Curriculum
The curriculum of the Intensive English Program covers language skills across levels from intermediate to advanced proficiencies. In order to understand where to best place students, they must take a placement test. This Placement Test is to be used to measure the IEP applicant's proficiency level through testing a wide variety of language skills such as speaking and listening as well as reading and writing.
Classes
The IEP classes are based on proficiency skills that will cover an array of English language skills as well as American academic culture. These English language skills develop through studying American literature, having intensive vocabulary development, listening to authentic language, public speaking, and acquiring study skills. In addition to this focus on English within the academic setting, our students take advantage of co-curricular workshops and tutorials, as well as extracurricular activities and other services, offered on the CUA campus.
Students
Students who attend our Intensive English Program will have ample opportunities to foster their proficiency, grow in confidence, and immerse themselves in a predominantly English-speaking culture both in and outside of the classroom. Their immersion within the classroom is centered around fostering a sense of community which occurs through our small class size of 12 students as well as 20 contact hours a week. These hours are broken up into a variety of different classes, learning opportunities, and styles such as public speaking and vocabulary skills. The academic immersion only grows for students through the ample opportunities on campus through the ability to use the library and other academic resources. Outside of the classroom students and their peers will experience cultural opportunities within the robust city of Washington D.C allowing them to grow in community and friendship while easing any fear about their speaking skills through being in more casual settings. Students will feel the support of their professors and other Catholic University staff through our strict attendance policy which is the first step in fostering a close-knit relationship that only grows through one-on-one conferences with students and staff such as their teachers and the program director.
Classes are small which allows for a lot of individual attention, frequent testing, and close monitoring of progress. Upon completion of the Program, an exit test measures the linguistic readiness of the students to function linguistically in a degree-granting program, or "major."
On average students with a low to intermediate level of proficiency attend two regular semesters and a summer session within the IEP program. It is our hope that after these three sessions they will reach the required level of proficiency that allows them to transition to a degree-granting program but we recognize that each student has a different learning style and requires different levels of support, and will work with each student individually to create the best support team possible in order for them to reach their full potential within the program.
Admission
Please note that admission to IEP does not imply admission to any degree-granting programs at The Catholic University of America. Students need to apply separately for the undergraduate or graduate program in which they plan to study, either prior to attending IEP or upon successful completion of IEP.
Estimated Expenses
The estimated tuition cost for the full semester is $9,143.
