The methods and criteria for the selection of students are determined and evaluated.
Since the applicants are both Thai and foreigners, 3 methods for application are provided for convenience including: 1) an official university admission system through Center for Educational Services (CES); 2) personal application through Center for International Affairs (CIA), and 3) School of Foreign Languages’ recruiting program abroad.
For Thai applicants, they can apply through SUT’s admission system (once a year, around February to May). This is under the responsibility of CES.
For foreign applicants, there are two ways to apply. First, they can submit a complete application package to CIA (all year round). Second, they can apply with the SFL’s recruiting team who go abroad once a year to promote the ELS program and recruit new students.
So far, the current admission method has not caused any problem because it is open all year round. It is rather convenient because the applications can be submitted via mail, e-mail or in person.
Criteria for admission are similar for all types of admission which include 4 main requirements as follows:
- 1. English Proficiency score of standardized tests such as TOEFL (550), IELTS (5.5) or SFL’s admission exam (65%)
- 2. English majors or 2 years of working experience for non–English majors
- 3. 2 letters of recommendation
- 4. Bachelor’s degree transcript and diploma
The latest added criterion was an average grade of English courses (2.75 minimum) for non-English majored applicants. It gives some ideas of the applicant’s English ability during the undergraduate level.
Regarding the SFL admission examination, it consists of a written part and an oral interview. The written exam (similar to TOEFL paper-based in terms of format, content and level of difficulty) aims at assessing the applicants’ language proficiency and it is revised every year. In addition, their speaking ability, problem-solving skills, and attitude are assessed through a face-to-face interview by the admission committee. Applicants who submit standardized test scores (TOEFL/IELTS) have to be interviewed online. It takes no more than 4 weeks to officially announce the admission result. Recently, some committee suggested including an academic presentation into the admission procedure in order to assess other necessary skills such as critical thinking or public speaking of the applicants. But it is not very practical, especially when recruiting abroad. So it was pending at the moment.
In addition to the test scores, some additional information can be obtained through 2 recommendation letters, certificates and transcripts of his/her Bachelor’s degree as well as personal connection. The secretary of the admission committee checks all the credentials carefully before officially processing them.
The admission committee (SFL Chair, ELS graduate program coordinators, and graduate lecturers) conduct every step of admission as a team to ensure the fairness and effectiveness of the admission process and the result of the admission is reported to the school committee and finally endorsed by the Institute of Social Technology committee.
The steps of university admission system and responsible people are as follows:
- 1. Appoint SFL Admission Committee every year (SFL Chair)
- 2. Review the criteria and requirements of admission (admission committee)
- 3. PR the requirements (CES, SFL)
- 4. Screen carefully qualifications and other related documents of applicants (admission committee)
- 5. Announce the qualified applicants (CES)
- 6. Prepare the admission exam (admission committee)
- 7. Administer the admission examination (written test and interview) (admission committee)
- 8. Meet and discuss the admission results right after the admission exam (admission committee)
- 9. Get approval from the school of Foreign Languages committee (SFL)
- 10. Get approval from the institute committee. (IST)
- 11. Submit the results to CES for an official announcement (CES)
- 12. Announce the official results of admission (CES)