Dates and Costs
Learn more about upcoming session dates and tuition costs.
Academic English Program (AEP)
The Academic English Program (AEP) is designed specifically for international students preparing to pursue a graduate degree in the United States.
Who is this program for?
- Students who want to apply to graduate programs
- Students from all over the world who have a university degree
- Students who want to improve their English reading, writing, speaking and listening skills
- Students who want an intensive program – AEP meets five days a week for a total of 18 hours
What do you need to apply?
- You must have a university (4-year) degree.
- You demonstrate at least intermediate proficiency through our placement test or a TOEFL/IELTS score (minimum of IBT 55 or IELTS 5.5) to enter our lowest level AEP class.
Students who do not meet these requirements will be placed in our English Language Program (ELP). Admission to AEP does not guarantee admission to The University of Texas at Austin or any other university.
Outcomes
We will:
- Prepare you to apply to graduate school
- Develop your critical thinking skills
- Increase your academic vocabulary
- Improve your ability to find and evaluate sources
- Help you understand and take notes on complex, fast-paced lectures
- Prepare you to lead and participate in moderated discussions
- Teach you how to write academic papers, including proper citation to avoid plagiarism
- Train you to give academic presentations, use visual aids, and field questions
Why should you study with us?
- AEP classes use the resources of The University of Texas at Austin and help students connect with professors and departments.
- AEP offers a variety of academic information workshops each semester, on topics such as applying to graduate school, resume and CV writing, and communicating with professors.
- AEP students have been accepted to graduate programs at top-tier universities in the US, UK, and Canada after completing our program.
What will you learn?
Core Courses
- Academic writing, listening/speaking, reading/discussion, and grammar
Elective Courses
- Our pronunciation classes will help you speak more clearly, focusing on stress and intonation patterns as well as individual sounds.
- Our TOEFL, IELTS, and GRE preparation courses focus on both content and test-taking strategies.
- Each class meets 4 hours per week for 6 weeks.
Levels Offered
Our Academic English Program (AEP) offers three levels of instruction. These levels are related to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), described below.
The CEFR descriptions describe your proficiency as you finish each level. For more information on the CEFR categories, reference the CEFR global scale.
| CEFR | Academic English Program Levels |
|---|---|
| B1+ | Intermediate: A student at this level can express and support opinion and can handle a variety of uncomplicated communicative tasks with moderate success. |
| B2 | High Intermediate: A student at this level can handle a variety of communicative tasks with success, although errors may be evident. |
| C1 | Low Advanced: A student at this level can understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics. Can communicate effectively in a variety of contexts and if miscommunication occurs, can repair them. |