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About OU's Center for English as a Second Language

Thank you for your interest in the University of Oklahoma's Center for English as a Second Language (CESL)!

CESL is a place where hundreds of students from all over the world have found a new home. We hope that you take the opportunity to explore all that the Center for English as a Second Language and the surrounding community has to offer at the “Crossroads of Culture.”

Our Intensive English Program offers international students 25 hours of expertly taught language instruction per week. For those who are interested in continuing their academic careers at U.S. universities, specialized TOEFL classes and electives are available.

For most degree programs, the University of Oklahoma offers conditional admittance with an OU Institutional Paper-based TOEFL score of 500 or an equivalent score on other TOEFL tests. Whether your goal is to earn a respected degree or to upgrade your English skills, our caring faculty is here to help you achieve your goals.

In addition to academic preparation, CESL IEP presents a wide range of cultural activities to provide a well-rounded and exciting education. Our students have all of the privileges that full-time OU students do, including access to health facilities, gyms, libraries, computer labs, world-class museums, and so on. We encourage all of our students to take every opportunity to experience life at the University of Oklahoma.

International Focus at OU

• About 1,800 students from more than 106 countries attend the university.

• About 20 international student associations and the Study Abroad Alumni Association add to OU's diversity.

• More than 500 faculty and staff have had at least some professional experience abroad.

• Beyond courses in modern languages, hundreds of courses focus on global issues and foreign countries, and library collections and journals aid international research activities in all colleges.

• The Education Abroad office, established Fall 1986, is a major component of the International Programs Center created by OU President David L. Boren in 1996 to coordinate and promote OU's international activities and programs.

• The Education Abroad office also works with the Norman host family program and other volunteer and civic organizations in support of the university's international community.

• The Education Abroad office develops programs aimed at increasing cross-cultural awareness and emphasizing international education between the university and business communities.
  

Mission
The mission of the University of Oklahoma's Center for English as a Second Language Intensive English Language Program (IEP) is to serve international students by providing the best possible instruction for international students at the beginning, intermediate, advanced, and special levels.

Statement of Purpose and Goals
CESL is pursuing a series of goals in order to accomplish its mission and desires to do the following:

1. Equip international students with English language skills and knowledge that will help them to be successful in their academic studies
2. Provide the highest quality of instruction in an intensive study of the English language
3. Assist the University in progressing toward greater cultural diversity by assisting in the recruitment of undergraduate and graduate international students
4. Promote international student exchange by working collaboratively with the Office of International Student Exchange Programs
5. Develop direct ties to academic departments of the University to expand the international dimension throughout campus
6. Provide students with cultural knowledge and awareness to function academically and socially in a global economy