English Proficiency
All students must provide an official copy of their Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score, or their International English language Testing System (IELTS) score before they can register for classes. This includes undergraduate students entering the United States for the first time or those who have studied at a U.S. college or university less than two years. This also includes graduate students with less than one year prior U.S. college or university experience. If you are asked for the University of Minnesota Educational Testing Service (ETS) code, it is 6874. If you scored below 6.5 on IELTS, 213 on the computer-based TOFEL or 79* on the internet based test, or if your English proficiency will be assessed on arrival, you should arrive at least three weeks before classes begin in order to take an English language placement test, as you cannot register for classes until the test results are reported.
Based on your test score, you may be required to take several hours of English as a Second Language (ESL) classes. ESL classes have the same cost for tuition as other university courses. If you take ESL classes, you must reduce your academic course load as follows: If you must take 5 hours of ESL per week, you may register for 2 or 3 academic courses; 10 hours of ESL, 1 or 2 academic courses; 15 hours of ESL, 1 academic course.
If you studied two years or more in a U.S. college or university, you may not need to take a language placement test but you should bring a copy of your grade transcript with you to use as verification during your first weeks on campus.
* Note:
The Graduate school requires a minimum total score of 79, plus minimums of 21 on the Writing Section and 19 on the Reading Section.
Please visit ESL for more information
Map to English as a Second Language Program.
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