English Language Requirement

Academic success at USC is strongly dependent upon the ability to communicate in English. Listening, speaking, reading and writing proficiency must be well developed in order to assimilate large amounts of difficult material under limited time conditions with full comprehension. Such proficiency is much greater than that required for ordinary everyday living. Therefore, every effort should be made to acquire English proficiency prior to entering the university.

Admitted international students are normally required to take the International Student English (ISE) Examination, administered by the USC Center for Testing and Assessment at the beginning of the first term of study. The results on the examination determine whether or not students must take special courses in English. However, international students who meet the following conditions will not be required to take the ISE exam:

• Students who have achieved an Internet Based TOEFL (iBT) score of 100 or higher with no less than 20 on each individual section of the test, taken within the past 2 years.
• Students who hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited university located in the United States or in another country in which English is both the language of instruction and the only official language of the country. The entire program must be completed in the qualifying country. Please note: a graduate degree from a U.S. college or university does not exempt students from taking the ISE exam.
• Students whose native language is English. This applies to native English speakers from countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada (except Quebec) where English is both the only official language of the country and the language of instruction.

Any student not demonstrating adequate English proficiency will be required to enroll in the American Language Institute (ALI) at USC. ALI provides courses designed to improve an international student's oral and writing skills in English. The extent to which a student may be required to take courses at the ALI is determined by his or her performance on the ISE exam. After taking the ISE exam, some students may have no ALI requirement, and others may be required to take up to 8 units of English in their first year.

ALI tuition units are charged at the regular university rate. Current rates are listed for each semester in the USC Schedule of Classes. Entering students who need to take English language classes should be aware that the ALI course requirements may add to the overall length and cost of their degree program. Undergraduates may earn up to 12 units of credit toward their degree for ALI courses numbered 100 and above. Some departmental restrictions may apply. Graduate students will not be able to count ALI course work as credit toward their degree. ALI classes can normally be taken concurrently with a student's other university classes and must be completed at the earliest opportunity.