Admissions and Financial Aid

English Proficiency

TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test Requirements

  • As an international applicant, you must demonstrate proficiency in the English language by taking a TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) exam, IELTS (International English Language Testing System) exam, or Duolingo English Test. See below for information on English proficiency waivers.

  • Heller must receive official scores before the university can process your application.

  • Generally, successful applicants tend to have a score of at least 94 on the TOEFL (iBt), 7.0 on the IELTS, or a 115 on the Duolingo English Test. We do not have a minimum required score for these tests, but rather, our admissions committee takes a holistic approach to reviewing applications and considers every part of the application carefully.
  • Scores are valid for up to two years. Your official test score must be valid at the time your application is submitted. If your test score will expire prior to the start of the program, you must submit your official test score prior to its expiration date.

Sending Your Scores

TOEFL

Access your account online or via the TOEFL official app and use the "Send Additional Score Reports" option. The Heller TOEFL school code is 3097. Pay by credit/debit card, e-check or PayPal®. Score reports are mailed 3–5 business days after your request is received.

IELTS

Official IELTS scores must be sent electronically by the IELTS test center. No paper Test Report Forms will be accepted. An institutional code is NOT required. Please contact the test center directly where you took the IELTS test and request that your official test scores be sent electronically using the IELTS system to 'Brandeis University The Heller School'. All IELTS test centers worldwide are able to send scores electronically to our institution.

Duolingo English Test

Once you receive certified test results, you can log into your account, click on the “Send Results” button next to your test results, and select which institutions you would like to receive your results. You can select as many institutions as you like and add more institutions later. An institutional code is NOT required. 

Waivers

The TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo English Test requirement may be waived under certain circumstances

1. The TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo English Test requirement will be automatically waived for international applicants who are a) citizens of one of the designated countries OR b) have obtained an undergraduate or graduate degree from a college or university located in one of the approved countries. Certificate programs, ESL programs, and online programs are not eligible for a waiver. 

2. International applicants who have worked full-time for at least three consecutive years, within the past four years, in one of the designated countries can request a waiver of the English proficiency requirement, to be reviewed on a case by case basis. To be considered, applicants must submit an English Proficiency Waiver Request Form. The form can be accessed through the application status page upon submission of an application. Please note that in order to submit an application and access the waiver request form, you may be prompted to enter a TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo English Test test date. A potential future test date may be listed.

3. If you do not meet one of the waiver requirements above, you will be required to submit English Language Scores to receive an admissions decision.