English Requirements for Foreign Students

Foreign students whose native language is not English must demonstrate proficiency in spoken English, since financial support often includes semesters in teaching assistant positions. Foreign students who are first-time teaching assistants must participate in a mandatory training program at the University of Pennsylvania in the summer before the year in which they will be teaching assistants. The costs associated with the training program will be paid by the School of Arts and Sciences.

You may be exempted from this training program ONLY by demonstrating proficiency in speaking English. To do this, you must submit a score of 230 or above on the Test of Spoken English (TSE) (administered here at Penn after acceptance into a program of study) or some other proof of spoken English proficiency, the sufficiency of which will be determined by the School of Arts and Sciences. Please note that the TOEFL test score alone is not sufficient to demonstrate spoken English language proficiency.

Last Modified: 18-Sep-2007
For updates, comments please contact: saunderc@ssc.upenn.edu