Preparing for Graduate Study in the U.S.: A course for international students

This course prepares you to embark upon your future graduate studies in the U.S. with confidence. In this MOOC, you'll have the opportunity to meet other prospective graduate students, hear from experienced international graduate students in the United States, and to practice sharing your own thoughts, stories, and expertise in English. You’ll select a “target” graduate program at a U.S. college or university to use as a case study throughout the course. You may already be admitted to this program, or it may be an institution you hope to attend in the future. You will identify resources that support international graduate students in your target campus. You will have multiple opportunities to practice your English language skills through practice assignments and through interactions with one another.

Objectives By completing the course, you should enhance your ability to reach the following objectives for the purpose of communicating successfully as a new international graduate student studying in the United States. 1. Introduce yourself professionally a. Explain your expertise b. Begin networking with members of your target institution 2. Explore the campus climate of your target institution a. Identify the local vocabulary used at your target institution to describe campus climate topics such as diversity, inclusion, or equity b. Identify skills and perspectives you can contribute to the diversity of your target institution 3. For collaboration a. Use English to negotiate group roles b. Use English to express opinions 4. For academic writing a. Identify disciplinary norms in academic writing b. Cite source material appropriately in academic writing 5. For improving English a. Use at least three digital resources to investigate language use b. Use at least three digital resources to practice English fluency c. Use at least two new daily life opportunities to improve English for academic, social, or teaching purposes