English Proficiency

Proficiency in English is necessary to pursue graduate studies at Carleton University.

Applicants whose first language is not English must satisfy this requirement in one of the following ways:

• By presenting a CAEL overall band score of 70 or higher, with a minimum of 60 in each band score; or
• By presenting a TOEFL iBT total score of 100 or higher with a score of 24 or higher on each of the four (Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking) sections; or
• By presenting an IELTS overall band score of 7.0 or higher with a minimum score of 6.5 or higher on each of the four (Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking) parts; or
• By presenting a Duolingo English Test (DET) overall score of 130 with a minimum score of 125 in each sub-score (Literacy, Conversation, Comprehension, and Production).

Please note: The scores above reflect that Carleton’s Department of Economics requires a higher level of understanding of the English language than is published in the Graduate Calendar Regulations.

If you have completed an undergraduate or graduate degree within the past three years in a university in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom or any country in which the primary language is English, where the language of instruction in the relevant educational institution was English, and the language of instruction in your most recently completed undergraduate or graduate degree was English, you must complete the Confirmation of Language Proficiency form. You must then save and upload it with your required documents in Carleton Central as Document Type: Language Proficiency.

Duolingo is a free science-based app and website that helps people learn languages.

Application for admission will be considered incomplete until the language proficiency requirement has been met. We do not make conditional offers where language proficiency requirements are concerned.