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Standardized Testing Requirements

Please review the standardized testing requirements for your program of study and register for any required examination(s) as soon as possible. Testing centers and available testing dates fill quickly.  

Use your legal name as it appears on your passport when registering for any standardized test (and also on your application for admission).

For more information, please review our FAQs on Standarized Tests.

Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

The GRE is required for some degree programs at the Graduate School. Please look below to see if your program requires it. 
Required = You must submit GRE General Test results.
Optional = You may submit GRE General Test results, if you wish. If you choose to submit scores, you must follow up any self-reported scores with official test results.
Not Accepted = Do not submit GRE General Test results. GRE General Test scores will not be considered when applications are reviewed. If you submit scores, they will not be reviewed.

Test requirements below are for the 2022-2023 application cycle.

Last updated October 25, 2022. Subject to change.

Program Is the GRE General Test Required?
African American Studies* Not Accepted
African Studies Not Accepted
American Studies* Not Accepted
Anthropology* Not Accepted
Applied Math Optional
Applied Physics Optional; Physics Subject Test - Optional
Archaeological Studies Optional
Architecture Required
Astronomy Not Accepted; Physics Subject Test - Not Accepted
Biochemistry, Quantitative Biology, Biophysics and Structural Biology (BBS) Not Accepted
Chemistry Recommended
Classics* Not Accepted
Comparative Literature* Not Accepted
Computational Biology and Bioinformatics (BBS) Not Accepted
Computer Science

Ph.D. - Not Accepted

M.S. - Required

Earth and Planetary Sciences Optional
East Asian Languages and Literatures* Required
East Asian Studies Required
Economics Required
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Not Accepted
Engineering and Applied Science

Required for:

  • Biomedical Engineering (M.S.)
  • Mechanical Engineering

Optional for:

  • Biomedical Engineering (Ph.D.)
  • Chemical and Environmental Engineering
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Personalized Medicine and Applied Engineering (M.S.)
English Language and Literature* Not Accepted
Environment*

Optional

Please check the program website for more information.

European and Russian Studies Not Accepted
Film and Media Studies* Required
French* Required
Germanic Languages and Literatures* Not Accepted
History* Not Accepted
History of Art* Not Accepted
History of Science and Medicine Optional
Immunology (BBS) Not Accepted
International and Development Economics Required
Italian Studies* Required
Investigative Medicine MCAT is Optional; GRE is not Required
Law Not Accepted
Linguistics Not Accepted
Management Required; GMAT is an acceptable substitute
Mathematics Optional; Mathematics Subject Test Optional
Medieval Studies Not Accepted
Microbiology (BBS) Not Accepted
Molecular Cell Biology, Genetics, and Development (BBS) Not Accepted
Music* Not Accepted
Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations Not Accepted
Neuroscience (BBS) Not Accepted
Nursing Not Accepted
Philosophy* Optional
Physics Optional; GRE Subject Test in Physics - Optional
Plant Molecular Biology (BBS) Not Accepted
Political Science* Required
Psychology* Optional
Public Health

Required for:

  • Biostatistics (Ph.D. and M.S.)
  • Chronic Disease Epidemiology (Ph.D.)
  • Environmental Health Sciences (Ph.D.)
  • Health Policy Management (Ph.D.)

Not Accepted for:

  • Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases (M.S.)
  • Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases (Ph.D.)
  • Social and Behavioral Sciences (Ph.D.)
  • Health Informatics (M.S.)

Either GRE or MCAT is required for:

  • Chronic Disease Epidemiology (M.S.)
Religious Studies* Not Accepted
Slavic Languages and Literatures* Not Accepted
Sociology* Not Accepted
Spanish and Portuguese* Not Accepted
Statistics Optional; Mathematics Subject Test Optional
Statistics and Data Science* Optional; Mathematics Subject Test Optional
Translational Molecular Medicine, Pharmacology and Physiology (BBS) Not Accepted
Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies* Optional

*Applicants to a combined degree program should consult both programs' admissions requirements and submit scores if either of the two programs require the GRE General Test and/or Subject Tests.

Submitting Official GRE Scores

Official GRE scores must be sent to Yale University, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, directly from ETS.

  • Use Institution Code 3987.
  • You do not need to enter an individual department code when sending your official scores. Institution Code 3987 is sufficient.
  • Paper score reports are not accepted.
  • Scores released to other schools at Yale University cannot be transferred to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
  • If you are applying to a Ph.D. program associated with one of the professional schools at Yale, send your official scores directly to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (Institution Code 3987) and not to the  professional schools which may have a separate code for applicants applying to other degree programs.
  • You should also self-report scores and any future test dates in your application.

The Educational Testing Service administers the GRE in the United States and abroad. For details and registration forms, visit their site at www.ets.org.

English Language Tests - Required for Non-Native English Speakers

TOEFL or IELTS is required of most applicants whose native language is not English.

If you have received (or will receive) an undergraduate degree from a college or university where English is the primary language of instruction, and if you have studied in residence at that institution for at least three years, you are exempt from the English Language Test requirement and are not required to submit the TOEFL or IELTS

No exemptions are made on the basis of an advanced degree (e.g. M.A./M.S. or Ph.D.) from any institution.

When you complete your application, you will answer questions about your native language and the primary language of instruction at your baccalaureate institution. If either was English, you will not be required to submit TOEFL or IELTS scores when you submit your application. No separate documentation is necessary. 

TOEFL iBT

Official TOEFL iBT scores may be used to fulfill the English Language Test requirement.

  • Scores must be sent to Yale University, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, directly from ETS.
  • Use Institution Code 3987.
  • You do not need to enter an individual department code when sending your official scores. Institution Code 3987 is sufficient.
  • Paper score reports are not acceptable and scores released to other schools at Yale University cannot be transferred to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
  • If you are applying to a Ph.D. program associated with one of the professional schools at Yale, send your official scores directly to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (Institution Code 3987) and not to the individual professional schools, which may have separate codes for applicants applying to other degree programs.

The Educational Testing Service administers the TOEFL in the United States and abroad. For details and registration forms, visit their site at www.ets.org.

IELTS Academic

Official IELTS Academic scores may be used to fulfill the English Language Test requirement.

  • We will only accept official scores submitted electronically by the IELTS test center via the E-Delivery service.
  • When you take this test, please specify Yale University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (also known as the Office of Graduate Admissions) as a score recipient. Our address, to identify us in the IELTS system, is Warner House, 1 Hillhouse Avenue, room 302, New Haven, CT 06511. Please do not send paper score reports to this address.
  • We do not accept paper Test Report Forms nor do we verify Test Report Forms (TRF's).
  • We accept only IELTS Academic test scores. The IELTS General Training module is not accepted.

For more information and to register for the test, please visit www.ielts.org

General Management Admission Test (GMAT) - For Applicants to Management (Ph.D.)

The General Management Admission Test (GMAT) is acceptable in lieu of the GRE for applicants to Ph.D. program in Management.

  • To send official GMAT results, select Code 3TJ-30-78 for the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
  • Paper score reports are not acceptable and scores released to other schools of Yale University cannot be transferred or used.