Students must demonstrate or gain English proficiency in order to study at Fresno Pacific University. The university reserves the right to require English testing and/or support classes if application materials and/or interviews indicate that the student’s level of English proficiency may not be sufficient for university studies. The ways to demonstrate and fulfill the English Proficiency Requirement are:
English Testing
Students may demonstrate English proficiency by providing official test results demonstrating the minimum scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
Minimum Score Requirements
| Exam | Overall Exam | Writing Section | Listening Section | Reading Section |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TOEFL Paper-Based Test (PBT) | 500 | 50 | 50 | 50 |
| TOEFL Internet-Based Test (iBT) | 61 | 13 | 15 | 15 |
| IELTS | 6 | 5.5 | N/A | 5.5 |
Students who have received an overall passing exam score and passed two of the three required sections may be admitted to a traditional undergraduate bachelor’s degree program. Students may not graduate from a degree program without either:
- successfully passing one of the standardized English tests listed above, OR
- successfully completing the Intensive English Language Program.
All students who are enrolled in an undergraduate degree program with only a partial pass must enroll in required LANG and ESL courses until successfully meeting one of the requirements listed above.
Students who take iBT TOEFL or IELTS must submit a valid test score with their application prior to admission. Official test scores must be sent by ETS or the British Council directly to Fresno Pacific University.
Applicants who are already in Fresno, have a special circumstance or are applying to the English pathway program as an undergraduate student may take pBT at Fresno Pacific University. FPU offers paper-based TOEFL at its main Fresno campus four times a year: in August, December, January, and April. Applicants must confirm this option with the International Admissions Office.
Transfer Units
Students may demonstrate English proficiency by providing official transcripts with 24 or more transferable academic semester units that meet both the following criteria:
- A minimum of 24 non-ESL completed academic units from colleges or universities in which English was the language of instruction
- A minimum cumulative 2.4 grade point average in these courses
Prior Studies in English
Students may demonstrate English proficiency by verifying that prior studies (secondary school) were conducted in English. Students must verify the following with official transcripts:
- Completed at least two years of full-time study without ESL support/classes
- Studies in English ended no more than two years before applying to FPU
FPU reserves the right to verify that the language of instruction was English.
Completion of the IELP at FPU
Students may demonstrate English proficiency by completing Level 5 in the Intensive English Language Program (IELP) program with the grades described below.
Successful completion of Level 5 is a minimum proficiency for admission to the university. To complete Level 5, students must pass all core courses (Writing and Grammar, Reading and Critical Thinking Skills, and Listening and Speaking Skills) with an 80 percent (B-) or higher.
In addition to the undergraduate studies admission requirements, the student must submit a separate application for the IELP. Please refer to the IELP application process to see the requirements for admission.
If, while in undergraduate classes, it is determined that the student’s ability to communicate and participate in English is below the necessary institutional standard, the student may be referred to the Intensive English Language Program (IELP) director, who may require the student to enroll in IELP courses.