Intensive English Program

The mission of the UGA Intensive English Program (IEP) is to offer engaging, supportive, and rigorous language instruction to help speakers of English as a foreign language improve their English proficiency, gain cultural knowledge and understanding, and obtain practical communication skills for a variety of social situations.

Our student-centered courses are designed to help students develop the English proficiency and cultural competencies they need to participate in everyday, academic, and professional conversations, enter and succeed in American universities and colleges, effectively position themselves on the American job market, or take the next steps in their professional careers.

In addition, the IEP hosts a variety of activities and social events throughout the course of each session. Here, IEP students and faculty, their families and friends, and other UGA students can socialize, eat good food, celebrate, and make new friends. Our goal is to foster a shared belonging among all members of the IEP and to create opportunities for students to practice their English outside of the classroom.

We want to serve all English language learners, and we are proud to teach students that come from many different countries and a large variety of cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Our students include:

• International students and working professionals
• Visiting scholars
• UGA staff members
• Dependents of IEP students, visiting scholars, and UGA students, faculty, and staff
• Local community members and their families

We believe that our students deserve the best-qualified and most experienced faculty who can teach classes that are both challenging and enjoyable. All of our instructors are UGA faculty members and exceptionally qualified to deliver effective and engaging language instruction. They all have many years of teaching experience and are deeply committed to helping our students develop the English proficiency necessary to achieve their educational and professional goals.

Our program is housed within UGA’s Office of Global Engagement. OGE’s mission is to:

“… promote and support a broad array of interdisciplinary initiatives and experiential learning opportunities designed to improve the global understanding of students, faculty and staff. In keeping with UGA’s mission, OGE is committed to highlighting the critical importance of internationalized curricula and engagement in an increasingly diverse and interdependent global society..”

As our program, which started in January 2014, continues to grow, we regularly offer new courses and programs that are designed to meet our students’ evolving needs, and we also strive to make the IEP an integral part of the University of Georgia.

Finally, we understand that studying in a new culture, far away from home and family, can be stressful, so we strive to offer a supportive and welcoming environment. We want our students to know that we value not only their hard work and academic achievements but also their individuality, their cultural diversity, and their contributions to the global community at UGA.