Applied Language Institute (ALI)

5120 Rockhill Road; Haag Hall, Room 212
816- 235-1233
http://www.umkc.edu/ali

Program Description

The Applied Language Institute’s (ALI) mission is to offer comprehensive English-to-Speakers-of-Other-Languages (ESOL) instruction for academic, personal or professional purposes as well as language acquisition and cross-cultural classes and seminars. In addition, the Institute aims to provide students with an understanding of U.S. cultures and values, particularly within the educational environment, while acknowledging and valuing students' own cultures and languages.

Our intensive ESOL program offers up to 25 hours of instruction per week in Writing and Grammar, Reading and Vocabulary, and Listening and Speaking. Classes are small and offered at all levels of instruction from beginning through advanced. Our teaching and administrative staff is friendly, supportive, and understanding of the needs of international students in the United States.

Regular programs run from late August through December (Fall), January through May (Spring), and June and July (Summer, Level 4 only). Additionally, the ALI offers a variety of specialized short-term and group programs that include language and cultural/academic education.

English Proficiency Requirement

Proficiency in English is essential to success in academic programs at UMKC. The ALI’s role at UMKC is to ensure that all non-native English speakers either already have, or have an opportunity to acquire, these necessary skills. Prior to enrollment, newly admitted ALI students and international academically-admitted students are required to take the CALIOPE English evaluation examination administered by the ALI if they have an English proficiency score below the minimum required for their area of study. Unless it differs from the area of study, for undergraduates this is any student with a TOEFL score below 61 or an IELTS score below 5.5 in all bands. For graduate students, this is any student with a TOEFL score below 79 or below 6.0 in all bands. Based on their CALIOPE results, students must enroll in and successfully complete the ALI coursework indicated as necessary. For academic students, coursework is determined by the ALI in consultation with the student's academic unit.

The only international students exempted from this admissions policy are:

  • Native English speakers from English-speaking countries such as Canada, England, the Republic of Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.
  • Non-native English speakers who hold degrees or diplomas from post-secondary institutions in English-speaking countries (such as the United States, Canada, England, the Republic of Ireland, Australia and New Zealand), provided that they have spent a minimum of two years of successful full-time study and English was the medium of instruction.

Grades and GPA

All ALI coursework is graded according to UMKC policies and is used in the calculation of a student’s grade point average (GPA).

  • Academic Probation and Ineligibility
    • Academic status is assessed at the end of every term, whether the student is full time or part time for that term.
    • A summer session is considered the same as a semester for the purpose of determining academic actions.
    • Students are notified of academic actions via their UMKC e-mail address.
    • Students will be placed on academic probation if their GPA falls below 2.0.
    • Once students are placed on academic probation, they have two semesters to raise their cumulative GPA to the level required (2.0 for undergraduate students, 3.0 for graduate students).
    • During those two semesters, students term GPA must be at least 2.0 for undergraduate students and 3.0 for graduate students to be allowed to continue. (Note: some academic units may have higher GPA requirements.)
    • Students who fail to meet the criteria as stated above will be ineligible to re-enroll without permission of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences (SHSS) Academic Standards Committee
  • Credit/Non-Credit
    • ALI students registered as pass/fail, who fail two (or more courses) during an academic term, will be placed on academic probation.
    • Students who are placed on academic probation must not fail the same two (or more courses) during the following academic semester.
    • Students who fail to meet the criteria as stated above will be ineligible to re-enroll without permission of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences (SHSS) Academic Standards Committee.

See the General Undergraduate Academic Regulations and Information section of this catalog for additional information.

Paseo Program

The Paseo Program will serve a community of students whose English proficiency falls between the English proficiencies of two separate categories of students currently admitted to UMKC: (1) students whose English proficiency is not high enough to be admitted to undergraduate degree-seeking academic study, and thus are required to pursue ESL-only, full-time coursework in English prior to joining academic study; and (2) students whose English proficiency meets UMKC requirements for regular admission.

The Paseo program will serve rigorously tested students who demonstrate the ability to begin undergraduate degree-seeking study with co-curricular English support coursework during their first semester to address an identified need in one, at maximum two, English skill areas. The Paseo Program supports the participating students through its co-curricular model matching ALI 161, ALI 162, and ALI 163 to ENGLISH 110, COMM-ST 209, and/or COMM-ST 110.