Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

International Students

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) is a globally-oriented environment. You will find students from more than 25 countries across the world. We welcome you to review the information below, which is relevant for international students applying to our programs.

In addition to the GSAS website, we hope you find other Brandeis websites helpful to you, including those of our International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO) and English Language Programs (ELP). Brandeis' ISSO supports international students and scholars across the university, from over 100 countries around the globe. The ISSO is dedicated to helping students and scholars with adjustment to life at Brandeis and in the United States. Our English Language Programs offer services to assist international graduate students in adjusting to the American academic environment by offering weekly one-on-one tutorials in writing and speaking, as well as classes to hone speaking, teaching, and presentation skills.

English Proficiency Exam Requirement for Application

Almost all international applicants must submit official test score results from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (the TOEFL iBT, TOEFL iBT Home Edition, and TOEFL iBT Paper Edition), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic), the Pearson Test of English (PTE-Academic), or the Duolingo English Test. Please note that we do not accept TOEFL Essentials score reports or MyBest™ scores from ETS. Applicants should check with the appropriate testing agency to ensure that their scores are still valid and that the agency will be able to send an official score report.

Students who are citizens of the following English-speaking countries, or who have graduated from an accredited degree program at an English-speaking university within these countries, are exempt from this requirement: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Cayman Islands, Denmark, Dominica, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Iceland, Ireland, Jamaica, Lesotho, Malta, Montserrat, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, South Africa, Sweden, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, the United Kingdom and the United States.

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Recommended Minimum Scores for English Proficiency Exams

Our departments evaluate each applicant individually and holistically, considering all aspects of the application when making a final decision on admission. However, test results of successful applicants to the Graduate School are generally at or above the following scores:

100 (TOEFL iBT)
627 (TOEFL ITP Plus for China Solution)
600 (TOEFL Revised Paper-delivered Test)
130 (Duolingo English Test)
7 (IELTS Academic Test)
68 (PTE Academic Test)

Please note that we do not accept TOEFL Essentials score reports or MyBest™ scores from ETS.

Submitting an Official English Proficiency Score Report

Please note that your application will not be reviewed without official test scores. You should not upload, email, or mail any copies of your score reports. Instead, request that your official score report be sent to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences by using one of the following instructions:

TOEFL iBT or Revised Paper-delivered Test: Please provide ETS with institution code 3261. No department code is necessary.
TOEFL ITP Plus for China Solution: Please log into your Vericant account to arrange for delivery of your score report.
Duolingo English Test: Please log into your Duolingo account to arrange for delivery of your score report.
IELTS Academic: Please contact the test center at which you took your exam to arrange for delivery of your score report. If you took the exam online, you can arrange for electronic score delivery.
PTE Academic: Please log into your Pearson account to arrange for delivery of your score report.

Overall, it can take up to three weeks from the date that you order your official scores to the date they are associated with your application. The materials checklist on your application portal will reflect receipt of the official scores once this happens.

Indicating that You Have a Future English Proficiency Exam Scheduled

In the Test Score section of the application, there is a link to add new test scores. Simply click on the “Add Test” link, select the appropriate test, and then enter a future test date, leaving the score fields blank. This will allow you to submit the application without scores for that specific test.

Please request that your official score report be sent to Brandeis GSAS once you have taken the test. When the official scores arrive, we will associate them with your application.

Financial Assistance for International Students

International applicants who are accepted into PhD programs generally receive a full tuition scholarship, a competitive stipend in return for teaching and/or research, and health insurance benefits. Master's candidates may be eligible for merit scholarships and institutional need-based aid, dependent on the program to which they are applying. International applicants should follow the instructions in their award letter to submit the CSS Profile.

Applicants who are enrolled at or are alums of a Brandeis partner university in Japan are eligible to be considered for the Toshizo Watanabe International Scholarship Program (TWISP). Prospective students who meet these eligibility requirements should contact our office at gsas@brandeis.edu for more details.

For complete information about sources of funding, including loans, please visit our Financial Aid section.

Part-time Enrollment for International Students

International applicants who require Brandeis University's assistance in obtaining a student visa are not permitted to study at a part-time status and are generally required to maintain a full-time course load (12 credit hours or more each semester, except their final semester). Please contact the International Students and Scholars Office to determine if you would be able to register as a part-student if admitted.

Alum Profile

Lizeng Huang, MA’15, Lands Position Teaching in Flagship Language Program

Lizeng Huang, MA’15, was studying at Minzu University in China when he was introduced to Yu Feng and the Brandeis program in Teaching Chinese. He was quickly offered a position in a prestigious Chinese language program sponsored by the Language Flagship at Western Kentucky University, an initiative of the National Security Education Program within the Defense Language and National Security Education Office.