5 TOEFL iBT test (test dates after January 21, 2026)
  • 7.5 IELTS Academic Test
  • 135 DET 

Applicants are strongly urged to make arrangements to take these examinations early in the fall. All test scores should be reported to the GSAS Office of Admissions.

Test Score Reports

All official standardized test scores must be received in the GSAS Office of Admissions within two weeks of the application deadline for the program to which you have applied.

Student-reported scores are not considered official.

Scores more than two years old are not accepted. 


TOEFL Submission Instructions

TOEFL scores are reported to GSAS in electronic format

The ETS Code for Columbia GSAS is 2162.

Though GSAS does not use department codes for test score reporting, ETS requires designation of a department code. Therefore, please enter the default code: 99.

TOEFL scores are valid for two years from the date taken. For more information, see the TOEFL website.
  

IELTS Academic Test Scores

Columbia GSAS accepts IELTS Academic Test scores in electronic format only.

You must contact the IELTS test center where the test was taken to request that your official electronic test results be sent to GSAS via the E-Delivery account information provided below.  An institution code is NOT required.

E-Delivery account name:
"Columbia University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences"
New York, NY 10027
US 

IELTS scores are valid for two years from the date taken. For more information, see the IELTS website.

Duolingo English Test Scores

Columbia GSAS accepts Duolingo English Test scores in electronic format only.

After you receive certified test results:

  • Log in to your account and click on the “Share Score” button next to your test results.
  • Filter the institution list for "Graduate Schools."
  • Select "Columbia University - Graduate School of Arts and Sciences" as the institution to which you would like to send your results.

Duolingo scores are valid for two years from the date taken. For more information, see the Duolingo website.

English Proficiency Waiver Requests

For applicants whose undergraduate degrees were awarded in a country where the official language is not English, English proficiency exam scores are required.

You may request a waiver of this requirement based on one of the criteria below:

Graduate-level study in the US or another English-speaking country

If you have earned an MA or PhD from an institution located in a country where English is the sole official language, and this degree conferral is noted on your transcript, you are not required to submit English proficiency scores. You may request a waiver of the English proficiency requirement by completing the English Proficiency - Graduate Degree Waiver Request form.

International undergraduate institution, instruction entirely in English 

If you earned your undergraduate degree in a country where the official language is not English, but the official language of instruction at your institution is English, you may request a waiver of the English proficiency requirement by submitting the English Proficiency - Undergraduate Waiver Request form. 

Please Note:

  • You must complete the Educational History section of the application before submitting a waiver request form.
  • Waiver requests are evaluated case by case. Submitting a request does not guarantee approval. 

Waiver request forms are available on the Test Scores page of the application. 

The form and all supporting documentation should be submitted at least two weeks before the deadline date of the program to which you are applying.


International Applicants: If your undergraduate degree has been granted (or will soon be awarded) from an American college or university where you have studied for at least two years, you do not need to submit a waiver request form. English proficiency exam scores are required only if your undergraduate degree is awarded by a school in a country where English is not the only official language.  

Admitted Students

Academic departments may ask newly admitted students whose native language is not English to take the ALP Essay Exam administered by the Columbia University American Language Program. If they score below Level 10, they will be advised to take the six-point ALP Academic Writing course. For more information, please see the American Language Program Testing page.

Academic departments may ask newly admitted students whose native language is not English and are expected to teach in their first year to take ALP's online oral proficiency test; if their score is borderline, they must complete a live teaching demonstration. Depending on the results, students may be advised to take ALP's ITF Course. 

Resources for International Applicants