Pre-Graduate and Pre-MBA track in the Intensive English Program

The Intensive English Program (IEP) at Western Washington University coordinates with the Graduate School in helping international students prepare academically for graduate programs. This pre-graduate school track in IEP is not a formal conditional admission to the graduate program, but rather it is a concentration of coursework on academic preparation in IEP and foundation courses in the departmental major at the undergraduate level. Students enrolled in the pre-graduate track still need to meet all the Graduate School requirements for formal admission into the graduate program.

The IEP has worked closely with the College of Business and Economics in helping students prepare for the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program at Western. Pre-graduate students have also entered graduate programs in other disciplines, including computer science, education, psychology, environmental education and environmental science.

Students who enroll in the IEP with plans to enter graduate programs first take the IEP Academic Preparation class, in addition to other IEP coursework, in which the students audit, as a group, a Western undergraduate class. The students focus on developing academic English skills that involve listening to lectures, learning notetaking skills, reading academic texts, participating in group discussions, taking exams, and other skills that the students will need to be successful in a degree program.

Students then begin enrolling, for credit, in undergraduate classes which are foundation courses for the major. This enrollment challenges students to develop the English language and academic skills that are expected of them in university courses. These classes also help students fill in any gaps in their major field background.

For example, students who are preparing for the MBA program often take Intro to Microeconomics, Intro to Macroeconomics, Financial Accounting, Managerial Accounting, and Business Computing. These are the primary courses that have been suggested by the director of the MBA program for international applicants. Other undergraduate business courses would be available, depending on a student’s English ability and business background.

Most students in the pre-graduate track are also preparing to take the TOEFL and the GMAT as well as completing their applications to graduate school.

Full application to the Graduate School requires completion of the baccalaureate degree (BA), equivalent to the 4-year degree from an accredited university; undergraduate grades of at least a B, or 3.0 GPA; GMAT scores of at least 500; and a TOEFL of 86iBT. Meeting these requirements does not guarantee admission to the graduate school. However, this pre-graduate program track in the IEP can provide help in meeting application requirements and an excellent preparation for graduate level studies at Western.

More information on the Graduate School at Western can be found at: Graduate School

More information on the MBA can be found at: MBA