English Proficiency Requirements
Regardless of citizenship, all applicants whose native language is not English must submit proof of English proficiency before an admissions decision can be made. The proof of English proficiency is as follows:
English Placement Test Waiver
Applicants who do not have proof of English proficiency are required to take the ESL Placement Test. You may qualify for a waiver (and will not need to take an English placement test) if you meet any of the following requirements:
Attended a US high school for at least three full years
Attended a full-time international educational institution at the secondary level or above for at least three years, where English is the native language of the country. These countries include: Antigua, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Botswana, Canada (except Quebec), Ghana, Guyana, Ireland, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa, Trinidad, UK, Virgin Islands, and Wales.
Undergraduate: Completed at least 60 units at a university in the U.S. with a minimum of 30 units in general education course work. General education courses taken should include oral communication (speech) or English composition with a passing score of “C” or above.
Graduate: Attended a U.S. educational institution for three years, full time (72units)
Earned a bachelor’s or higher degree from a U.S. educational institution.
If you meet any of the requirements above, complete the Waiver Request Form and the request will be reviewed by the ESL Committee.
TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test scores within the past 2 years. Test scores need to meet the minimum requirement.
Request official scores to be sent to Bethesda University (Institutional Code: 032663)
Type of Test Minimum Requirement Minimum Requirement
TOEFL, 61 70
internet-based test (iBT)
TOEFL, paper test (pBT) 500 525
IELTS 6.0 6.0
Duolingo English Test 95 95