English Proficiency Test
Students who earned a bachelor's degree outside of the U.S. must present proof of English proficiency to be considered for admission. DePaul CDM accepts the TOEFL, IELTS, Pearson Test of English or Duolingo English Test (DET) as proof of English proficiency. Most scores are valid for two years only. Expired test scores will not be accepted. Applicant files will not be reviewed until all documents have been received.
If you are a non-native English speaker who has not completed a bachelor's or master's degree in the United States or one of the select list of countries (see below), you must submit scores from a recognized English proficiency test. Once we receive a transcript evaluation verifying that you have received a degree in one of these countries, the English proficiency requirement will be waived for you. The only additional exception is for students with transferable degree credit equivalent to DePaul's WRD 103 and WRD 104. If a student does not have an acceptable English proficiency score, they can apply to DePaul's English Language Academy (ELA) directly.
The English proficiency requirement can be waived for applicants who have received a bachelor’s degree or higher in the following countries:
- United States
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Australia
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belize
- Canada
- Dominica
- Fiji
- Ghana
- Grenada
- Guyana
- Ireland
- Jamaica
- Kenya
- Marshall Islands
- Micronesia
- New Zealand
- Nigeria
- Solomon Islands
- St Kitts and Nevis
- St Lucia
- St Vincent and the Grenadines
- Trinidad and Tobago
- United Kingdom
- Vanuatu
Once we receive a transcript evaluation verifying that you have received a degree in one of these countries, the English proficiency requirement will be waived for you.
Submit English Proficiency Test Scores
To be considered for admission, applicants that are required to demonstrate proof of English proficiency must present one of the following scores:
- ETS TOEFL – minimum score of 80 iBT TOEFL with no section lower than 17; minimum score of 550 on the paper-based exam.
- TOEFL Essentials Test – minimum score of 8.5.
- IELTS & IELTS Indicator – minimum overall score of 6.5 on the IELTS Academic.
- Pearson Test of English (PTE) – minimum English academic score of 53
TOEFL, IELTS and PTE exam scores are valid for two years. Scores that are older will not be accepted. If your English proficiency scores are below the minimum requirements, you may be considered for
conditional admission. - Duolingo English Test (DET) – minimum overall score of 115 on the DET.
Information to send your official test scores can be found in the links below:
Please note that the PhD programs in
Computer and Information Sciences and
Human Centered Design require higher English proficiency scores.
If you have already reported your scores and noticed that the checklist item still appears "awaiting", please send your scores as an attachment to our Graduate Admission Office:
admission@cdm.depaul.edu. The score sheet should include the test report form number; for Duolingo scores, please make sure the certification link is visible, and that your Duolingo sharing settings are not set to "private".
Conditional Admission
Students applying for master's level CDM programs who receive an English proficiency score below the minimum requirement and who meet all other requirements for admission to an academic program may be granted
conditional admission to the combined CDM/ELA program. Additionally, students who do not plan to submit English proficiency scores as part of the application, can opt in for conditional admission review into DePaul’s
English Language Academy (ELA).
The following programs are excluded from the conditional admission option: MA/MFA Animation, MFA Creative Producing, MFA Documentary, MFA Game Design, MS/MFA Film and Television and MFA Screenwriting.
Requirements for Conditional Admission:
To be considered for the combined CDM/ELA program, a student must present one of the following scores:
- 55-79 on the iBT TOEFL test
- 480-549 on the paper-based TOEFL test
- 5.5-6.0 on the IELTS test
- 44-52 on the Pearson Test of English
- minimum overall score of 90 on the Duolingo English Test (DET)
Students who are admitted into this combined program will be required to enroll full time in DePaul's
English Language Academy (ELA). Admission to the CDM/ELA program requires that; until they have completed the University Bridge Certificate confirming English language proficiency or obtain the required minimum test score as published above.