About the Program:
The preparatory year program at the University of Prince Mugrin is designed to bridge the gap between general school education and university-level studies.
It aims to nurture and develop students' knowledge and skills in the English language, math, and computer science. Our preparatory year program serves as the gateway for new students entering university which focuses on their academic needs to promote both the essential capacities for lifelong learning and a knowledge base that is transferable across various academic disciplines and vocational contexts.
The program is committed to providing students with opportunities to enhance their critical thinking skills, develop their communication and mathematical abilities, stimulate their capacity for creative and innovative thinking, and enrich their knowledge of the broader social and cultural worlds in which they will live and work.
Goals
The preparatory year program aims to achieve the following goals:
Bridge the gap between general education and university education by enhancing scientific knowledge and developing students' discipline, training, and critical thinking skills.
Develop students' proficiency in the English language to a level where they can read, write, and speak in both academic and practical contexts.
Strengthen foundational concepts and skills in mathematics to enable students to pursue their academic studies in various fields.
Enhance computer skills, enabling students to complete university assignments and analyze information using modern software and technology.
Foster students' communication skills and scientific research capabilities, develop their personality from mental, psychological, and social perspectives, and train them to think independently, adapt to new situations, and practice tolerance.
Placement Tests
Placement and Promotion Tests for the Preparatory English Program
Students in the Preparatory Year Program (PYP) can be waived/exempted from the PYP English language requirements through the IELTS or TOEFL exams. The request for exemption should be submitted during the first week of any semester during their PYP experience. Students may register for the IELTS exam through the British Council website. These exams are conducted twice a month on Saturdays at both the male and female UPM campuses.
If a student achieves a Band 5 or higher on the IELTS exam, they are exempt from the remaining English coursework in the PYP. Similarly, students who opt for the TOEFL exam and achieve a score equivalent to or higher than a Band 5 will also be exempt from the PYP English program. Students must provide their original score document to verify their results to the Head of the English Department on their respective campus and the Admissions Office.
Other promotions within the PYP may occur if students achieve a grade of 'A' or higher at any level. At this point, students may retake the placement test during the first week of the following quarter. If the student scores at a level higher than the one they are scheduled to enter, they are allowed to skip that level and enroll in the next. The details of this promotional system are outlined below.
Placement and Promotion Tests for the Preparatory Mathematics Program
The Preparatory Mathematics Program (PMP) follows a semester system, with two semesters covering two levels of courses, one set for computer science and engineering majors and another for business majors. Each semester lasts fifteen weeks. Newly admitted students who pass ENGL 004 are eligible to take the math placement exam for MATH 001 or MATH 011. Students who score 21 out of 30 (70%) on this placement exam pass and can then take the math promotion test for MATH 002 or MATH 012. Students who pass the promotion test with a score of 21 out of 30 (70%) are allowed to advance fully into their freshman year Math courses. If unsuccessful, the student is placed in the second math course according to their major.
Promotion tests for MATH 002 and MATH 012 are also offered at the beginning of each semester for students who achieve an 'A' or higher in MATH 001 or MATH 011. Upon passing the promotion test with a score of 21 out of 30 (70%), these students are also permitted to move fully into the Freshman year Math courses.
Preparatory Year English Courses
Prerequisites: ENGL000
This elementary course focuses on building and enhancing students’ English language proficiency through a holistic, integrated approach across all communication domains: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. The course emphasizes the development of unique and varied communication styles, fluency improvement, reading comprehension, vocabulary-building strategies, and grammar mastery. It runs for eight weeks with 20 hours of instruction per week, advancing pre-intermediate students from A1 to an A1 high according to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).
Prerequisites: ENGL001
This pre-intermediate level course focuses on English mastery and enhances students' proficiency through a multicultural, comparative approach. It provides comprehensive instruction in grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and the four core skills: reading, listening, speaking, and writing. The course also prepares students for the IELTS examination, which certifies them as fluent English speakers. It spans eight weeks with 20 hours of instruction per week and moves students from A1 to A2 level according to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).
Prerequisites: ENGL002
This intermediate level course enhances students' mastery of the English language and completes their preparation for the IELTS examination. It equips students to achieve a score of IELTS Band 5.0 or higher and allows them to use English effectively for learning in undergraduate content areas. Successful completion of the course demonstrates a student's fluency in all four communicative domains: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. The course spans eight weeks with 20 hours of instruction per week and advances students from A2 to B1 level according to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).
Prerequisites: ENGL003
This upper-intermediate level course enhances students' mastery of the English language and completes their preparation for the IELTS examination. It equips students to achieve a score of IELTS Band 5.0 or higher and enables them to use English as a tool for learning in undergraduate content areas. Completion of the course sufficiently demonstrates a student's fluency in all four communicative domains: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. The course lasts eight weeks, with 20 hours of instruction per week, and moves students from B1 to B2 level according to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).
Prerequisites: ENGL003
This upper-intermediate to advanced undergraduate course focuses on improving students' test-taking skills for the IELTS exam. It prepares participants for all sections of the exam—listening, reading, writing, and speaking. The program emphasizes essential skills and techniques required to take the test and helps students become familiar with various test formats and instructions. It introduces students to the types of questions in each section, identifies individual weaknesses, and offers tips to overcome them. Undergraduates complete various language tasks through a range of academic activities and assignments designed for freshman-level students.
Preparatory Year Courses Math and PCS
MATH courses:
Prerequisites: None
This is the first Preparatory Year Mathematics course offered for students in the colleges of engineering and computer science. It spans fifteen weeks in the first semester and covers topics including basic arithmetic operations, fractions, percentages, unit conversion, sets, the real number system, polynomials and operations on them, complex numbers, equations and inequalities, functions and their transformations, quadratic equations and functions with their solutions, polynomial and rational functions, and graphing.
Prerequisites: MATH 001
This course is taught to engineering and computer science students in the preparatory year over fifteen weeks during the second semester and serves as a continuation of MATH 001. The course covers various topics and includes exponential and logarithmic functions, trigonometric functions, trigonometric equations and identities, laws of sines and cosines, complex numbers, polar coordinates, vector operations and applications, systems of linear equations, matrices, determinants, and analytic geometry in two dimensions (parabolas, ellipses, and hyperbolas).
Prerequisites:
This is the first part of the preparatory year mathematics course for business students, typically taught over the first fifteen weeks of the first semester. The course covers topics such as arithmetic operations, fractions, the real number system, polynomials, factoring polynomial expressions, rational expressions, rational exponents, radical expressions, complex solutions of quadratic equations, complex numbers, operations with complex numbers, equations and inequalities, linear equations in one variable, linear inequalities, and solving equations graphically, numerically, and algebraically.
Prerequisites: MATH 011
This course, a continuation of MATH 011 for business students, is typically taught in the second semester. The course covers topics such as functions, the Cartesian coordinate system, function notation, linear functions, polynomial and rational functions, graphs, exponential and logarithmic functions, systems of equations with two variables, matrices, and operations on matrices.
Prerequisites:
This course provides an introduction to basic computer concepts, covering information processing, problem-solving, and microcomputer software packages. It addresses the Microsoft Windows operating system and Microsoft Office, which consists of general-purpose application software. Students follow a step-by-step approach to learn the basic features of MS Word, MS Excel, and MS PowerPoint to create, edit, and format presentations, with the insertion of pictures and sound. The course also supports students in their English language studies by teaching basic vocabulary and terminology related to computer technology.