English Proficiency Requirements
Any applicant whose undergraduate degree was earned at an institution where the primary language of instruction is not English must submit Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores.
TOEFL and IELTS scores are considered valid for two years from the testing date. If your scores are more than two years old at the time your application is reviewed, new scores will be required.
Minimum Score Requirements and English Courses
A minimum score of 70 on the Internet-based TOEFL or 523 on the paper-based TOEFL or 5.5 on the IELTS exam is required for admission consideration. If your scores do not meet these minimum requirements, we encourage you to retake the exam and submit your new official scores prior to completing your application packet.
Admitted students with a score between 70-89 on the Internet-based TOEFL or 523-573 on the paper-based TOEFL or 5.5-6.0 on the IELTS exam will be required to take one or more English courses during their graduate study at IIT. This decision will be based on three section scores of your exam: Listening, Reading, and Writing. A section score of less than 20 on the Internet-based TOEFL or 5.5-6.0 on the IELTS will place you into the corresponding IIT English course: ENGL 051 Listening Comprehension, ENGL 052 Reading Comprehension, and ENGL 053 The Research Paper. Students are required to enroll in and complete the first of any such necessary courses during their first semester of study at IIT.
Students whose TOEFL or IELTS scores indicate they must take two or three English courses at IIT will have the opportunity to take an IIT exam near the end of their first course to determine whether their English has improved enough to exempt them from the additional course(s). This exam will be given only to students enrolled in the English courses.
Score Report Submission
We require official TOEFL or IELTS scores sent directly to IIT by the testing service. Please request that your scores be set to institution code 1318; no department code is required.
Please allow two to four weeks from the date of your test or score request for delivery and processing of your scores. Your application status will be updated when we receive them.
Your scores will automatically match to your applicant file only if your name is spelled the same way on your TOEFL/IELTS registration as on your IIT application (which should match your passport). If your name is written differently on your TOEFL/IELTS registration, please notify us at gradstu@iit.edu. Your email should include your IIT applicant ID number, TOEFL/IELTS registration number, testing date, and your first and last name as they appear on your TOEFL/IELTS registration.
Waiver
Applicants who hold undergraduate degrees from institutions where the primary language of instruction is English are exempt from the TOEFL/IELTS requirement. However, these scores may be requested from any applicant at the discretion of the Office of Graduate Admission or a degree-seeking applicant's academic department.
The TOEFL/IELTS requirement will be considered on a case-by-case basis for applicants who do not hold undergraduate degrees from English-speaking institutions but who have lived, worked, or studied in the United States for a substantial period of time. Your admission coordinator in the Office of Graduate and Professional Enrollment will make this determination with your academic department upon review of your application file.
