Academic Skills Program (ASP) Course Descriptions
Academic Skills Program (ASP) Course Descriptions
Academic Center for Excellence (Ace)
ASP 055: Communication Skills for International Students
Communication Skills for International Students concentrates on everyday common situations students may encounter as an English Language Learner here in the U.S., Chicago, and our UIC campus. Classmates discuss challenges encountered here, solving problems as a group effort, and resulting in practical solutions. ASP 055 carries no graduation credit but does count for 3.0 credit hours in the calculation of full- and part-time enrollment status and financial aid eligibility. This course is open to undergraduate, graduate, and international students in all fields of study and geared towards English Language Learners. There are no prerequisites for enrolling in ASP 055.
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ASP 090: Critical Strategies for Reading and Writing Success
Critical Strategies for Reading and Writing Success focuses on strengthening students’ reading and writing skills along with strategies in order to maximize their learning experience and academic performance at UIC. To this end, the course emphasizes critical thinking as it applies to reading and writing of college-level texts, persuasive and informational texts, thesis and purpose statements, and supporting evidence. ASP 090 carries no graduation credit but does count for 3.0 credit hours in the calculation of full- and part-time enrollment status and financial aid eligibility. This course is open to undergraduate, graduate, and international students in all fields of study and is especially beneficial to English Language Learners. There are no prerequisites for enrolling in ASP 090.
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ASP 092: Vocabulary Enrichment
Words are the building blocks of communication! Vocabulary Enrichment will give students the tools to communicate better. By expanding their vocabulary horizon and learning to apply the vocabulary, students will be able to speak concisely and precisely, thereby imparting a respectable impression. Moreover, they can better understand what they have read and written. Throughout this eight-week course, students will learn approximately 200 new words and apply them verbally and in writing through exercises and various activities. ASP 092 carries no graduation credit but does count for 2.0 credit hours in calculation of full- and part-time enrollment status and financial aid eligibility. This course is open to undergraduate, graduate, and international students and is especially beneficial to English Language Learners, as well as students preparing for standardized tests. There are no prerequisites for enrolling in ASP 092.
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ASP 095: Academic and Professional Writing
The goals of Academic and Professional Writing are to increase students’ understanding of writing expectations in academia and professions while strengthening their writing strategies and skills. The course emphasizes critical thinking as it applies to effective document planning, development of an efficient writing process, writing persuasive and informational texts, and accurate use of Edited American English. This course is open to graduate and international students in all fields of study and is especially beneficial to English Language Learners. ASP 095 carries no graduation credit but does count for 3.0 credit hours in calculation of full- and part-time enrollment status and financial aid eligibility. There are no prerequisites for enrolling in ASP 095.
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ASP 096: Independent Study
For Independent Study, the student is responsible for contacting the instructor before a semester begins; proposing a course of study related to English reading, writing, comprehension, and/or speaking; and attending weekly meetings with the instructor throughout the semester. It emphasizes collaborative learning in development of the student’s English fluency. This course is open to undergraduate, graduate, and international students in all fields of study and is especially beneficial to English Language Learners. ASP 096 carries no graduation credit but does count for 1.0, 2.0, or 3.0 credit hours in calculation of full- and part-time enrollment status and financial aid eligibility. There are no prerequisites for ASP 096, but enrollment in the course requires the instructor’s advance approval.