Intensive English Program - University of Houston
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Language and Culture Center

Intensive English Program

Program Components

  • The Language and Culture Center offers Fall (14 weeks), Spring (14 weeks), Summer (13 weeks), and the Summer II (7 weeks) programs. Each program includes registration, orientation, testing and placement during the first week. Also, each program includes a student activity, final testing, and evaluation during the last week. Visit the Learn about Dates and Costs page for furthter information.
  • Placement tests are administered to determine where, among six levels of instruction ranging from Level 1: Lower Beginning through Level 6: Upper Advanced, each student can make the best progress.
  • Small classes, averaging 12 students per class, are taught by instructors with Master's and Doctoral degrees who have professional experience in teaching English as a second language.
  • University course observation (not for credit) provides the opportunity to sit in on a class at the University of Houston for one semester to experience the language and culture of a university classroom (Levels 5-6).

English Language Proficiency Waiver (TOEFL Waiver)

Students who have successfully completed Level 6 in the Language and Culture Center are not required to provide a TOEFL or an IELTS score while seeking admission to the University of Houston. This applies to all undergraduate programs and a growing number of graduate programs.

Students seeking admission to graduate programs should contact the appropriate admissions advisor about whether the programs would waive the English langauge proficiency requirement based on the successful completion of Level 6. 

Class Schedule

The LCC provides 20 hours of classroom instruction per week. Each class hour consists of 50 minutes of class and 10 minutes of break time. 

Class schedules will be made based on placement scores, space availability, and balance of nationalities and gender. A student must be available to study Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. The student will not be able to change your assigned schedule.

For further information, please visit the Class Schedule page. 

Levels of Instruction

The program has six levels of instruction from beginning to advanced. Please visit the Placement and Promotion page for information about how a student is placed in a level and promoted to a higher level.

Evaluations and Certificates

Students receive teacher evaluations at midterm and at the end of the semester. Students who successfully complete Levels 1-5 will receive a Certificate of Successful Completion. Students who successfully complete Level 6 will receive a Certificate of Graduation. Visit the Certificates and Award page for further information.