English as a Second Language

What is an ESL Conditional Admission?

English proficiency is a requirement for admission to all graduate programs. You have been admitted to the Polytechnic Institute of NYU (NYU-Poly), but you must fulfill an English language requirement in order to continue with your academic degree program and it is a stipulation of your acceptance to the Graduate School at NYU-Poly.

Admissions Criteria

International students who obtain a TOEFL (or equivalent) score below 550 (CBT: 213; IBT: 80) may be admitted to a graduate degree program on the condition that they successfully complete an English Language program.

Placement and Registration

All students with an ESL conditional admission will be tested at the NYU American Language Institute (ALI). Download a sample placement test here. The testing location is: 48 Cooper Square, New York, NY 10003. Students will sign-up for their testing date and time during orientation. There is a $20 fee that must be paid in cash at the testing location. Students are not allowed to register for classes before taking their ESL placement test. Upon completing the placement test, the ESL conditional admission student account hold will be removed by the Graduate Center.

All students must take the placement test to accurately determine the best program for their needs. Students placed at a:

• Level 1 – 3, will be required to register for the ESL Full-time course and forgo classes for their program of study. NYU-Poly Office of International Students and Scholars will facilitate the I-20 transfer.

• Level 4 – 6, will be required to register for the ESL Part-time course (6 credits)

• Level 7 – 9, refer to the Waiver Section of the downloadable PDF.

ESL Full Time at the American Language Institute for Levels 1-3*

This course of study will be offered at the NYU American Language Institute. It is an intensive full-time (9 credit hours) program focused on academic writing, reading, speaking and listening. Students will be studying on a full-time basis and therefore will not be able to take classes from their NYU-Poly program of study. An I-20 transfer will be facilitated by the NYU-Poly Office of International Students and Scholars. Once students achieve a Level 4 placement or above, their I-20 can be transferred back to NYU-Poly and they can transition to the ESL Part Time for Level 4.

Class Schedule: M - Th 9am - 12pm and 1pm - 2:45pm

Cost: $4,820 (Tuition subject to change)

Visit the American Language Institute for more information about full-time study.

ESL Part Time for Levels 4 & 5 (6 Credits)*

This course is a daytime comprehensive ESL program focused on academic writing, reading and conversational American English. Students will study at the NYU American Language Institute during the day and take one class (3 credits) from their program of study at NYU-Poly. Students studying at ESL Level 4 and 5 are not permitted to register for more than 9 total credit hours per semester. The Full Time Equivalency Requirement states: in order to provide full-time status, students in the ESL Part Time for Levels 4 & 5 are allowed to register for 3 credits from their program of study.

Class Schedule: M - Th 9am - 12pm

Cost: $3,170 (Tuition subject to change)

Registration: Paper registration will be facilitated by the Graduate Center

ESL Part Time for Level 6 (6 Credits)*

This course is a daytime comprehensive ESL program focused on academic writing, reading and conversational American English. Students will study at the NYU American Language Institute during the day and can take up to two classes (maximum of 6 credits) from their program of study at NYU-Poly. Students studying at ESL Level 6 are not permitted to register for more than 12 total credit hours per semester. Students may choose to register for less by taking only one class (3 credits) from their program of study. The Full Time Equivalency Requirement states: in order to provide full-time status, students in the ESL Part-Time for Level 6 are allowed to register for 3–6 credits from their program of study.

Class Schedule: M - Th 9am - 12pm

Cost: $3,170 (Tuition subject to change)

Registration: Paper registration will be facilitated by the Graduate Center

*ESL course work does not count as quality points towards graduation and therefore is not included in the student’s Cumulative Grade Point Average.

Waivers**

ESL waivers will be granted by the Graduate Center only to those students who meet one of the following conditions:

1. The student scores at a level 7, 8 or 9 for both reading/writing and listening/speaking on the NYU American Language Institute’s placement test.
2. The student retakes the TOEFL test and their new score meets the admissions criteria (TOEFL: 550 or above; CBT: 213 or above; IBT: 80 or above). The re-test must be taken prior to their first semester of study and the new score submitted before course registration.

**Study at a previous English Language Center will not be applied toward a waiver. 

ESL Student Checklist

• Take Placement Test at the NYU American Language Institute ($20 fee; paid in US currency at the testing location)

• Bring test results to the Graduate Center; your student account hold will then be removed

• Set-up an appointment to meet with your Academic Advisor

• Register for courses in accordance with your ESL Placement and Academic Advisors   recommendations

Requirements for Successful Completion of an ESL Condition

One semester of study in the assigned ESL program is the minimum requirement; plus students must demonstrate:

1. American Language Institute Level 7 or above placement
2. A 3.0 or above Cumulative GPA for the program of study coursework

Students are not required to submit a new TOEFL score.

At the end of the semester, if students have met the above requirements they will be given a Letter of Completion from the Graduate Center.

If students have not met the above requirements, they will need to continue with their ESL coursework until they are able to do so. Therefore, some students will have to enroll in multiple semesters of English language coursework.