English for Academic Purposes

Credit Courses for International Students

The English Language Center offers on-campus courses for language and academic skills support. English for Academic Purposes (EAP) classes are open to all UW international students. They are designed specifically for the language needs of English-second language speakers. Three EAP courses fulfill UW COM requirements. Here are some of the ELC's valuable course offerings:

EAP 1210: English Composition for International Students (COM 1) provides students with strategies for writing various types of essays. The course emphasizes foundational skills for academic writing through discussion, procedure, and practice.
EAP 2110: Oral Skills engages students in refining English pronunciation, speaking, presentation, oral grammar, and vocabulary skills. Open to graduate students!
EAP 3050: Advanced Academic Writing (COM 2) for international students builds on foundational skills in writing and also emphasizes digital communication.
EAP 4010/5010: Technical Writing for International Students (COM 3) prepares advanced and graduate students from diverse backgrounds for communication demands of the 21st century.

Additional academic skills support for UW students is available through:

UW Writing Center | STEP Tutoring Program | Oral Skills Lab | First Year Seminars

ESL Skills Courses

Designed to introduce non-native speakers of English, who do not demonstrate the required competency in writing to enter ESL 1210, to academic writing skills. Includes instruction in grammar and sentence structure, paragraph and essay writing. Prerequisites: TOEFL of 18 and lower; IELTS of 5 and lower

This course equips non-native speakers with focused listening strategies and note-taking skills that can be applied across a variety of academic content areas and familiarizes students with discipline specific discourse patterns. Prerequisites: TOEFL Listening sub-score of 18 or lower IELT’s sub-score 5.0 or lower; or instructor’s consent.

This course equips non-native speakers with focused academic reading strategies across a variety of academic content areas, introduces the Academic Core Vocabulary lists, and familiarizes students with discipline specific discourse patterns. Prerequisites: TOEFL Reading sub-score of 18 or lower IELT’s sub-score 5.0 or lower; or instructor’s consent.

Instruction for Intermediate Mid to Advanced Low speakers in refining English pronunciation, stress and intonation, listening comprehension, oral grammar practice and building vocabulary. Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory only.

ESL Writing Courses

The objective is to equip international students with procedural knowledge - a set of routines that can be applied in various academic writing patterns, such as description, process analysis, argumentation and the research essay. Prerequisites: TOEFL Writing sub-score of 18 or higher, IELTS Writing sub-score of 5 or higher; or instructor’s consent.

Through ESL learner targeted instruction, practices, and feedback, the course will emphasize and progressively develop transferrable skills for students' academic work and future professions. It will continue to build on writing skills and emphasize foundational oral and digital communication skills. Prerequisite: WA/COM1.

Prepares students from a culturally diverse background for the communication demands of the 21st century. Students conduct rhetorical analysis of various audiences and purposes in order to design, develop, revise and edit disciplinary and interdisciplinary technical communications, such as reports, proposals, job applications, research related documents and oral presentations. Prerequisites: WA/COM1, WA/COM2, and junior standing.

Credit-bearing English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses are designed to help international students build and improve language skills in reading, writing, speaking and listening. Development in each of these areas is rarely linear; that is, as skills improve in one area, skills in other areas may remain level.
EAP courses are designed to help second-language learners who present shortfalls in specific areas. Skills deficits may not improve spontaneously or quickly over time, but can be addressed early in a student’s career.
Please take time to determine students' needs. TOEFL, IELTS. or Duolingo scores on the SOATEST screen in Banner can help advisors inform students about EAP courses available to help build language proficiency. Common courses are listed below, with approximate test score recommendations.
- EAP 1210: English Composition for Int'l Students—TOEFL Writing 20 or lower, IELTS 6 or lower
- EAP 2110: Oral Skills—TOEFL Speaking 20 or lower, IELTS 6 or lower
- EAP 3050: Advanced Academic Writing for Int'l Students—TOEFL Writing 22, IELTS 6.5
- EAP 4010: Technical Writing for Int'l Students—TOEFL Writing 22, IELTS 6.5
If credit hours cannot be afforded in a student’s academic schedule, special courses may run for summer sessions. Please contact the English Language Center at elc@uwyo.edu to inquire about possible summer course creation.

Contact Us

English Language Center

1000 E. University Ave. Dept. 3707

Laramie, WY 82071

Phone: 1-307-766-3630

Email: elc@uwyo.edu