International Student English Placement Testing

English Language Proficiency & Testing

Academy of Art University does offer visa and English language services to prospective students from other countries, in the form of English as a Second Language instruction. All instruction occurs in English.

English language proficiency is documented by:

1. The admissions interview
2. Receipt of prior education documentation as stated in the admission policy
3. An English language placement test

Academy of Art University provides English for Art Purposes (EAP) classes for all levels of English proficiency and EAP support in mainstream courses as needed. There is no minimum language proficiency required for students.

For placement purposes, international students must submit a recent score (within the last two years) of an approved English placement exam (TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo) prior to the start of the first semester, or they can take the Accuplacer placement exam on campus at the start of their first semester. All international students – onsite, hybrid, and online – must take an English placement exam.

Students may be waived from EAP classes if they place out of EAP classes on an approved English placement exam, if they have completed a four-year degree or advanced degree from Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom, or USA with official documentation, or if they have completed a degree from Academy of Art University.

Students who place into English for Art Purposes classes must complete through English for Art Purposes level 4. Additional English courses may be required based on EAP level 4 assessment.

EAP Support Policy
Classes designated “EAP” in the course offerings will have an EAP Support Instructor assigned at the beginning of the semester. EAP support is currently available only to students who are currently enrolled in one of the following classes: EAP 1, EAP 2, EAP 3, and EAP 4 or students who are no more than one semester removed from any of the above-listed classes. If there are no students who qualify for EAP support in an EAP designated class, that teacher will be re-assigned to a different class to help students who do qualify.

Students in classes with no EAP designation may also qualify for language support if they meet the criteria listed above. Students should ask their instructor to contact EAP Support to request further assistance. EAP students should make every attempt to enroll in EAP-designated art, design, graduate studies and liberal arts classes if available. All students, domestic and international, may make use of the services of an EAP Support Instructor, including EAP study groups.

EAP support instructors are assigned for the duration of the semester unless:

• The content and the support instructor agree that all of the qualifying second language learners in the class can comprehend the class material, lecture, vocabulary, testing methods, and assignments on their own.
• If other support programs such as the Writing Lab and Speaking Lab are available and appropriate to remedy language/content issues.
• Students who refuse or are not utilizing language support, and the content and the language instructor agree to remove language support from the class.