University of St. Thomas English Program

The University of St. Thomas English Program (USTEP) is a program with the ELS Language Center on campus that allows ELS students who have been conditionally admitted to St. Thomas to take classes at St. Thomas while they finish their classes at ELS.
 

Participation Requirements

• Be a student at ELS in St. Paul.
• Meet all academic qualifications for admission to St. Thomas. 
• Apply to St. Thomas as an undergraduate and submit all required documents for conditional/academic admission.
• Be conditionally admitted to St. Thomas.
• Work with St. Thomas staff to assist in course selection when you reach the appropriate ELS level.
   

What classes can I take at each level of ELS?

• At levels 101 through 106 you will be registered for full-time intensive English classes only at ELS.
• At levels 107, 108, or 109 you may be registered for full-time intensive English classes at ELS and eligible to audit one academic class at St. Thomas.
• At levels 110, 111, or 112 you may be registered for full-time intensive English classes at ELS and eligible to take one or two academic classes for credit at St. Thomas.*

*Please note:  a student holding an F1 visa has special timing issues that the student needs to be aware of regarding the start date as a full-time student after finishing one program.

If a student completes ELS during one of the months of the St. Thomas spring semester, the student has only 5 months to begin full-time classes at St. Thomas.
Please talk with International Admissions staff about these timing issues before beginning the USTEP program.