Requirements

1 | Statement of Purpose

The statement of purpose should indicate your reasons for applying to the proposed program at the University of Virginia and describe your preparation for this field of study, research interests, future career plans, and intellectual or life experiences in order to aid the admissions committee in evaluating your aptitude and motivation for graduate study. Your commitment to a selected field of study is presumed in the receipt of your application; instead, please discuss specific issues in the field that engage you.  Please limit your submission to between 500 and 1,000 words.

2 | Standardized Test Scores

Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

Applicants to degree programs in Economics, Sociology, and Statistics must record their GRE scores on their electronic application. Applicants to all other programs are not required to submit GRE scores.

Official scores are not necessary for the review process, but they will be required if the applicant matriculates as a student. Once ETS sends official scores, they are automatically matched to the application.

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)

All international students must submit TOEFL scores, or scores from an accepted alternative (IELTS or DET). Applicants must record these scores on their electronic application. As with the GRE, official scores are not necessary for the review process but will be required upon matriculation. Official scores sent from ETS are automatically matched to the application once received; IELTS and DET scores are matched once received from their respective testing services.

Minimum Score Requirements

TOEFL. The minimum internet based (iBT) TOEFL score requirement depends on the test date:

• Taken before 1/21/26: 90 overall, with sectional minimums of 22 in speaking, 22 in writing, 23 in reading, and 23 in listening
• Taken after 1/21/26: 4.5 overall, with sectional minimums of 4 in speaking, 4.5 in writing, 4.5 in reading, and 5 in listening

IELTS. Applicants may submit IELTS scores instead of TOEFL scores. The minimum IELTS score is 7.0 in each section.

DET. Applicants may also submit Duolingo English Test (DET) scores instead of TOEFL scores. The minimum DET score is 130 overall, with sectional minimums of 125 in speaking, 130 in writing, 130 in reading, and 125 in listening.

In every case, the reported test date must fall within two years of the application deadline. 

Admissions committees will still consider applications with scores below these minimums.

Waivers

Automatic waiver. The TOEFL requirement is waived for applicants who have earned or will earn an undergraduate degree entirely at an institution where English is the primary language of instruction. To receive this waiver, submit supporting evidence, such as a transcript or a primary language certificate, as part of the electronic application.

Other waiver requests. Applicants who do not qualify for the automatic waiver may submit along with their application alternative proof of English language proficiency for consideration. Supporting documentation may include, but is not limited to, the following:

• Expired TOEFL, IELTS, or DET scores
• A master's transcript from a university where English is the primary language of instruction
• Evidence of a teaching assistantship in a course where English is the primary language of instruction
• A thesis document
• A video of a thesis defense

This list is not exhaustive. Submitting any of these items does not guarantee that a waiver will be granted. Contact your prospective program directly if you need further guidance on acceptable proof of english proficiency.

Sending Official Scores

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences does not require official test scores at the time of application, but it will require official scores if you matriculate. GRE scores are valid for five years, and TOEFL, IELTS, and DET scores are valid for two years. If your scores will expire before July of the coming year, submit official scores before they expire.

The Graduate School receives GRE and TOEFL scores directly from Educational Testing Service (ETS). To ensure your scores reach the Graduate School, use institution code 5820 for GRE scores and institution code B875 for TOEFL scores. The Graduate School does not use the department code that ETS requires you to select, so you may choose any department code without affecting your application review.

Send IELTS scores electronically to the University of Virginia. No department or institution code is needed.

Send DET scores electronically to the University of Virginia. No department or institution code is needed.

Additional Testing Requirements: English Language Proficiency Exam (UVELPE)

Important: All enrolling students who have not earned and will not earn an undergraduate degree entirely at an institution where English is the primary language of instruction are required to take the University of Virginia's English Language Proficiency Exam (UVELPE) in May, prior to the start of their first term. Visit the UVA Center for American English and Culture FAQs page for more information.

3 | Transcripts

Applicants must upload unofficial transcripts of their entire post-secondary academic record to the online application, including all undergraduate- and graduate-level coursework. Applicants are expected to have achieved a minimum GPA of 3.0 in their undergraduate programs.

Transcripts that are not stated in English must be accompanied by a translation into English.

Please do not request and mail official transcripts as part of the application process. Unofficial transcripts are sufficient for the faculty’s review of your application. If you are offered admission to the Graduate School, you will be asked at that time to send official transcripts from the undergraduate institution you attended to the Central Graduate Admission Office.

4 | Letters of Recommendation

Letters of recommendation should be submitted electronically through the online application system.  Once you have saved the contact information for a particular reference within the online application, that individual will receive instructions via e-mail for submitting a letter of recommendation on your behalf.  The Graduate School requires two letters of recommendation.  As many programs require additional letters, please consult the program's website for additional requirements. You may submit your application independently of the letters submitted by your references.

Letters of recommendation should be sought from faculty in your proposed field of study who are sufficiently familiar with your work to make a comprehensive evaluation of your abilities.  If you have already undertaken a graduate program, at least one of the letters should be from a faculty member who is familiar with your academic performance on the graduate level.

5 | Writing Samples

Applicants to the following programs will be required to upload one or two samples of their academic writing: Anthropology, Art & Architectural History, Classics, Creative Writing, East Asian Studies, English, European Studies, French, History, Italian, Linguistics, Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies, Media Studies, Music, Philosophy, Politics, Religious Studies, Slavic Languages & Literatures, Sociology, and Spanish.

6 | Application Fee & Fee Waiver 

A non-refundable fee of $85 is due at the time the application is submitted.

Fee Waivers: The Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs offers application fee waivers to US citizens and US permanent residents who demonstrate a financial hardship, current or former members of the United States Armed Forces, or those who have participated in specified organizations and training programs.  More information can be found at https://gradoutreach.virginia.edu/application-fee-waiver

International Applicants: Citizens of the countries listed below, which are recognized by the United Nations as least developed countries (LDCs), are eligible to receive a need-based application fee waiver. The application system will automatically apply this fee waiver based on the citizenship you select during the application process.

Please note that international applicants from countries not included in the United Nations' list of LDCs will not qualify for this fee waiver. 

• Afghanistan
• Angola
• Bangladesh
• Benin
• Burkina Faso
• Burundi
• Cambodia
• Central African Republic
• Chad
• Comoros
• Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Djibouti
• Eritrea
• Ethiopia
• Gambia
• Guinea
• Guinea-Bissau
• Haiti
• Kiribati
• Lao People's Democratic Republic
• Lesotho
• Liberia
• Madagascar
• Malawi
• Mali
• Mauritania
• Mozambique
• Myanmar
• Nepal
• Niger
• Rwanda
• Senegal
• Sierra Leone
• Solomon Islands
• Somalia
• South Sudan
• Sudan
• Timor-Leste
• Togo
• Tuvalu
• Uganda
• United Republic of Tanzania
• Yemen
• Zambia