All international students must submit TOEFL scores in addition to GRE scores. Applicants are required to record their scores from the TOEFL (or IELTS) exam on their electronic application. Official scores are not necessary for the review process, but will be required if the applicant matriculates as a student. Official scores sent from ETS (or IELTS) are automatically matched to the application at the time they are received.

The minimum internet-based (iBT) TOEFL score requirement is 90 (including sectional minimums of 22 in speaking, 22 in writing, 23 in reading and 23 in listening). The minimum paper-based TOEFL score requirement is 600. Applicants may submit scores from the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) as an alternative to the TOEFL exam. The minimum IELTS score requirement is 7.0 in each section. In any case, the date of the reported test must fall within two years of the application deadline. Admissions committees will consider applications with scores that do not meet the minimum requirements.

Applicants must upload unofficial transcripts of their entire post-secondary academic record to the online application, including all undergraduate- and graduate-level coursework. Applicants are expected to have achieved a minimum GPA of 3.0 in their undergraduate programs.

Letters of recommendation should be sought from faculty in your proposed field of study who are sufficiently familiar with your work to make a comprehensive evaluation of your abilities. If you have already undertaken a graduate program, at least one of the letters should be from a faculty member who is familiar with your academic performance on the graduate level.

The statement of purpose should indicate your reasons for applying to the proposed program at the University of Virginia and describe your preparation for this field of study, research interests, future career plans, and intellectual or life experiences in order to aid the admissions committee in evaluating your aptitude and motivation for graduate study. Your commitment to a selected field of study is presumed in the receipt of your application, instead, please discuss specific issues in the field that engage you. Please limit your submission to between 500 and 1,000 words.