All applicants who received their primary and secondary education in countries where English is not the official language must provide proof of English language ability.

The University of Missouri Graduate School accepts scores from either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Applicants from the following native English-speaking countries are not required to submit TOEFL or IELTS scores:

• Australia
• New Zealand
• British Caribbean Islands
• Canada
  • Exception: French-speaking areas.
• Ireland
• United Kingdom
• Kenya

All other applicants, including those who are currently Permanent Residents or have become citizens of the U.S., but whose primary and secondary education was in a country other than those listed above, must provide evidence of their English language ability through the TOEFL or IELTS exam.

Exception

If an applicant has attended at least one year of full-time undergraduate or graduate study within the last two years in a country where English is the native language, the applicant may petition for a waiver of the TOEFL/IELTS requirement. The department will determine whether the petition has merit; a waiver is not guaranteed. If the department believes the petition has merit then the department will submit the request to the Graduate School for final approval.

If you believe you are eligible for such a waiver, please complete the following two steps no later than three months prior to the application deadline. (June 1 for September 1 deadline; October 1 for January 1 deadline, no exceptions!)

1. Write an email requesting the waiver, and include the following information:
   • Where you have attended college (country, name of school)
   • Dates for each college/university you have attended
2. You must submit your original, official TOEFL/IELTS report (an electronic email attachment is fine). This report must include your subscores.

A request for a waiver, must follow the deadlines and steps above, no exceptions!