Overview
Students in the Master's in Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) program must be able to communicate in English, both orally and in writing. Many international students benefit from extra practice in English skills. For the MURP program, strong writing skills are essential. Some English as a Second Language (ESL) classes offered at UC Irvine are listed below.
Summer Preparation
The UCI University Extension offers ESL classes. See this web page:
http://unex.uci.edu/international/english/overview.aspx
The ESL courses offered through University Extension cost from $1,600 to $3,200. The advantage is that these courses provide intensive preparation before the academic year begins. We understand that cost might be a barrier for some students, but if you can afford taking summer ESL through University Extension, that is excellent preparation.
Academic Year Courses
UC Irvine’s School of Humanities offers several undergraduate English writing and speaking courses. Graduate students can enroll in undergraduate humanities courses when space is available. The School of Humanities courses, if taken during the academic year, will not require additional tuition beyond what you pay to attend the MURP program. MURP students must take 12 units of graduate credit in addition to any undergraduate courses.
The classes listed below focus on writing and are offered during the academic year. The Planning, Policy, and Design department encourages MURP students to take a writing course, as we have found that strong English writing skills are essential in the MURP program.
HUM 29 (Grammar for Writing - offered every quarter)
HUM 22A (Reading and Vocabulary - offered fall quarter only)
These English as a Second Language (ESL) classes are more focused on speaking and are offered during the academic year:
HUM 21A Basics in Oral Communication
HUM 29 S&L Intermediate Oral Communication
HUM 21B Advanced Oral Communication
There are some web-based resources available below. These resources will not substitute for a good ESL class, but will be useful in addition to other preparation.
https://eee.uci.edu/programs/esl/links.html