Program Overview
The ESL program at Webster University- St. Louis consists of two levels – Level 4 and Advanced/Bridge Level. Level 4 is full time, ESL - only. However, the ESL program in St. Louis uses a sustained content-based approach, which means that every ESL student in Full Program ESL attends one undergraduate content course. Assignments and skills-work in all levels of the ESL program reflect the topics and assignments of typical American university coursework, and for Level 4 students, they specifically relate to the undergraduate content course assignments.
Placement Exam
Due to the ongoing Covid-19 crisis, all test days are considered tentative.
Online, synchronous placement testing is available. Please contact the ESL Director at ctrachtova77@webster.edu to set up individual online testing.
Thursday, August 13, 2020 (EPT, written, oral)
Recommended for future graduate students or undergraduate students
Wednesday, August 19, 2020 (EPT, written, oral)
Recommended for future undergraduate students only
Thursday, October 15, 2020 (EPT, written, oral)
Recommended for future graduate students or undergraduate students
*Individual test dates also available
Due to the ongoing Covid-19 crisis, all test days are considered tentative.
Online, synchronous placement testing is available. Please contact the ESL Director at ctrachtova77@webster.edu to set up individual online testing.
Monday, January 4, 2021 (EPT, written, oral)
Recommended for future graduate students or undergraduate students
Thursday, January 7, 2021 (EPT, written, oral)
Recommended for future undergraduate students only
Thursday, March 11, 2021 (EPT, written, oral)
Recommended for future graduate students or undergraduate students
Thursday, May 27, 2021 (EPT, written, oral)
Recommended for future graduate students or undergraduate students
*Individual test dates also available
*all times approximate except start time*
10 am – 2 pm
CaMLA EPT: 60 minutes
Written Exam: 90 minutes for reading and writing and essay
Oral Exam: 15 or so minutes per student
Additional notes:
- Please call or email ctrachtova77@webster.edu to confirm the testing room location before the test date
- Please arrive 15 minutes prior to test time in order to check in and pay. The test usually begins at 10 am. Please contact Carolyn Trachtova to verify
- Testing fee: $20 (cash or check made out to Webster University – No debit or credit cards). You will pay your testing fee on the day of the test.
- Please bring #2 pencils and a picture ID.
- You can use a paper dictionary for the written portion. No electronic dictionaries
or cell phones can be used during the test.
Additional information about the test can be obtained in the ESL Office, 405 Browning Hall (ISB) by appointment.
ctrachtova77@webster.edu, 314-246-7757
Enrollment Process
Students who wish to study ESL at Webster University should start the admissions process with our international admissions team.
Students who wish to study ESL only can apply as non-degree seeking students. When students are filling out the non-degree application, when for the level of interest, click on "Undergraduate study" (ESL courses are undergraduate level courses). Then choose the St. Louis campus. For the term, choose "other". When it asks for courses, write "ESL study full time only."
Students who wish to continue after ESL as undergraduate students should follow the steps for admission for regular international undergraduate students.
Students who wish to continue studying as graduate students after ESL should follow the steps for admission for regular international graduate students.
Special note for students without the required TOEFL/IELTS score:
It is possible to gain admission for ESL study only without a TOEFL or IELTS score. Students without a standardized test can contact the ESL Coordinator directly via email or by phone to discuss their language learning history and determine if the ESL program is the right fit for them.
Because Webster’s ESL program starts at the intermediate level, we can not accommodate beginning level students at this time.
Enrollment options are designed to meet the needs of ESL students at varying levels of English proficiency. Students are placed according to their scores on the Webster University Placement Tests.
Special opportunity for Fall 2020 due to Covid-19 travel restrictions:
ESL courses can be taken synchronously from anywhere in the world. Please contact the ESL Director to discuss the ESL schedule and tuition: ctrachtova77@webster.edu
Full Program
Level 2 (ESLG 2000.01) (Not currently available)
Students have 19 clock hours of ESL instruction at the Intermediate level and earn
9 credit hours of elective credit (undergraduate students only). In addition, students
can chose to attend ISTL 1000: Introduction to International Studies, the undergraduate
class that provides content for ESL class instruction.
Level 4 (ESLG 4000.01)
Students have 19 clock hours of ESL instruction at the Upper Intermediate level and
earn 9 credit hours of elective credit (undergraduate students only). In addition,
students can choose to attend ISTL 1000: Introduction to International Studies, the
undergraduate class that provides content for ESL class instruction, or they do independent
content study.
Bridge Program (Advanced)
Students take 6 credit hours of ESL instruction (6 clock hours - 3 credit hours per
term) (undergraduates), or 6 credit hours (6 clock hours) per term (graduate) at the
same time as the coursework for their undergraduate or graduate degree. These 6 credit
hours include Research Writing and ESL Seminar.
Full program levels include six ESL courses per semester. The core courses are:
- Reading
- Writing
- Grammar
Those courses are offered every semester. Other skills alternate semesters or are offered during the summer term. These courses include:
- Pronunciation
- Oral Presentation
- Cultural Keywords
- Study Skills
- Academic Vocabulary
The seminar in TOEFL, IELTS and testing skills (ESLG 4070) is offered only during the summer term and is not a part of the full program curriculum.
- Full-time Program (Level 4):
- Students are registered for and earn 9 ESL undergraduate elective credits per level per term.
- Students attend 19 hours of ESL coursework and 3 hours of an undergraduate content course per week.
- Students who attend two terms or more (Level 4 and Bridge level) will pay a flat fee of $14,250 per semester (1 semester=2 terms).
- Individual ESL classes are $610/credit hour. One individual class = $1830
- This figure does not include living expenses, fees, mandatory health insurance, or books and supplies.
| Undergraduate (UG) ESL Tuition Flat fee = $28,500 per academic year |
FP Level 4 (1 term) | Bridge Term 1 | Bridge Term 2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full program Level 4 start | $14,250 FP Level 4+BR. Term 1 12 ESL Credits total, 4–7 UG Credits |
$14,250 BR. ESL Term 2+ Regular UG courses 6 ESL credits total, 7+ UG credits |
$28,500 | |
BRIDGE Program: (Advanced)
- Students are registered for and earn 6 ESL undergraduate elective credits per level per term.
- Students enroll in ESL for two terms, taking one ESL class per term at the same time as one or two undergraduate classes per term or semester.
- Students enrolled in two terms or more will pay a flat fee of $14,250 per semester (1 semester=2 terms
- Individual ESL credits are $610/credit hour. Undergraduate classes are charged at the regular undergraduate tuition rate.
- This figure does not include living expenses, fees, mandatory health insurance, or books and supplies.
| Undergraduate (UG) ESL Tuition Flat fee = $28,500 per academic year |
Bridge Term 1 |
Bridge Term 2 | Undergraduate classes (semester or term) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridge start |
$14,250 BR Term 1 + BR Term 2 6 ESL credits total, 7+ UG credits |
$14,250 All Reg. UG classes 13+ UG credits |
$28,500 | |
Full-time Program (Level 4): 9 credits per level per term
- Students attend 19 hours of ESL coursework
- Students enroll in nine credits of ESL for 8 weeks (at $360/credit hour, for a total of $3,240
- This figure does not include living expenses, fees, mandatory health insurance, or books and supplies.
BRIDGE Program: 6 credits (two terms)
- Students enroll in ESL for one term, taking two ESL classes and one graduate class during the Bridge term
- ESL tuition-only is $1,080 per class. Total = $2,160.00 for both ESL courses.
- Graduate fees will be charged at the regular graduate tuition rate.
| Graduate (GR) ESL Tuition $360 per credit hour |
FP 4000 (one term) |
Bridge (two terms) |
Total Does not include GR classes taken during Bridge level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 4 start |
$3240 9 ESL credits |
$1080 x 2 = $2160 6 ESL credits |
$5400 Total 15 ESL credits |
| Bridge start | $1080 x 2 = $2160 6 ESL credits |
$2160 Total 6 ESL credits |
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