FOR STUDENTS WHOSE NATIVE LANGUAGE IS NOT ENGLISH
Full-time enrollment in PLUS is required for applicants who wish to be admitted to academic programs at Golden Gate University with English proficiency below regular admission standards (see p. 111). Enrollment in selected PLUS classes is available to other students subject to availability. Those students who are otherwise academically qualified for admission may be provisionally admitted to the University through the PLUS+ program with the following TOEFL scores: undergraduate [475 PBT, 153 CBT, 53 IBT]; graduate [500 PBT, 173 CBT, 61 IBT].
PLUS participants enroll in university classes that give credit toward their academic degree or certificate, based on official evaluations by the admissions office. In PLUS, you learn how to give in-class presentations, work in groups, participate in discussions, research and write university-quality papers, analyze case studies and more. The goal of PLUS is to help you succeed in your first trimester of university study, and establish a strong foundation for your continuing academic coursework in a professional-practitioner learning environment.
Successful completion of a term in PLUS leads to the fulfillment of the English language proficiency admission requirement. For you to succeed in PLUS, you must achieve or exceed an overall 3.0 GPA for your PLUS coursework. If you do not achieve a 3.0 GPA in your PLUS classes, you will be required to enroll for one trimester in the PLUS Directed Study. Most students need only one trimester in PLUS to fulfill the English language proficiency admission requirement.
PLUS classes meet daily from Monday through Thursday. Individual consultations with instructors are provided for assistance with written and spoken English, as well as with university course assignments. Most university classes meet in the late afternoon and early evening, and complement the PLUS class schedule.
PLUS+ COURSE REQUIREMENTS PLUS students complete 15 hours of coursework per week in addition to one university class. Placement depends on performance on the PLUS pretest.
PLUS+ courses include:
• The Culture of the US Classroom
• Case Study Methods
• Applied Critical Thinking
• Academic Communication Skills
• Directed Study
• Individual Appointments with PLUS Instructors (required)
In these classes, PLUS students gain valuable knowledge and practice in the academic skills needed to be successful in university life in the US.
PLUS is offered only at Golden Gate University’s San Francisco
64 PLUS+ Program
location. Students who are admitted to other GGU regions are welcome to enroll in PLUS and arrange to live nearby for their first trimester at the university. Attendance at the PLUS Orientation is considered mandatory for successful enrollment in PLUS.
PLUS+ COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
The Culture of the US Classroom 2. 5 units (Units are not applicable to a degree or certificate program.)
Provides you with the knowledge of what to expect from your US education and what US educators expect from students in a professional-practitioner environment. Specific skills include analyzing a course syllabus, managing time effectively, using university resources, planning a term of study, avoiding plagiarism, taking part in group work, anticipating exam questions, using educational technology and more.
Case Study Methods
5 units
(Units are not applicable to a degree or certificate program.)
Introduces you to critical analysis. You will learn to read, analyze, and discuss cases in small-group and whole-class settings, take various roles in case-analysis discussion, and write up both long and short case study forms. You will learn to use this valuable, hands-on approach to learning while improving your written and spoken English.
Applied Critical Thinking
5 units
(Units are not applicable to a degree or certificate program.)
Provides knowledge that is vital to the development of good research and writing skills. You will learn to read critically, evaluate sources, write thesis statements, analyze ideas, organize your writing, apply new concepts and improve the grammar of your written English.
Academic Communication Skills 2. 5 units (Units are not applicable to a degree or certificate program.)
Provides you with skills that will give you the tools for class participation and improve your spoken English. You will learn about and practice various types of oral presentation, group work, class discussion, listening and note-taking skills and more.
Directed Study
1-3 units
(Units are not applicable to a degree or certificate program.)
Provides an individualized learning plan under the supervision of a faculty member, based on assessment of need for non-native speakers of English. May not be taken concurrently with any other university directed study. Prerequisite: consent of the program.
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