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Preparing for Graduate Study in the US: A Course for International Students

Prepare for a graduate program in the US with academic English language teaching support and ESL international student resources.

5,366 enrolled on this course

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  • Duration

    5 weeks
  • Weekly study

    3 hours

Learn about graduate school in America with the University of Michigan

Going to graduate school in America?

This course will provide you with the information and English skills you need to start your international graduate studies in the US with confidence.

Find out what to expect from a postgraduate study abroad program in America

On this course, you’ll prepare yourself in a variety of ways for a study abroad program in America.

You’ll pick a US college or university graduate program (either one you’re already admitted to or one you hope to be admitted to) and use it as a case study for your learning throughout the course.

Under the guidance of lead course educator Pamela Bogart – a faculty member at the University of Michigan English Language Institute – you’ll build your English communication skills and learn about what to expect from your time at your target graduate school.

Practice your academic writing skills in English for graduate study abroad

You’ll benefit from Pamela’s expertise in supporting graduate students with their writing skills in English as you learn about English academic writing and how to do research in English.

Through discussion and practice assignments, you’ll have lots of opportunities to practice your English language skills for American campus life and the day to day interactions you may have at university in America.

Learn from the study abroad experiences of other international graduate students in the US

Through FutureLearn’s social online learning platform, you’ll have the chance to meet other prospective graduate students and hear from experienced international graduate students in the US.

You’ll practice sharing your hopes for the course and expertise in conversation with each other.

What topics will you cover?

  • Professional self-introduction
  • English for interactive learning and teamwork
  • English for research and scholarship
  • English in campus life

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • You will be able to introduce yourself professionally, explain your expertise, and begin networking with members of your target institution.
  • You will be able to identify the local vocabulary used at your target institution to describe campus climate topics, such as diversity, inclusion, or equity.
  • You will identify skills and perspectives you can contribute to the diversity of your target institution.
  • You will be able to use English to negotiate group roles and express opinions.
  • You will identify disciplinary norms in academic writing and cite source material appropriately in academic writing.
  • You will identify disciplinary norms in academic writing and cite source material appropriately in academic writing.
  • You will be able to explore at least three digital resources for improving English.

Who is the course for?

This course is designed for anyone planning to study abroad at a graduate school in America.

It will be particularly useful for ESL students.

Who will you learn with?

I teach English for Academic Purposes and English as an Additional Language (EAL) teacher preparation courses at the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.

Who developed the course?

University of Michigan

As the #1 public research university in the United States, U-M has been a leader in research, learning, and teaching for more than 200 years, with 102 Grad programs in the top 10 — U.S. News & World Report (2019).

  • Established

    1817
  • Location

    Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
  • World ranking

    Top 30Source: Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2020

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

Want to know more about learning on FutureLearn? Using FutureLearn

Get a taste of this course

Find out what this course is like by previewing some of the course steps before you join:

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