All applicants, regardless of citizenship status, must demonstrate proficiency in English to obtain admission to the university. To fulfill this requirement, you must satisfy one of the following criteria:

1. Earn a high school diploma, Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited U.S. high school, college or university. Please note that completion of a GED does not satisfy the English Language Requirement.
2. Complete the equivalent of a high school education or the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor's degree in one of the following countries:

   Recognized English-speaking Countries

   American Samoa	Ghana	Saint Kitts & Nevis
   Anguilla	Gibraltar	Saint Lucia
   Antigua and Barbuda	Grenada	Saint Helena
   Australia	Guam	South Africa
   Bahamas	Guyana	St. Vincent & the Grenadines
   Barbados	Ireland, Republic of	Trinidad & Tobago
   Belize	Jamaica	Turks & Caicos Islands
   Bermuda	Liberia	United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales)
   Canada (except the Province of Quebec)	Micronesia Islands, Federated States of	United States
   Cayman Islands	Montserrat	Virgin Islands
   Dominica	New Zealand	Zimbabwe
   Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)	Nigeria

3. Achieve an Approved English Proficiency Test Score 

   Take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing Service) or the Duolingo English Test and meet the score requirements below.

   TOEFL (iBT)	IELTS Overall	Duolingo English Test
   79	6.5	105

   TOEFL, IELTS and Duolingo English test scores expire two full years after the test date. 

    
   How to Send Test Scores 
   Test scores should be sent directly from the testing agency to the University of Houston.  

   The UH Institution code for TOEFL is 6870. For IELTS and Duolingo English Test scores, the testing agency should send score reports to University of Houston, Undergraduate Admissions.  

4. Complete Qualifying College-Level Courses 
   Transfer applicants may have their English Language Proficiency Requirement waived by completing 30 or more semester credit hours from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university, including the course equivalent to both UH English Composition 1 and 2 (ENGL 1301 and ENGL 1302) with a grade of “C” or better. 
    
5. Complete Level 6 of UH’s Intensive English Program at the University of Houston's Language and Culture Center.