Graduate Conditional Admissions Program (Graduate CAP)
Graduate CAP
Academic and linguistic preparation for students who will pursue a graduate degree
Our Graduate Conditional Admissions Program (Graduate CAP) is for international students who want to pursue a graduate (master’s or doctorate) degree–but who need to improve their English skills first.
Through Graduate CAP, future graduate students can develop their academic English communication skills and the advanced research, writing, and presentation skills needed to be successful at the graduate level.
No TOEFL or IELTS exam score is required for Graduate CAP!
For Graduate Students
Graduate CAP is available to graduate (i.e., master’s or doctoral) students.
Students who want to be conditionally-admitted to an undergraduate program can enroll in Academic Transitions, our pathway program.
Students who are offered conditional admission to certain participating UD graduate programs (i.e., master’s or doctoral) and who are close to the required language proficiency can enroll in our Graduate Pathways program.
Matriculation requirements
What must Graduate CAP students do to begin full-time graduate studies?
Graduate CAP students are required to meet requirements related to the advancement of their English communication skills, the development of their interpersonal, social, and leadership skills, and their ability to engage in campus life.
Focus Areas
There are different matriculation requirements for students (depending on their field of study):
- Students who will pursue graduate programs that are not related to business must meet the requirements of the General English Focus Area.
- Students who will pursue graduate programs that are related to business (except Finance) must meet the requirements of the Business English Focus Area.
General English
General English courses, offered at all levels of the Intensive English Program, seek to improve students’ English skills in a great variety of discourse settings. Students develop communicative competence for social and work-related environments through interactive activities simulating real-life situations.
Until a certain proficiency level, all English is general English. As students progress in proficiency, they gain access to more variety.
Language skills addressed include: listening, fluency development, oral intelligibility, reading, grammar, writing, and vocabulary development.
Note: All courses in levels 1 through 4 are General English.
Level 1 — Beginner
Level 1, Listening/Speaking
This course develops basic listening, speaking, pronunciation and vocabulary acquisition for use in the classroom and daily life. The course is intended for beginners in English and for students with basic communication abilities.
Learner outcomes include improved ability to understand basic spoken English and to communicate in common situations by using basic language functions and the appropriate vocabulary with standard pronunciation.
Materials include a textbook for listening, speaking, and pronunciation and a picture dictionary.
Activities include both in-class and out-of-class listening and speaking tasks.
Level 1, Reading/Writing
This course develops basic reading, writing, vocabulary and grammar skills. The course is intended for beginners in English and for students with limited basic abilities in reading and writing.
Learner outcomes include improved ability to read and understand basic high frequency vocabulary and simple sentences, to write at the sentence and simple paragraph level with accurate spelling and punctuation and to understand and use accurately basic verb tenses and grammar.
Materials include a reading and vocabulary text and a grammar text.
Level 2 — High Beginner
Level 2, Listening/Speaking
This course develops listening, speaking, pronunciation and vocabulary acquisition for use in daily life and the classroom. The course is intended for high beginner students with basic communication abilities.
Learner outcomes include improved ability to understand basic spoken utterances and vocabulary and to communicate in common situations by using basic language functions and the appropriate vocabulary with standard pronunciation.
Materials include listening and speaking and pronunciation textbooks.
Activities include both in-class and out-of-class listening and speaking tasks which develop the students’ communication ability.
Level 2, Reading/Writing
This course develops reading, writing, vocabulary and grammar skills. The course is intended for high beginner students in English and for students with basic abilities in reading and writing.
Learner outcomes include improved ability to read and understand high frequency vocabulary and simple and more complex sentences, to write at the paragraph and short composition level with accurate spelling and punctuation and to understand and use accurately verb tenses, nouns/pronouns, and articles.
Materials include a reading and vocabulary text and a grammar text.
Level 3 — Intermediate
Level 3, Listening/Speaking
This course develops listening, speaking, pronunciation and vocabulary acquisition for use in common social situations and the classroom. The course is intended for intermediate level students with some communication ability but with limited vocabulary and range of expression.
Learner outcomes include improved ability to understand the meaning of common spoken utterances and vocabulary and to communicate in common situations with English speakers by using appropriate language functions and vocabulary with standard pronunciation.
Materials include listening, speaking and pronunciation textbooks.
Activities include both in-class and out-of-class listening and speaking tasks which develop the students’ communication ability, including listening to short monologues and conversations and interacting with native and non-native users of English.
Level 3, Reading/Writing
This course develops reading, writing, vocabulary and grammar skills. The course is intended for intermediate level students with some ability in reading and writing but with limited vocabulary and range of expression.
Learner outcomes include improved ability to read and understand high frequency vocabulary and complex sentences, to write at the composition level with accurate spelling and punctuation and to understand and use accurately more complex grammar structures.
Materials include a reading and vocabulary text and a grammar text.
Level 4 — High Intermediate
Level 4, Listening/Speaking — General English
This course improves the general English skills of high intermediate students.
Learner outcomes include overall communicative fluency as well as accuracy in pronunciation, oral grammar, and vocabulary usage.
Level 4, Reading/Writing — General English
This course improves the general English skills of high intermediate students.
Learner outcomes include improved reading comprehension, writing skills at the paragraph and essay level, general vocabulary, and understanding of grammar and its use.
Materials include ESL grammar and reading texts, as well as adapted literature.
Activities include intensive and extensive reading, vocabulary development, written and oral grammar exercises, and paragraph and essay writing.
Level 5 — Advanced
Level 5, Advanced Listening and Communication Skills
This advanced-level course helps students to develop their listening and speaking skills so that they can function in everyday, academic, and professional contexts.
In this course, students will move from listening to conversations, interviews, radio programs, or podcasts to more complex documentaries, movies, and short lectures.
Students will develop their discussion and conversation skills for social and academic purposes, both in and out of class. In addition, the course includes an intensive focus on pronunciation, fluency, and oral grammar.
Level 5, Reading/Writing — General English
This course improves the general English skills of advanced level students.
Learner outcomes include improved reading comprehension and speed, essay-writing skills, general vocabulary, and understanding of grammar and its use.
Materials include ESL grammar and reading texts, and supplementary non-adapted texts, newspapers, and magazine articles. Sample writing tasks include summarizing, synthesizing, showing cause/effect, and stating and supporting opinions. (Students wishing to take English for Academic Purposes 5 are required to successfully complete this course.)
Level 6—HIGH Advanced
Level 6, Reading/Writing — English for Professional Purposes
This class is designed for students who wish to improve their English skills at the advanced level for professional, personal or academic reasons.
Reading selections are varied and include short stories, popular science articles from magazines, poems, and short prose passages.
Writing assignments include reviews, descriptions, interviews and short synthesis papers.
The grammar lessons build on the students’ grammar foundation and are designed to help students apply their knowledge of the structure of English to their writing
Business English
Business English courses provide language instruction and training in business communication, including business correspondence, negotiations, formal presentations, informal networking, business vocabulary, report and proposal writing, vocabulary for professional purposes, and reading for professional purposes.
Language skills addressed include: listening, fluency development, oral intelligibility, reading, grammar, writing, and vocabulary development.
Students in the Business English track may also apply for conditional admission to the University of Delaware and to any of our many partner universities.
Note: Course and level offerings are dependent on enrollment and adjusted as necessary to meet student needs.
Level 4 — High Intermediate
Level 4, Listening/Speaking — Business English
This course develops communication skills in a business context and is intended for high intermediate level students interested in using English in business. Learner outcomes include improved listening, speaking and pronunciation skills, as well as vocabulary development for basic business situations and an understanding of American business culture. Students develop language skills for business management and marketing through role-playing, group, discussions, negotiations, oral interviews and oral presentations. Materials include an ESL pronunciation text and a business ESL text.
Level 4, Reading/Writing — Business English
This course develops reading, writing, and vocabulary skills in the business context, and is intended for high intermediate level students with an interest in using their language skills in business. Learner outcomes include improved reading comprehension, writing, and grammar skills; business vocabulary development; and an understanding of current American business culture. Writing activities include business letters, memos, email, résumés, business article summaries, and development of a written business portfolio. Materials include an ESL grammar text and business readings in areas of management/leadership, human resources, business organizations and entrepreneurship.
Level 5 — Advanced
Level 5, Listening/Speaking — Business English
This course develops advanced communication skills in a business context and is intended for low advanced and advanced level students interested in using English for business. Learner outcomes include improved listening, speaking and pronunciation skills, as well as business vocabulary development and understanding of American business culture. Language skills are practiced within a context of problem solving techniques through role playing, group discussions, interviews and presentations, special group projects, and introductory case study activities. Materials include an ESL pronunciation text and authentic business and business case study materials.
Level 5, Reading/Writing — Business English
This course develops reading, writing, and vocabulary skills in the business context, and is intended for low advanced and advanced level students with an interest in using their language skills in business. Learner outcomes include improved reading comprehension, writing and grammar skills; business vocabulary development; and understanding of current American business culture. Writing activities focus on formal business writing such as trip, progress and status reports; business proposals; case studies; and technical reports. Materials include an ESL grammar text as well as authentic business readings and case studies.
Level 6 — High Advanced
Level 6, Listening/Speaking — Advanced Business Case Studies
This course is designed for students who wish to learn business concepts, improve English proficiency and fluency skills, and develop critical reasoning skills. A case study format is used in preparation for courses taught in MBA programs. This course integrates development of listening and speaking academic study skills with business content. Students improve intelligibility by doing oral exercises to develop stress, intonation and rhythm. Listening comprehension skills and practice note taking is improved by listening to and discussing business videos and news stories from on-line business publications like the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, the Economist, and the video series: America and the New Global Economy.
Level 6, Listening/Speaking — Entrepreneurship and Business Planning
This advanced course introduces students to the process of preparing a business plan. By working in teams to design and promote a new product or service, students learn essential concepts, skills and vocabulary for your MBA degree or professional work. Skills necessary for effective business communication, including developing PowerPoint slides using graphics and other visuals are practiced. A variety of rhetorical techniques to enhance communication, including how to respond to questions and objections in class discussions and presentations involving native English speakers, are practiced. Students develop critical thinking skills and interact with representatives of Delaware’s small business community. The Entrepreneurship and Business Planning course will give you an edge in your future studies and business ventures.
Cohort
Comprehensive university preparation for graduate school
International students need more than just English courses to prepare for university. They must also develop the interpersonal, team-building, and leadership skills that are expected of students who participate in American courses.
To have a fulfilling university experience, it is important for international students to learn techniques to properly engage (i.e., become involved) in campus life and culture.
Cohort is an innovative curriculum that helps students to achieve these goals.
