The Intensive English Program classes are open to English learners of all levels and are taught by our friendly, experienced instructors. Welcome to UGA!
If you want to study English in the United States, we think you will love our English language program, the University of Georgia Intensive English Program (IEP). Our highly qualified instructors have extensive experience teaching English as a Second Language (ESL), and we are all committed to making you feel welcome and giving you the best possible English language learning experience.
**Students
09/04/2025
IEP Conversation Club!
Want to practice English in a fun & relaxed way? Come hang out with us! We’ll chat about our week, news, interests—or anything you’d like to practice.
We meet every Friday in the MLC. Can’t wait to see you there!
09/01/2025
Happy Labor Day from the IEP!
08/22/2025
Thinking about joining the IEP? Start at bit.ly/iepapplication and follow the rest of steps above to apply—we can’t wait to meet you!
08/13/2025
Welcome to class, IEP students! We can’t wait for a wonderful session.
07/31/2025
Last night the IEP hit the lanes for an amazing bowling night! We loved celebrating the end of our July session with our wonderful students, instructors, friends, and family.
07/29/2025
IEP Bowling Fun Night! 🎳
To celebrate the end of the July session, the IEP is hosting a bowling night for current students, instructors, and friends!
For current IEP students, enjoy 2 bowling games and a shoe rental for free! Others (including family & friends) will have to pay separately ($5.25 for shoe rental & $2.75 per game per person).
Hope to see you there!
05/16/2025
IEP spent the day hanging out by the beach at Sandy Creek Park—eating good food, playing soccer and other sports, and just enjoying the sunshine. It was the perfect way to take a break and make memories together. Thanks to everyone who came and made it such a fun and relaxing day!
05/09/2025
Next up we have one of our newest instructors, Jay Dowdy! We’re very glad that he’s now a part of the IEP team and that he has brought with him his wealth of experience and knowledge to share with our students 🙂.
Jay completed his bachelor’s degree in history at the University of Georgia. He enjoys reading, traveling, and playing piano. Jay loves teaching because of the connections built with students and the opportunity to support learners from diverse backgrounds on their academic and professional journeys.
05/07/2025
Hi everyone!
We’re excited to invite all students, IEP faculty, and friends of the IEP to our Beach Celebration at Sandy Creek Park this Sunday! Here’s all the important information you’ll need:
Date & Time:
Sunday, April 27th, 1:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Location:
Sandy Creek Park, 400 Bob Holman Rd, Athens, GA 30607
What to Bring:
- Food & drinks (some food will be provided, but feel free to bring extra!)
- Sports equipment (if you have any!)
- Camping chair or blanket (if you want something to sit on)
- Swimming & hiking gear (if you’d like to swim or hike)
- Sunscreen & shades 😎
- $2 in cash (for the park entrance fee)
05/07/2025
Let’s kick off our teacher appreciation posts by sharing with you all a little bit about Lavon Smith, one our beloved and most experienced IEP instructors!
Lavon has graduate degrees in English (TESOL) and French and has been teaching at UGA for many years. He enjoys playing pétanque, a boule sport with a long history, and participating in other sports as well. He also loves listening to and playing music—French chansons, jazz, rock, and original compositions—and is a member of the local band Folie à Quatre. He is also a film buff and a fan of entertaining shows that appear on various streaming services. He has recently enjoyed A Complete Unknown, the biopic about Bob Dylan in the early phase of his career as a singer-songwriter, and the first season of the PBS show Astrid et Raphaëlle, a Franco-Belgian detective series. Lavon enjoys traveling, learning languages—French and a smattering of a few other languages—meeting people from other places, and learning about other cultures. He loves teaching because it gives him the opportunity to meet and interact with students from all over the world, to help them meet their personal and professional goals, and to continue his own lifelong-learning experience.
04/24/2025
We had a wonderful time learning how to play pétanque with our wonderful instructor Lavon and the Classic City Pétanque Club! Thank you for hosting us. It was a blast, and we would love to play again!
04/10/2025
IEP came together for two amazing events: a peaceful walk through the botanical garden and a lively trivia night!
Thank you to everyone who joined
Let’s keep making memories together!