Intensive Program
The full-time, intensive English Language Program is a CEA-accredited intensive academic English program that helps international students develop English-language proficiency to the level needed to succeed at Purdue University Northwest or other universities in the United States or Canada.
Multiple Levels of Learning
- Level One: Foundations (only offered if there are enough students)
- Level Two: Low-Intermediate (Level 2 students should not be beginners; they should have a minimum of 32 on the TOEFL or 3.0 on the IELTS)
- Level Three: High Intermediate
- Level Four: Advanced
Costs
Tuition: $6,500
Health Insurance: $570
PNW has a mandatory insurance requirement for all international students. Students are required to sign up for Anthem Insurance unless they have an approved insurance waiver (proof of insurance is required). PNW international students’ insurance is around $570 for one semester.
Four weeks; 24 hours per week
Tuition: $1,625
Health Insurance: n/a
Eight weeks; 24 hours per week
Tuition: $3,962
Health Insurance: Approximately $300
Courses
Classes meet four days a week, Mondays through Thursdays. Core courses in the ELP include reading, writing and listening/speaking. Elective courses provide additional instruction in specific skill areas while also creating a fun and stimulating learning environment.
Core Classes
Reading (ENG 040, 041, 042, 043)
Reading courses progressively develop skills and strategies for effective academic reading. Students will read both inside and outside the classroom to improve and refine their skills, practicing a number of strategies for reading faster, understanding and mastering vocabulary in context and using strategic reading skills. Discussion and small group work will follow reading selections to help students develop critical reading and thinking skills.
Writing/Grammar (ENG 026, 021, 022, 023)
Writing courses focus on skills and strategies for effective academic writing. Throughout all levels, students will engage in discussion and small-group work to develop and improve composition skills, including organization, rhetoric, sentence structure, grammar and mechanics.
In the beginning level, students will focus on developing the ability to write effectively in English through extensive practice in prewriting, drafting, revising and editing. Then students will develop composition skills with an emphasis on idea clarity. Finally, students will practice various rhetorical aspects of writing while focusing on improving the cohesion, unity, and clarity of ideas.
Speaking/Listening (ENG 030, 031, 032, 033)
Speaking/listening courses focus on strategies for developing listening and conversation skills to help students succeed in social and academic settings. For the listening component, students, their classmates and the instructor will provide the class with a wide variety of listening excerpts. Afterward, discussions and small-group tasks will first build a foundation for their listening abilities then focus on specific listening strategies, such as listening for main ideas and details.
For the speaking component, students will progressively develop their ability to speak in a variety of academic contexts, focusing on pronunciation skills, grammatical accuracy while speaking, academic discussion skills, presentation skills, interviewing skills and critical thinking skills.
Electives
Each semester, the ELP curriculum allows students to choose one elective to supplement their core courses. Electives vary each semester depending on student interest and instructor availability. Examples include: English for Engineers, American Film, Study Skills, American Culture, TOEFL / IELTS Preparation, Business Communication, Community Service Learning and Lecture Series.
Fall | Spring | Maymester | Summer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Reading | 6 hr/wk | 6 hr/wk | none | 12 hr/wk |
Writing | 6 hr/wk | 6 hr/wk | none | 12 hr/wk |
Speaking/Listening | 6 hr/wk | 6 hr/wk | 24 hr/wk | none |
Elective | 3 hr/wk | 3 hr/wk | none | none |
TOEFL/IELTS Waiver
ELP students who successfully finish their Level Four classes can begin their undergraduate studies at Purdue University Northwest without having to take the TOEFL or IELTS.
ELP students who successfully pass their ELP Level Four classes (80% or higher) can take the ELP Graduate Exit Test as an alternative to taking the TOEFL for entrance to graduate school at Purdue University. This test consists of:
- a writing task based on a reading passage
- an oral assessment in the form of an interview
Students must meet all other requirements for their graduate degree program/college, which may require additional exam scores such as the GRE or GMAT exam. Students should confirm the admissions requirements of their individual departments.
Housing
On-Campus
Our Hammond campus offers apartment-style housing with private bedrooms for you and your 750 new best friends. You can walk everywhere — you’ll be steps from our fitness center and less than a mile from every building on campus.
- $2,798 – Fall
- $2,798 – Spring
- $1,679 – Maymester & Summer (prorated for only Maymester or Summer)
Off-Campus Apartments
Students who wish to live in off-campus apartments can find many different options at varying prices. Contact the International Office for advice on housing.
Immigration Policy/Information
Students studying in the PNW ELP Program with an F-1 visa must maintain full-time student status, or a minimum of 18 hours of study, while enrolled at PNW. This policy requires students to follow all ELP attendance and grade policies to avoid expulsion from their ELP courses.
For visa information, please visit our International Student Services office in Lawshe 226.