2020-2021 Bulletin 
    
    Mar 29, 2024  
2020-2021 Bulletin [ARCHIVED BULLETIN]

International Scholars Certificate in Graduate Academic Discourse


141 East 12th Street
Office: (909) 607-0044
E-mail: cwr@cgu.edu
Website: http://www.cgu.edu/isp

The International Scholars Program (ISP) offers a coordinated curriculum of intensive courses in academic argumentation, research, participation, and presentation, designed to deepen international, multilingual students’ knowledge of academic discourse by preparing them to communicate effectively across a range of common, as well as discipline-specific, genres and formats. ISP is designed to help students succeed in graduate-level courses by teaching about practices and expectations of American academic and business culture. As International Scholars, students cultivate a rhetorically informed, methodologically rigorous approach to graduate school before starting their degree program courses.

Placement within ISP is determined by the TOEFL iBT, IELTS, or Pearson PTE scores of incoming students. The score ranges listed below apply to all admitted students regardless of the particular degree programs in which they enroll:

  • TOEFL iBT 75-84 / IELTS 6.0 / Pearson PTE 50-57: Students are required to successfully complete Modules 1 and 2 of the ISP.
  • TOEFL iBT 85-94 / IELTS 6.5 and 7.0* / Pearson PTE 58-65: Students are required to successfully complete only Module 2 of the ISP.

*IELTS scores of 7.0 with no sub-score lower than 6.5 are eligible for direct entry.

Students must successfully complete the ISP (i.e. earn a grade of B of higher in each required ISP course) before beginning course work in their degree program. ISP is offered in the Summer and Fall terms only. Students should plan to enroll in ISP in the semester prior to their anticipated start term; e.g., students starting in the Fall term should enroll in ISP during the Summer.

Summer ISP students who do not complete or do not pass ISP summer courses with a grade of a B or better will be enrolled in the Fall ISP course or courses. The fee for the new course(s) will be charged to the student.

Fall ISP students who do not complete or do not pass ISP fall courses with a grade of a B or better will be withdrawn from the university. They may reenroll the following summer or fall. The fee for the new course(s) will be charged to the student. 

Questions should be directed to the Director of ISP.

Courses