All international applicants are required to meet a minimum standard of English proficiency. This requirement can be met if:

  1. You are a citizen of a country listed on the “​TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo Not Required for Citizens of these Countries” table below, or
  2. You have completed at least one year of full-time academic study at a U.S. institution (or at an institution in a country listed on the “​TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo Not Required for Citizens of these Countries” table below) at the time you apply, and within two years from your desired admission term. Enrollment in an English language program, including within the USA, does not fulfill this requirement. This can be confirmed by your transcripts.
    • We do not accept Medium of Instruction (MOI) letters as proof of English proficiency. Please note that is NOT enough to meet our requirement even if the program was taught in English; the school at which you studied must be in a country listed on the “​TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo Not Required for Citizens of these Countries” table below. 

    • Note** The College of Music, the Business PhD Program and the Department of Economics require the TOEFL whether or not you have previously studied at a U.S. institution and regardless of length of attendance. Please click here for College of Music English proficiency score waiver policy. 
  3.  You take an English proficiency test and “report passing official scores” or “submit passing unofficial scores” from the following test agencies:

    • TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) - online version of TOEFL offered by ETS through Proctor U
    • IELTS (International English Language Testing System)
    • Duolingo

Test Scores Details

Passing Scores - You must receive a score that is equal to or higher than your program’s requirements. Please use the “Minimum Scores Required” table below to determine the passing score your program requires.

“Official” test scores – Valid (unexpired) test scores must be reported directly from the testing agency to the University of Colorado Boulder. Use the “Minimum Scores Required” table below to determine if your program requires official scores for application review. If your program requires official scores, please make sure to:

  1. Fill in the requested information on your graduate application in the “Test Score” section.
  2. Follow the reporting directions for the agency you tested with:
    •  Official TOEFL test scores are only valid for two years from the date of taking the test. Please Request that ETS report your TOEFL score to our school code 4841.
    •  Official IELTS test scores are only valid for two years from the date of taking the test. Please request your IELTS test center report your score to our school using the information below (IELTS does not use school codes).

      University of Colorado Boulder - Masters & PhD
      3100 Marine Street
      Suite A122, UCB 65
      Boulder, CO 80303

    • Official Duolingo test scores are only valid for two years from the date of taking the test. To report your official Duolingo scores, please click ‘Send Results’ from inside the Duolingo application, and then choose, ‘University of Colorado Boulder – graduate.’

“Unofficial” test scores – Valid (unexpired) test scores you receive from the testing agency can be submitted by you the applicant. Use the “Minimum Scores Required” table below to determine if your program accepts unofficial scores for application review. If your program accepts unofficial scores, please make sure to:

    1.    Fill in the requested information on your graduate application in the “Test Score” section.
    2.    Follow the submitting directions for the agency you tested with:
      • Unofficial TOEFL test scores are only valid for two years from the date of taking the test. Please email your “Score Report” to intlgrad@colorado.edu
      • Unofficial Duolingo test scores are only valid for two years from the date of taking the test. Please email your “Certificate“ to intlgrad@colorado.edu
      • Unofficial IELTS test scores are only valid for two years from the date of taking the test. Please upload your “Test Report Form” to your application in the “Test Score” section.

     

    ​TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo Not Required for Citizens of these Countries:

    • Australia
    • Belize
    • Botswana
    • Canada (except Quebec)
    • Commonwealth Caribbean
    • Ghana
    • India*
    • Ireland
    • New Zealand
    • Nigeria
    • Singapore
    • South Africa
    • United Kingdom
    • Zimbabwe

    *Applicants from India to the Engineering Management program will be required to submit English Proficiency Scores.

    Note: Paper-Based TOEFL scores will no longer be accepted after October 1, 2019.

    Minimum Scores Required

    Graduate Programs

    Internet Based TOEFL

    IELTS

    Duolingo

    Accounting and Taxation Accounting

    80 (Min)
    100 (Preferred)

    7.0

    120

    Advertising, Public Relations and Media Design (MA)

    100 

    7.0

    120

    Advertising, Public Relations and Media Design (PhD)

    107

    7.0

    120

    Aerospace Engineering**

    83

    6.5

    120

    Anthropology 75 6.0 120

    Applied Mathematics**

    100

    7.0

    120

    Architectural Engineering 90 7.0 120
    Art History** 75 6.0 120

    Asian Languages & Civilizations

    95 6.5 120

    Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences**

    75 6.0 120
    Biochemistry*** 100 7.0 120
    Biomedical Engineering**

    75

    6.0

    120

    Business (PhD)

    100

    7.0

    120

    Chemical and Biological Engineering**

    100

    7.0

    120

    Chemistry**

    100

    7.0

    120

    Civil Engineering

    90

    7.0

    120

    Classics**

    75

    6.0

    120

    Communication

    75

    6.5

    120

    Computational Linguistics, Analytics, Search and Informatics (CLASIC) 83 6.0 120
    Computer Science**

    83 (Min)
    100 (Preferred)

    7.0

    120

    Critical Media Practices**

    75

    6.0

    120

    Creative Technology and Design (ATLAS)**

    100

    7.0

    120

    Dance

    79

    6.5

    120

    Data Science** 80 6.0 120

    Ecology and Evolutionary Biology**

    79

    6.0

    120

    Economics

    75*

    6.0 Overall, 7.0 Speaking

    120

    Education**

    90

    7.0

    120

    Electrical, Computer & Energy Engineering**

    100

    7.0

    120

    Engineering Education 83 6.5 120

    Engineering Management

    102

    7.5

    125

    English 100 7.0 120

    Environmental Studies**

    100

    7.0

    120

    Environmental Engineering  90 7.0 120
    German**  75 6.0 120
    History** 75 6.0 120

    Integrative Physiology

    100

    7.0

    120

    Journalism 

    100

    7.0

    120

    Law (JD & LLM)

    100

    7.0

     

    Linguistics**

    90

    7.0

    120

    Linguistics**

    90

    7.0

    120

    Masters of the Environment**

    75

    6.0

    120

    Master of Business Administration (MBA),  MS Finance, MS Real Estate, MS Business Analytics, MS Supply Chain Management

    80

    6.5

    120

    Mechanical Engineering**

    80 

    6.5 

    120

    Media Studies (MA)

    100

    7.0

    120

    Media Studies (PhD)

    107

    7.0

    120

    Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology (MCDB)

    100

    6.0 - 7.0

    120

    Museum & Field Studies** 75 6.0 120
    Music (Artist Diploma)** 75 6.5 120

    Music (DMA, PhD)**

    93

    7.0

    135

    Music (Music Education MA)**

    80

    6.5

    125

    Music (Musical Arts MA)**

    80

    6.5

    125

    Physics**

    80

    6.5

    120

    Political Science

    90

    7.0

    120

    Psychology and Neuroscience** 90 7.0 120
    Robotics 83 6.0 120
    Russian** 75 6.0 120

    Spanish

    80

    6.5

    120

    Theater

    79

    6.5

    120

    All others 

    75

    6.0

    120

    * Additional Economics TOEFL score minimums: 75 overall; 23 speaking for admission consideration; 24 speaking for funding consideration

    No * notation: If you need to submit test scores to meet the English proficiency requirement - These programs require official TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo scores for application review.  

    ** If you need to submit test scores to meet the English proficiency requirement - These programs accept unofficial TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo scores for application review. Admitted students must submit valid official TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo scores before confirming enrollment.  Note** The College of Music, the Business PhD Program and the Department of Economics require the TOEFL whether or not you have previously studied at a U.S. institution and regardless of length of attendance.

    *** If you need to submit test scores to meet the English proficiency requirement - These programs do not require applicants to submit TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo scores for application review. Admitted students must submit valid official TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo scores before confirming enrollment. 

     

    IELTS is jointly owned by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia, and the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations.