English Proficiency

The ability to communicate effectively in English - to read, write and speak the language fluently - is vital to your success as a university student. Evidence of adequate English proficiency must be submitted before enrollment is approved by the Office of Graduate Admissions and Enrollment Services.

All students from non-English-speaking countries must submit proof of English language proficiency as evidenced by a satisfactory score on either the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System) exam.


Test Requirements:


TOEFL

  • IBT (Internet based test) - 79
  • CBT (computer-based test) - 213
  • PBT (paper based test) - 550


IELTS

  • 6.0 overall band

Official scores must be received directly from the testing service and dated no earlier than 2 years (24 months) prior to the start of your intended first term at William Paterson University.

If you are sending TOEFL scores, the institution code for William Paterson University is 2518 (no department code is required).

To submit your IELTS results to William Paterson University, please select “William Paterson University of New Jersey” from the list of available institutions when you register to take the IELTS test. Do not enter the name, contact information or mailing address of the specific William Paterson University department to which you are applying on your IELTS registration. You may also request that your IELTS results be sent to William Paterson University after you receive your scores by contacting the test center where you took the test.

Contact details for all IELTS test centers are available at http://www.ielts.org/

Exemptions

  • International applicants from countries where English is the official language of instruction are not required to submit proof of English language proficiency. See below for a list of countries that qualify for an exemption from the admissions requirement.
  • International applicants are exempt from the TOEFL/IELTS academic requirement under the following additional circumstances:
    • Completion of at least two years of post-secondary full-time study, as defined by the home institution, in a country where English is the primary language and at an institution where English is the primary medium of instruction, within five years of the proposed term of initial enrollment at William Paterson University.
    • Completion of a graduate degree in a country where English is the primary language and at an institution where English is the primary language of instruction, within five years of the proposed term of initial enrollment.
William Paterson does not waive the English-proficiency requirement based on any other consideration (work experience, ESL enrollment, etc.).

TOEFL Exemption

The following countries use English as the official language, or language of instruction, and are exempt from TOEFL requirements:

  • American Samoa
  • Anguilla
  • Antigua, Barbuda
  • Australia
  • Bahamas
  • Barbados
  • Belize
  • Bermuda
  • Botswana
  • British Indian Ocean Territories
  • Cameroon
  • Canada
  • Cayman Islands
  • Christmas Island
  • Cook Islands
  • Dominica
  • Falkland Islands/Malvinas
  • Fiji
  • Gambia
  • Ghana
  • Gibraltar
  • Grenada
  • Guam
  • Guyana
  • Ireland
  • Jamaica
  • Kenya
  • Kiribati
  • Lesotho
  • Liberia
  • Malawi
  • Marshall Islands
  • Mauritius
  • Micronesia, Federated States
  • Montserrat
  • Namibia
  • Nevis, Saint Kitts
  • New Zealand
  • Nigeria
  • Norfolk Island
  • Northern Mariana Islands
  • Palau
  • Philippines
  • Pitcairn
  • Puerto Rico
  • Saint Helena
  • Saint Lucia
  • Saint Vincent, Grenadines
  • Seychelles
  • Sierra Leone
  • Singapore
  • Solomon Islands
  • South Africa
  • Swaziland
  • Trinidad, Tobago
  • Turks, Caicos Islands
  • Uganda
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
  • U.S. Minor Outlying Islands
  • Virgin Islands, British
  • Virgin Islands, U.S.
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe