The University of St. Thomas and ELS Language Services are excited to launch an undergraduate pathway program for international students starting this fall. Global Learning and Strategy, the Office of International Students and Scholars, and ELS have been working for two years toward the program, which was recently approved by the federal government.
The St. Thomas Pathway program will give international students an opportunity to study English while also earning academic credit that will go toward a bachelor’s degree at St. Thomas, as well as offering counseling and English language support. Designed for international students, it will help them adjust to life in the U.S, improve their study skills and give them the support needed to meet the challenges of a St. Thomas education.
“This is such a huge opportunity for us to provide a St. Thomas education to an even wider group of capable international students from around the world,” said Tim Lewis, associate vice provost of Global Learning and Strategy.
The program also marks the beginning of a new phase in a 20-year partnership between St. Thomas and ELS, an organization that has helped more than 1 million students from 143 countries learn English. The first undergraduate pathway for ELS, it will prepare international students for academic study at the university by allowing them to take English courses and core requirement courses simultaneously within their first year, enabling them to progress to year two and pursue the degree program of their choice.