Applicants whose first language is not English must furnish evidence of their proficiency in the use of the English language by a recent satisfactory achievement in one of the following:
- The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The minimum acceptable score is 86 for the internet version with no individual score below 20, 213 for the standard electronic version (or 550 for the paper and pencil version) although some programs require a higher minimum score. [UWO's TOEFL ID is 0984]
- The International English Language Testing Service (IELTS) of the British Council. The minimum acceptable score is 6 out of 9. The IELTS is offered in 6 test centres in the US and 3 in Canada.
- The Michingan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB) of the University of Michigan. Students must have at least 80 on each of the sections and an overall score of at least 85.
- The Canadian Academic English Language Assessment (CAEL Assessment). The minimum acceptable score is 60 out of 100. The CAEL Assessment is offered in several countries throughout the world as well as Canada.
These scores represent the minimum requirements as determined by the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, individual programs may have higher English proficiency standards.
Students who are required to present proof of proficiency in English must make their own arrangements to write the TOEFL, IELTS, MELAB or CAEL and to have the official results sent directly to the Faculty of Graduate Studies by the testing agency.
Other formal evidence of graduate level proficiency in English (as determined by the Faculty of Graduate Studies) may be considered in lieu of these test scores.