Graduate departments can recommend a student for Conditional Admission if the prospective student meets all Graduate College requirements except for the minimum 550 TOEFL requirement (or 213 in the computerized version or 79-80 in the ibt version).

Conditional Admission requires that the student apply to and enroll at the UA Center for English as a Second Language (CESL) at their own cost (or their sponsor's) with the expectation of achieving TOEFL-equivalent English proficiency within one year. The initial I-20 will be generated by CESL. Once CESL certifies that the student has achieved English proficiency at the TOEFL minimum, he or she will be admitted as a regular standing student (or provisional if the department wants to impose additional requirements) to pursue graduate studies. At the time the student's admission status changes from Conditional to Regular (or Provisional) status, a new I-20 will be issued by the Graduate College. Under current U.S. State Department Homeland Security requirements, international students cannot attend the university in Non-Degree status. Students can continue at UA by applying to Undergraduate Admissions (where the TOEFL requirement if 500), or reapplying to the Graduate College after an extended stay at CESL (at an additional cost to themselves or their sponsor).