The first semester is a critical time for new international students to acclimate to their new academic environment while building foundational skills.
Evaluation of appropriate course placement relies primarily on individual assessment, yet the following can serve as guidelines. These guidelines can be used to create balance in the amount of work and the language load in the first semester as an international student adjusts to:
- Studying full time in English
- Re-orientating to U.S. academic terms and jargon
- Navigating new expectations of instructors and faculty such as class participation and small group work
- Building awareness of U.S. culture or history
For many international students, taking too many credits or courses that do not allow for transition time in their first semester can severely impact their GPA or in some cases cause them to be on probation in their first semester.
Provided below are general guidelines for course registration for first semester international students who are multilingual if English is not their first language. There are also resources available about talking to students about the benefits of multilingualism and continuing to develop discipline-specific language while in a degree program. Further development of linguistic skills can help students in their future job searches and careers. Learn more.
Recommended Courses
English as a Second Language (ESL) Courses
- ESL 3001: Integrated Skills for Academic English (2 credits) — This is a second seven-week session language and academic success course. Students may want to add this course if they find that they need some more support with English at mid-semester.
- ESL 3006: English for Business Interactions (2 credits) – This course is specifically designed for students who are majoring in business or closely related fields.
- ESL 3102: English Grammar for Academic Purposes (4 credits) – This courses focuses on improving accuracy and range in English grammar, with an emphasis on developing academic writing skills. Students may be placed into this course to clear an AZ hold.
- ESL 3202W: Academic Reading and Composition (5 credits) – This Writing-Intensive course develops students’ academic reading and writing skills in English at a high-advanced level. Students may be placed into this course to clear an AZ hold.
- ESL 3402W: Research Writing (4 credits) — This course helps prepare students for WRIT 1301. International students who have a TOEFL iBT writing sub- score below 21, or equivalent, are required to take this course before taking WRIT 1301. It is also open to other students who want to work on their research writing or students you feel would benefit from a full year of writing support. ESL 3402W is ahigh-advancedlevel foreign language class and is Writing-Intensive. Students may be placed into this course to clear an AZ hold.
- ESL 3502: Academic Listening and Speaking (5 credits) – This course develops students’ academic listening and note-taking skills as well as their speaking fluency and academic presentation and discussion skills at a high-advanced level. Students may be placed into this course to clear an AZ hold.
- ESL 3550: Pronunciation Improvement (2 credits) – This is a second seven-week session offered in fall only. It combines weekly in-person class meetings with online learning and is designed for students who want to polish their pronunciation skills.
- ESL 3602: Academic Speaking (4 credits) – This speaking course focuses on academic interactions such as lectures, presentations, seminar-style discussions, informal exchanges. Students may be placed into this course to clear an AZ hold.
- ESL 3990: Special Topics – English Language Learning with Generative AI (2 credits) – This is a second seven-week course that will introduce using AI tools to develop students’ listening, speaking, writing, and research skills while maintaining academic integrity. It combines weekly in-person class meetings with online learning.
Courses with Sections for International/Multilingual Students
- WRIT 1301 (4 credits) — Opt-in sections of the first-year writing course typically have 35–50% of seats reserved for multilingual and/or international students. The classroom community intentionally brings together a range of English speakers with an intercultural focus. These sections are taught by instructors who have interest and training in supporting interactive and inclusive classroom practices to support a culturally and linguistically diverse community of writers. For questions about registration, please contact Molly Vasich, Associate Director of First Year Writing, at [email protected].
- LEAD 1961W: Personal Leadership in the University (3 credits) — This is an introductory course in the leadership minor series. Seats are reserved for international students in each section.
Courses That May Be Less Language Intensive
- Economics
- Hard Sciences
- Physical Education
- Math
- Public Health: 1000-level courses based on lifestyle or campus culture topics (i.e., PUBH 1005: Sleeps, Eats, and Exercises or PUBH 1003: Alcohol and College Life)
Courses Students May Want to Limit in First Semester
These courses might be more language intensive or require cultural context.
- Art History, Cultural Studies, Philosophy, Pop Culture
- Communications
- Literature (i.e., Comparative Literature)
- Religion Studies
- Social Sciences (i.e., Anthropology, History-related, Political Science, Upper-Level Psychology)
- Writing-Intensive Courses
