Overview
The ESL Program offers 8-week, graduate-level, advanced elective courses designed to give international students field-specific, individualized feedback: ESL 592 and 593. Classes and individual conferences with the instructor serve to support students’ work in their other coursework and professional pursuits. All international graduate students, postdocs, faculty, staff, and visiting scholars are eligible.
Graduate-level ESL elective courses (592, 593) are worth 0 credits. Unlike required ESL courses, ESL elective courses do not automatically qualify for an exception to the required minimum course load for full time status. Courses will appear as "Satisfactory" (i.e., pass) or "Unsatisfactory" (i.e., fail) on transcripts and do not count towards GPA. Visit the ISSS's Full Course of Study page for more information on visa status and credit load.
ESL 592 Advanced Academic Writing (Dissertation and Research Article Writing)
ESL 592: Part-of-Term A (POT A) supports international graduate and professional students in drafting a research article, thesis, or dissertation chapter. In this course, students analyze published papers in their target journals/disciplines to learn field-specific writing conventions and articulate their contributions to the field. Key topics include establishing authorial presence, structuring empirical research articles and literature reviews, and using Generative AI (GenAI) tools responsibly and effectively for research and writing. Students will also learn strategies to revise their work with feedback from the instructor and GenAI tools.
After completing POT A, students can enroll in ESL 592: Part-of-Term B (POT B) – Independent Study to focus on individualized writing goals. In this self-paced section, students set their own writing targets and meet regularly with the instructor and peers for dedicated writing time, accountability, and feedback.
ESL 592 is typically offered in the Fall and Spring semesters, and each section is 8 weeks long. POT A courses are offered in August - October and January - March; POT B Independent Study sections are offered in October - December and March - May.
Link to ESL 592 in Course Catalog
ESL 593 Academic Presentation Skills
This course will improve students’ skills in speaking and presenting research in academic settings. With the aim of creating and delivering compelling and professional presentations, students will practice orally explaining their research, adapting to different audiences, and giving and receiving feedback.
ESL 593 is typically offered twice each semester in the Fall and Spring semesters, and each section is 8 weeks long.
Link to ESL 593 in Course Catalog
Note: ESL 592 and ESL 593 are not sequential (i.e. you can take 593 first or take just one of the two courses).
Admissions
Eligibility
| ESL 592: Advanced Academic Writing | ESL 593: Academic Presentation Skills | |
|---|---|---|
| International Undergraduate Students | Undergraduate junior and senior international students who have completed their composition requirements and are working on an advanced writing project should contact the course instructor for consideration before enrolling. | Do not qualify. |
| International Graduate Students | Graduate students must fulfill one of two categories based on English proficiency:
See the Graduate College website on the English Proficiency Requirement for Admission. | All international graduate students are eligible to take this course at any time, no matter their English proficiency status. ESL 593 can be taken alone or even simultaneously to other ESL courses. |
| International Postdocs, Faculty, Staff, and Visiting Scholars | All are eligible. You may be interested in taking these courses to support your participation in the academic contexts of teaching, research, writing, and conferences. See ESL Courses for International Visiting Scholars, Faculty, and Staff for more information. | All are eligible. You may be interested in taking these courses to support your participation in the academic contexts of teaching, research, writing, and conferences. See ESL Courses for International Visiting Scholars, Faculty, and Staff for more information. |
Placement
Registration
Check the Course Explorer for our current and upcoming course offerings. Contact eslprogram@illinois.edu with questions.
Graduate Students
You can self-enroll using the Enterprise Self-Service system. If seats are full, we encourage you to keep checking enrollments regularly during the first week of the course. There is a “Notify Me” option in Course Explorer, which lets students to select “Favorites” and opt to receive an email if a seat becomes available in the section. To set up a notification, follow these steps:
- Go to https://courses.illinois.edu/ and log in. The login button is on the top right hand side.
- Then navigate to the course that you’re interested in.
- Then in the 3rd column, click on the star (between “Status” and “CRN Number”). This will add it to your favorites.
- Click on “my.Courses” on the upper right side of the page.
- The second column on this screen “Notify Me” has a checkbox you can click to be notified via email if someone drops the course and a seat becomes available.
Faculty, Staff, and Visiting Scholars
To register for a course, you will need to register through CITL as a non-degree-seeking student. See ESL Courses for International Visiting Scholars, Faculty, and Staff for more information.