Pre-Sessional English
Prepare for Success
The Pre-Sessional program provides students with the English and classroom skills they need to transition to academic life in the United States. You may enter the program in the spring, summer, or fall and progress into the Extended Accelerator Program.
Program Details
| First-Year Program Length |
Program Curriculum |
Total Credits Earned Toward Degrees |
Progression Requirements |
Progression Into |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Varies | Planned – all courses exclusive to Accelerator students | Not applicable | Grade of B or better | Extended Accelerator Program |
Entry Requirements
To apply for the Pre-Sessional English add-on program at American University, you should have at least the following qualifications:
| PRE-SESSIONAL ENGLISH 1 (1 semester) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPA | TOEFL® for Entry | IELTS™ for Entry | PTE for Entry | EIKEN for Entry | iTEP for Entry | Other Standardized Tests Required | ||
| Only one of the scores below required | ||||||||
| 3.0 (unweighted) | 60 | 5.0 | 40 | 2A | 3.0 | None | ||
| PRE-SESSIONAL ENGLISH 2 (2 semesters) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPA | TOEFL® for Entry | IELTS™ for Entry | PTE for Entry | EIKEN for Entry | iTEP for Entry | Other Standardized Tests Required | ||
| Only one of the scores below required | ||||||||
| 3.0 (unweighted) | 50 | 4.5 | 36-39 | Pre-2 | 2.5 | None | ||
Progression Plan Standards: Pre-sessional English Undergraduate
The Progression Plan is the guiding principle for the courses of action taken for students as they advance from one program level to another. Students are expected to meet academic standards enumerated and detailed below.
General Standards
- For the general purposes of university degree and program requirements, students will be governed by the catalog year in effect for the academic year in which they are admitted to the PSE program.
- Students must enroll in all courses defined in the ELTA curriculum within their level.
- Upon completion of the ELTA level 5 curriculum, PSE students may advance into the Extended Accelerator program, if they meet the standards set below.
- Students are required to maintain compliance with IAP policies (inclusive of the attendance requirements described here), AU immigration standards, AU Undergraduate Academic Regulations, and the AU Student Conduct Code.
Attendance Requirements
Regular class attendance for all students is required to ensure students meet the goals of the program; a minimum of 90% class attendance is required to progress to the next level. Failure to meet the enrollment and attendance requirements may lead to loss of immigration status. Students who receive grades of FX or ZX will be administratively separated.
Language Proficiency Placement
All admitted PSE students will not have an option to take a post-arrival English proficiency test.
Advancement Through the Program
- To advance to the next level of ELTA coursework, PSE students must achieve a letter grade of “B-” or better in each ELTA course.
- To advance into the Extended Accelerator Program, PSE students must complete ELTA level 5 coursework with a letter grade of “B-” or better in each ELTA course.
- If a PSE student receives a grade lower than “B-” in any ELTA course, the student is required to repeat the entire level of ELTA courses and achieve a “B-” or better in each course to advance to the next level of coursework.
- Students will maintain full-time study in compliance with visa requirements.
- Students are permitted to repeat one level of ELTA coursework one time. Requests to extend enrollment in PSE further due to extenuating circumstances must be submitted to and approved by the Associate Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, IAP.