Graduate Conditional Admissions
(Grad Cap)
The Grad-CAP program is used to offer admission to academically qualified international students who need to improve their English skills before beginning their graduate degree program. In most cases, through Graduate CAP, no TOEFL exam is necessary!
Requirements for Enrollment in CAP
There are two main requirements for a student to enroll in CAP:
- The student must be qualified to be accepted into the graduate degree program; AND
- The student must complete the ELI's Level VI English for Academic Purposes program with high grades (the lowest acceptable grade is a "B+" — please see the section below called “English objectives required to begin university courses”).
Due to the excellent quality of ESL education at the English Language Institute, CAP students may automatically begin their regular university courses at the University of Delaware or at one of our partner universities during the next available semester — and, in most cases, no TOEFL exam is required!
Students who enrol in CAP are able to take advantage of several benefits, including:
- No TOEFL exam required. In most cases, no TOEFL exam is required for the student to enter a CAP partner university.
- Preparation for success in a U.S. university. Through the ELI's English for Academic Purposes program, CAP students develop many of the skills that are necessary for success in a U.S. university, such as research, critical thinking, and academic writing skills. This gives CAP students a distinct advantage over international students who do NOT enroll in a similar program!
- Period of adjustment before beginning regular coursework. Since CAP students begin their studies at the ELI, they have time to become accustomed to life in the United States at an American university. Challenges such as homesickness and culture shock can be dealt with before the students actually begin their regular university coursework, where such distractions can be detrimental to their ability to succeed. By beginning their university experience at the ELI, the students will be in a comfortable, supportive environment, surrounded by faculty and advisors who have vast experience and success in helping students fulfill their academic dreams.
Accelerated University English Program (AUEP)
Students who would like additional ESL preparation before beginning their university studies may also enroll in our Accelerated University English Program (AUEP).
AUEP is a full service pre-academic ESL program. It addresses the needs of students who intend to pursue undergraduate or graduate degree studies in the US upon completion of their ESL studies
The Graduate CAP program is available at the following universities:
- University of Delaware (www.udel.edu)
- University of Scranton (www.scranton.edu) NOTE: MBA applicants must provide GMAT score
- Goldey-Beacom College (www.gbc.edu)
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We are often asked how long it takes for students to complete their English requirements before they can begin their regular university courses.
The length of time required for enrollment in the ELI before beginning their regular coursework is different for each student. It depends entirely on the student's English skills when he or she arrives (i.e., more advanced students will require less time in the ELI) and on the student's willingness to work hard to improve his or her English skills.
The ELI has six levels of English courses, where Level I is for beginners and Level VI is for the most advanced students. The following scale shows the estimated periods of time that students will require in the ELI, depending on their initial placement:
- Level I (Absolute Beginner): 12-16 months
- Level II (High Beginner): 10-14 months
- Level III (Intermediate): 8-10 months
- Level IV (High Intermediate): 6-8 months
- Level V (Advanced): 4-6 months
- Level VI (High Advanced): 2-4 months
English objectives required to begin university courses
Graduate CAP students must pass the ELI’s English for Academic Purposes Level VI (EAPVI) courses for Listening/Speaking and Reading/Writing. The minimum grade required is a “B+” in each of the skill areas of these courses (i.e., Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing, and Grammar). An average grade of “B+” for all of the five skill areas is not acceptable.
In addition, Graduate CAP students must satisfy any other objective required by their graduate program as part of their conditional admission. These objectives typically include exam scores for the GRE or GMAT exams, among others.
For information about applying for Grad CAP to the ELI's partner schools, please click here.
