The Academic English (AE) program at INTO UAB offers part-time and full-time English language study for students who wish to quickly improve their academic, professional, or general English skills. The AE offers excellent preparation for students who plan to enter an INTO UAB Pathway or UAB undergraduate or graduate study. Students who wish to study full-time receive support in the application process for an F-1 student visa. The AE is accredited by the Commission on English Language Program Accreditation (CEA).

Academic English classes are for:

• Students who want to improve their English language skills very quickly.
• Students from all over the world who are 17 years old or older.
• Students who want quality instruction and small, student-centered classes.
• Students who want to improve their academic reading, writing, speaking and listening skills to prepare for undergraduate, graduate, or professional degrees.

Academic English Sessions

AE Levels and Courses

The AE at INTO UAB is divided into 5 English proficiency levels. General English is taught at the lower levels to give students a strong foundation. At higher levels, Academic English is taught to give students the language and skills they will need for university study. Each level consists of 4 Core Courses that meet for a total of 18 hours per week. Each core course takes one semester to complete (14 weeks in fall/spring semesters and 13 weeks in summer semesters). As a student passes each course in a level, he/she progresses to the next level of that course. The Academic Achievement Scale below shows the courses students must take in each level as well as the sequence of courses they must take from level to level. Click on the "Level" links within the chart below to see the “Course Descriptions—Interpretation of the Academic Achievement Scale” for each course in the level.

AE Typical Schedule

A typical AE schedule starts at 8:00 am and includes 20 credit-based hours of instruction – 18 hours of core English classes and 2 hours of “Pathways to Success at UAB,” a support course for all AE students. See the sample schedule for an example of how the classes are organized.

Placement Testing

When students enter the AE program, they are placed in a certain level of each course based on their English Placement Test results. A student may be placed into different levels for the 4 courses.

All-Academic English students, including full-time and part-time students, are tested for their English proficiency. Returning students who have not studied with us for 2 or more semesters must retake the Placement Test and are placed based on the re-test.

The Placement Test assesses English proficiency in listening, grammar, reading, writing, and speaking. Through the tests, we assess a student’s knowledge – and more importantly – their ability to use language to communicate.

• Listening Test: students listen to a recording and answer 20 multiple-choice questions. Two types of questions are used: (1) a speaker asks a question and the student chooses the best reply; (2) a speaker makes a statement and the student chooses the summary.
• Grammar Test: students complete 30 multiple choice questions by selecting the best grammatical structure to complete a sentence in a two-person conversation.
• Reading Test: students read 20 sentences and answer a multiple-choice comprehension question.
• Writing Test: students write about two topics, one general and one more academic. They are assessed on fluency, organization, grammar, and vocabulary. The test focuses on students’ ability to use English to communicate in writing.
• Speaking Test: students are interviewed individually by a teacher. They are assessed on fluency, coherence, pronunciation, listening, grammar, and vocabulary. The test focuses on students’ ability to use English to communicate in speaking.

Academic Achievement Grades

Students’ academic achievement grades are calculated in each core course according to their performance on language achievement assessments. These assessments vary for each core course. They may include in-class tests, writing assignments, or oral presentations. In the first lesson of each course, students receive a course description which includes a description of the language achievement assessments.

Students may refer to their Student Handbook for the list of specific language achievement assessments for all AE core courses.

NOTE: Academic Achievement is determined separately from Attendance Policies.

Progressing in Levels and Program Completion

At the end of the semester, students receive an academic achievement grade, based on the language achievement assessments in each course. Students must earn an academic achievement grade of 75% or more to progress to the next level of each core course. Students will receive midterm and final grade reports.

When students pass a course, they progress to the next level of that course. When students have passed all Level 5 courses, they have completed the AE program.

Tuition for Academic English: AE-One Semester (Full Time): $8,440

Part-time Study

• Part-time or full-time study options are available
• Part-time: can take 1-2 classes
• Only students who apply to study full-time in AE can request to receive an I-20 from UAB for the application of an F-1 student visa.

Tuition for Part-time Study:

• AE-One Semester (Part Time- 3 hours): $1,410
• AE-One Semester (Part Time- 6 hours): $2,820
• AE-One Semester (Part Time- 9 hours): $4,230
• AE-One Semester (Part Time- 12 hours): $5,630
• AE-One Semester (Part Time- 15 hours): $7,030

Note: Tuition may increase every year per UAB’s annual rates.