Are you a UWM student who grew up speaking a language other than English at home? Do you want to continue to improve your academic English skills so you can be successful in college? If so, our English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses are for you!
EAP courses are designed to support both international students and U.S. residents whose first languages are not English. If you are an international student admitted to UW-Milwaukee for academic study, you may be required to take EAP courses depending on your admission type. If you are an international student or a U.S. resident with full admission, you may be interested in taking EAP courses to continue improving your academic English skills. More information about EAP courses is below.
EAP Courses for UWM Students
International Students
If you are an international student, you might need to take EAP courses depending on your admission type. You can read more about undergraduate admission and graduate admission requirements.
US Residents
If you are a US resident who native language is not English, EAP courses are well suited for your needs, and you can take EAP courses to fulfill your English general education requirements (GER). Ask your academic advisor about enrolling in EAP courses to fulfill these requirements.
If you have any questions about English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses, please email our English Language Academy Director and EAP coordinator, Brooke Haley, at haleyb@uwm.edu.
EAP Courses for Non-UWM Students
If you are not a UWM student but are interested in the EAP program, we do allow non-students to enroll in our EAP courses. To do so, you must apply and be accepted as a “special” student at UWM. “Special” students are people who qualify for university admission but are not currently working on a degree at UWM. For more information and to apply to take one or more classes at UWM, visit Non-degree Student Information.
The cost of taking an EAP course will depend on how many credits you take and whether UWM considers you a resident of Wisconsin. For more information about tuition and for UWM classes, visit Tuition and Fees and look for the current semester. Then look for tuition and fees for undergraduates for on-campus courses (not “audit”). You may take EAP courses on a credit/no-credit basis so that the grade does not count in your Grade Point Average (GPA) or appear on your transcript.
Undergraduate EAP Courses
All UWM undergraduate students must meet the English general education requirement (GER) for the Bachelor’s degree. Choose English Language Academy English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses for credit to complete this requirement.
Students enrolled in an EAP courses will be able to:
Develop academic writing and reading skills needed for academic and professional success.
Overcome English language challenges of non-native speakers.
Benefit from in-class and individual instruction (one-on-one or small group) by an experienced ELA writing teacher.
Please see below detailed descriptions of each EAP course.
EAP 100: Introduction to College Writing for Multilingual Students
4 credits
Prereq: Open only to students who are non-native speakers of English; Level 2 earned via TOEFL, IELTS or other tests approved by EAP; level 1 earned via ACT, SAT or Guided English Placement (GEP); or grade of C or better in EAP 110(P). Counts as a repeat of 4 credits of combined ESL 116 & ESL 117.
Students in EAP 100 will strengthen their academic writing and reading skills in English. While furthering their mastery of English grammar and vocabulary, EAP 100 students will expand their abilities to produce polished academic essays, write based on reading, and think critically. The goal of EAP 100 is to prepare students for EAP 101, for writing in other university courses, and for writing in the world outside the university. This course includes individual one-on-one conferences with instructor to focus on specific challenges each student writer faces in English writing.
EAP 101: College Writing for Multilingual Students/English 101
3 credits
Prereq: Open only to students who are non-native speakers of English; Level 3 earned via TOEFL, IELTS or other tests approved by EAP; level 2 earned via ACT, SAT or Guided English Placement (GEP); or grade of C or better in EAP 100 (P) or ENGLISH 100 (P). Counts as a repeat of ESL 118.
EAP 101 has the same goals as ENG 101 as it Prepares and qualifies multilingual writers for ENGLISH 102 through critical reading, writing, and revision, with an emphasis on rhetorical analysis, synthesis, and academic writing conventions. Reflective inquiry used to produce a portfolio of revised writing.
ENG 102 (EAP Sections): College Writing and Research
3 credits
Prereq: Open only to students who are non-native speakers of English; Level 3 earned via ACT, SAT; Guided English Placement (GEP); English Placement Test (scores from 2019 or earlier), or a grade of C or better in English 100, English 101, EAP 101, or EAP 118. Registration only through EAP Coordinator, Brooke Haley, haleyb@uwm.edu, Curtin Hall 678.
This course provides Extensive engagement with foundational concepts in information literacy, critical thinking, and writing with genre awareness to approach research as a rhetorical endeavor.
EAP 110: College Reading and Writing Skills for Multilingual Students
4 credits
Prereq: Level 1 earned via TOEFL, IELTS or other tests approved by EAP or self-placement.
This course introduces non-native speakers of English to academic reading strategies and helps develop reading comprehension and critical reading skills along with basic compositional skills. This course is designed for students not ready for the higher-level EAP reading/writing classes. EAP 110 builds reading skills and optimizes future reading success.
EAP 120: Grammar and Editing in English for Multilingual Students
3 credits (No placement test needed.)
Prereq: Open only to undergraduates who are non-native speakers of English. This course provides grammar and editing instruction for intermediate students whose home language is something other than English.
EAP 135: Basic Skill in Academic Listening & Speaking
3 credits (No placement test needed.)
Prereq: Open to all undergraduate non-native speakers of English. This course is for multilingual students who have had limited formal instruction or experience listening to academic lectures or taking notes. This course teaches students skills to give academic presentations, participate effectively in class discussions, take notes on lectures, think critically, and study for and take tests.
EAP 145: Practice in Academic Listening & Speaking
3 credits
Prereq: Open only to undergraduate students who are non-native speakers of English. A grade of C or better in EAP 135(P) or consent of department.
This course is for multilingual students who have had previous formal instruction and experience listening to academic lectures, taking notes, and giving formal talks and presentations. This course reviews and expands on these skills and provides many opportunities to practice and polish.
EAP 420: Advanced Reading, Writing, and Grammar Tune-up for Internationals
4 credits
Refines advanced students’ overall confidence and skills in reading, writing and grammar through the following coursework:
Reading non-fiction articles extensively.
Composing reading-based, short writing assignments.
Writing for discussion forums.
Becoming familiar with the expectations of the American academic audience.
Building a deeper awareness of socio-cultural aspects of the US.
Discussing non-fiction articles with confidence.
Refining grammar primarily through individualized instruction.
Five individual conferences with teacher.
—Some seats for auditing available
EAP 435: Advanced Listening, Speaking, and Note-taking Skills for Internationals
4 credits
Refines advanced students’ overall confidence and skills in listening, speaking, and notetaking though the following coursework:
Engaging in extensive listening, speaking, and pronunciation.
Preparing and presenting topics covered in class and a final portfolio.
Becoming familiar with the expectations of the American academic audience.
Building a deeper awareness of socio-cultural aspects of the US.
Five individual conferences with teacher.
—Some seats for auditing available.
Graduate EAP Courses
(These courses are also available to audit.)
English for Academic (EAP) courses provide multilingual graduate students with opportunities to continue improving their academic English skills. Graduate students (and undergraduates with Junior or Senior Standing) are able to take the following EAP courses:
EAP 420 Advanced Reading, Writing and Grammar Tune-up for Internationals
4 credits
Refines advanced students’ overall confidence and skills in reading, writing, and grammar through the following coursework:
Reading non-fiction articles extensively.
Composing reading-based, short writing assignments.
Writing for discussion forums.
Becoming familiar with the expectations of the American academic audience.
Building a deeper awareness of socio-cultural aspects of the US.
Discussing non-fiction articles with confidence.
Refining grammar primarily through individualized instruction.
Five individual conferences with teacher.
—Some seats for auditing available
EAP 435 Advanced Listening, Speaking, and Notetaking for Internationals
4 credits
Refines advanced students’ overall confidence and skills in listening, speaking, and notetaking though the following coursework:
Engaging in extensive listening, speaking, and pronunciation.
Preparing and presenting topics covered in class and a final portfolio.
Becoming familiar with the expectations of the American academic audience.
Building a deeper awareness of socio-cultural aspects of the US.
Five individual conferences with teacher.
—Some seats for auditing available.
NB: There is no placement test for EAP 420 or EAP 435
Enrolling in EAP Courses
If you are a student that has been fully admitted to UWM with an EAP placement hold or a graduate student with dual admission, then you are required to register for English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses. If you are a fully admitted student with no EAP course requirement, then we recommend that you take the EAP courses instead of the general education requirement (GER) English courses.
If you are an undergraduate student, you can register for EAP courses by completing the following steps:
Apply for and be admitted to UWM as an undergraduate.
If you are fully admitted with an EAP course requirement because of your language proficiency, you will have a hold in Panther Access to Web Services (PAWS) account that restricts enrollment in any UWM courses until you are enrolled in your required EAP courses. Soon after your admission, you will receive an email from the ELA Director/ EAP Coordinator, Brooke Haley, with information about your required EAP courses and next steps for enrollment. You can read more about the language proficiency requirements for undergraduates.
If you are fully admitted with no EAP course requirement, take the Guided English Placement (GEP) assessment to determine which EAP course is best for you. Soon after you take the GEP, you will receive an email from the ELA Director/ EAP coordinator – Brooke Haley – with information of your EAP placement and how to enroll. You can read more about the GEP.