Why does Physics & Astronomy usually require a higher TOEFL score than the Graduate School?
The principal departmental goal in requiring the higher TOEFL score is assurance that students accepted can communicate well in English and serve effectively as teaching assistants in an undergraduate laboratory or recitation section. Applicants should note that each master’s degree graduate must have completed one semester of such teaching service during his or her career; doctoral graduates must complete two semesters of such teaching. In rare cases, when departmental faculty know applicants personally and can vouch for an applicant’s English language proficiency, a lower TOEFL score may be allowed. For up-to-date information about taking the GRE, visit ETS’s GRE web site.
