English Language Requirements for Enrollment

Graduate students will be notified of the need to enroll in an English course within their official admission letter issued by the Graduate School. They will be informed as to whether they need to be in Intensive English, the English Bridge Program, or in the Advanced English Writing course. The Graduate School also offers the online EnGen-UMD Bridge Program (formerly VOXY-UMD Bridge Program) that gives newly admitted applicants with an English Bridge Program placement the opportunity to work on their English and retake the TOEFL/IELTS/PTE before arriving on campus.

Intensive English (IE)

Graduate students who are admitted with a placement in Intensive English are required to successfully complete the Intensive English program before beginning their degree program. The I-20 will be issued for English training and upon successful completion of Intensive English the I-20 will be changed by International Student and Scholar Services to the graduate degree program. Please note that there are five semester-long levels of Intensive English and a placement test will be given at the start of the semester to determine the appropriate level for enrollment. Most students do place into the highest or second-highest level. Click here for general information about the Intensive English course.

English Bridge Program (EBP)

Graduate students who are admitted with a placement in the English Bridge Program are required to successfully complete the semester-long Bridge Program. The Bridge Program consists of Semi-Intensive English study and in addition, the student will enroll in up to two (2) courses in their degree program. They will receive an I-20 for the Bridge Program, and upon successful completion of the EBP, the I-20 will be changed by International Student and Scholar Services to the graduate degree program. Click here for general information about the English Bridge Program. 

Advanced English Writing (AEW)

Graduate students who are admitted with a placement in the Advanced English Writing Course are given full admission into their degree program with the condition of enrollment that they successfully complete the Advanced English Writing Course at the Maryland English Institute in their second semester of study. Students who enroll in the Advanced English Writing Course may enroll in up to three (3) courses in their degree program. Click here for more information about the Advanced English Writing Course. 

Additional Information

The EnGen-UMD Bridge Program

The EnGen-UMD Bridge Program (formerly the VOXY-UMD Bridge Program) is a two-month online course designed to improve the English language skills of newly admitted applicants to the University of Maryland in order to enable them to test out of the English Bridge Program. It is geared towards those applicants with a TOEFL/IELTS/PTE score in the range requiring placement in the English Bridge Program. Upon completion of the two-month program, students may retake the TOEFL/IELTS/PTE and submit a new score to the Graduate School to determine if placement in the English Bridge Program for the Fall semester can be waived. Please visit the program website for more information and to sign up for the program. Please note that the score receipt deadlines listed at the bottom of this page would still apply, regardless of when you begin the EnGen-UMD Bridge Program. Please plan your test date accordingly so the scores will be received by the Graduate School in time for the deadlines below.

How do I register for my assigned English course?

Students admitted with a placement in Intensive English will be registered by the Maryland English Institute for their designated course. Students admitted with a placement in the English Bridge Program will need to register themselves for a section of the course UMEI005, Advanced English as a Foreign Language, that is restricted to graduate students. Students admitted with a placement in the Advanced English Writing course will need to register themselves for a section of the course UMEI007, Advanced Writing for International Students, for their second semester.

What are the fees for the English courses?

The English courses carry separate fees that are not covered by tuition remission. Please visit the Maryland English Institute website for fee information.

Can I submit new English test scores after admission?

If you have been placed into an English Course for your first or second semester of study, you may submit scores up through the score receipt deadline. Please see the table below. The Graduate School will review any new, official test score received through the appropriate deadline to determine if it is sufficient to change your English course placement. If the placement can be changed and you require a Form I-20 or DS-2019, you will receive notification from International Student and Scholar Services once your I-20 has been updated and reissued. 

Official scores received by our office after the deadline will not be considered. Scores sometimes take a few weeks to arrive in our office, so you will need to plan your test date accordingly.