Intensive English Program at St. Mary’s
The Intensive English Program (IEP) at St. Mary’s University is designed to provide international participants and other interested participants the English language training necessary to learn English in order to prepare them to communicate in an academic and/or professional setting. Additionally, for family members of our international students, the IEP provides an opportunity to develop English language skills during their time in San Antonio.
Program Overview
The Intensive English Program complements the St. Mary’s mission by creating opportunities for improved communications between peoples from different societies and cultures. Communication is the cornerstone of understanding and understanding is essential for leadership.
The Intensive English Program supports international students by sharpening their oral and literate communication skills so that they will be successful in future academic and professional endeavors.
About the English Intensive Program
Admission Requirements
We are looking forward to welcoming you into the St. Mary’s Intensive English Program (IEP). To be considered for acceptance, applicants must:
- Be a minimum of 18 years of age
- Be a high school graduate
- Be able to understand what teachers say, participate actively in class and talk about yourself
Requirements vary by exchange agreements. Please refer to your agreement for specific requirements for admission into IEP.
All students take a placement test during Orientation Week. Students are placed in the level correct for their current English language proficiency.
Visa Requirements
All international students and their dependents must obtain the appropriate immigration documents required to enter the U.S. prior to beginning the Intensive English Program.
In order for a new international participant to receive a U.S. visa to study in the IEP program, the applicant must:
- Be accepted into the program
- Provide the necessary financial documentation
- Complete the I-20/DS-2019 Request Packet
Applicants who meet all requirements will be issued either an I-20 (F visa) or a DS-2019 (J visa). This documentation will be used by an international participant to apply for F-1 or J-1 status visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate.
Note: If an international participant wants to bring a spouse or dependents, additional financial support must be demonstrated for the issuance of the F2/J2 dependent I-20/DS-2019 form. Add $5,000 for your spouse and $3,000 for each dependent child for each 12-week term of study.
Contact the Office of International Student and Scholar Services for help with all visa-related questions and paperwork.
Application Checklist
To apply to the IEP, applications must do the following:
- Keep track of your username and your password. You will need them to upload important documents to our secure portal.
- Complete an online application.
- Once you have been accepted, you will need to request an I-20 or DS-2019 depending on your program. The I-20 or DS-2019 request form will be sent to you in the secure portal after you have received the acceptance letter from the IEP program (for new international participants only). This is done in the portal.
- Complete the IEP transfer form (transfer participants only).
- Medical insurance coverage is mandatory for all international students and the accompanying spouse and children of J-1 visa holders, under regulations of the Department of State. If you hold a J-1 visa, you must maintain health insurance with the required minimum coverage for all accompanying or subsequently arriving J-2 dependents. Failure to do so will result in the termination of your program.
- Provide evidence of current Meningococcal Meningitis Vaccine and current Tuberculosis (TB) screening.
- Upload your Financial Guarantee forms.
- Submit all paperwork before the application deadline.
Once the application form has been completed, you should receive an acceptance letter within 5 to 7 days. The acceptance letter includes instructions regarding submitting additional information in order to process your I-20 form.
To start the application process, we recommend you begin preparing:
- A copy of your passport to upload to your profile
- Any financial documentation you will be uploading to your profile
If you are planning on bringing any dependents (spouse and/or children), please prepare:
- Copies of their passports
- Marriage license/family card (spouse) and/or birth certificate (children)
Visit the International Student Services pages for more helpful information.
Courses
The St. Mary’s Intensive English Program (IEP) currently offers four (4) progressive levels of intensive English.
Our IEP follows the St. Mary’s calendar and our courses are 14-16 weeks long. During the academic year, we also offer the higher level students extra classes that are fun courses that not only support IEP students to prepare and succeed as university students but also help them communicate with other students on campus and enjoy all the activities here in San Antonio.
How does it work?
- Three weeks before the beginning of the semester, the students will receive a placement test that must be completed using a lock-down browser. The results on this test determines the level that best fits students’ needs.
- The Intensive English Program at St. Mary’s has four levels: Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, Level 4 and University Preparation.
- Each level has 20 hours of coursework per week and students are expected to spend a minimum of 8-12 hours studying outside of class per week for homework.
- Our program offers classes that are appropriate and engaging for each level.
Our grading system follows St. Mary’s policy:
- 95-100 A = passing
- 90-94 A- = passing
- 87-89 B+ = passing
- 84-86 B = passing
- 80-83 B- = passing
- 77-79 C+ = passing
- 70-76 C = passing
- 60-69 D = not passing
- Below 60 F = not passing
Levels
| Level 1 | In this course, students learn basic conversational skills on familiar topics for everyday communication. Speaking activities help students with pronunciation, intonation and rhythm of common words and phrases of American English. |
| Level 2 | This course helps students learn effective conversational and listening skills to function in a variety of personal, academic and/or professional situations. They practice speaking strategies that help them communicate with increased proficiency and confidence. |
| Level 3 | This course helps students improve oral communication skills in a variety of personal, professional and/or academic situations. They also learn to talk about and describe events and situations in group discussions and presentations. Listening activities provide students with opportunities to understand spoken English from authentic sources. |
| Level 4 | In this course, students improve oral communication fluency and conversational strategies necessary to communicate in a wide range of personal, professional, academic and cultural situations. Students also listen to English speakers in a variety of authentic real-world situations to understand different points of view to function in a global community. |
| Level 5 | This course helps students plan and deliver well-organized academic presentations. Students will learn the basics of presenting information in public and specific academic presentation styles. During this class, students engage in peer evaluations, practice sessions, revision sessions and one-on-one conferencing with their instructor. |
Listening and Speaking
| Level 1 | In this beginning reading course, students read short personal stories and texts. They also learn basic strategies and vocabulary that aid reading comprehension. This course integrates grammar skills with the reading goals and objectives. Students entering this class should have basic literacy. |
| Level 2 | This course helps students improve reading comprehension of various reading selections from basic academic texts and personal interest stories. Students learn specific reading strategies and increase their vocabulary. This course integrates grammar skills with the reading goals and objectives. |
| Level 3 | This course focuses on improving the students’ reading skills, vocabulary and comprehension. Students read a selection of fiction and nonfiction texts and apply new knowledge to individual experiences and academic assignments. This course integrates grammar and writing skills with the reading goals and objectives. |
| Level 4 | In this course, students read a variety of authentic selections that include various ideas and perspectives as well as different political and cultural values. Students are encouraged to become independent thinkers by analyzing opposing views. This course integrates grammar and writing skills with the reading goals and objectives. |
| Level 5 | Level 5 In this course, students will hone essay and research-oriented reading skills. Through reading authentic materials, including college texts and/or literature, students gain the necessary critical reading and thinking skills required for college-level assignments. This course integrates grammar and writing skills with the reading goals and objectives. |
Reading and Grammar
| Level 1 | In this course, students practice and apply basic structures of English grammar, correct spelling and accurate punctuation to produce simple writing tasks on personal topics. This course integrates grammar and reading skills with the writing goals and objectives. |
| Level 2 | In this course, students develop and apply basic writing skills for personal, academic and professional communications. They produce a series of simple and compound sentences and short paragraphs on personal topics. This course integrates grammar and writing skills with the writing goals and objectives. |
| Level 3 | In this course, students develop writing fluency and vocabulary by using complex writing skills for personal, academic and professional communications. They produce well-constructed paragraphs with clear topic sentences, supporting details and a conclusion. They also use editing and revising strategies. This course integrates grammar and reading skills with the writing goals and objectives. |
| Level 4 | In this course, students develop greater writing fluency and vocabulary by using more complex grammar structures and vocabulary to produce and revise college-level multi-paragraph essays necessary for academic and professional communication. This course integrates grammar and reading skills with the writing goals and objectives. |
| Level 5 | In this course, students develop greater writing fluency and vocabulary by using more complex and college-level grammar structures and vocabulary to produce and revise multi-paragraph essays necessary for academic and professional communications. Students will research and write essays based on their research. Students will explore a variety of texts, identify complex grammatical structures and then use these structures as models to create their own sentences, paragraphs and essays. Self-editing is emphasized. This course integrates grammar and reading skills with the writing goals and objectives. |
Writing and Grammar
| Level 1 and 2 | In the Special Topics course, students will study a topic such as visual arts, music, or current events as they integrate grammar, reading and writing skills to develop and improve their English proficiency. |
| Level 3-5 | In this Special Topics course, students will study a topic such as visual arts, music or current events as they develop greater fluency in reading, writing, grammar, speaking and listening. All English skills will be integrated during the semester. |
Special Topics
Important Dates
| Session | Application Deadline | Placement Testing and Orientation | First Day of Class and Tuition Due | Last Day of Class | IEP Final / Exit Program |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2025 | June 15, 2025 | iTEP in student’s home country using Lock Down Browser will be July 16 through Aug. 1 2025. St. Mary’s must receive scores by Aug. 1, 2025. Orientation TBD. | Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025 | Thursday, Dec. 3, 2025 | Monday Dec. 8 and Tuesday Dec. 9, 2025. Exit Program: Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025 |
| Spring 2026 | Nov. 15, 2025 | iTEPS in student’s home country using Lock Down Browser Dec. 1 through Dec. 2, 2026 University must receive scores by Jan. 5, 2025. Orientation Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. | Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2026 | Thursday, May 5, 2025 | Monday, May 11, 2025 and Tuesday, May 13, 2026. |
| Dates are subject to change at any time. Placement testing and orientation is required of all students. Application deadlines are for students who need an F-1 visa. Students already in the U.S. who have an eligible visa to enroll in the program (e.g., F-1 transfer students, permanent residents, F-2, A-2, L-2) must apply no later than a week ahead of each session’s orientation date. | |||||
Helpful Information
International students are welcome and included on our campus and have access to all the on-campus services and amenities like student health services, the library, intramurals, on-campus clubs, campus housing and campus dining.
| Tuition | Fall 2024 | Spring 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time tuition (4 classes) | $5,400 | $5,400 |
| Part-time tuition (3 classes) | $4,050 | $4,050 |
| Part-time tuition (2 classes) | $2,700 | $2,700 |
| Part-time tuition (1 class) | $1,350 | $1,350 |
| Insurance | Fall 2024 | Spring 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| All students (part-time or full-time) | $1,394 | $1,394 |
| ID Card Replacement | Cost |
|---|---|
| All students (new card or replacement) | $10 |
| Other fees | Fall 2024 | Spring 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Student Service fee (full – time) | $435 | $435 |
| Student Service fee (part – time) | $225 | $225 |
| Information Services fee (full – time) | $123 | $123 |
| Information Services fee (part – time) | $60 | $60 |
| Academic Assessment fee | $48 | $48 |
| Proof of Finances to Issue I-20 for an F-1 Visa | One Semester | Two Semesters |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition and Fees | $6,016 | $12,032 |
| Living Expenses | $8,484 | $16,968 |
| Total | $14,500 | $29,000 |
If you are traveling with a dependent, then you must add additional amounts for proof of finances; Spouse $5,000, Each child $3,000.
Tuition and Mandatory Fees
All costs are per semester.
| Housing | $3,166 – $4,528 |
| Housing varies by Residence Hall. | |
| Meal Plan | Cost per semester (includes tax) |
|---|---|
| Rattler 5 | $2,247 |
| Rattler 7 | $2,562 |
*Dining dollars can be used at any of the on-campus restaurants (Subway, Chick-Fil-A, etc.)
The costs for housing, meals, tuition, student services feed, any mandatory fees (including lab fees), as well as insurance costs are subject to change every year as published and approved.
Housing and Meal Costs
For information on withdrawal dates and refunds, please visit the St. Mary’s Registrar page.
Withdrawals and refunds
Each class is 2:15 in instructional length per day (with a 10-minute break, classes are 2:25 in length).
Fall session: 16 weeks
Orientation: Friday, Aug. 16, 2024
Placement Testing: Two weeks before arriving on campus, students will complete the language proficiency test, iTEP, from their home countries using a lock-down browser. On July 29, the department will issue the test, if the application fee has been paid.
First day of class: Tuesday, Aug. 20
Elective Courses: On Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, students will have the opportunity to choose a topic to study for an eight week flex class. . At the end of the first flex class, students will choose a second topic. Some electives may be taken a second time depending on the topic.
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 to 11:30 a.m. | Core Skills* | Core Skills | Core Skills | Core Skills | No class |
| 12:30 to 1:35 p.m. | Communication Skills** | Electives | Communication Skills | Electives | No class |
*Academic Writing, Grammar for Accuracy, Reading for Critical Thinking/Vocabulary
**Listening / Speaking, Pronunciation
General Course Schedule – Fall 2024
On top of offering quality English language instruction to master English language skills, students in our program learn other skills necessary to be successful university students, in and outside of the classroom. Students will have the opportunity to ride San Antonio city busses to visit the many historical sites, museums, restaurants, sporting events and parks. Field trips are offered to experience the San Antonio, Texas and American culture. Examples of previous trips include: the San Antonio rodeo, Texas Hill Country (hiking, picnicking), the Poteet Strawberry Festival, Spurs, the five-time NBA champions, games, San Antonio Fiesta activities and Broadway shows at the Tobin Performing Arts Center and Majestic Theatre.
Classes are small and personalized. Classes have 15 students or fewer for better instruction. Individual tutoring help is also available. For prospective students, our IEP is an option for those international students who do not have the required TOEFL/IELTS scores necessary for admission to St. Mary’s or other institutions of higher education where English is the primary language of instruction. We can help you!
Questions?
For more information on the Intensive English Program, email intensive_english@stmarytx.edu.