Certificate of English Proficiency (CEP)

Apply online for Fall 2013 or Spring 2014 CEP Classes

The Certificate of English Proficiency (CEP) is a one-year, full-time program of English Language academic preparation designed for students of art, design, and architecture who intend to continue in their fields of study at Pratt Institute or other art colleges in the United States. It is particularly helpful to applicants to Pratt Institute degree programs who have not yet achieved the necessary TOEFL score for admission, as well as for students who recognize the need to improve their level of English proficiency before matriculating in a degree program at the Institute. Students who are accepted for the CEP program are issued I-20 forms from Pratt Institute for two semesters of English instruction on our Brooklyn campus.

The Courses

Certificate of English Proficiency Program—24 hours per week  for 15 weeks (6 hours per day, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday)

At Pratt, we take English language learning and teaching very seriously. Classes are taught by faculty teams working together to create the most balanced and effective learning experience in all language skill areas. The CEP program curriculum emphasizes practical, communicative, student-centered instruction in every aspect of English reading, writing, speaking, listening, and accuracy. During each 15-week semester, participants take four skill-focused, content-based courses designed to prepare students for academic success beyond the CEP Program. All courses include a component of iBT TOEFL preparation. Most courses have themes related to students' interests and future careers in art and design. Sample course themes include: Designing Public Spaces, Art and Technology, Film as Art, What is Beauty?, Artists and Society, Lifestyle by Design: Consumerism and Identity, Minimalism/ Maximalism, and International New York: City as Text.

Speaking and Listening

In the Speaking and Listening course, students focus on improving communication skills as well as preparing for matriculated coursework. Classwork and homework include conversation, discussion, presentations, and listening activities. Field trips to museums, galleries, design studios, and other places of cultural interest are an essential part of this course, exposing students to art- and culture-specific vocabulary and topics intended to broaden their knowledge and sensibilities.

Reading

In the Reading course, students read, respond to, analyze, and discuss a wide variety of texts, most of them connected in some way to art, design, or architecture. Reading courses may focus on a variety of themes, such as cities, individual artists or art periods, image and text, or creativity. In terms of skills, course goals include improving reading speed and comprehension and helping students expand their academic vocabularies.

Writing

In this course, students will review or be exposed to the basic conventions of academic compositions in American English. They will write several essays, as well as a speech and a research paper. The course includes an overview of the writing process, and of essay, paragraph, and sentence structure. Students will have several opportunities to read sample essays and to give feedback to each other on their own essays. There will be a focus, also, on learning how to do research, quote, and paraphrase.

Accuracy

In the Accuracy course, students examine and ask questions about the form of the English language. Students focus on improving their accuracy in all the language skills. Students do several "text analyses" to look how grammar is used in real situations and to raise their awareness of English, and do creative activities to practice new forms and structures. There is an emphasis not just on grammar rules but also on how native speakers actually speak and write.
 

CEP Admission

Enrollment in the Certificate of English Proficiency program is limited; not all applicants to the program will be accepted. Those international students wishing to apply to the CEP must complete a Program Application, a SEVIS I-20 request form (information is available online at http://www.pratt.edu/iep), and a Statement of Purpose prior to the admission deadlines for each semester. Upon acceptance, enrollees will be required to take an English language examination for placement purposes. Completion of the CEP program in no way guarantees or implies current or future acceptance into any Pratt Institute degree-conferring program following certification. CEP participants are not allowed to enroll in or to attend credit-bearing undergraduate or graduate classes while studying in the CEP. Students who start the CEP in the fall may need to remain in the program for two semesters. Application to degree programs must be made separately. Please note that most degree programs at Pratt Institute do not admit new students in the spring.

We recommend the CEP for students with TOEFL scores below the required minimum for each department.