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About Bridge Program (for Non-Native English Speakers)

The Bridge Program a conditional acceptance undergraduate course, is designed for non-English speakers who need to develop advanced academic language skills.

After completing the program, Bridge students will be considered for matriculation within the Temple University system. Visa-sponsored students are expected to complete the Bridge Program within one year.

Notes:

  • There are no grades in the non-credit-bearing courses. Instead, Bridge Program instructors assess students' linguistic improvement through assignments, activities, and projects. Students must demonstrate linguistic improvement to move higher in the program. There are standard letter grades in the credit-bearing courses. These grades are also considered by the Bridge Program Director for reviewing student movement through the program.
  • Current Bridge students can register for their non-credit Bridge courses here: TUJ Bridge Program

To become matriculated undergraduate:

To finish the Bridge Program and be considered for matriculation, students must do one of the following:

  1. Successfully complete Bridge 3
  2. If current Bridge 1 or 2 students obtain a new matriculation-level standardized English testing score AND successfully complete their current level, they can “test out” of the program early without finishing Bridge 3. New testing scores much be received by the Admissions Counseling Office at least 10 business days before the beginning of the next semester. Please refer to the Academic Calendar  for specific semester start dates.

 For more details, visit eligibility requirements / 大学学部課程 募集要項・出願手続き​​

Advisor and Director of the Bridge Program

  • Shawn Higgins

    Shawn Higgins

      • Bridge Program

        • Director of Bridge Program

          Programs

          • Undergraduate

When you finish the Bridge Program, you won’t just be ready to survive your undergraduate years – you’ll be ready to THRIVE! Our students have gone on not just to graduate but to be the stars of their classes. Former Bridge students have joined the Fly-to-Philly Program. They have been members of the Emerging Leaders Program. In fact, they have even served as Commencement Speakers in recent years (Yuki Kaito, 2018; Hiromi Morita, 2020; Shunya Fukuda, 2023). Indeed, our program will provide you with the skills and mindset needed to reach your academic goals. On your journey to your dreams, this is one bridge you’ll be happy you crossed.

SAMPLE CURRICULUM

An overview of required courses.

Bridge 1 (17 hours per week)

Estimated English Level:

  • TOEFL iBT® Test 53 - less than 61, or
  • TOEFL ITP® Paper Edition Test 475 - less than 500, or
  • IELTS 5.0, or
  • PTE 40 - less than 45

Courses (17 hours / week):　

  • Bridge Seminar 1001: Introduction to US University (1 credit, 1 hour/w)
  • Undergraduate Introductory Course (1 credit, 1 hour/w)
  • Undergraduate Introductory Course (2 credits, 2 hours/w)
  • Speaking Lab I (Non-credit, 3 hours/w)
  • Reading Lab I (Non-credit, 3 hours/w)
  • Grammar Lab I (Non-credit, 3 hours/w)
  • Academic Writing (Non-credit, 4 hours/w)
Bridge 2 (16 hours per week)

Estimated English Level:

  • TOEFL iBT® Test 61 - less than 71, or
  • TOEFL ITP® Paper Edition Test 500 - less than 525, or
  • IELTS 5.5, or
  • PTE 45 - less than 50

Courses (16 hours / week):

  • Bridge Seminar 1002: Introduction to Academic Research (2 credits, 2 hours/w)
  • UNVS 1003 (3 credits, 3 hours/w)
  • Speaking Lab II (Non-credit, 2 hours/w)
  • Reading Lab II (Non-credit, 2 hours/w)
  • Grammar Lab II (Non-credit, 2 hours/w)
  • Academic Writing (Non-credit, 4 hours/w)
  • Small-Group Tutorial (Non-credit, 1 hour/w)
Bridge 3 (15 hours per week)

Estimated English Level:

  • TOEFL iBT® Test 71 - less than 79, or
  • TOEFL ITP® Paper Edition Test 525 - less than 550, or
  • IELTS 5.5, or
  • PTE 50 - less than 53

Courses (15 hours / week):

  • Undergraduate General Education (3 credits, 3 hours/w)
  • Undergraduate General Education (3 credits, 3 hours/w)
  • Speaking Lab III (Non-credit, 1 hour/w)
  • Reading Lab III (Non-credit, 1 hour/w)
  • Grammar Lab III (Non-credit, 1 hour/w)
  • Academic Writing (Non-credit, 4 hours/w)
  • Research Tutorial (Non-credit, 2 hours/w)

Student Voice

Yuki Miyata

(Psychology, Finished 2021 Fall, Bridge Program Matriculation Scholarship Winner)

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“I transferred to TUJ because I wanted to dive into a totally different environment. Now, becoming a UG student, I bet TUJ was the best choice for me. However, I would not have thought so without completing the Bridge Program. Since I have never been abroad, everything was new and difficult for me in the Bridge Program. Writing essays especially made me struggle. Professors had a passion for teaching and gave me many tips to make my writing more academic and effective. Thanks to them, I succeeded with my writing. Also, asking was the key for me to make classes more effective. I asked professors and peers whenever I came up with questions. Sometimes I even admitted, “I’m not sure what I don’t know.” Looking back, it might be a funny statement. However, asking them allowed me not only to understand classes more but also to build up a great relationship with them. The skills I learned in the Bridge Program are still helping me write my papers and became my foundation of studying.”

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Kaen Zhang

(Computer Science, Finished 2021 Fall)

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“The Bridge Program has not only improved my English proficiency but also provided me with an understanding of what I should do during my undergraduate studies. The classroom atmosphere here is very friendly. Over the course of several months, I developed my own plan for my future undergraduate life and made many good friends. This enabled me to quickly find the major I wanedt to pursue and feel confident and adept in both academic and social aspects upon entering TUJ. I am grateful that I participated in the Bridge Program.”

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