The ability to communicate effectively in English — to read, write and speak the language fluently — is vital to your success as a university student. USC graduate applicants are therefore expected to demonstrate their proficiency in English as part of the application process. Please review our video tutorial titled, “English Proficiency Requirements for International Students” for more details.
IMPORTANT: USC does not set minimum scores for admission purposes. The scores listed below are used for placement purposes only to determine if an admitted student will need to take the International Student English (ISE) Examination upon arrival at USC.
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)
USC accepts the TOEFL iBT Home Edition, iBT Paper Edition, and the standard in-person TOEFL iBT administered in official test centers. Admitted students are exempt from taking the ISE Exam with the following scores:
| PhD | 100 or above, with 20 or above in each section. |
| Master’s | 90 or above, with 20 or above in each section. |
Sending official scores to USC: USC must receive scores electronically from the testing service for them to be considered official. Photocopies or paper copies of scores are not acceptable. USC’s institution code is 4852. (No department code is required.)
Your scores are considered valid only if earned within two years of your intended first term at USC. (For example, no earlier than August 1 two years prior if applying for the fall term.)
IELTS (International English Language Testing System)
USC accepts IELTS Academic and IELTS Indicator scores. Admitted students are exempt from taking the ISE Exam with the following scores:
| PhD | 7 or above, with 6 or above on each band. |
| Master’s | 6.5 or above, with 6 or above on each band. |
Sending official scores to USC: USC must receive scores electronically from the testing service for them to be considered official. Photocopies or paper copies of scores from the testing service are not acceptable.
Select “University of Southern California” from the list of available institutions when you register to take the IELTS test. Alternatively, provide this information to your testing center after you have taken the test. Contact information for the USC department to which you are applying is not required.
Your scores are considered valid only if earned within two years of your intended first term at USC. (For example, no earlier than August 1 two years prior if applying for the fall term.)
PTE (Pearson Test of English) Academic
USC accepts PTE Academic and PTE Academic Online scores. Admitted students are exempt from taking the ISE Exam with the following scores:
| PhD | 68 or above, with 53 or above on each band. |
| Master’s | 61 or above, with 53 or above on each band. |
Sending official scores to USC: USC must receive scores electronically from the testing service for them to be considered official. Photocopies or paper copies of scores from the testing service are not acceptable.
Select “University of Southern California” from the list of available institutions when you register to take the PTE Academic test. Alternatively, provide this information to your testing center after you have taken the test. Contact information for the USC department to which you are applying is not required.
Please note: Some USC master’s programs have specific score requirements that may be higher than the scores listed here. Please refer to your intended graduate program for more information about their specific English-language proficiency testing requirements.
Special Accommodations: The Educational Testing Service (TOEFL), the British Council (IELTS) and Pearson (PTE Academic) will provide accommodations for those with disabilities.
International applicants are exempt from submitting English-proficiency scores under the following circumstances:
1) You hold a bachelor’s degree completed in its entirety in the United States or another Anglophone country.
The bachelor’s degree should be earned at a regionally accredited university located in the United States, or at an officially recognized university in another country where English is both the language of instruction and the only officially recognized language of the country. Please note that the entire program needs to have been completed in the qualifying country.
Note: Dual-degree holders who completed part of their degree in the U.S. do not qualify for this waiver.
2) Your native language is English.
This applies to native English speakers from countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada (except Quebec), where English is both the only official language of the country and the language of instruction.
USC does not waive the English-proficiency requirement based on any other consideration such as work experience, ESL enrollment, etc. It also cannot be waived for undergraduate programs taught in English in non-Anglophone countries, or for graduate degrees earned in the U.S. or other qualifying countries.
To determine if USC requires TOEFL/IELTS/PTE scores for the country of study, please check here.
Students seeking to prepare their English and academic skills for the rigors of graduate study at USC may wish to explore the USC International Academy as an option.