International Students

The UConn School of Law welcomes students from around the world to study in our LLM, JD and SJD programs. The law school also accepts exchange students and visiting international students. The University's International Student and Scholar Services advises international students and scholars on F and J visas.

English Proficiency Requirements

The English proficiency requirements for international students vary by degree program, as described below.

Juris Doctor (JD) English Proficiency Requirements

International applicants to the JD program typically must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language, or TOEFL unless they can demonstrate that they have earned the equivalent of a bachelor's degree or higher from a university where the sole language of overall instruction is English. The Law School requires minimum TOEFL scores of 100/250/600 (Internet/Computer/Written) for the JD program. All JD applicants to the Law School, whether international or domestic, are required to take the LSAT.

Master of Laws (LLM) English Proficiency Requirements

International applicants will be considered for admission to an LLM program if they achieve a TOEFL iBT score of 90, a TOEFL IPT score of 577, a PTE score of 65 or an IELTS score of 7.0. Applicants whose scores fall in the following ranges may be considered for admission with further evidence of English proficiency, which may include a strong writing sample in conjunction with an interview: TOEFL iBT score of 80-89,  TOEFL IPT score of 550-576,  PTE score of 60-64, or IELTS score of 6.5.

Applicants with lower scores may be consider for conditional admission pending completion of an English language course in the United States and further testing.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic and until further notice, TOEFL iBT Home Edition test results will also be considered under the same scoring criteria as TOEFL iBT scores. Duolingo English Test scores of at least 100/160 will also be considered and should be sent to UConn Law Graduate Admissions electronically through the Duolingo English Test platform after the results have been certified.

Exemptions

Applicants who are native speakers of English or who provide evidence that they meet any of the following conditions may submit a written request for exemption from English proficiency testing:

  • Earned a law degree from a recognized institution of higher learning at which the primary language of instruction was English;
  • Earned an academic degree from an accredited institution of higher learning in the United States;
  • Resided and worked speaking English in an English-speaking country for not less than two years before the date of application;
  • Performed successfully as a non-degree student at the UConn School of Law and seeks advanced standing in an LLM or Executive LLM program;
  • Completed an intensive English language course at the University of Connecticut American English Language Institution and received the accompanying certificate of English proficiency from UCAELI.

Requests must include supporting documentation. Exemptions are not automatic and require approval of the Admissions Committee.

Doctor of Laws (SJD) English Proficiency Requirements

International applicants who earned a first law degree outside the United States must obtain a minimum TOEFL iBT score of 95, a PTE score of 65, or an IELTS score of 7.0 to be considered for admission to the SJD Program. Applicants who do not attain a score of at least 100 on the TOEFL iBT, 70 on the PTE, or 7.5 on the IELTS must demonstrate further evidence of English language skills that includes, but is not limited to, a strong SJD proposal in conjunction with an interview.

Applicants may request exemptions from English proficiency testing if they earned an LLM degree from the UConn School of Law or if the language of instruction at the university where they obtained their first or advanced law degree was English. International applicants requesting exemption from the English testing requirement must submit a written request with their applications that includes an explanation of the applicant’s proficiency in English with original documentation supporting the requested exemption.  Exemptions are not automatic and require the approval of the Admissions Committee.

The Admissions Committee reserves the right to deny an application or to require an online, phone, or in-person interview as part of the application process.