Department of Intensive English Programs (DIEP)

Welcome to DIEP! We are the official English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) center on the Andrews University campus. Our classes are offered in person and online and are open to anyone who would like to learn and improve English language skills, particularly the ability to communicate meaningfully and fluently in English in a short amount of time. High school and academy students can take our classes for dual credit. 

We specialize in assisting Andrews University students whose first language is not English to meet the university’s English language requirements so they may successfully move into undergraduate and graduate degree programs at Andrews University. Here are some highlights of what we offer each DIEP student:  

• An experienced faculty. DIEP faculty members are highly trained and have years of English-language teaching experience, and many have taught and lived in countries all over the world, so they are familiar with different cultures and worldviews.

• A rigorous learning environment. DIEP classes are intensive in nature. Students are typically in classes at least four hours per day and have many additional hours of homework to complete. We work hard to teach you, and we know if you work hard to learn, you will meet your English goals rapidly and successfully.

• Small class sizes. Each DIEP class typically has 10 to 15 students registered and does not exceed 20, so that teachers can closely work with individual students on a regular basis.

• A communicative approach. DIEP classes focus on developing reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills for the purpose of communicating meaningfully and fluently in English. Students are given many opportunities daily to use English in real-life situations and to go out of the classroom to speak English on the Andrews campus and in the community as much as possible.

• Specialized programs. ESL classes are offered during the Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters and are open to anyone who wants to learn and improve English language skills. During the Summer semester, we offer customized English language classes and workshops for professionals in addition to our core ESL classes. Finally, DIEP offers specialized tutorial programs and other services such as a conversation partner program, International Table Talk, and a TOEFL prep workshop.

Please email us at diep@andrews.edu or call us at 1-269-471-2260. We would love to hear from you and answer any questions that you have about DIEP!