West Virginia University (WVU) is located in Morgantown, West Virginia, 110 kilometers south of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and 350 kilometers west of Washington D.C. The area is particularly safe and comfortable, with one of the lowest crime rates in the United States. Morgantown, a city with approximately 50,000 inhabitants, is nestled in a beautiful setting of forested hills. WVU is a state university which offers high quality education at a reasonable cost. The university attracts students from all over the world by offering 170 graduate and undergraduate degrees.

Since 1979, The Intensive English Program (IEP) has provided English instruction for international students who need increased English proficiency to meet the West Virginia University English requirement and for students who are just interested in improving their English skills before returning to their home countries. Some details about the program include:

· Year round program

· 16 week sessions beginning in January and August

· 6 week sessions beginning in May and July

· Minimum of 21 hours of instruction offered to small classes of students

· Beginning, intermediate and advanced levels

· Core curriculum includes listening comprehension, speaking, reading, writing, grammar and vocabulary

· Elective courses include TOEFL preparation, TOEIC preparation, Business English, English through Technology, US Popular Culture and English through Drama

· Institutional TOEFL and TOEIC offered at the middle and end of each semester

IEP students benefit from many special services in addition to classroom instruction. They receive an orientation to academic life and have access to all University facilities and libraries.

· Tickets to university football and basketball games, and other recreational activities.

· Access university and local public transportation at no cost by showing their university ID card.

· Extra contact with Americans for informal conversation through a Conversation Partners' Program and a variety of extracurricular activities.

· A variety of housing options, including a very reasonably priced home stay, are offered.

The IEP at WVU does offer conditional admission to both future undergraduate and graduate students, but students must reach the required TOEFL score for full admission. Admission to the IEP does not guarantee admission into an academic program at WVU, but comprehensive admission assistance and counseling is provided. One full session of attendance in the IEP is the minimum length of study possible to satisfy the WVU English requirement for international students. Students who do not reach a minimum level of proficiency after one session, however, may be required to study English in the IEP for additional semesters.