Texas A&M University Graduate Catalog

• Academic Calendar
• Board of Regents
  & System Adminstrative
  Officers
• TAMU Administrative
  Officers
• Office of
  Graduate Studies
• General Information
• Degree Information
• Admission
• Registration & Academic Status
• Tuition, Fees &
  Other Financial Information
• Housing
• Orientation
• Resources for Students
• Texas A&M University at Galveston
• Course Descriptions
• School of
  Rural Public Health
• Faculty
• Appendices

Admission

English Language Proficiency Requirements

All international graduate students whose native language is not English must fulfill an English proficiency requirement, through either English Proficiency Verification or English Language Certification. This proficiency requirement should be met early in a student's program, and it must be completed before scheduling either the final examination for the master's degree or the preliminary examination for the doctoral degree.

There are two levels of English Proficiency Status for graduate students: English Proficiency Verified and English Proficiency Certified. English Proficiency Certification is required, by the State of Texas, before a graduate student is eligible to serve as a Graduate Assistant-Teaching, or any other position considered to be a teaching position (e.g., instructor, lecturer, etc.). All other students must be either English Proficiency Verified or English Proficiency Certified.

English Proficiency Verification can be achieved by presenting:

• a TOEFL score of at least 213 computer-based, or
• an IELTS score of at least 6.0, or
• a GRE Verbal score of at least 400, or
• a GMAT Verbal score of at least 22.

Individual colleges may choose to establish minimum TOEFL standards that exceed the University minimum for English Proficiency Verification. Scores from TOEFL examinations administered more than two years before submission of the application for admission shall not be eligible for English Proficiency Verification.

English Proficiency Certification can be achieved by:

• scoring at least 80 on each of the six sections of the English Language Proficiency Examination (ELPE),
• obtaining grades of A or B in English Language Institute (ELI) courses at the 300-level or higher, or
• requesting alternative certification by the Office of Graduate Studies. Students who have received a baccalaureate degree following four years of study at an accredited U.S. institution will qualify automatically for English Proficiency Certification under this alternative.

International students who fail to attain a score of at least 80 on ONE of the six sections but attain a score of 80 or more on the other sections, may appeal their results. Such students should contact their departmental graduate advisor for further information.

Graduate students who have completed an equivalent English training program at an institution other than Texas A&M may request English Proficiency Verification or Certification. Verification or certification on this basis is requested through the Departmental Graduate Advisor. The student should provide the Departmental Graduate Advisor with documentation to support Verification or Certification. If the department concurs with the request, the Departmental Graduate Advisor will submit a letter recommending and requesting Verification or Certification (with documentation attached) to the Office of Graduate Studies. The Office of Graduate Studies will determine on a case-by-case basis whether Verification or Certification is granted.