Estimate includes tuition and housing costs ONLY. An additional Materials & Technology fee will be required for each session of study. All prices are listed in US Dollars the local currency of the ELS Center. Program & housing availability as well as cost are subject to change.
Centers & Locations
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ELS/Houston is located off-campus of the University of St. Thomas – Houston (UST) but has full access to the university’s campus and facilities. A major destination for international students, Houston is America’s fourth largest city and the center of the world’s energy industry. You can enjoy weekend visits to the National Air and Space Administration (NASA) Space Center Houston, Gulf of Mexico beaches and more.
Campus Facility Use
Located in the Houston Museum district
National Aeronautics & Space Admin. (NASA) Space Center
Gulf of Mexico beaches and weekend trips to San Antonio, New Orleans or Mexico are possible
Males & females are placed in separate apartments although the building is mixed male & female. Americans and former ELS students also live in Richmont Square Apartments (www.richmontsquare.com). Shared rooms in two bedroom off-campus apartments. Shared bathrooms (2 per apartment). Each apartment has a furnished kitchen and there are 2 swimming pools, laundry rooms and a fitness center on site. Rooms include full-kitchen, dishwasher, cable TV, and high-speed internet access. Students clean their own rooms and apartment during their stay. Cleaning service on each arrival weekend. The complex has 5 self-service laundry rooms for a small fee.
Security: Gated complex with on-site security guards.
***Meningitis Vaccination Notification***
All students who plan to live on campus are required to show evidence of being immunized against bacterial meningitis.
Student must receive the immunization at least fourteen days prior to taking up residence in on campus housing.
Acceptable evidence of vaccination includes one of the following:
" A letter that indicates the month, day, and year of the immunization with the signature stamp of the physician or his/her designee;" or
"An official immunization record generated from a local health department translated in English."
Please submit evidence of your immunization to the center (hou@els.edu) for processing. This documentation must be received two weeks before your arrival. If this documentation is not received two weeks prior to student's arrival, it may be delay the entry in to campus housing.
Price per Session
$865
Occupancy
Double
Minimum Age
18
Airport Pickup
125
Meals / week or Meal Credit
No meals are included. Students can purchase meals (with cash) in the University of St. Thomas cafeteria or prepare meals in the apartment.
Homestays in the area(Homestay)
Host family students are responsible for their personal transportation. Most students will travel by bus.
Price per Session
$950
Occupancy
Single
Minimum Age
16
Airport Pickup
125
Meals / week or Meal Credit
14 meals per week
Computer center
Gymnasium
Ping pong
Planetarium
Running track
Snack bar
Golf course nearby (fee)
Tennis court(s)
Language Technology Center (LTC)
Movie theater
Music practice room(s)
Health center
Basketball court(s)
Library
Recreational park
Billiards (pool)
Swimming pool (outdoor)
Racquetball/squash Courts
Volleyball court(s)
Fitness Center
Fitness Classes
Wheelchair accessible
Cafeteria
Meet the Staff
Ray Trantham
Center Director
Ray has more than 18 years of experience working with ELS. He began as Operations Coordinator for the youth group programs in the Special Programs department. Following that, he headed up the Central Admissions Department as Director of Admissions and Student Services which included the period when the Berlitz on Campus (BOC) centers and ELS Language Centers merged. From there he literally moved on to work with the International
Division's ELS Middle East franchise. For three years, he assisted with the operations management of the 12+ Language Centers located throughtout the Gulf region. After returning to the States and one and a half years of providing consulting services for several projects (which includes the Ernst & Young contract training programs), Ray is settling into his newest assignment as Center Director for ELS/Houston. Ray and the seasoned, experienced staff are well prepared to welcome you to Houston and to help you achieve your goals.
Brenda
Academic Director
During a tough economic downturn in the early 80's, Brenda, fresh out of an Elementary Education degree program at the University of Michigan, was guided to ELS as a volunteer. Her initiation into the world of English instruction at age 21 was swift and abrupt: intending to work behind the scenes on her first day as a volunteer, Brenda was thrust into the spotlight when an instructor was not able to teach the day's classes. Neither intimidated nor daunted by her task, she spent the day absolutely fascinated by her 7 executive students and teaching English to an international audience. She has been with the company for the last 25 years.
Nathan Herrington
International Student Advisor
After having studied abroad several times himself, Nathan Herrington has turned his love of International Students and language into a career, teaching English as a Second Language to all ages of students for more than 10 years. He started as a volunteer in a Literacy Program, and has since taught high school in France, English at ELS Language Centers, and Kindergarten in Houston’s Public Schools. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and French. Currently, as the International Student Advisor, he loves helping students resolve immigration issues and get settled into their new environment. As a native Houstonian, he enjoys taking students on excursions in and around the city, ensuring that they have as wonderful of an experience as he did when he first studied abroad years ago.
Sylvia
Registrar
Sylvia started as a student at ELS Houston in 1984. Shortly after completing her studies, she immediately began to work for ELS and is currently with the company today. Although she left for a few years to pursue further training and experience, Sylvia has since returned and has over 15 years experience as an accountant. She loves what she does and enjoys meeting people from all over the world.
Pei
August 21, 2012
"The most valuable gift I received here is an English environment which greatly fostered my fresh life in the U.S. We all come from different countries, but everyone only speaks English here. We improved both spoken English and communication skills. When we do our group projects, for example, it is hard to get everyone on the same boat in the beginning because of our different ways of thinking. However, we tried our best to communicate creative ideas, to adjust team members' language mistakes and to cooperate in harmony. Finally, with our teachers' patience and encouragement, we finished our projects successfully and made huge progress in English.
Whenever I look back on the first day I came to the U.S., I see the most amazing change that happened in my life. So, ELS is not just a language school for me, it is also a window to a real English world, a bridge to further education, a theater of American culture and a big party to meet friends from other parts of the world."
-Pei,China
Mohamad
August 15, 2012
"I like many different things about the ELS/Houston center. All of the teachers help and support you to learn English. I also like the way that they teach. All of the teachers have respect for the students. And I live a good life in Houston because it is a comfortable city."
-Mohamad,Saudi Arabia
Maryam
August 10, 2012
"Houston can provide a good education. Also, Houston is the best place to learn English first and then get a higher level of education like a bachelor or masters degree. In addition, Houston has many beautiful places to visit for relaxing after hard work. And Houston is very cheap, so it is easy to live here."
-Maryam,Libya
Hussam
August 10, 2012
"I like all my teachers at ELS because they're very nice and they help me with difficulties that I have. Teachers at ELS respect all of the students and all religions. I like the way the programs are given in 4-week sessions because I can see how I have improved each month."
-Hussam,Saudi Arabia
Chenzhi
August 10, 2012
"ELS Houston organizes a series of activities outside the classroom and most of them are helpful and interesting. People in Houston are much more open and friendly than many other cities in the U.S. The Houston Center offers good quality of living and study facilities. Richmont Square Apartments is a great place to live."
-Chenzhi,China
Rodrigo
August 10, 2012
"The activities are different and really fun, everyone respects you and the staff is always helpful and nice. Houston is a marvelous city with a lot of nice and amicable people. All the places and stores are huge here and you have hundreds of options of things to do everyday. And when you go out, you can be sure that you're going to have a really cool night and meet new people and have fun!"
-Rodrigo,Brazil
Abdulraouf
August 10, 2012
"Houston is a great city for education. People are friendly here and there are alot of different nationalities so you get to learn about different cultures. It's just perfect for me."
-Abdulraouf,Saudi Arabia
Masayo
August 10, 2012
"I like my friends here at ELS because they are from many different countries, so I can learn a lot of cultures. Now, I'm interested in many countries and I want to learn cultures not only American but also Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Mexico and more. I am thankful for and respect my friends here at ELS."
-Masayo Satoh,Japan
Talat
August 10, 2012
"ELS/Houston has many good teachers. The teachers are very friendly and kind. The location is good because it is near the University of St. Thomas which is good because it puts us in touch with American people."
"Houston is a good city with a lot of international people and good restaurants."
-Talat,Saudi Arabia
Rui
August 10, 2012
"There is not much pressure in the class, and everyone can discuss questions happily, and sometimes I can feel a little relaxed. Our teachers are all kind, knowledgeable and humorous."
"Houston is not a crowded city and the sky is always clean."
-Rui,China
Wei-Huan
August 10, 2012
"Houston is a good location. We can find differend kinds of food here, such as Thai food, Mexican food, Chinese food and Japanese food. In addition to my English classes, I love American food, American culture and American TV."
-Wei-Huan,Taiwan
Yan "Joy" Zhou, China
June 2, 2010
I have been studying at ELS for three months and I really enjoy the time at ELS. Teachers at ELS are very helpful. They taught me not only English but also the right way to study. All I want to say at this minute is "Thank you!"
- Yan Zhou
Koichi Kondo, Japan
May 17, 2010
My 3-week program was very exciting. I really enjoyed life in Houston. My homestay host family was very nice and hospitable to me. The ELS teachers were very nice and my personal teacher was dedicated. Every day, she gave me a lot of homework. Sometimes it was tough for me; especially the essays, because my vocabulary was not very good. All of the ELS staff was very friendly and kind. I’d like to say “Thank you for your support you gave to me!!”
Husain Hashem, Saudi Arabia
May 17, 2010
Thank you ELS for everything that helped me a lot to improve my English skills. I realized that when I came to ELS, Houston, I didn’t know how to speak or to write, but by practicing the language with native American teachers, I saw a difference. Also, ELS has given me the good opportunity to live in a different culture and to know how to respect others’ beliefs. On the other hand, what I liked the most about ELS is the wonderful friendships between the students and teachers. I recommend to anyone who wants to improve his or her English skills to try ELS, Houston and you will see the difference.
- Husain Hashem
Pedro Pulido Alcazar, Mexico
April 22, 2010
The following comments are my experience about my English course at the ELS Language Center in Houston. I was attending my English course for four weeks. Anne was my teacher and she had a lot of patience to teach me English. I liked Anne's method of teaching. She was funny; but always responded to all of my questions. I learned the exact pronunciation of many words. I had many problems with pronunciation, and I hoped to eliminate my problems by practicing with the books that ELS gave me. All the staff at the Houston Language Center was nice. They gave me unconditional support with solving problems and clarify any doubts that I had. Now I am able to understand conversations much better than before arrived at the Houston school. I appreciate all kind of support that I received during my course.
Giulio Parodi, Italy
March 22, 2010
ELS is a school where you can learn English and get to know a lot of people from different countries. The activities that are planed allow you to get to know the culture of the US and the State of Texas. I would recommend to other students to participate in as many of the activities as they can; and to try to listen and speak English inside and outside of the school. But what I liked most about my experience were the nice friendships that developed between the students and teachers.
I hope to see everybody soon!
Nasraldin Alarbi, Libya
September 1, 2009
ELS is not only an educational institution, it is a place to get to know people from all over the world and have a lot of fun participating in the activities the school offers to its students, that includes going to watch live NBA basketball games, arranging trips to other cities, having student picnics, going to music concerts and so on. Thank you ELS for the unforgettable experience you gave me. To anyone who wants to learn English as well as enjoy it and have fun, ELS Houston is the right destination.
We broke up into 4 teams: the Blue Team, the Red Team, the Green Team and the Yellow Team, and we had an afternoon of Texas Barbecue and Field Games, such as tug-o-war and potato sack races. What a wonderful afternoon!
We broke up into 4 teams: the Blue Team, the Red Team, the Green Team and the Yellow Team, and we had an afternoon of Texas Barbecue and Field Games, such as tug-o-war and potato sack races. What a wonderful afternoon!
On a Friday afternoon, we decorated sugar cookies with frosting and sprinkles. Some of the students were very creative! The best part was, even if your cookie wasn't beautiful, it still tasted very good no matter what!
To celebrate Halloween, the students got together for a pumpkin carving class. Their designs were quite impressive and everyone had a great time!
Downloads
ELS at the University of St. Thomas trifold 1
Provides a brief description of ELS, our Programs and the Houston ELS Language Center. The flyer also offers some specific attributes of the university, its programs and other helpful information.
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