English Language Proficiency Requirements

Prior to admission to Graduate Programs in Education, an applicant whose primary language is not English and who has not completed their post-secondary education in Canada in one of our official languages, may fulfill the English language proficiency requirement for academic purposes in one of the following ways:

• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL ibt) score of 97 overall (Academic Version)
• International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score of 7.0 overall (Academic Version)
• Canadian Academic English Language test (CAEL) score of 70 (no less than 70 in each section)
• Academic Communication Certificate (ACC) score of A- in each course

An applicant whose first language is not English is exempt from the ELP requirement if they meet the following criteria: 

The applicant has completed either a Bachelor’s Degree (minimum of 3 years in length) or a Graduate Degree in an institution where the sole language of instruction and examination is English. Eligible institutions must be listed as providing English language instruction in the World Higher Education Database (WHED).

All official test scores must be submitted to the department to which you are applying directly by the testing agency by the program application deadline. Find specific program application deadlines on each of the program pages. 

English Proficiency exams are valid for two years from the date of the test.

For information on how to share your score to University of Calgary, please see the following links:

• The International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
  • The University of Calgary institution code is 139719
• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
  • The University of Calgary institution code is 0813, and include the code appropriate to the graduate program, as listed on the TOEFL website.  If you are unable to share your IELTS score with the Faculty of Graduate Studies electronically, please share them to the Office of the Registrar.