Intensive Academic English

Who should take this course?

Students who plan to enter an American university or professionals who want to improve their professional writing skills will benefit from the Intensive Academic English program. All students must be prepared to work on English fluency and academic skill development. Students who have advanced English proficiency will have more elective choices than those students who have beginning to intermediate proficiency. All levels of English proficiency (ELI core levels 99-110) are welcome to take this program. A student’s English proficiency is determined during the first week of the program (week 0).  

Dates (click here for complete list of program dates):

2020 Dates

• January 2 - February 28
• March 9 - May 8
• May 18 - July 17*
• July 27 - September 25*
• October 5 - December 4

*All instruction will be delivered by remote learning (no in-class instruction) due to the COVID-19 situation. Open to students living anywhere inside or outside of the U.S. All instruction will be according to the schedule in Pacific Standard Time (PST), so students should be ready to "attend" classes by videoconferencing at various times between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. PST.

2021 Dates

• January 4 - March 5
• March 15 - May 14
• May 24 - July 23
• August 2 - October 1
• October 11 - December 10

Program Schedule:

• Monday – Friday
• Classes are held between 8:30 – 4:30 PM
• 9 weeks – 15 or 25 hours per week (first week is testing, orientation & registration) 
• Schedule varies depending on level and classes chosen

Required Courses:

• 6-hour core class
  • focused on grammar and fluency (ELI core levels 99-104)
  • focused on writing and fluency (ELI core levels 105-107)
  • focused on reading and writing and fluency (ELI core levels 108-110)
• 4-hour required class
  • focused on listening (ELI core levels 99-104)
  • focused on grammar (ELI core levels 105-110)
• 15 hours of academic skills classes chosen by students including:
  • Academic Listening and Note-taking
  • Academic Vocabulary Development
  • Academic Writing Skills
  • English Through Volunteering and Leadership*
  • Fluency and Presentation Skills
  • Grammar and Editing
  • Oral Presentations
  • Pronunciation and Fluency
  • University Study Skills and Academic Preparation
  • TOEFL Test Preparation
  • High-intermediate/advanced American Business Studies

*English through Volunteering and Leadership is offered to core levels 105-110.  Students who take this elective will gain over 35 hours of volunteer experience in the local, non-profit, community, further practicing their English outside of the classroom with native speakers and building valuable leadership skills.

Note: Classes for Intensive Academic English core levels 99 and 100 will run depending on a sufficient number of students enrolled at these levels. If there is an insufficient number of students at these levels, students will be transferred to the Communication and Culture program. Please also note that not all elective courses are offered in every quarter at every level.

Cost (in U.S. dollars):

• Application Fee: $150 (nonrefundable)
• FedEx fee: $50 (optional, but recommended)
• 2020/2021 Tuition: $3,500 (Intensive: 25 hours per week / 200 hours total)
• 2020/2021 Tuition: $3,000 (part-time Academic English: 15 hours per week / 120 hours total)
• International Student Service Fee: $380
• UC San Diego Extension medical insurance: $450
• Books/Materials: Approximately $250 – $400 (Payment CANNOT be made in advance. Books and materials must be purchased upon arrival at UC San Diego.)