I am an International applicant who speaks and reads English. Do I need to take the TOEFL?

If you have a four-year degree from an English-speaking institution, you may not have to take the TOEFL. Harvard Griffin GSAS requires that incoming PhD students who are non-native English speakers and who received their undergraduate degree from a non-English speaking institution meet a minimum level of oral English language proficiency. For all queries regarding the TOEFL requirement, contact Harvard Griffin GSAS Admissions at admiss@fas.harvard.edu.

Please note that Harvard Griffin GSAS does not accept scores from the TOEFL ITP Plus examination. This is because the TOEFL ITP Plus does not provide a robust assessment of the candidate’s proficiency in spoken English, which is one of the most critical components of our English proficiency requirement. Applicants unable to take the TOEFL IBT, IELTS or IELTS indicator exams may apply without these scores, and if programs recommend these applicants for admission, their admission will be provisional until they provide scores from one of the accepted tests that demonstrate the required level of English proficiency.