Adequate command of spoken and written English is required for admission. Evidence of adequate English proficiency must be submitted before enrollment is approved by Graduate Admissions.
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) scores are required of all applicants whose first language is not English. For detailed information, see the TOEFL information in Required Exams.
English Language Proficiency Program
International students enrolled at Stanford must be able to read English with ease, understand rapid idiomatic English as used in lectures and group discussions, and express thoughts quickly and clearly in spoken and written English. Admission is offered only to students who are fully prepared in English or who have advanced intermediate proficiency in English that could be raised to the required level by enrollment in a summer intensive English program.
Stanford University offers a six-week Intensive English and Academic Orientation Program in the summer for students who plan to begin graduate study in the Autumn Quarter. Visit the English for Foreign Students (EFS) Office for more information
Stanford English Placement Test
The EFS Office administers an English placement test at the beginning of each quarter. This test may be a required condition of admission for students whose native language is not English.
