All degree-seeking international undergraduate students must present officially certified academic credentials, evidence of adequate financial support, and, for those applicants whose first language is not English, evidence of meeting the university’s English Language Proficiency requirement. This requirement may be satisfied by:
- Presenting a valid minimum score of of 550 on the Institutional Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), a 79 on the Internet based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), a minimum score of 6.5 on the International English Language Testing System Academic (IELTS), a 58 on the Pearson Test of English (PTE-Academic), a 3.9 on the International Test of English Proficiency-Academic (iTEP), or a 176 on the Cambridge Assessment English C1 Advanced (C1 Advanced), an ACT English subscore of 19, or an SAT Evidence Based Reading and Writing subscore of 500 at the time of application.
- Demonstrating completion of grades 10-12 at a U.S. accredited high school .
- Presenting with at least 24 transferable credit hours from an accredited U.S. institution (or institution in a country where English is the native language) and completion of English Composition I and II with a grade of “C” or above.
- Receiving a wavier on a case by case basis from the Director of International Admissions by providing evidence of alternate English language competency including but not limited to Duolingo (DET) exam scores, prior successful coursework at a high school, college, or university in an English speaking country, or successful participation in West African Senior Examination Certificate (WASSCE) programs, International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGSCE) programs, or International Baccalaureate (IB).
Degree-seeking applicants who meet the academic and financial requirements but who do not meet the English proficiency requirement of the University of Arkansas may be offered conditional admission to their intended degree programs and admission as a non-degree undergraduate student to complete an Intensive English course sequence at the University of Arkansas. Students may fulfill the English proficiency requirement and be granted full admission to the University of Arkansas upon successful completion of ELAC 0603 University Connections Intensive English Level VI with a grade average of “B” or better.
An entering degree-seeking freshman who has completed secondary school at either U.S. or foreign institutions must have a) the equivalent of a final cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 (or its equivalent) and b) competency equivalent to that developed by taking four years of English and three years each of mathematics, natural sciences, and social studies, and an additional three units of electives chosen from English, speech, foreign languages, mathematics, natural sciences, or social studies in U.S. high schools.
A student transferring with fewer than 24 semester hours of post-secondary coursework at either U.S. or foreign institutions must a) have a cumulative GPA of at least a 2.00 (or its equivalent) on all post-secondary coursework attempted, and b) meet the requirements specified for entering freshmen. A student transferring from either a U.S. or foreign post-secondary institution with at least 24 semester hours must have the equivalent of a cumulative GPA of at least 2.00 on all post-secondary course work attempted.
Non-degree seeking applicants, regardless of citizenship, whose first language is not English must present evidence of meeting the English Language Proficiency Requirement by one of these three methods:
- Presenting a valid minimum score of 527 on the Institutional Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), a 71 on the Internet based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), a minimum score of 6.0 on the International English Language Testing System Academic (IELTS), an ACT English subscore of 19, or an SAT Evidence Based Reading and Writing subscore of 500 or an equivalent test as approved by the Office of International Admissions at the time of application.
- Be currently enrolled in “good standing” as a degree-seeking student at another college or university in a country where the native language is English or have had enrollment in such a college or university within the last 12 calendar months from the time of application and their status at the end of the previous enrollment was “good standing.”
- Be approved by the Director of the Office of International Admissions for a waiver of the English Language Requirement based on the applicant’s academic or professional background.
A non-refundable international application fee is required for all international applicants. All applications and supporting documents must be submitted by May 31 for the fall semester; October 31 for the spring semester; and March 1 for the summer sessions.
Any international student returning to the university after an absence of a full semester (fall or spring) or more must submit an application for readmission. For these students, the application deadlines are August 15 for the fall term and January 1 for the spring term. It should be noted that a student previously enrolled at the University of Arkansas who takes a full term of courses elsewhere and then seeks readmission to the university returns as a transfer student and must meet university admission requirements for international transfer students, submit a photocopy of the I-20 issued by the transferring institution, and submit a new financial statement. An application fee is not required for returning students.
For specific admission requirements and application materials pertaining to students on F-1, J-1, or any non-immigrant visas, applicants should write directly to:
International Admission Office
340 N. Campus Drive
213 Gearhart Hall
1 University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701
1-479-575-6246
iao@uark.edu
Please see the section Placement and Proficiency Tests for university policy regarding English language use by non-native speakers.
