Certificate of Proficiency - English for Professional Communication Header

Google Code for Remarketing Tag - Bloom

黑料不打烊 SCS Certificate of Proficiency in English for Professional Communication

Learning English unlocks a world of opportunity, both personally and professionally. Whether you鈥檙e looking to build your career or simply boost your confidence, you鈥檒l benefit from the most up-to-date teaching methods.

This program focuses on:

  • Oral expression
  • Written expression
  • Listening comprehension
  • Reading comprehension
  • Vocabulary, grammar, and writing structures

All students must take a听听in order to be admitted to the program.听If you have missed the application deadline, or if听you do not wish to obtain the Certificate of Proficiency, you can take any of the program courses you place into by听registering as an independent student.

How to apply

Type:听 听Certificate
Courses:听 听10
Credits:听 听30
Schedule:听 听Full-time or Part-time
Time:听 听Evenings, Saturdays, weekday mornings
Delivery: 听滨苍-辫别谤蝉辞苍
Unit:听 听Global & Strategic Comm.
Questions?info.conted [at] mcgill.ca


Learning Outcomes


The program is designed to enable you to:

  • Receive a 黑料不打烊 Certificate of Proficiency 鈥 English for Professional Communication
  • Participate in meetings, interviews, and oral presentations
  • Prepare written letters, articles, and reports
  • Communicate in English in formal and informal situations
  • Gain the confidence to work in English in the Quebec professional context

Program Courses

English for Professional Communication (Cert. Proficiency) (30 credits)

Offered by: Global & Strategic Comm.
Degree credit weight: 30

Program Description

This award-winning certificate program focuses on the English oral and written communication skills necessary to function effectively in a professional environment. The program is the equivalent to one year of full-time university study.

The program begins at the low-intermediate level. Students with a basic or an elementary knowledge of English will need to complete prerequisite courses before entering the program. The prerequisite courses do not count towards the program鈥檚 30 credits.

Students who begin the program at the Intermediate-2 or Intermediate-3 levels may take courses from the list of approved substitutions to complete 30 credits.

Students wishing to take extra courses may take courses from the list of complementary elective courses.

The program is offered three times a year: in Fall, Winter, and Summer for a period of 13 weeks. Courses are offered during the week and on Saturdays.

The program leads, under certain conditions, to the Certificate in Proficiency in English for Professional Communication.

Preparatory Courses (0-15credits) 1

Course Title Credits
CEEN 102Basic English.3

Basic English.

Terms offered: this course is not currently offered.

Instruction in listening, speaking, reading and writing English at a basic level. The basic communicative skills required to operate in simple social contexts.

CEEN 111Elementary English 1: Reading and Writing.3

Elementary English 1: Reading and Writing.

Terms offered: Summer 2025, Fall 2025, Winter 2026

Instruction in English as an additional language at a low elementary level. Focus on reading and writing.

CEEN 112Elementary English 1: Listening and Speaking.3

Elementary English 1: Listening and Speaking.

Terms offered: Summer 2025, Fall 2025, Winter 2026

Instruction in English as an additional language at a low elementary level. Focus on listening and speaking.

CEEN 121Elementary English 2: Reading and Writing.3

Elementary English 2: Reading and Writing.

Terms offered: Summer 2025, Fall 2025, Winter 2026

Instruction in English as an additional language at an upper elementary level. Focus on reading and writing.

CEEN 122Elementary English 2: Listening and Speaking.3

Elementary English 2: Listening and Speaking.

Terms offered: Summer 2025, Fall 2025, Winter 2026

Instruction in English as an additional language at an upper elementary level. Focus on listening and speaking.

Required Courses 2 (30 credits)

Course Title Credits
CEEN 211Intermediate English 1: Reading and Writing.3

Intermediate English 1: Reading and Writing.

Terms offered: Summer 2025, Fall 2025, Winter 2026

Instruction and practice in reading and writing at a low-intermediate level of English as an additional language.

CEEN 212Intermediate English 1: Listening and Speaking.3

Intermediate English 1: Listening and Speaking.

Terms offered: Summer 2025, Fall 2025, Winter 2026

Instruction and practice in listening and speaking at a low-intermediate level of English as an additional language.

CEEN 221Intermediate English 2: Reading and Writing.3

Intermediate English 2: Reading and Writing.

Terms offered: Summer 2025, Fall 2025, Winter 2026

Instruction and practice in reading and writing at a mid-intermediate level of English as an additional language.

CEEN 222Intermediate English 2: Listening and Speaking.3

Intermediate English 2: Listening and Speaking.

Terms offered: Summer 2025, Fall 2025, Winter 2026

Instruction and practice in listening and speaking at a mid-intermediate level of English as an additional language.

CEEN 331Intermediate English 3: Reading and Writing.3

Intermediate English 3: Reading and Writing.

Terms offered: Summer 2025, Fall 2025, Winter 2026

Instruction and practice in reading and writing at a high-intermediate level of English as an additional language.

CEEN 332Intermediate English 3: Listening and Speaking.3

Intermediate English 3: Listening and Speaking.

Terms offered: Summer 2025, Fall 2025, Winter 2026

Instruction and practice in listening and speaking at a high-intermediate level of English as an additional language.

CEEN 411Advanced English 1: Reading and Writing .3

Advanced English 1: Reading and Writing .

Terms offered: Summer 2025, Fall 2025, Winter 2026

Instruction and practice in reading and writing at a low-advanced level of English as an additional language.

CEEN 412Advanced English 1: Listening and Speaking.3

Advanced English 1: Listening and Speaking.

Terms offered: Summer 2025, Fall 2025, Winter 2026

Instruction in listening and speaking at a low-advanced level of English as an additional language.

CEEN 421Advanced English 2: Reading and Writing .3

Advanced English 2: Reading and Writing .

Terms offered: Summer 2025, Fall 2025, Winter 2026

Instruction and practice in reading and writing at a mid-advanced level of English as an additional language level.

CEEN 422Advanced English 2:Listening and Speaking.3

Advanced English 2:Listening and Speaking.

Terms offered: Summer 2025, Fall 2025, Winter 2026

Instruction and practice in listening and speaking at a mid-advanced level of English as an additional language.

Complementary Courses (0-30 credits)

Approved Substitutions (0-12 credits) 3

Course Title Credits
CEEN 401English Vocabulary in Context.3

English Vocabulary in Context.

Terms offered: Summer 2025, Fall 2025, Winter 2026

Focuses on English communication through the study of vocabulary and its function in discourse. Broadens the field and mode of oral/written communication by developing "lexical competence". Identifies the nature and role of words, phrasal verbs and idioms through the study of semantics and intense practice of vocabulary in context./ Ce cours se concentre sur la communication par le truchement de l'茅tude du vocabulaire et de ses fonctions dans le discours. Il cherche 脿 d茅velopper une v茅ritable 芦 comp茅tence lexicale 禄 tant 脿 l'oral qu'脿 l'茅crit. L'enrichissement du vocabulaire se fera par l'identification de la nature et du r么le des mots, des locutions ou des expressions fig茅es, par l'茅tude des champs s茅mantiques et par une pratique intensive favorisant le r茅emploi en contexte.

CEEN 402English Communication and Cultural Patterns.3

English Communication and Cultural Patterns.

Terms offered: Summer 2025, Fall 2025, Winter 2026

Examines the impact of cultural patterns in communication in English. Intended for those visiting/working abroad, and/or dealing with international associates. Explores the fundamental cultural differences and business practices in the different regions of the world, and how the English language should be used in specific situations./ Destin茅 aux personnes qui s茅journent ou travaillent 脿 l'茅tranger, ou encore qui traitent avec des associ茅s de divers pays, ce cours 茅tudie l'effet des mod猫les culturels sur la communication en langue anglaise. Il inclut l'exploration des diff茅rences culturelles fondamentales et des pratiques commerciales en usage dans diverses r茅gions du monde, de m锚me que les diff茅rentes fa莽ons dont la langue anglaise devrait 锚tre utilis茅e dans des cas bien pr茅cis.

CEEN 403Strategic Communication in English.3

Strategic Communication in English.

Terms offered: Summer 2025, Fall 2025, Winter 2026

This course will prepare ESL/EFL students for specific types of strategic communication in organizations and interpersonal relationships at work. Students will develop discursive and pragmatic competence in oral and written communication as well as learn about factors that influence group communication in professional and social situations. / Ce cours pr茅parera les 茅tudiants en anglais langue seconde (ESL) ou 茅trang猫re (EFL) 脿 茅laborer des types pr茅cis de communication strat茅gique au sein d'entreprises et lors d'茅changes interpersonnels au travail. Ils y acquerront des comp茅tences discursives et pragmatiques en communication orale et 茅crite et ils en apprendront sur les facteurs qui influent sur les communications de groupe, tant professionnelles que sociales.

CEEN 404English Creative Non-fiction Writing.3

English Creative Non-fiction Writing.

Terms offered: Summer 2025, Fall 2025, Winter 2026

An exploration of creative non-fiction writing for ESL students. Students will read, write, and respond to creative non-fiction. An emphasis will be on narrative and descriptive forms.

0-18 credits from the following: 4

Course Title Credits
CEEN 201Vocabulary and Reading Strategies.3

Vocabulary and Reading Strategies.

Terms offered: Summer 2025, Fall 2025

Further opportunities, beyond those provided in the core courses of the low-intermediate level, for students to increase their English language vocabulary and develop their reading skills. The course is designed to help students develop strategies for extrapolating meaning from context at both the sentence and paragraph level. Students will develop techniques for using sentence level and paragraph level clues to understand word meaning, sentence meaning, and paragraph meaning.

CEEN 202Introduction: English Pronunciation System. 3

Introduction: English Pronunciation System.

Terms offered: Summer 2025, Fall 2025

Further opportunities, beyond those provided in the core courses of the low-intermediate and mid-intermediate levels, for students to develop their English pronunciation skills, with a goal of increasing their comprehensibility. The course is designed to help students develop a knowledge of the segmental sounds of the English language and the method and location for producing these sounds. In addition, students will be introduced to word stress.

CEEN 266Introduction to Creative Writing.3

Introduction to Creative Writing.

Terms offered: Summer 2025, Fall 2025, Winter 2026

Further opportunities, beyond those provided in the core courses of the intermediate-mid level, for students to develop their English writing skills. The course is designed to encourage students to further develop their English writing capabilities by developing an understanding of different styles of creative writing through reading and analyzing short texts, and by developing creative ideas and expressing them through paragraph writing.

CEEN 267English Study Topics: The Story of Canada.3

English Study Topics: The Story of Canada.

Terms offered: Summer 2025, Fall 2025, Winter 2026

Practice of English skills at the intermediate-mid level by reviewing material focused on the history of Canada, from pre-colonial Indigenous history to modern times.

CEEN 301English Grammar in Context.3

English Grammar in Context.

Terms offered: Summer 2025, Fall 2025, Winter 2026

This course is intended for ESL students who need further training in grammatical accuracy, applied grammar, and syntax. They will review the metalanguage necessary to facilitate their learning, review important grammatical structures and apply them in different professional and social contexts. / Ce cours s'adresse aux 茅tudiants en anglais langue seconde (ESL), qui doivent en apprendre davantage au sujet du choix grammatical, de la grammaire appliqu茅e et de la syntaxe. Ils y passeront en revue le m茅talangage n茅cessaire pour simplifier leur apprentissage et r茅viseront les structures grammaticales d'importance afin de les utiliser dans diff茅rents contextes professionnels et sociaux.

CEEN 302English Pronunciation: Stress and Intonation.3

English Pronunciation: Stress and Intonation.

Terms offered: Summer 2025, Fall 2025, Winter 2026

Further opportunities, beyond those provided in the core courses of the intermediate-high level, for students to hone their English pronunciation skills, with a goal of increasing their comprehensibility. The course is designed to encourage students to develop a knowledge of English pronunciation at the suprasegmental level. Students will further investigate word stress, and will be introduced to sentence stress, and intonation.

Notes:

1

Students who place lower than Intermediate-Low on the required placement test have the option to take 3 to 15 credits of the preparatory module (depending on their placement test score) to reach the entry level of the program.

2

Students who begin their studies with courses CEEN听411 Advanced English 1: Reading and Writing ./CEEN听412 Advanced English 1: Listening and Speaking. are not eligible for admission to the Certificate of Proficiency 鈥 English for Professional Communication. However, these students may register as "Special Students" and may be eligible to receive the 黑料不打烊 Attestation of Proficiency in English if they successfully complete all four (4) courses of the Advanced module (CEEN听411 Advanced English 1: Reading and Writing ., CEEN听412 Advanced English 1: Listening and Speaking., CEEN听421 Advanced English 2: Reading and Writing ., and CEEN听422 Advanced English 2:Listening and Speaking.) with a minimum grade of B- (65%).

3

Students who begin their studies with courses CEEN听221 Intermediate English 2: Reading and Writing./CEEN听222 Intermediate English 2: Listening and Speaking. and who would like to be admitted to the Certificate of Proficiency 鈥 English for Professional Communication must take two approved substitutions (CEEN听401 English Vocabulary in Context. or CEEN听402 English Communication and Cultural Patterns. or CEEN听403 Strategic Communication in English. or CEEN听404 English Creative Non-fiction Writing.), or equivalent courses as approved by the Director, to satisfy the requirements of the program. These courses may be taken as part of the advanced module of the program. For more information, please contact the Global and Strategic Communication domain.

Students who begin their studies with courses CEEN听331 Intermediate English 3: Reading and Writing./CEEN听332 Intermediate English 3: Listening and Speaking. and who would like to be admitted to the Certificate of Proficiency 鈥 English for Professional Communication must take four approved substitutions (CEEN听401 English Vocabulary in Context. and CEEN听402 English Communication and Cultural Patterns. and CEEN听403 Strategic Communication in English. and CEEN听404 English Creative Non-fiction Writing.), or equivalent courses as approved by the Director, to satisfy the requirements of the program. These courses may be taken as part of the advanced module of the program. For more information, please contact the Global and Strategic Communication domain.

4

Students who would like to take extra courses to increase their target language contact hours may take courses from the list of additional electives.


Admission Requirements


To be admitted to the Certificate of Proficiency in English for Professional Communication, students must:

  • Take a听听and place into a level no higher than Intermediate High (CEEN 331/CEEN 332).
  • Be at least 18 years of age and hold a CEGEP diploma (DEC) or equivalent.
  • Students 21 years of age and over who do not have the normal academic background for admission may be admitted as Mature students.

All students must complete a听听prior to applying for admission.


How to Apply
  1. All new students must take a听. The results determine which level and courses you can register in. You can take the test once per session and the results are valid for one year.

    Once you register, you will receive an email with听a code and instructions on how to take the test.

  2. Retrieve your results

    Your result will be available in the portal within 10 days of completing the test.听If the result is not visible by then, please contact gsc.scs [at] mcgill.ca.

    -
    - On the left-hand menu, select 鈥淢y Registration History鈥
    - Select 鈥淐ompleted鈥
    - Select 鈥淧rint鈥 for the 鈥淓nglish Placement Test鈥
    - In the drop-down menu, select 鈥淪tatement of Grade鈥

  3. Once you have your results

    If you have missed the application deadline, or if听you do not wish to obtain the Certificate of Proficiency, you can take any of the program courses you place into by听registering as an independent student.

    Your placement level Next step
    BASIC 鈥 ELM-2

    Note that you must complete the pre-requisite preparatory courses听(CEEN 102, 111, 112, 121, and 122)听before starting the core program courses that count towards the certificate.

    INT-L 鈥 INT-H
    ADV-1 or higher Register for advanced courses as an independent student
    Placement into ADV-1 or higher allows students to enroll directly in advanced-level courses and obtain an Attestation of Proficiency. Please note that this placement does not meet the eligibility of completing the full 30-credit for the certificate.

Test result Core program courses Optional courses
(not counted towards certificate)
BASIC -

ELM-1 -

ELM-2 -

INT-L

INT-M

INT-H

ADV-1

Approved substitutions

ADV-2

Approved substitutions


Videos and Webinars


Need help applying?

Back to top