English for Academic Purposes (EAP) is a university and TAFE preparation course for international students.

It's designed for international students with upper-intermediate to advanced levels of English who want to gain admission to an Australian TAFE, undergraduate or postgraduate course.

EAP is made up of the following units:

  • EAP 4 – English for Academic Purposes Upper Intermediate
    A 10-week unit for students who wish to study academic English or gain direct entry into foundation studies, TAFE certificates/diplomas or higher education diplomas (Diploma of Business, Engineering or Information Technology) at VU.
  • EAP 5 – University Preparation Undergraduate
    A specialised 10-week unit for students who wish to enrol in a Victoria University undergraduate course.
  • EAP 6 – University Preparation Postgraduate
    For students with an advanced level of English who wish to enrol in a Victoria University postgraduate course.
VU Testimonial – Liseth, English for Academic Purposes/Master of Community Development, Colombia - Transcript

You can also study EAP at one of our partner universities in China:

English levels & pathways

There are six levels in VU English from elementary to advanced. Upon successful completion of a level you can:

  • advance to a course in the next level
  • specialise in an area that interests you, or
  • apply to TAFE or University.

We will assess which level is right for you through the VU English Placement Test.

All courses are 5 to 10 weeks in duration.

Level English Language Entry Level General English (GE) English For Academic Purposes (LEL) English For Academic Purposes (EAP) VU Pathways

6

 Advanced 2
Approximate IELTS: 6.0/PTE 51-59/TOEFL IBT: 60-78		     EAP 6 Most VU courses requiring IELTS 6.5 or 7 entry (see VU website for exceptions)
5

 

 Advanced 1
Approximate IELTS: 5.5/PTE 44-50/TOEFL IBT: 46-59		 GE 5 IEL5 EAP 5 Courses requiring IELTS 6.0 entry
4 Upper intermediate
Approximate IELTS: 5.0/PTE 37-43/TOEFL IBT: 35-45		 GE 4

 

   EAP 4

 

 Courses requiring IELTS 5.5 entry

 
3

 

 Intermediate
Approximate IELTS: 4.5/PTE 30-36/TOEFL IBT: 32-34		 GE 3

 

      
2

 

 Pre-intermediate
Approximate IELTS: 4.0/TOEFL IBT: 20-31		 GE 2      
1

 

 Elementary
Approximate IELTS: 3.5/TOEFL IBT: 0-19		 GE 1

 

      

Level 1 is our lowest English level. Students completing this level have an English ability equivalent to IELTS 3.5.

Level 2 is our pre-intermediate English level. Students completing this level have an English ability equivalent to IELTS 4.5.

Level 3 is our intermediate English level. Students completing this level have an English ability equivalent to IELTS 5.0.

Course offered

Pathway

After successfully completing each level, you can advance to the next.

Level 4 is our upper-intermediate English level. Students completing this level have an English ability equivalent to IELTS 5.5.

Courses offered

Pathways

Successfully completing General English Level 4 allows you to advance to General English Level 5.

Successfully completing EAP 4 allows you to move to EAP 5 or enter a TAFE diploma. Level 4 meets the English language admission requirements for diploma courses.

Level 5 is our advanced English level. Students completing this level have an English ability equivalent to IELTS 6.0

Course offered

Pathway

After successfully completing EAP 5 you can:

  • progress to EAP Advanced 2
  • apply to study a bachelor degree - EAP 5 meets the English language admission requirements for a bachelor degree.

Level 6 is our most advanced level. Students completing this level have an English ability equivalent to IELTS 6.5.

Course offered

Pathway

Level 6 meets the English language admission requirements for postgraduate degrees. After successfully completing this level you can enter a Masters or PhD course. Students entering a Masters course need a minimum of a pass. Students entering a PhD course need score of 70% or higher.

Successfully completing levels 4-6 gives you the skills to meet the English language admission requirements for Victoria University’s TAFE and university courses. Search for a course.

Pathways

  • Level 4 gives you access to study diploma courses.
  • Level 5 gives you access to study bachelor courses.
  • Level 6 gives you access to study masters and PhD courses.

Benefits of studying EAP

  1. Over 95% graduation rates.
  2. Rapid progress in academic reading, writing, speaking and listening.
  3. Practice in lecture and tutorial note-taking.
  4. Direct entry to TAFE, undergraduate or postgraduate courses.
  5. Extra support for students.
Creating opportunities for asylum seekers through cuisine

The course helped to give me more confidence, especially in writing and grammar. We had a great teacher who always explained everything in detail. I was also happy with the course’s flexibility because I was able to work and do other things.

Hamed Allah-Yari — English for Academic Purposes
Read Hamed's story

Course essentials

Course location Levels Course code Duration
City Campus EAP 4 (Upper Intermediate)
EAP 5 (Advanced I)
EAP 6 (Advanced II)		 VNEAP 10 weeks per level
CRICOS code Intakes Course fee Entry
082777E EAP 4: Every Intake
EAP 5: Intake 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 & 9
EAP 6: Intake 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 & 9		 A$460 per week (plus an enrolment fee of A$200)* IELTS 5.0^, VU English Placement Test or completion of VU General English Intermediate (Level 3).

* All prices are in Australian dollars (AUD)

^ Overall score of 6, plus writing at 6, for EAP 6. Overall score of 5.5, plus writing at 5.5, for EAP 5

Study areas

EAP study areas include:

  • academic culture
  • academic writing (including research and referencing skills)
  • academic reading
  • academic listening
  • academic speaking (including tutorial and oral presentation skills).

Learning activities in class

During your classes you will participate in:

  • class discussions and role plays
  • presentations and debates
  • essay and report writing
  • videos and audio learning
  • workshops and tutorials
  • quizzes and tests
  • journal/diary writing
  • computer assisted learning

The average class size is 15 students (maximum of 18 students). Our students study 20 hours a week, 4 hours per day. There are usually 2 hours of morning classes and two hours of afternoon classes. On most days, additional support classes are provided during lunch breaks.

Course dates

We offer intakes throughout the year. Our university preparation courses are only available at certain times of the year:

  • EAP 4 – Certificate and Diploma Preparation – available for all intakes.
  • EAP 5 – University Preparation Undergraduate (UPU) – available at intake 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 & 9.
  • EAP 6 – University Preparation Postgraduate (UPP) – available at intake 3, 4, 7, 8 & 9.

COURSE ENROLMENT DATE START DATE END DATE INTAKE NUMBER
EAP 4 3 January 4 January 3 February 1
EAP 4 & 5 9 February 13 February 17 March 2
EAP 4, 5 & 6 16 March 20 March 28 April 3
EAP 4, 5 & 6 27 April 1 May 2 June 4
EAP 4 1 June 5 June 7 July 5
EAP 4, 5 & 6 13 July 17 July 18 August 6
EAP 4, 5 & 6 17 August 21 August 22 September 7
EAP 4, 5 & 6 28 September 2 October 3 November 8
EAP 4, 5 & 6 2 November 6 November 8 December 9

 

Preparing for a VU course

You will study an EAP course with VU English if you are required to complete English language studies to gain admission into a VU course.

View the course entry requirements for international applicants to find out if you already have the required English test results to study a VU course.

Submit an online course enquiry to VU International if you have further questions about your eligibility to study a VU course.

Enquire now

To find out more, please get in touch.

Contact us