English Proficiency
Succeeding academically at UNC requires strong academic English language skills prior to enrollment. To ensure students are setup for success, UNC requires all applicants with prior education outside of the United States, regardless of citizenship or immigration status, to meet one of the requirements outlined below to demonstrate English proficiency. Applicants who have or will complete their education in the United States, Australia, Canada (excluding Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom will automatically meet this requirement.
Conditional Admission to UNC: Intensive English Program (IEP)
Students who meet general admissions standards but do not meet direct admission requirements can choose to be considered for conditional admission to UNC’s fully CEA accredited Intensive English Program (IEP).
Students pursuing conditional admission are required to complete the IEP application prior to receiving an admissions decision. This includes submission of the IEP application, $100 non-refundable application fee, and successful completion of an IEP placement test. For more information about UNC’s Intensive English Program and placement test requirements, visit our website.
Students conditionally admitted are required to complete IEP Level 6 before enrolling in academic coursework at UNC. IEP students in Level 6 may be simultaneously enrolled in academic courses. Concurrent enrollment credit limit is regulated by the Office of the Registrar and its policies on the maximum credit load per semester.
Direct Admission to UNC: English Proficiency Requirements
Students who meet general admissions standards in addition to one of the following will be considered for direct admission to UNC. Meeting one of these requirements is not a guarantee of admission.
1. Submit an official English Language test score taken within the past two years that meets both the overall AND sub score requirements.
| Accepted Test Name |
Overall Score |
Minimum Scores by Section |
| TOEFL iBT |
72 |
Listening (16), Reading (16), Speaking (18), and Writing (18) |
| IELTS |
6.0 |
Listening (5.5), Reading (5.5), Writing (5.5), and Speaking (5.5) |
| English3 Proficiency Test |
60 |
Speaking (15), Reading (15), Listening (15), and Writing (15) |
| Cambridge English Test |
169 |
Use of English (160), Reading (162), Writing (162), Listening (162), and Speaking (162) |
| Michigan English Test |
55 |
Listening (54), Reading (56), Speaking (54), and Writing (56) |
2. Submit an official academic standardized test score that meets the requirements as outlined below.
| Accepted Test Name |
Overall Score |
Minimum Scores by Section |
| SAT w/Writing |
|
Evidence-Based Reading (520), Writing (520) |
| ACT |
|
English (20) & Reading (20) |
| International Baccalaureate (IB) Higher Level (HL) English |
5, 6, 7 |
|
| Advanced Placement (AP) English Language & Composition |
4 or 5 |
|
| Advanced Placement (AP) English Literature & Composition |
4 or 5 |
|
| WAEC/WASSCE |
|
English Language (B3) |
3. You have earned a Master’s degree from a U.S. – accredited post-secondary college with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (applies only to students pursuing a Second Bachelor’s degree program).
4. You have earned an Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree from a U.S.-accredited post-secondary college or university with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5
5. Have prior education in a qualifying region or country listed below and meeting one of the following:
a. Four years of high school/secondary coursework taken entirely in English earning a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher
OR
b. Completed (or will complete prior to enrollment) a minimum of 24 credit hours or the equivalent in a college or university setting taken entirely in English, earning a B or better in a 100 level or higher English course (Composition or Literature). Teaching English coursework does not qualify.
Qualifying Regions & Countries:
United States, Anguilla (UK), Antigua, Island of the Bahamas, Barbados, Barbuda, Belize, Dominica, Gambia, Ghana, Grand Cayman, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Liberia, Mauritius, Namibia, Nigeria, Singapore, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, Uganda, United States Virgin Islands, Zambia, English Speaking West Indies.