Course Descriptions

Browse the course descriptions for details on the content covered, grading policies, general curriculum (GPAC) requirement status and more. For specific course sections and times by semester, please refer to the GW Schedule of Classes.

Undergraduate EAP Course Descriptions

EAP 1010: Oral Academic Communication for International Students

3 hours per week, 3 credits

To participate in today's global society, it is imperative that individuals develop fluency and confidence in communicating effectively in academic and professional settings. This three-credit course for international undergraduate students explores the theme of global and cross-cultural communication to help you build your own academic skills as they relate to oral communication. A diverse set of classroom activities and assignments will help you understand the U.S. classroom culture, assess different communicative contexts, develop tools and strategies for oral communication, gain control over language structures appropriate for various speaking situations, and upgrade fluency and confidence in spoken English. EAP 1010 will focus on traditional academic skills such as listening and note-taking, class discussions, and presentations but will also help you develop your “voice” in oral communication situations. This class also emphasizes multiliteracy through varied activities that incorporate intercultural, multimedia, and visual communication.

EAP 1010 is a 3-credit elective course open to all international students who want to develop confidence and fluency in oral communication. Now fulfills a G-PAC Oral Communication requirement!

EAP 1015: Academic Writing for International Students

3 hours per week, 3 credits

What types of writing assignments will you need to complete as an undergraduate student at GW? What will your professors expect? How can you prepare yourself for success in written academic communication? This class will help you answer those questions. EAP 1015 is a structured academic writing course for international undergraduate students. Its primary purpose is to help you build skills in academic writing at the university level and prepare you to become a better academic writer across multiple writing contexts. Because everyone in this class speaks English as a second or additional language, we will also focus on the development of important language skills such as academic sentence structures, vocabulary, and grammar. This course has a unified theme that allows you to explore Washington, DC’s rich cultural heritage through research, reading, class discussions, and writing assignments. After successful completion of EAP 1015, you will go on to take UW 1020, GW’s required first-year writing class.

Grading Policy

A grade of C- or above in EAP 1015 indicates that the student is prepared to write solid academic essays in GW's required first-year writing course, UW 1020. If an EAP 1015 student is not prepared for the next level of university writing, the instructor will award the student a grade of R (for Repeat). The R grade is reserved for students who work hard in the course, complete the main course assignments, but will still benefit from additional EAP writing instruction. A student who receives an R grade will not get credit for the course; however, the R will not factor into the student's GPA. Students who do not complete the course requirements, who are consistently absent from class, or who violate other expectations of academic behavior, will receive an F and still be required to re-take EAP 1015 in order to move on to UW 1020. EAP 1010 is a 3-credit elective course open to all international students who want to develop confidence and fluency in oral communication.

EAP 1016: Academic Skills Workshop

Subtopic: Grammar for Academic Writing

Online, 1 credit

This academic skills course will scaffold international students' understanding and production of academic text, including grammar, sentence structure, use of transitional and cohesive devices, and incorporation of academic vocabulary. It will draw on corpus linguistics and other academically purposed approaches to building English language proficiency. It will be organized as a series of interactive learning modules with opportunities for review and self-study, as well as peer and professor interaction as students learn to produce academic prose that is increasingly accurate and sophisticated in its construction.

Subtopic: Discussion and Presentation Skills

1 credit

This academic skills course will help students to develop confidence and competence in their oral communication skills. Students will learn to prepare for and participate in classroom discussions, as well as plan and facilitate a class discussion independently. Students will also be supported through the process of developing a formal presentation on an academic topic, focusing on slide design and presentation, organization and content, use of appropriate language structures, delivery of the presentation, and responding to audience questions. This class meets for two hours a week during a six-week period.

Graduate EAP Course Descriptions

EAP 6110: Academic Writing and Research for International Graduate Students I

3 hours per week, 3 credits

This course helps you become a more successful graduate student, as well as a better scholar and professional, by teaching you how to manage academic writing assignments in your graduate classes. You will study the genres (types) of academic written and oral communication you might encounter in your graduate studies. You will plan, write, and revise academic papers that are coherent, cohesive, logical, and convincing. You will learn how to use the GW library to search for relevant and reliable academic publications. Your writing will integrate these publications by summarizing, paraphrasing, and quoting them, as well as by citing them using standard academic formats. Finally, you will build an academic English vocabulary and develop more accurate grammar and usage so that your readers can better understand your ideas.

Prerequisite: Placement into EAP 6110.

EAP 6110 is a 3-credit, 3-contact-hour course. However, it will not count toward a graduate degree in most fields in the University. To meet federal visa requirements for full-time status, graduate students in EAP 6110 must enroll in a minimum of six (6) credit hours of academic coursework (in addition to EAP 6110). See the current tuition rate.

EAP 6111: Academic Writing and Research for International Graduate Students II

3 hours per week, 3 credits

Academic writing is nobody’s first language, which is why it can be a challenge to master even for native speakers. But the good news is that the conventions, rules, and rhetorical structures that guide academic writing are not arbitrary inventions; they exist in order to facilitate the research and analysis of practical and theoretical problems. In order to develop and evaluate solutions to such problems, we should approach writing tasks in a critical and organized manner and follow through the steps necessary for a successful outcome. By taking this course, you will be able to navigate the writing process and understand and recognize academic writing conventions. As a result, completing this course will prepare you to handle key writing assignments (such as but not limited to summary, article critique, report, data commentary, research paper) you will likely encounter in graduate school. Ultimately, this course will help strengthen your ability to be an effective communicator in your academic and professional communities.

Prerequisite: Completion of EAP 6110, or placement into EAP 6111.

EAP 6111 is is a 3-credit, 3-contact-hour course. However, it will not count toward a graduate degree in most fields in the University. To meet federal visa requirements for full-time status, graduate students in EAP 6111 must enroll in a minimum of six (6) credit hours of academic coursework (in addition to EAP 6111). See GW's current tuition rate.

Recent Course Topics

Several specialized versions of EAP 6111 have been developed in recent years, including:

EAP 6111 for Business and Finance
EAP 6111 for Statistics and Data Science
EAP 6111 for Computer Science and Engineering

EAP 6000: Academic Communication

3 hours per week, 3 credits

EAP 6000 is designed to acclimate international students to the communicative expectations of graduate school at the George Washington University. It creates a safe classroom space where students gain confidence and communicative fluency in interacting with their professor and peers. Students will learn to navigate GW’s campus and access its resources, understand American classroom culture and its communicative expectations, and engage in social interactions on a variety of topics. Students’ academic skill set will be expanded through the development of listening and note-taking skills and the expansion of communicative vocabulary and structures, as well as through opportunities to lead class discussions and prepare and deliver both informal and formal presentations. Additional emphasis on developing multiliteracy through intercultural, multimedia, and visual communication. Specific communicative tasks and materials will be linked to students’ field of study when possible. See this page for the tuition rate.

EAP 6016: Academic Skills Workshop

Subtopic: Grammar for Academic Writing

Online, 1 credit

Summer EAP Courses