Studying law at the graduate level requires a high level of academic language proficiency to support student success. Therefore, many applicants to courses, degree and diploma programs at OsgoodePD are required to submit language proficiency tests as evidence of their current level of academic English proficiency.
Because language proficiency is an important indicator for prospective student success, there are only two situations in which we will waive the requirement for a language test.
The first is based on your previous university study and is automatically considered for all applicants:
If you have completed at least one year of full-time study (or the equivalent in part-time study) at an accredited university where English is the only official language of instruction for the entire university, you will not be required to submit a language test.
- College programs do not meet this requirement
- Programs taught in English at universities where other languages are also used for instruction do not fulfil the language requirement, even if the program you completed was taught in English or the school or faculty you studied at teaches only in English.
In most cases, our team will be able to advise you whether a language proficiency test is required based on your CV and application documents. However, the final assessment of language requirements is done based on a full review of your academic documents by the graduate admissions team at York University.
The second waiver option is for lawyers licensed to practise in Canada who would otherwise be required to provide a language test based the above criteria relating to university studies, and may be requested by the applicant:
If you have been licensed as a lawyer in a Canadian province or territory for a minimum of two years and are actively practising law in an English-language setting, you may ask that we waive the language proficiency testing requirement. These waivers are at the program’s sole discretion and there is no obligation for the program to approve them.
No other waivers of language proficiency testing will be considered.
Even if a language proficiency test is not required based on your previous academic history, our admissions committee has discretion to request that you provide a test in the following circumstances:
- You submit a test score that does not meet our minimum requirements.
- The committee determines, based on a review of your application, that a test is needed to assess your English proficiency.
We accept a variety of different language tests and, OsgoodePD and York University offer a number of program options to help you enhance your academic English proficiency. Accepted tests and program options are detailed below.
Test Options & Required Scores
Professional LLM & Single Course Enrollment Language Proficiency Requirements
| Test Type | Test Score | More Information |
|---|---|---|
| TOEFL – Test of English as a Foreign Language *MyBest results is not accepted for this requirement | 5.5 For tests taken under the previous scoring model: 102-109 | toefl@ets.org When submitting use University Code 0894 |
| IELTS – International English Language Testing System *Academic test only – general test will not be accepted | Academic Based – 7.5 overall with a minimum of 7.0 in reading and writing | ed@britcoun.org |
| Graduate Diploma in Foundations of Canadian Law | Successful completion | Contact Us |
| Osgoode’s Intensive Advanced Legal English | Completion with Distinction | Contact Us |
| York University English Language Institute – Essential English | Level 6 with distinction | yueli@yorku.ca |
| CAEL – Canadian Academic English Language Assessment | 70 overall with no component less than 60 | info@cael.ca |
| Duolingo | 140 overall with minimum of 130 in literacy and production | englishtest-support@duolingo.com |
Graduate Diploma Language Proficiency Requirements
| Test Type | Test Score | More Information |
|---|---|---|
| Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) Paper Based *MyBest results is not accepted for this requirement | 4.5 For tests taken under the previous scoring model: 88 | toefl@ets.org When submitting use University Code 0894 |
| IELTS – International English Language Testing System *Academic test only – general test will not be accepted | Academic Based – 7.0 overall | ed@britcoun.org |
| Osgoode’s Intensive Advanced Legal English | Completion with Honours | Contact Us |
| York University English Language Institute – Essential English | Level 6 with Honours | yueli@yorku.ca |
| CAEL – Canadian Academic English Language Assessment | 70 overall with no component less than 60 | info@cael.ca |
| Duolingo | 130 overall with minimum of 120 in literacy and production | englishtest-support@duolingo.com |
Conditional Offers of Admission for LLM & Graduate Diploma Applicants
Note: Conditional offers are available only to applicants for the LLM and Graduate Diploma programs. Applications for Single Course Enrollment will be reviewed only after satisfactory test scores have been received.
Applicants who are required to submit proof of English language proficiency should be prepared to include a language test with their application. In general, applications will not be reviewed until the required language test has been received.
There are three circumstances in which the Committee may issue conditional offers to applicants who require, but have not yet submitted, language test results:
Early Applicants:
We may make conditional offers of admission prior to receipt of language proficiency tests to applicants who apply by the early application deadline (January 15 for Fall applications and April 15 for Winter applications). Applying early does not offer a guarantee of conditional admission – the Committee may request that you submit a language test before they will consider your application.
Applicants who receive a conditional offer will be subject to a strict deadline to submit official language test results:
- Fall Applicants: April 1
- Winter Applicants: June 1
Applicants who are offered conditional admission will have the offer of admission rescinded if the requirement is not met by the deadline. A short extension (no more than two weeks) will be granted only on the basis of timelines associated with obtaining results, meaning you will need to demonstrate that you completed a test before the deadline.
York University English Language Institute (YUELI) & Osgoode’s Intensive Advanced Legal English (IALE) Registrants:
We may make conditional offers of admission to applicants who are currently enrolled in York University English Language Institute (YUELI) Programs. The offer would be conditional pending acceptable grade. You must provide proof of enrollment, including placement level and confirmation of the timing of your final grades.
We will make conditional offers of admission to applicants who are currently enrolled in Osgoode’s Intensive Advanced Legal English (IALE) program. The offer would be conditional pending achieving an acceptable grade in IALE.
Current Graduate Diploma in Foundations of Canadian Law Students:
We may make conditional offers of admission to applicants who are currently enrolled in Osgoode Professional Development’s Graduate Diploma in Foundations of Canadian Law. The offer would be conditional pending completion of the diploma program before the beginning of the LLM program. Successful competition of the Graduate Diploma in Foundations of Canadian Law meets the English language proficiency requirement.
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