Established in 1983 in recognition of the challenges that our international student population face within the classroom, the Intensive English Program at The Catholic University of America aims to support students through the development of English language skills prior to their undergraduate and/or graduate education.
Through rigorous support from wonderful faculty, not only will our international students become proficient in the use of English, but they will acquire the skills and comfort level necessary to achieve their dreams of receiving undergraduate or graduate degrees. This is all made possible through the program's focus on pursuit of proficient English language skills within an academic setting.
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Sister Margaret Andrew Baker, O.P., Ph.D. Director, Intensive English Program bakermar@cua.eduA veteran educator, Sister Margaret Andrew Baker began teaching in The Catholic University of America’s Intensive English Program in 2019. While Sister is relatively new to the program, she has an extensive background in education having first taught undergraduate English in 1990 at Aquinas College in Nashville, Tennessee. Additionally Sister has over 20 years of experience teaching both English and theology within secondary schools and undergraduate college programs. Sister truly enjoys working with international students as well as with students who need English instruction so that they are able to reach a level of proficiency in which they are able to continue their undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral studies. Knowing that language and composition are important tools that help people to love and respect one another, she guides students to learn the academic and communicative purpose of language and composition so that they may express themselves and understand others with clarity and ease. She is happy to be a part of CUA's Intensive English Program as she enjoys the challenges of teaching students to write formal essays and short research papers using the English Language.
A convert to Catholicism, Sister has been a member of the Dominican Sisters of Saint Cecilia Congregation since 1985. Sister received her undergraduate degree in English at Sewanee - The University of the South. Since becoming a consecrated religious, she received a Master's degree in education from Belmont University, an M.A. in Religious Studies from St.Charles Seminary, and a Ph.D. in Education from the University of Alabama. She enjoys reading poetry, especially Dante's Divine Comedy and the essays of Walker Percy.