University College Pathway (UCP)

East Coast Language College is an official IELTS Test Centre. Study UCP and sit your IELTS exam with us.

Purpose: The purpose of the courses in the UCP program is to prepare international students for future university and college studies by guiding them to develop the English language skills necessary for their academic success. The different levels of the program simultaneously combine English language study with academic preparation, gradually giving students the educational training, language skills, critical thinking abilities, and time management skills that they need to achieve their goals. When the students graduate from our final UCP level, they will be able to perform successfully at post-secondary institutions in Canada or in other English-speaking countries. Students who graduate from this program also have direct access to numerous degree, diploma, and certificate programs at our many partner universities and colleges in Canada and the United States.

Duration: Each level in the UCP program lasts for 10 weeks, and classes are Monday to Thursday from 1:00pm to 3:30pm (with a 10-minute break from 2:10 to 2:20). The length of time a student spends in the UCP program will depend on their English level when they begin their studies.

Please note that full-time students also study in our General Skills program in the mornings. Skills classes are Monday to Friday from 8:45am to 12:00pm.

While ECLC allows students to enrol in classes at any time, it is important to note that we strongly advise potential students to commence their studies at the beginning of one of our terms—Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall—in order to not miss any important materials or skills.

Objectives: The levels in UCP focus on increasing students’ overall abilities in reading, writing, listening, and speaking in an academic context. Within these skill areas, the students focus on specific areas such as academic writing and referencing; listening to lectures and taking notes; reading and annotating; editing and proofreading; delivering presentations, speeches, and debates; doing effective research; avoiding plagiarism; and building academic vocabulary. The objectives are level-dependent. Each of the levels in our UCP program is mapped to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

All courses in the program have subsidiary aims of building interpersonal skills, increasing cross-cultural awareness, and improving critical thinking skills. The students rely heavily on problem-solving and teamwork in order to successfully meet the requirements of the program and each of its courses.

Scope: There are four levels in the UCP program, and each of the courses can be benchmarked as follows: