The English for Multilingual Students Program offers courses for undergraduate and graduate students for whom English is not the first language. These courses help students develop English proficiency for academic and professional contexts.
Undergraduate Courses
Four levels of lower division academic English provide instruction and practice in reading and writing for various academic purposes and audiences. Instruction also focuses on strategies for developing academic vocabulary and grammatical accuracy in writing. Students placed into the EMS undergraduate courses through the Undergraduate Entry Level Placement in English (UG ELPE) complete these courses prior to taking courses in the Writing Program. All EMS undergraduate courses confer credit toward degree.
Notice to New Undergraduate Students:
If you have been placed in an EMS course, we recommend that you enroll in the appropriate course during your first quarter so that the benefits of the course can aid your success in other and future academic coursework at UCSB. Enrolling as soon as possible will provide you the best chance of getting into a course. Some courses may be impacted; you are urged to use the course waitlists and observe the course crash policy. See our Undergraduate FAQs page for details.
Graduate Courses
The graduate EMS Program includes both writing and oral skills courses for graduate students in all disciplines. Students are placed into EMS courses through the Graduate Entry Level Placement in English (Grad ELPE) process, administered at multiple points in the year. Students also place into oral skills classes through the ITA English Language Evaluation and Certification process that is required of all prospective international Teaching Assistants whose home language is other than English.
EMS graduate courses include two levels of writing for academic and professional purposes as well as a tutorial course designed to focus on oral communication and presentation. Each summer, the Program also offers a workshop course specifically for international TAs who are not yet certified for teaching.
For more information on courses, examinations and answers to frequently asked questions, please see our links for undergraduate courses or graduate courses.
EMS Course Placement
Undergraduate Students
UCSB requires incoming freshman students whose home language is not English to satisfy the Entry Level Writing Requirement (ELWR) before arriving or take our Entry Level Placement in English (UG ELPE).
Undergraduates, please see this announcement for information regarding the next UG ELPE.
Graduate Students
UCSB requires graduate students whose home language is not English to meet proficiency requirements in spoken and written English. Unless provided an exemption by Graduate Admissions, all students must take the Graduate Entry Level Placement in English (Grad ELPE).
Graduate students, please see this page for information regarding the next Grad ELPE.
Notice to Prospective International Teaching Assistants:
There are no exemptions to the ITA certification process. Even if you have received an exemption by Graduate Admissions for the Grad ELPE, you must receive ITA certification from the EMS Program before taking on teaching responsibilities at UCSB.