Located in New York’s capital city, the University at Albany is the premier public research University in the Capital Region and offers more than 17,000 students the expansive opportunities of a large university in an environment designed to foster individual success. You’ll choose from over 150 undergraduate programs and more than 125 graduate programs that prepare you to succeed in a wide range of fields. You’ll have access to internships and career preparation in Fortune 500 businesses and in every field, plus early assurance options with Albany Medical Center and a unique partnership with Albany Law School. Recent additions to academic offerings include some of the most in-demand programs today, such as computer engineering, homeland security, emergency preparedness, digital forensics, financial market regulation and public health. UAlbany is ranked among the top universities in Forbes’ “America’s Best Public Colleges,” and U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks many graduate programs among the top 50 in the United States, including clinical psychology, criminal justice, library and information studies, public affairs, public health, sociology and social work.

The Intensive English Language Program (IELP) at UAlbany has been offering specially designed intensive language instruction since 1978 to more than 10,000 international students from more than 115 countries. ESL classes are offered in 4- and 8-week sessions. Students can enroll in as many or as few sessions as they choose, depending on the level of English they want or need to achieve. Core classes of Reading/Writing and Listening/Speaking are offered at all seven levels. Full-time (F-1 Visa status) students take 2 core classes and 1 elective class for a minimum of 20 hours per week. Students must successfully pass the core classes and elective class to progress to the next level. Part-time students can choose to study 4–16 hours per week.

Classes are divided by skill (Reading/Writing, Listening/Speaking, and Electives), but students can expect to practice all 4 skills in every class. Students will read and write short essays, listen to both authentic and “leveled” English, and speak in pairs and small groups. They will focus on academic vocabulary, give presentations, and write research papers. In Elective Classes, students might role-play a business meeting, build model bridges to demonstrate engineering principles, or critique a classic American movie.