English Proficiency Guidelines

English Proficiency Guideline

Overview

UMHB does not have a full-time English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Department but rather a limited bridge-type of program designed to ensure that students maximize their learning in other courses.  An English language proficiency test must be submitted as part of the international admissions requirements.

Admission to Graduate Programs without ESOL

Graduate students must submit TOEFL or IELTS scores completed within the past two years as part of their applications.  English language proficiency admission requirements vary due to the linguistic competence necessary for each graduate program. Please contact the Graduate Admissions Office for English language proficiency scores specific to each graduate program. 

Students without Minimum English Proficiency Scores:

Students without minimum English proficiency scores will be given an ESL Accuplacer assessment with one to four sections (listening, reading, writing, and grammar) as determined by the ESOL Program director. Based upon the results of placement testing, students will be enrolled in the appropriate combination of ESOL and other courses. 

ESOL courses consist of three and four credit hours and are offered in grammar, reading, writing, and oral communication at the basic, intermediate, and advanced levels. In terms of cost, ESOL tuition is 50% of the cost of undergraduate tuition.

In order to exit from the ESOL Program, a student must score at or above the designated cut-off on the English proficiency exam taken at the end of the ESOL course.  This is separate from the course final exam.  Students of ESOL listening and speaking courses must also pass an oral interview with the ESOL Program director.

The oral speaking exam will assess the communication skills of the student.  The ESOL director will determine any ESOL course needs remaining. Students must enroll in all ESOL courses indicated by the ESOL director. 

Standards for Continued Enrollment

If, after completion of the advanced level ESOL classes, a student does not meet the ESOL exit requirements for all language skills (listening, reading, and writing), he/she will be evaluated by an academic committee to determine whether enrollment can be maintained.